A soccer match at China's Workers Stadium. (Photo : Reuters)
Although Thailand's Bangkok Glass team flew into China's capital city several days early for the purpose of getting used to the drop in temperature, the strategic preparation was not enough for Richardo Rodriguez' Thai FA Cup champions.
Beijing Guoan prevailed 3-0 against the Southeast Asian team at Workers Stadium to secure their place in the group stage of the AFC Champions League, joining compatriots Guangzhou R&F, who also won 3-0 in their playoff match.
The Chinese capital-city side followed through with the sentiment outlined in the words of their coach, Gregorio Manzano, prior to the game. Manzano told reporters that victory was the "keyword" for the team, which seemed to be fiercely unwilling to settle for anything less than a berth in the AFC Champions League group stage.
The Guoan manager explained:
"We started preparing the match 70 training sessions ago. We are treating it like a cup final. We cannot afford any mistakes. I have told our players every day during our pre-season practices. It will be a decisive match and we are ready for it."
According to the Xinhua site, the Spanish coach's China Super League side dominated the game from the outset, with an attacking line led by Dejan Damjanovic.
After a few scoring opportunities failed to convert in the early stages of the game, new winger Song Boxuan gave Guoan a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.
The winger found himself in the spotlight again, after he was involved in a penalty kick incident that was slammed across the line by Argentinian Guoan midfielder, Pablo Batalla.
Batalla was then responsible for the winning side's third and final goal, as Beijing Guoan decisively emerged out of the playoff stage on a cool Tuesday evening in China.
