Evergrande reach Club World Cup Semis to meet Barcelona

Thanks to Brazilian striker Paulinho’s last minute goal, Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande from China rallied to beat Club America from Mexico 2-1 here on Sunday and set up the semi clash with European champions Barcelona in FIFA Club World Cup. The most incredible thing is that history repeats itself even in his celebration; much excitement in the run after scoring, and eyes filled with tears of joy.

“I have done this two or three times, I did this before in national team as well”, Paulinho said after the game.

Former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was back to his old self on Saturday – upbeat, pulling faces and reprimanding anyone who dared ask if he was still suffering the after-effects of the infamous 7-1 World Cup defeat to Germany.

Barcelona’s players pose before their Champions League group E soccer match at the Borisov Arena stadium outside Minsk, Belarus, October 20, 2015.

Lionel Messi’s Barcelona are runaway favourites to win the tournament for the third time in seven years but they know that Scolari, in charge of their Chinese opponents since June, is not going to make life easy for them.

In 2013, Guangzhou Evergrande finished fourth in the Club World Cup in Morroco under Marcello Lippi’s supervision.

“We have four or five Brazilians who adapted to the style of Chinese football; we have Chinese players who understand our training methods and play with our South American football philosophy”.

Paulinho’s heroics were enough to see him claim the Player of the Match award, although he was quick to share the credit with his team-mates. “They are a ideal team”. “It’s a big loss for us”, said Mazembe coach Patrice Carteron.

“We know we are the small team, but I think we can do something”.

CONCACAF Champions League winners America must instead console themselves with a fifth/sixth-place play-off against the loser of the other quarter-final between TP Mazembe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

“We’ve tried to adapt to the time difference”.

“It’s important for us and for the club the fact that we can go there and compete to be the best in the world and above all, obtain the prize”, Mascherano told Barca TV.