(Sports Focus) Brazilian star coach Scolari grabs a win in CSL debut

Brazil World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari grabbed a 2-1 win Saturday night in his Chinese Super League (CSL) debut as manager of Guangzhou Evergrande.

"It was a fierce and tough match, and we grabbed our chances to win," said the newly-appointed Scolari.

The 66-year-old, who signed a two-and-a-half year contract, assumed the mantle from Italy's former World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and said he planned to maintain the team's winning traditions while tweaking its game if necessary.

As the match decided the legaue leader, defending champion Guangzhou Evergrande played hard from the start, though they conceded an early goal in the 14th minute.

Guangzhou Evergrande leveled in the 34th minute with Zou Zheng's header from a freekick. In the 52nd minute, Zheng Long scored with a free kick to seal the win. Zou Zheng was sent off in injury time for a fierce tackling.

"I am unsatisfied with how our defense line played. They stood in a line, which was Cannavaro's style, but I will change it gradually," said Scolari, who formally took the rein of the defending champions last week.

Cannavaro, who captained Italy to victory at the 2006 World Cup, took over from his compatriot Marcello Lippi last December.

Guangzhou Evergrande are topping the league table with 29 points after 14 rounds, followed by Beijing Guoan and Shandong Lueng who collect 29 points and 26 points respectively.

"It is my first win in CSL against coach Cuca, but I am not sure if it was so back in Brazil," said coach Scolari, adding he remembered they did compete against each other in Brazil both with wins and losses as coach.

Shandong Luneng's Brazilian coach Cuca got a ban off the pitch for seven months starting from June 6, and was fined 140,000 RMB (about 22, 500 U.S. dollars) on Friday.

"Cuca was pulling and shouting at the linesman on and off the pitch, and took part in the attacking of the linesman in the player lanes, which left a very bad impression," said Chinese Football Association (CFA) in a punishment decision.

"It is football. And a pity that Cuca will not be able to step on the pitch tommorrow, but the two teams will compete as usual," Scolari said Friday that he and Cuca were old friends.

Scolari, whose Asian football experience includes spells in Japan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, said that he'd been in touch with Guangzhou going back to 2011.

"It's not my first day to recognize Guangzhou Evergrande. I have been keeping in touch with the team in the past three years, so for me it is not a casual decision," said the Brazilian star coach.

Among Guangzhou's foreign players, Brazilians Rene Junior, Alan, Elkeson and Ricardo Goulart are play a key part.

"It will be difficult for us to defend our honor in the coming matches, as my players are suffering from injuries, like Rene, Alan, and some are banned such as Zou Zheng," Scolari said he was well aware of the future woes.

Elkeson will probably be able to make the next match as he regains his fitness.

Scolari had guided Brazil to win the FIFA World Cup in 2002, and led Portugal to the runner-ups in the European Championship in 2004. He again took the rein of Brazil for the 2014 World Cup but stepped down after the humiliating 7-1 defeat by Germany in the semifinal.

"It (Cuca' s ban) did influence our performance," said Ma Baogang, assistant coach of Shandong Luneng.

Meanwhile, denied that former Guangzhou coach Lee Jang-Soo from South Korea would replace Cuca in the remaining season. Endit