Brazil, China hold friendly matches at Zhuhai stadium

Reserve teams of Santos Futebol Clube and Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense flattened their Chinese opponents 2-0 and 7-1 on the first game day of the China-LAC Cup International Football Invitational.

The initial match, at 5:45 pm Monday, saw a fierce 90-minute battle between Santos Futebol Clube and Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao Football Club, the most influential football team in China, end with a 2-0 win for the Brazilians.

Chang Weiwei, head coach of Evergrande, said he was not upset with the result, as all the players did their best. His counterpart, Ronaldo Santos, was satisfied with the performance of his players, saying that they could communicate with others and improve their skills through the match. 

Evergrande vs Santos

The other Brazilian team, Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, built a comfortable 7-1 victory over Guangzhou R&F Football Club in the ensuing match. Head Coach Antônio confirmed the efforts of both parties, and pointed out that the main purpose of the match is to offer trials for young players.

Confronted with such a tough competitor, Guangzhou R&F tried their best despite the constitutional differences between Chinese and Brazilian players. The match was a chance to give Chinese players some insight into Brazilian football techniques, said R&F's head coach Govedarica.

A prerecorded video of soccer legend and former Santos player Pelé provided a perfect climax to the event as he extended greetings to spectators and cheers for the players and the city of Zhuhai. He called for the event to be a success and an enjoyable journey for all involved.

Guangzhou R&F vs Grêmio  [Photos by Zhu Xi / Zhuhai Daily]

To be held at the Zhuhai Sports Center in New Xiangzhou, China-LAC Cup will see the four teams duke it out at four matches in a single round-robin format on Nov 8 and 10.

As a thriller to the China-Latin America & Caribbean International Exposition, the event is guided by the Chinese Football Association, Hengqin New Area Administrative Committee, and Zhuhai Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau; and supported by the Zhuhai Football Association.

Hosted by the Guangdong Football Association and Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Investment, it is locally organized by Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Culture & Media, China-Latin America (Zhuhai) Investment, and Hengqin Football Association. Co-organizers are China-Latin America Trade (Beijing), AMF International Trade, and Zhuhai Panther Latin Football Training.