Mariners goes down to Evergrande in AFC Champions League

SYDNEY - NSW's Central Coast Mariners were once again defeated by Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande Wednesday night in the Asian Champions League, outclassed by a convincing 3-0 win in China.

Guangzhou drew first blood within seven minutes of the kick-off, courtesy of Brazilian Muriqui, and they didn't stop there.

The Mariners hung in grimly, battling for every ball, but Marcello Lippi's dream team lived up to their reputation - and their salary - in front of a roaring home crowd.

After their most recent match in Australia, with the Mariners down by just 2-1, Central Coast fans had hoped the team might yesterday perform a miracle and get the two goals needed to advance in the competition.

But the home advantage, plus having had a bit of a surprise at the Mariners' fight in their first encounter, meant Guangzhou came out fighting.

Evergrande will now ascend to the quarterfinals for the second straight year in a row.