Guangzhou's Conca eyes redemption in AFC Champions League

The Argentine went through the pain when he missed a penalty as Brazil's Fluminense lost the 2008 Copa Libertadores final to Ecuador's Liga de Quito.





Last month's 2-2 draw in Seoul has put Guangzhou in an advantageous position for the second leg of the final of Asia's premier club tournament at the Tianhe Stadium and Conca was determined to avert a second heartbreak.

"It's an important factor because if you have had previous experience in these kind of global games it does help going into the second match," said the 30-year-old.

"In my opinion, the first match is used to get to know the opponent in detail and then the second match you plan out the whole match in order to win it.

"The experience I had previously will help out with this second leg," said Conca.

Since joining the Chinese champions from Fluminense midway through the 2011 season, Conca has been crucial to Guangzhou's success.

They wrapped up their third consecutive Chinese Super League title this season and are on track for a unique treble with a Chinese FA Cup semi-final to come.

"It's hard to feel very important when it's your first time playing in a tournament, but when you get there again the next year and in the years to come, then you start to feel as if you are part of a group of very high level teams worldwide and this is something that is very positive for our team," he said.

Guangzhou are on the cusp of becoming the first Chinese team to win the AFC Champions League and the significance of the achievement was not lost on Conca.

"It's a very important match ... we're not going to hold back, we're going to put all our effort into the game and it's going to be very entertaining and a lot of fun but there is always that level of seriousness that's going to present."

Conca said the title would be a befitting tribute to the team's World Cup winning Italian coach Marcello Lippi, who could become the first manager to win both the UEFA and AFC Champions Leagues.

"He has a big influence on our team due to the great experience he has gained throughout his career," he said of the Italian.

"We trust his opinions, we trust his way of coaching us, so it's up to us to put all of these factors into what we do on the field and show him that we're capable of following such a great coach."

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty Editing by Patrick Johnston)


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Source: Reuters


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