SHINZO KOROKI’S late strike kept holder Guangzhou Evergrande rooted to the bottom of its AFC Champions League group after a 2-2 draw with Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds on Wednesday.

    The big-spending Chinese champion, which splashed out 42 million euros (US$45.60 million) on Colombian striker Jackson Martinez last month, gave up a 2-0 lead in front of 48,000 rain-drenched fans at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou.

    Guangzhou had opened its Group H campaign with a 0-0 draw at home to South Korea’s Pohang Steelers before going down 2-1 to Sydney FC in Australia at the start of the month.

    That left the Asian champion languishing at the bottom of the group on two points with three games remaining and in grave danger of missing out on the knockout stage for the first time.

    “It was a wonderful match, we created many opportunities, but sorry we couldn’t score one more goal,” Guangzhou coach Luiz Felipe Scolari told reporters.

    “We were under pressure, the opponents were very strong and the result was a fair one, we are still improving.”

    Chinese champion for the last five years, Guangzhou started the new Super League campaign with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chongqing Lifan before recording its first win of the season with a 3-0 victory over Changchun Yatai.

    Scolari, who led Brazil to a World Cup triumph in 2002, is likely to come under increasing pressure if he cannot arrest the faltering start to the season.

    At least there were signs in Wednesday’s draw that Martinez, who has scored twice in domestic matches, is starting to find his feet in the red Guangzhou shirt.

    After Ricardo Goulart opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the sixth minute, a neat Martinez pass with the outside of the foot put the Brazilian in to double the lead 10 minutes later.

    A howler from China keeper Zeng Cheng let the Reds back into the match after half an hour, however, and substitute striker Shinzo Koroki equalized a minute from time.(SD-Agencies)