Arrival of Brazilian Elkeson crucial to Guangzhou's Asian success

Prolific goal scorers, invariably, win titles and with six goals in six AFC Champions League matches, Guangzhou Evergrande have unearthed another South American hotshot in Brazilian forward Elkeson.

While his compatriot Muriqui may have finished as the tournament's leading scorer and was named the Most Valuable Player, Elkeson's elevation to the AFC Champions League squad in place of the underwhelming Lucas Barrios in August tipped the continental balance in Guangzhou's favour.

Elkeson came into the squad for the quarter-finals and averaged a goal a game after his form in the Chinese Super League - where he finished as the leading scorer with 24 goals in 28 games - meant Marcello Lippi could no longer ignore his predatory instincts.

"I signed a contract to support the team to become the champions of Asia," said Elkeson, who joined from Corinthians at the start of the year. "We've done a lot to enhance and improve ourselves and thankfully it has been a good year for us."

It's hard to see how Elkeson can improve on his first year in Chinese and Asian football, but next up he will lead the attacking line for Guangzhou at the Club World Cup in Morocco next month.

What happens after that will depend on whether Guangzhou hold on to Lippi amid rumours the Chinese Football Association want the Italian to take over as national team coach and how the club replace the departing talismanic midfielder Dario Conca as the Argentinian looks set to return to Fluminense.