Luiz Felipe Scolari hailed veteran midfielder Zheng Zhi as among the best in the continent as Guangzhou Evergrande moved to within one game of clinching a record-extending sixth straight Chinese Super League title on Saturday evening.
Zheng was left out of the China national team squad for the back-to-back defeats against Syria and Uzbekistan in World Cup qualifying last week that saw head coach Gao Hongbo resign from his post, and the 36-year-old was instrumental in his club's 6-0 thrashing of Shijiazhuang Everbright as the CSL resumed.
The win kept Guangzhou seven points clear of second-placed Jiangsu Suning with just three games remaining, leaving Scolari's team needing just one win from their final matches to extend their remarkable streak.
"We prepared carefully for this game, so the players settled in quickly," Scolari said. "I want to applaud Zheng Zhi, he had a perfect first half. He is still one of the top Asian midfielders.
"Our high pressure attacking is very influential on our opponent's ball control, and we took our opportunities. In the first half, we played textbook football."
Brazilian duo Alan and Ricardo Goulart both scored twice while there were also goals for Gao Lin and Paulinho as Guangzhou notched up their 18th win of the season while Jiangsu handed Shanghai SIPG a 2-1 defeat that hurt the Asian Champions League hopes of Sven-Goran Eriksson's side while keeping their own slim championship hopes alive.
Scolari stressed his focus was squarely on the remainder of the season, despite the recent vacancy at the helm of the national team and the impending conclusion of his contract with the club. In addition to being on the verge of winning yet another CSL title, Guangzhou will face Jiangsu in the final of the CFA Cup next month.
"At the moment I am only thinking about Evergrande," the Brazilian World Cup winner said. "We are still chasing two titles this season. I am a professional coach and my priority is to finish the current contract, which will end on Nov. 31. I won't consider anything else before that.
"I haven't talked too much with my players about their national team experiences. My emphasis has been on their club experience."
Victory over Yanbian Funde next Sunday at Tianhe Stadium will see Guangzhou claim the league title and Scolari called on the club's fans to turn out in force.
"I hope next Sunday, our fans in Guangzhou can witness our sixth Championship title in a row," he said. "I hope to see a full stadium."