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Luiz Felipe Scolari has praised the owners of Guangzhou Evergrande as "the best in Asia" after seeing his side book their place in the final of the Chinese FA Cup on Wednesday. World Cup winner Scolari, who has worked throughout Asia including stints in Japan, Uzbekistan and the Middle East, kept the club on track for a domestic double with a 3-1 win over local rivals Guangzhou R&F in the second leg of their semifinal meeting to seal a 5-3 aggregate win. That victory has set up a meeting in next month's final with Jiangsu Suning, with the first leg to be played on Nov. 19 and the return one week later. "For recent good results, I have to show a lot of appreciation for the chairman, Xu Jiayin, and the president, Liu Yongzhuo," the Brazilian coach said. "They have been a great help. They have always been there for us, especially when we are at those difficult times and need them the most, they were there. They are best owners, the best bosses in Asia. "They kept our players' desire and hunger for wins and titles. They are generous when we need different conditions, they helped us through our ups and downs. They invite the team to dinner and join our meetings." Since the Evergrande Real Estate Group took control of the club in 2010, Guangzhou have won the Chinese Super League title on each of the last five occasions and twice been crowned champions of Asia. They currently lead the CSL standings by six points with just five games remaining. Guangzhou also won the Chinese FA Cup in 2012 and will face off against Jiangsu, who are currently second in the league standings, in this year's final after Choi Yong-soo's team saw off the challenge of Shanghai Shenhua in their semifinal on Wednesday. Choi, who led FC Seoul to the final of the Asian Champions League when they lost to Guangzhou in 2013, admitted his side will go into the final as underdogs despite his club's own pedigree. "Evergrande are one of the best teams in the CSL," the South Korean coach said. "With the best players, the best coaches, and an honourable history, they deserve our respect. "Honestly I admit that we are not as good as they are, but we have our dreams and faith. If we stick together and try our best, the result can be different. We are already in the final, and I can't wait to give fans a very entertaining final."
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