A Beijing Guoan fan waves the team's flag during their Chinese Super League last-round match against Hangzhou Lücheng at the Workers' Stadium Monday. Photo: IC

By Wang Wei

Beijing's soccer fans were over the moon Saturday after Beijing Guoan beat Hangzhou Lücheng 4-0 to clinch their maiden Chinese Super League (CSL) title at a sold-out Workers' Stadium.

A spectacular Emil Martinez hat trick and a well-taken penalty from full back Zhou Ting finally rewarded the local fans with a long-awaited top-division championship title 15 years after the Chinese football league turned professional in 1994.

Changchun Yatai, champions in 2007, finished the campaign second after beating Chongqing Lifan 3-2. Henan Jianye, who kept up with Beijing on 48 points before the last round kicked off, claimed third place after losing 1-3 to Shenzhen Hongzuan.

Meanwhile, minnows Hangzhou and Chongqing went down to the second division after a year-long struggle.

"Martinez is absolutely brilliant, I've told you that he is getting better and better in recent matches, but I didn't expect him to score a hat trick," said Beijing coach Hong Yuanshuo.

"Fans make us much stronger, we can't do anything without their support," added the 61-year-old coach, a former Chinese international striker.

Just as Hong said, anyone could clearly feel the power of the capital city when they saw the tens of thousands of fans marching from Dongsishitiao subway station all the way to the north gate of the Workers' Stadium before the match started, chanting "Guoan are the champions!"

Hat-trick hero and man-of-the-match Emil Martinez Photo: CFP

The record-breaking 60,000 fans' faith and support were repaid just three minutes into the first half – before many people had found their seats. Honduran attacking midfielder Emil Martinez scored a close-range effort, sending the home crowd into raptures.

Beijing fans' joy was doubled when, at the same time, Henan fell one-goal behind to Shenzhen Hongzuan, meaning Guoan were on cusp of lifting the trophy.

Martinez brought everyone in the stadium once again to their feet with a 25-meter world-class volley from the left-hand side of the box three minutes after the break. The 2008 Chinese Footballer-of-the-Year chested down a pinpoint lob from teammate Huang Bowen, then fired his howitzer straight to the top corner of the far post.

The free-scoring home side put the game and their title further beyond doubt in the 75th minute when substitute striker Du Wenhui was pushed down in the box by a Hangzhou defender. Zhou Ting angled home a delicious right-foot shot to extend their lead to 3-0.

With rampant fans already celebrating their first-ever title in the stand, red-hot Martinez put the gloss on his accomplished performance with a coolly taken finish four minutes later. He completed his hat trick by blasting an angled shot past the keeper after receiving a clever pass from Griffiths for the second time in the game.

When the Japanese referee blew the full-time whistle, the football-driven city of Beijing, proud of its highest average attendance throughout the history of Chinese professional football, could finally celebrate the moment that they have been longing for for a long time.

Players rushed to each side of the stand to interact with joyous fans. Though they had been told that there would be no victory ceremony after the win, most of the local fans, many of whom were fighting back the tears, chanted their heroes' and club's name in and around the stadium throughout the night.

"We've been fighting for the champions for more than 15 years and devoted ourselves in generation after generation," said a 52-year-old. "I'm proud of my team, proud of my city."

Despite archrival fans ascribing Beijing's league victory to a match-fixing scandal and an under-the-table deal between the club and the Chinese FA, several team managers and coaches sent their best wishes to the newly crowned champion, saying that Beijing performed more steadily and a league title was the reward for their perseverance.

Gao Hongbo, Chinese national team coach and a Beijing native, also congratulated his former club and teammates. "This was one of the sweetest moments in Beijing, whether for local people or for any player that had played for the city."

Three hours after the game, there were still 10,000 local fans marching along the second ring road, sounding trumpets in the triumphant night with car drivers joining their parade every now and then.

"Some people said that the league-winning ceremony would be held in the Bird's Nest next week," a young lady told the Global Times. "Should we begin to stand in a line for tickets right now?"