Spurs in Hong Kong
Eastern have secured a vital spot in the Asian Champions league qualifiers after defeating Southern 3-0 in the playoff final. This win was overshadowed by the news that pioneering manager, Chan Yuen Ting resigned after the game. Chan rocketed to global attention after guiding Eastern to the HKPL title last season and in so doing, became the first female manager in the world to lead a professional men's team to a league title; Chan will take time to complete her AFC pro-licence and will remain at Eastern in a different capacity.
Szeto Man-Chiu will now take the reigns at Eastern, who despite losing one game in the league all season, did not manage to win a single trophy and were also outclassed in the Asian Champions League group stages.
Tottenham Hotspurs Impress in 4-1 over Kitchee
Free-scoring Tottenham Hotspurs put on a vintage display as they defeated Kitchee at Hong Kong stadium. Initially resting star names like Harry Kane and Dele Alli, Spurs still had the strength in depth as Spurs stalwarts Son Heung-Min and Christian Eriksen took the reigns with the former displaying speed and power throughout his time on the pitch.
Harry Kane was the main attraction at Hong Kong Stadium. Kitchee were persistent and resilient and held a good account for themselves and held out until the 17th minute when Son lashed in a shot to give Spurs the lead. Further goals from Janssen and Kane placed the visitors into a 3-0 lead. Kitchee never gave up and Lucas Da Silva tapped home from close range to pull the game back to 3-1.
A goal from Sterling in injury time sealed the game for Spurs. An exciting game with chances for both sides sent the 27,000 strong crowd home in a satisfied mood.
Matthew Lam of Kitchee reflected on the game and how Kitchee held a good account of themselves.
"There were quite a few moments when we (Kitchee) showed we could play. We kept the ball a few times nicely and created some chances and of course in the end, there are a world class side and world class players and the levels is something else and I think we held on and put on a good show for the fans."
Liverpool FC Confirm Premier League Asia Trophy this Summer in Hong Kong
The eighth edition of the Premier League Asia Trophy (previously Barclays Asia Trophy) will take place at the Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday 19 and Saturday 22 July. The biennial tournament will see the Reds make their second appearance, competing against Premier League club's Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion. Liverpool FC played in the tournament back in 2007 which saw the team lose out to Portsmouth in a thrilling penalty shoot-out. LFC will be hoping to claim victory this year at the famous Hong Kong Stadium.
Ticketing information for fans will be announced in early June. Tickets will be sold per match day (19 July, 22 July) with each ticket allowing access to both matches on that day.
Leicester City Win Soccer Sevens for the 2nd Time
Leicester City are the winners of the Main Tournament Cup Final, while Aston Villa are the runner-ups. Photo by Chris Wong / Power Sport Images
Tournament debutants Bayer Leverkusen were crowned Main Tournament Plate champions as goals from Julijan Popovic and Berkan Arik helped claim a 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix in the final. Citi All Stars, meanwhile, retained their Masters Tournament title after Jamie Cureton scored his second goal of the game at death to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory over Wallsend Boys Club in the final.
Tournament debutants playonPROS won the Masters Shield after Emile Heskey scored a sublime free-kick to claim a 3-2 victory over Discovery Bay in the final.
PlayonPros featured such names as Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mikael Silvestre, David James and Colin Hendry, Regi Blinker, Des Walker, Phil Babb, Paul Dickov, Lee Hendrie and Michael Hughes.
Bayer Leverkusen (in blue) are the winners of the Main Tournament Plate Final match, while Wellington Phoenix (in grey) are the runners-up.
Tournament leading scorer and a name for the future, Josh Eppiah scored twice while Joshou Gordon also added another.
HKFC players, Shane Jeffrey, who has played in the Soccer Sevens for two years in a row shared his views on why the soccer sevens are so popular with both players and fans alike.
"I think the soccer sevens is just a great event all around especially in this part of the world. It allows players an opportunity to express themselves a little more than the normal 11-a-side games in that there is more space and more opportunities with the ball at your feet. It also is an exciting brand of football for fans to enjoy. Although it is exciting and showcases some great skill, it doesn't resemble the 11-a-side game at all so I think it's difficult to assess players. It's a completely different game and although many skills are on display it doesn't necessarily translate to the normal game."
Jeffrey also spoke about the opportunity for amateur players having the chance to take on professional players.
"This was my second year competing and it really is a fun weekend regardless of results. We didn't do as well as we would have liked to but in sevens the mistakes teams make are amplified because of the space available, especially against the pro teams who punish mistakes and turnovers very quickly. The pro players are typically fitter and a step or two quicker than what I am used to. The biggest difference-maker is the added quality on the ball which as mentioned makes the crucial difference in games that are only 14 minutes long. Even with this being said it still is very competitive and not out of the question to get a result against the pro teams which makes it interesting for the players and fans."
Hong Kong Soccer Related
Soccerphile.com