South China Morning Post Vietnamese end Kitchee's sweet run Unbeaten record had to come to an end, but we are still in pole position, says club boss Ken Ng Chan Kin-wa Kitchee's two-month unbeaten record came to a shuddering halt after losing 1-0 away to Song Lam Nghe An of Vietnam in the AFC Cup at Vinh Stadium yesterday. Since their 2-1 defeat by TSW Pegasus in the domestic league in mid-February, the Hong Kong champions have been riding the crest of a wave with an eight-win, one-draw record in all competitions, including perfect results in their first three AFC Cup group F matches. Club boss Ken Ng Kin, however, was philosophical, saying the unbeaten record had to come to an end eventually. "The Vietnamese are the second best team in the group from my point of view and it came as no surprise they beat us, especially with their home-ground advantage," said Ng. "The pitch conditions were bad, making our favoured passing game more difficult. Our striker, Jorge Tarres, hit the crossbar in the first half, otherwise it could have been a different game. "Nonetheless, the result is not too bad considering the second place team in the group, Terengganu of Malaysia, also lost today. There is little change in positions and we are still leading the group with nine points and are in pole position to qualify for the round of 16." The Malaysian Super League runners-up of last season are still on six points after losing 2-0 to home side Tampines Rovers of Singapore, and with two matches left for each team, Kitchee still stand a great chance of finishing top of the group, which will give them home ground advantage for the round of 16. Meanwhile, Citizen are desperate to get a result against Chonburi of Thailand at Mong Kok Stadium tonight to keep their hopes alive. The Thais arrive off the back of a 2-0 win over the Hong Kong Senior Shield champions in group G last week and Citizen executive director Pui Ho-wang said they had to add more attacking elements to their play if they wanted to reverse that result. "We learned a lot from the last match as the Thais are very strong," he said. "But with the support of the fans and home-ground advantage, we hope to do better this time." Midfielder Festus Baise, who celebrates his 32nd birthday today, hopes the occasion can bring his team good luck. "We still have a chance and will fight for the victory," said the Nigerian, who scored the winning goal against Yangon United of Myanmar when they won 2-1 last month. Chonburi lead the group with seven points, while Home United of Singapore and Citizen are tied in second.
From Myanmar perspective Ayeyawady United have a shot to move to next round from group H (with a little luck they could win the group). In group G, Yangon United are basically out, though not mathematically. If they win the last two games (highly improbable against Chonburi on the road, possible against Citizen at home) they could squeeze in if other results work in their favor. Very impressed with Ayeyawady as they are doing what they have to - win at home and try to get points away. If Yangon does not qualify (which will probably be the case) they will have only themselves to blame - they left a win against Chonburi at home (injury time equalizer), tie away at Citizen (90th minute goal), and a win against Home United at home missing many chances - basically a total of 5 points. Good lesson learned for the team to mature as games aren't over until they are. Even Chonburi found out the hard way conceding 2 goals in added time today against Citizen. Assuming Myanmar still has 2 slots at AFC Cup next year it will be hard to tell who will make it. MNL is done with Round 1 (13 games) - Yangon's place 3rd, Ayeyawady 5th. The current group leaders Kanbawza will be playing the Singapore FA Cup this summer, so should be a good experience for them.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6qKMsCEBMQ"]Citizen 3:3 Chonburi - YouTube[/ame] Very unsporting second goal by Chonburi, they scored when Citizen captain Festus was down injured. Citizen still has a chance after the dramatic draw last night. They must win at home against Home United and then try to get a draw away at Yangon United. Not easy but at least the picture is clear to them.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDoGSw5-92U&list=UUN4p-QaC0X7Z2emddaKC4wg&index=4&feature=plcp"]Arbil Vs East Bengal: AFC Cup 2012 (Group Stage MD4) - YouTube[/ame] WHY DOES IT NOT F*CKING SURPRISE ME!
South China Morning Post Midfield boost as Citizen eye must-win AFC match Alvin Sallay Citizen will be buoyed by the return of attacking midfielders Paulinho and Yuan Yang for tonight's must-win game against Singapore's Home United in the AFC Cup at Mong Kok Stadium. Both the Brazilian and mainlander Yuan have been out of action for more than a fortnight nursing injuries. But they have been declared fit for the crucial encounter which could see Citizen step closer to sealing a place in the last 16 in the regional second-tier competition. "This is a must-win game for us. If we draw or lose, we will be eliminated from the competition," said Citizen executive director Calvin Pui Ho-wang. "A win could see us join Kitchee in the next round. "It will be great to have two Hong Kong teams in the last 16." Kitchee, currently top in group F, play tomorrow away to Tampine Rovers of Singapore. They need to win one of their last two games to ensure they finish on top and secure home advantage in the last 16. Citizen trail Thai champions Chonburi and Home United in group G. But a win would see them draw level with the Singaporeans on seven points with both teams left with one game - Citizen against bottom-placed Yangon United of Myanmar and Home against Chonburi. "Playing at home is always an advantage, and on top of that our confidence is sky-high after the way we came back against Chonburi earlier this month. That result has given us a huge boost," Pui said. Trailing Chonburi 3-1 at Mong Kok Stadium, Citizen scored two goals in stoppage time. "We lost to Home United in Singapore. Our energy levels went down in the second half and we conceded three soft goals. It will be different tomorrow," Pui promised. "There is more confidence in the side now, and the players believe they can do it." Kitchee, meanwhile, arrived in Singapore on Sunday and have had two training sessions to acclimatise to the humidity. They have received a fillip with the news that TSW Pegasus, rivals for the domestic league, lost 4-0 to South China. "Our morale was boosted with the defeat of Pegasus," said club boss Ken Ng Kin. "But we have put that aside and everyone is concentrating on this crucial AFC Cup match, as a win on Wednesday night will seal our qualification and the possible home advantage in the last-16 round." Kitchee will be missing midfielder Huang Yang, on two yellow cards, and it is expected that Fernando Recio will move into the defensive midfield position with Liu Quan-kun partnering Zesh Rehman (pictured) in central defence. "It will be a tough game against Tampine Rovers as they have been improving steadily since their visit to Hong Kong," Ng added.
Citizen 1:2 Home United Chonburi 1:0 Yangon United Chonburi and Home United are through to the last 16. Their final encounter in Singapore will decide the group winner. Citizen played a good game but they defended too deeply and ran out of gas. They had two good chances to win the game after Home United leveled the score, but Paulinho's header hit the bar and Yuto Nakamura's shot hit the post.
South China Morning Post Courageous Citizen kiss AFC Cup hopes goodbye HK team held off Singapore's Home United for 77 minutes at Mong Kok, but two missed chances saw their dreams of reaching knockout round slip away Chan Kin-wa A brave Citizen bid farewell to the AFC Cup following a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to visitors Home United of Singapore in group G at Mong Kok Stadium last night. The home side, who needed a victory to keep their hopes alive, were within reach of the required result until conceding a goal with only 13 minutes left. Fullback Sham Kwok-fai gave Citizen a convincing start in front of the 1,400 fans when he was free to beat the Home United goalkeeper following a neat pass from teammate So Loi-keung in the 17th minute. They maintained their hopes until the 77th minute when the opposing side's French forward Frederic Mendy hit a lucky goal to level the score. A half clearance from Citizen centre half Helio Goncalves inside the penalty box saw the ball drop into the path of the French striker, who made no mistake to put the score back on equal terms. Citizen had little option, but to go into attack mode after the equaliser. They came close to turning the tables on Home United with two clear-cut chances. The first came in second half substitute Paulo Carreiro's powerful header following a corner kick, which was denied by the crossbar. Another unsuccessful attempt quickly followed when forward Yuto Nakamura hit the post from close range. Clovis Anzite-Touadere then sealed the victory for the visitors with an easy shot in stoppage time against an empty Citizen half. Despite one round left with an away match against Yangon United of Myanmar, Citizen, who are now on four points after five matches, already have no hope of catching Chonburi of Thailand. The Thai side are leading the group with 11 points after defeating Yangon United 1-0 in another match last night, while the Singaporeans are also in a secure second place after the win with 10 points. The top two teams of the group stages will advance to the round of 16 where a knockout format will be introduced. "The result is very disappointing as the boys put in some great effort throughout the match," said Calvin Pui Ho-wang, executive director of Citizen. "We came very close as we were leading most of the time, but just couldn't hang in there till the end. "We also had two great opportunities after the score was levelled at 1-all, but some poor finishing cost us dearly. Nonetheless, it has been a rewarding tournament as no one would have expected us to still have qualifying hopes with one round left. The experience against those better Asian counterparts have certainly improved us, which can be used in future regional events or domestic competitions." Pui said that compared with their first match against Home United when they lost 3-1 in Singapore two months ago, they had improved. "This is the first time we have made it to the AFC Cup and there should be a better Citizen when we play the tournament in the future," he said. Against Yangon United in their last group match in two weeks, Pui said they would do their best to finish the tournament in winning style. "We have yet to collect a single point in our first two away matches, and now we should be looking forward to it against Yangon United," he said. Meanwhile, another Hong Kong side, Kitchee need just one point against home team Tampines Rovers of Singapore in group F tonight in order to reach the round of 16. The Hong Kong champions are leading the group with nine points, three ahead of Terengganu of Malaysia, who face Vietnam's Song Lam Nghe An in the other match tonight.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPHe3nW9w2M"]2012 AFC Cup - 25 April 2012 - Tampines Rovers vs Kitchee - YouTube[/ame] Highlights of Tampine Rovers vs Kitchee
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_...2&sid=36184596&con_type=1&d_str=20120426&fc=7 The Standard Kitchee march on after stalemate Thursday, April 26, 2012 Hong Kong champions Kitchee advanced to the round of 16 of the AFC Cup with a goalless draw with Tampines Rovers in Singapore last night. The result left Kitchee top of Group F with 10 points, one clear of Malaysian side Terengganu, who ran out 6-2 winners over Vietnam's Song Lam Nghe An at home. Terengganu stormed to a 4-1 lead at half-time and were never threatened. Kitchee host Terengganu on the final day of group games on May 9 needing just a draw to secure top spot. The winners of the group will take on the second-placed side from Group H in the next round. Kitchee are left to fly the flag for the SAR after Citizen were eliminated following a 2-1 defeat by Singapore side Home United in Group G. Kitchee won 2-0 at Terengganu last month thanks to goals from Jorge Tarress and Chu Siu-kei.
Arema Indonesia 6-2 Navibank Saigon Yangon United 0-1 Citizen Athletic Neftchi Fergana 3-0 Salgaocar Home United 0-1 Chonburi FC Al Oruba 4-2 Al Wehdat Kelantan 1-0 Ayeyawady United Al Ahed 1-3 Al Ettifaq Al Kuwait SC 7-1 VS Sports Qualified for Round of 16 : Group C : Al Ettifaq and Al Kuwait SC Group D : Al Wehday and Neftchi Fergana Group G : Chonburi and Home United Group H : Kelantan and Arema Indonesia
South China Morning Post Citizen rescue pride with Yangon win HK side declare themselves happy with debut AFC Cup campaign despite failing to reach knockout stage Chan Kin-wa in Yangon Citizen saved their best performance for last as the Hong Kong side defeated Yangon United 2-1 in their final AFC Cup group G match in Myanmar yesterday. With the temperature at 40 degrees Celsius, Citizen played patiently, relying on a counter-attacking game to preserve energy. They were rewarded with goals in each half, though the first, in the sixth minute, was an own goal by Yangon captain Khin Maung Lwin. Although the home team reduced the deficit to one goal and came close to equalising on a number of occasions, including an effort that was ruled offside in stoppage time, a determined Citizen stayed strong to the end to complete their debut AFC Cup campaign on a high note. "This is a perfect ending for the team," Citizen executive director Calvin Pui Ho-wang said. "Although we failed to qualify for the next round, we knew from the beginning of the tournament that that was probably out of reach. Our main target was to gain international exposure, and from this point of view we can consider ourselves winners. "We have learned a lot from our group opponents and that will surely benefit us in domestic competitions." Pui praised his players for keeping focused throughout the 90 minutes yesterday despite the scorching heat. "The weather was a big obstacle and the conditions were so demanding that more than half the team were hit by muscle cramps by the end," he said. "Some of them even suffered dehydration. "This was a brand new experience for them and it is one which I am sure will make them better and stronger players in future." Citizen finished the group stage in third place with seven points after two victories, both against Yangon United, and one draw. But they were also the only team to defeat Yangon in Myanmar: Chonburi of Thailand and Home United of Singapore, the two teams in the group who qualified for the round of 16, had to settle for draws when they visited. Yangon coach Eric Williams said his side had created a lot of chances and blamed bad luck for their failure to convert any. "We were missing three of our overseas players and three other regulars were suspended for the game," he said. "The first goal was an own goal and there is not much you can do about that but we did create a lot of chances afterwards that we failed to take." Tam Lok-hin scored for Citizen eight minutes after the break to put Yangon under pressure. The home team hit back in the 64th minute through Yan Aung Kyaw, and their Myanmar international, Kyi Lin, hit the post four minutes later.
Tonight Kitchee will face Tenrengganu. If Kitchee wins, then they will face Arema at home. Arema is coached by Dejan Antonic who happened to be Kitchee's coach when Kitchee won the 2006-07 HK League Cup. A reporter interviewed Tenrengganu's staff and learned that Terengganu are not actually too concerned about winning the group because they will be facing Kelantan if they finish second, which is just next door to them in Malaysia and is not really much of an away game. We might be looking at a 0-0 draw tonight...
Song Lam Nghe An 3-0 Tampines Rovers East Bengal 1-2 Kazma Al Tilal 0-2 Al Zawraa Al Faisaly 2-3 Al Suwaiq Arbil 2-1 Al Oruba Al Shorta 3-2 Al Safa Al Qadsia 5-2 Al Ittihad of Alleppo Kitchee 2-2 Terengganu Qualified to Round of 16 : Group A : Al Qadsia and Al Suwaiq Group B : Arbil and Kazma Group E : Al Shorta and Al Sawra Group F : Terengganu and Kitchee
South China Morning Post Tarres double ensures Kitchee get the job done Sloppy defending costs Hong Kong champions victory, but draw is enough to top AFC Cup group and secure home advantage in the first knockout round Alvin Sallay Kitchee got their wish granted last night - just - as spirited Malaysians Terengganu almost pulled the rug from under their feet before having to settle for a 2-2 draw in the final AFC Cup group game. Two first-half goals from Jorge Tarres lifted the spirits of the home fans at Tseung Kwan O sports ground, but Kitchee twice let the lead slip. Yet the result was still enough for them to top the group, thus earning home-ground advantage in the one-legged round of 16, where they will come up against Indonesia's Arema. That was always Kitchee's target. They didn't quite hit it in style as sloppy defending cost them two goals, and that left a small grey cloud hanging ominously over the club, perhaps signaling that cracks are starting to appear at a most crucial period in their season. But with Kitchee in the FA Cup semi-finals, one match away from retaining their league title, and now in the last 16 of the AFC Cup, it was no surprise that club president Ken Ng Kin refused to be downhearted. "If somebody had told me before that we would finish top of our group after six games, I would have taken it. Yes, we made one defensive mistake and then conceded a penalty, but all in all it was a good performance," Ng said. His view was echoed by coach Josep Gombau. He said: "We are happy. Our objective was to finish top of our group and we have achieved it. The most important thing is that we are still alive in the AFC Cup and playing our next game at home will help us a bit." Nicknamed the turtles, Terengganu were more like the teenage mutant ninja type as they harried Kitchee all the way. A patient passage of play in the opening minutes led to Kitchee drawing first blood. After 15 passes Lo Kwan-yee found Tarres in the box with a perfect cross and the striker headed powerfully into the top right-hand corner. That goal, in the ninth minute, seemed to infuse some swagger into Kitchee as they toyed with the opposition defence. But the dangers of trying to do too much with the ball struck home hard when Malaysian left-winger Zubir Azmi intercepted one pass too many. He sped down the left flank and an exchange of passes with centre-forward Mohamad Samsudin resulted in the latter slotting past an off-balance goalie Wang Zhenpeng to equalise in the 15th minute. Tarres gave Kitchee the advantage once again just on halftime, when he received a good through ball from Chan Man-fai and scooped the ball over Terengganu goalie Shamriza Yusoff. But the euphoria in a noisy crowd fans soon dissipated when Terengganu again caught Kitchee off-guard with a quick counter-attack which led to Fernando Recio hauling down Abdul Yahaya just inside the box. Yahaya converted the penalty and the match was deadlocked again. "The players were unhappy that they couldn't win, but they must realise they have done well when looking at the overall picture," Ng said. "We are in first place in the domestic competition, in the FA Cup and also still progressing in the AFC Cup." Their next date in the AFC Cup will be on May 23 when they host Arema, who pulled off a stunning upset by finishing runners-up in group H after picking up just one point from their opening four games. Ng and Gombau are hoping by then Kitchee will have won the league and be in the FA Cup final. "We want to keep going in the AFC Cup. But winning the league takes prime importance now to earn a berth in next year's event," added Ng.
http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC120509-0000066/Home-face-tough-AFC-Cup-tie Today Online Home face tough AFC Cup tie by Dan Guen Chin Updated 09:07 AM May 09, 2012 SINGAPORE - Home United face an uphill task if they are to reach the quarter-finals of this season's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup. The Protectors are set to take on tricky opponents from the Middle East in the last 16 after a 2-1 defeat to Thailand's Chonburi FC at Bishan Stadium saw them finish second in Group G with 10 points. They will travel to play the winners of Group E in the next round on May 22, which could be either Syrian side Al Shorta, Iraq's Al Zawra'a or Safa of Libya depending on the outcome of those matches played today. Chonburi topped Group G with 14 points and will face the runners-up from Group E. Home went behind to a fourth-minute strike from Chonburi captain Pipob On Mo, before Konchaplayuk Nappodon doubled the visitors' advantage after 76 minutes. Former Singapore international Indra Sahdan pulled one back for the Protectors in the 85th minute.
South China Morning Post 'Old boy' Antonic out to beat Kitchee Chan Kin-wa Former Kitchee coach Dejan Antonic will be leading Arema of Indonesia in an attempt to beat his former club when the two sides meet in the one-legged AFC Cup round of 16 match at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground tonight. The Serbian is no stranger to Hong Kong soccer as he has been with TSW Pegasus, Tai Chung and Tuen Mun after quitting Kitchee in 2007. He was also briefly in charge of the Hong Kong team with joint coach Goran Paulic in 2008. He left Tuen Mun early this year due to personal reasons. His return to Hong Kong as the Indonesian club side's coach has added to the interest in the AFC Cup tie. "I am happy to see my former club become a top team in Hong Kong and their players like Lo Kwan-yee were under my guidance when I was in charge of the club," he said yesterday. "Kitchee are a strong team, especially with the arrival of their quality Spanish expatriates. But this is a one-off match and the team that can avoid making mistakes will have the better chance. "It's been a big achievement for us to reach the last 16, but of course our target is now going further." Arema only made it to the knockout stage after an impressive 6-2 victory in their final group match against Navibank Saigon of Vietnam and qualified as the second-placed team with a better goal difference than the two others in the group. Kitchee captain Chu Siu-kei said spirits were high after the team won the league championship for the second season in a row last Sunday. "Our target is to reach the AFC Cup quarter-final stage and the players are all confident of a win," he said. "Although we have to play Pegasus in the FA Cup final on Saturday, and a victory will give us a record treble season, we will not have any reservations about going all-out against Arema." Chu was rested against Rangers in their final league match along with other key players such as Zeshan Rehman, Fernando Recio and Daniel Cancela. But all coach Josep Gombau's first choices will start tonight.