Here is the 31-man preliminary squad named for the upcoming Asian Cup 2019 qualifier against North Korea later this month: Goalkeepers: YAPP Hung-Fai - Eastern Long Lions WANG Zhenpang - Kitchee SC YUEN Ho-Chun - HK Pegasus CHAN Ka-Ho - Sun Bus Yuen Long Defenders: WONG Tsz-Ho - Eastern Long Lions Festus BAISE - Guizhou Hengfeng FC (China) CHEUNG Chi-Yung - Sun Pegasus FONG Pak-Lun - Sun Pegasus Dani CANCELA - Kitchee SC Fernando RECIO - Kitchee SC Andrew James RUSSELL - Liaoning Whowin FC (China) TSUI Wang-Kit - Meizhou Keija (China) ROBERTO Affonso Junior - R&F HK CHAK Ting-Fung - Wofoo Tai Po FC Jack SEALY - Wofoo Tai Po FC Midfielders: XU Deshuai - Eastern Long Lions JU Yingzhi - Eastern Long Lions LEUNG Chun-Pong - Eastern Long Lions WU Chun-Ming - Sun Pegasus LAM Ka-Wai - Kitchee SC LAU Hok-Ming - KC Southern WONG Wai - Wofoo Tai Po FC Forwards: CHENG Siu-Kwan - BC Rangers Jaimes Anthony McKEE - Eastern Long Lions LO Kong-Wai - Eastern Long Lions CHAN Siu-Ki - Sun Pegasus Alex Tayo AKANDE - Kitchee SC PAULINHO - Kitchee SC James Stephen Gee HA - KC Southern Godfred KARIKARI - R&F HK Source: https://www.hkfa.com/en/ Any thoughts on the preliminary squad?
Over 100 (some say 200) Kitchee fans travelled to Kashiwa to support the club. I think this must be some kind of record for a Hong Kong club playing away. There are three factors I guess: 1. Kashiwa is in Japan and it is the favourite travel destination for most Hong Kong people, football fans or not. 2: Kashiwa is very near Tokyo and is only a hour's train ride from Narita Airport, there are numerous budget and regular airlines that fly between HK and Narita, so it is super convenient. 3. Kitchee has amassed a good number of very dedicated fans in recent years.
I'll go ahead and say it: Forlan is a liability as a starter. I'm not going to re-litigate the decision to sign him, however, he's too slow to trouble the more athletic defenders which Kitchee are facing in Champions League play. He's scored some gorgeous free kicks in domestic play but that doesn't mean anything when Kitchee haven't created those opportunities for him in Asia. If Kitchee are going to be playing on the counter in Asia then they have to put Sandro and Alex up top for pace. Forlan's not going to get any faster than he is now.
Kitchee really need to have Jordi Tarres back to full fitness in their attacking line up. Forlan should be used as a substitute.
HKPL SkyBus Yuen Long 2:2 Wofoo Tai Po Tai Po scored at 96 minutes... when their player struck the goalkeeper and the other scored with a header. The referee allowed the goal and then blew the full time whistle. This is a pathetic display of refereeing. Dreams FC 0:5 HK Pegasus Chan Siu-Ki finally scored his first goal of the season. His 2009 EA Games captain Au Yeung Yiu-Chung played only 39 minutes before limping off injured.
Kashiwa Reysol have arrived in Hong Kong already. They drew in the J league at the weekend. Their opponent Kitchee though did not play this weekend so Kitchee players have a small advantage.
This is a good point. If you have the money to sign big name Forlan, you should not have signed him at all but with same price 4 cheaper foreigners that would be actually useful with some special ability that HK players (or Forlan) don't have (for example athleticism, aerial presence). 3 years ago Forlan wasn't good enough for Japanese 2nd division so how could he be good enough for AFC Champions League? After C-Osaka signed Forlan it took a long time for them to recover (from top team of Japan to J-2 League for 2 seasons). Buriram United did this brilliantly 5 years ago on their maiden campaign in ACL when they had 2 explosive (but not expensive) African youngsters Acheampong and Ohandza. They were as big underdogs as 2018 Kitchee with similar resources but dangerous all the time, for example beating Guangzhou Evergrande 2-3 away. At this rate Kitchee is going to become the first club in the history of this competition who didn't score a single goal. I think 2017 Kitchee were stronger than 2018.
ACL group match: Kitchee 1:0 Kashiwa Reysol So very happy for Kitchee!!! Cheng Chin-Lung's goal what a beauty!!! Yes Kashiwa played with 10 men for most game but hey, that happens. What a very great result for Hong Kong football. Sadly only 7,771 people attended the match, but it sounded like quite a lot more than that. It must have something to do with it being a Wednesday night when there is also horse racing in the nearby Happy Valley race course.
What a result for Kitchee SC as they gained their first three points in the AFC Champions League! Well done to CHENG Chin-Lung especially!
Nice day for both Hong Kong and Macau football (and Guangzhou). It was brilliant goal and especially sweet because scorer was 20 year old Hong Kong native on final minute of stoppage time.
http://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-president-meets-hong-kong-chief-executive Now this I did not know. AFC president Saikah Salman meeting our Chief Executive Carrie Lam in Hong Kong, accompanied by HKFA president Timothy Fok.
Here is the highlights of the match: I really hope that Kitchee will make use of CHENG Chin-Lung further.
MVP Cheng Chin-Lung. Hopefully this is the first of many great goals to come. Since he is only 20, he should be eligible to play in the Asian Games in Indonesia this August. It will be good for him to take part and gain more exposure and experience.
Well deserved. But other than that, I think he is very likely to take part in the Asian Games and I do hope Kitchee will give him further first team opportunities.
Looks like Chuck Yiu-Kwok is set to join a second tier Swiss club: BREAKING: HK striker Chuck Yiu-kwok on his way to Switzerland to join FC Chiasso in the second tier #hkfootball #Chiasso— Football in Hong Kong (@offsideHK) March 16, 2018
The most incredible part of that goal wasn't Cheng's technique. It was the fact that Forlan was behind him, screaming for the ball, and he still decided to shoot.
Final 23-man squad named for the Asian 2019 qualifers against North Korea: Goalkeepers YAPP Hung-Fai - Eastern Long Lions WANG Zhenpang - Kitchee SC CHAN Ka-Ho - Yuen Long FC Defenders Festus BAISE** - Guizhou Zhicheng FC (China) WONG Tsz-Ho - Eastern Long Lions Dani CANCELA - Kitchee SC HELIO Goncalves - Kitchee SC TONG Kin-Man* - Kitchee SC Andrew James RUSSELL - Lianing Whowin FC (China) TSUI Wang-Kit - Meizhou Keija (China) ROBERTO Affonso Junior - R&F HK CHAK Ting-Fung - Wofoo Tai Po FC Jack SEALY - Wofoo Tai Po FC Midfielders JU Yingzhi - Eastern Long Lions LEUNG Chun-Pong - Eastern Long Lions XU Deshuai - Eastern Long Lions LAM Ka-Wai - Kitchee SC LAU Hok-Ming - KC Southern WONG Wai - Wofoo Tai Po FC Forwards Jaimes Anthony McKEE - Eastern Long Lions Alex Tayo AKANDE - Kitchee SC PAULINHO - Kitchee SC Jordi TARRES* - Kitchee SC *Additional Player **Festus BAISE who was initially named in the final squad, has withdrawn from the squad according to Offside.hk. It is unknown whether there will a replacement at this moment.
They claim due to visa issues there will not be a replacement player. I think it is absurd as AFC surely demands that all away team players be granted visas by the match hosting country. North Korea needs to adhere to this.
He's played a full 90 minutes in all three of Guizhou's CSL matches this season. If he has a legitimate injury, so be it. However, if we find out later that he could've played against North Korea but chose club over country, then his legacy in Hong Kong is tarnished. Next Tuesday represents the most important game Hong Kong will play in years from a pure footballing standpoint. It doesn't matter if we are the underdogs. The fact remains that we may never play a game of this magnitude again for some time and therefore, we need all of our best players. I can understand Huang Yang's omission - he's legitamately injured. I can somewhat understand Chuch Yiu Kwok's omission - he just arrived in Switzerland. What I cannot forgive are players like Baise and Sandro who are seemingly healthy and could not be bothered. Those who desert the Hong Kong team in our greatest hour of need are cowards and should never wear the Hong Kong shirt again.
Stand-in coach Liu Chun-Fai said he wants to achieve the miracle in Pyongyang by beating North Korea on 27 March and qualify for the Asian Cup. He wants HK football fans to remember 3/27 the way we always remember 5/19 (the day Hong Kong beat China 2:1 in a WC qualifier in Workers Stadium in Beijing and qualified for the next round.). Without Mark Tan, Festus Baise and Huang Yang, we are left without a proper defensive midfielder. Liu said he will make plans for that. Well we knew we would be without Mark Tan (suspension) for a long time. We really ought to have plans in place. Festus Baise pulling out is a big blow though. I hope we do qualify but it is an enormous task.
South China Morning Post Hong Kong national team call-ups for Kitchee’s Champions League heroes as crucial North Korea clash draws near Tarres and Tong of Kitchee called up for Hong Kong’s do-or-die tie against North Korea with teammate Cheng overlooked Chan Kin-wa Kitchee striker Jorge Tarres and defender Tong Kin-man have won places in the Hong Kong national team after helping their club to a first ever AFC Champions League victory for a Hong Kong team – but goalscorer Cheng Chin-lun was overlooked. The trio were not in the preliminary 31-member list announced for Hong Kong’s must win tie against North Korea next week in the Asian Cup qualifiers. But Tarres and Tong made irresistible claims in the historic 1-0 victory over visitors Kashiwa Reysol of Japan last Wednesday. Cheng, who scored the wining goal with a fantastic 20-metre strike, which also won the Asian Champions League goal of the week, did not make it despite becoming a fan favourite. One netizen said Hong Kong would have already qualified and defeated group leaders Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea if they had Cheng in the line-up. The 23-member squad will travel to Beijing on Wednesday for a training camp before taking on North Korea in Pyongyang next Tuesday in their last group B match. Hong Kong can still make it to the finals in the United Arab Emirates if they can pull off a famous victory at Kim Il-sung Stadium. Champions Kitchee still have the most number of players in the squad with six players, despite the absence of two regulars – striker Sandro is suspended from international duty for picking up two yellow cards and midfield powerhouse Huang Yang has a hamstring problem. Hong Kong are third in the group with five points, three behind second-placed North Korea. If they can collect all three points, they can finish second in the group on goal difference. Hong Kong drew 1-1 against North Korea in the home leg in June. Leaders Lebanon have already qualified with 13 points and host Malaysia in Beirut next week.
Sandro is suspended. He is not a starter at Kitchee also now that Paulinho and Jordi are back from injury. Looking at the squad list, I think the defense and attack are okay, but the midfield is rather light weight. I am not sure the players we have possess the physical play against the North Koreans. I will consider moving Andrew Russell to defensive midfield to combat them. He is not the most reliable central defender anyway, but his work rate and physique could pose a problem for them in midfield.
Fair point about Sandro. I should mention though that his position is different from Jordi and Paulinho. I just don't see anyone on the squad who is more likely to score than him. It's not a squad with much pace. We're going to miss his ability to get in behind and cause problems for North Korea. I'd probably start the game with a 4-4-2 diamond and try to attack from the opening whistle.
Hong Kong national football team have departed for Beijing today to acclimatize with the Northern climate. They will train on artificial turf in Beijing as Kim II Jung Stadium is also an artificial turf stadium.