HT - Hong Kong Vs Palestine - 0:1 Hong Kong are currently a goal down as they concede a goal 17 minutes into the game with Palestine's Mahmoud YOUSEF the scorer in which they could've defended better. Hong Kong had to make an early substitution as Fernando RECIO came off early and was replaced by CHUNG Wai-Keung.
Good news is that Hong Kong U23 has already qualified for the last 16 of the Asian Games football tournament. Bad news is that Hong Kong could face China in the last 16 match.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1714291608639528 Echoes of the Wave - a documentary about Kitchee's 2018 ACL adventure.
Asian Games Indonesia 3-1 Hong Kong Hong Kong players really tired out near the end, due to fatigue they defended way too deep. Coach Kenneth Kwok was too slow in making his changes in my opinion. He really should not have played Lam Kar-Wai. He contributed nothing and now he is so tired he can't play him in the last 16 match.
So it seems Hong Kong's next game is against Uzbekistan despite losing against Indonesia. This is going to be a huge task for Kenneth Kwok if he wants to advance Hong Kong to the Quarter Finals.
Somehow I feel Kenneth Kwok has achieved the target he sets out and he actually wants to get it over with and go home, so he can commence his new job as Yuen Long FC coach.
One would hope a national team coach would have more dedication, patriotism, and professionalism than that...
BOC Life Insurance has extended its sponsorship of HKPL for a 3 years period. The sponsorship fee and prize money remains the same.
All the clubs' shirt colours are revealed. HK Pegasus will revert to yellow, their original colour when they launched as Tin Shui Wai Pegasus. That means they won't clash with KC Southern District or Hoi King.
Happy Valley AA began their HK First Division season preparations. They are managing the club like a HKPL club and require the players to train 5 days a week, with proper salaries. They are a sure bet to win promotion to HKPL next season. I think they have more budget than Hoi King or Yuen Long in HKPL.
https://hk.sports.appledaily.com/sports/realtime/article/20180823/58597615 Apple Daily is reporting that Gary White will be the Chinese U19 football coach instead of becoming Hong Kong head coach. Yesterday Mark Sutcliffe said HKFA is at the contract signing stage with the new coach, so he could be talking about someone else.
Well, Hong Kong's quest to advance into the Quarter Final stages of the Asian Games Men's Football tournament ended in a 3-0 loss against Uzbekistan. It was always going to be an uphill task for Kenneth Kwok's team considering that Uzbekistan are the current AFC U23 champions.
HK U23 coach Kenneth Kwok got back from Indonesia in time for new employer Yuen Long FC's roast pig cutting ceremony. How nice for Yuen Long to plan it right after the last 16 matches of the Asian Games footy tournament. BTW, Yuen Long FC convener Wilson Wong said the HKFA might have to re-start the National Team Coach recruit exercise again. That comment seems to confirm that Gary White was the chosen candidate.
Apple Daily showed all the clubs budgets in a season preview article. The total added together exceeds $200m! 2018/19 HKPL club budgets (HK$) R&F FC $50 million Kitchee $35 miilion Eastern Longlions $35m Lee Man $20m Wofoo Tai Po $18m HK Pegasus $18m KC Southern District $12m Dream FC $11m Best Union Yuen Long $7m Hoi King $6m Total: $212m
The schedules for lower division clubs was released yesterday. Of note, South China and Happy Valley will renew their rivalry on 21 October. http://www.hkfa.com/en/leagueyear?leagueid=1100&other=2&gpage=1
R&F FC had a press conference in Guangzhou Garden Hotel yesterday. Their HKPL club was launched and they announced they have a war chest of over HK$40m +. (Most believe close to HK$50m) They want to become full member of HKFA in the near future and then win one of the Asian club competition slots. Godfred Karikari is appeared at the press event and is supposedly still a member of the club. Mark Tan will play for R&F FC for the first half of the season before moving back to Guangzhou R&F (CSL club). He cannot be with the CSL club because of his commitment for the Asian Games and Guangzhou R&F has a busy schedule right now. It would have been too hard for him to adapt. They will sign one more foreign player before the transfer window closes. This player has no Asian football experience. Personally I wonder where have they spent all their money? $40m and no expensive foreign imports?
Well, they signed Lo Kong Wai for 6 figures a month. And since Lam Zhi Gin had offers from Germany, they must have given him a serious financial upgrade in order for Lam to forgo that offer and come back to HKPL. I suppose it isn't hard to imagine 40m being used up. Where's Sean Tse tho? This will be an important season for him and the national team. After this season, he is eligible for his HKSAR passport.
That picture doesn't do justice to how well dressed some of their players were. Look at Leung Nok Hang, Sean Tse and Lo Kwan Yee. That's the frightening part isn't it? They've spent $40m and they still have room to add one more foreigner. They say their goal is to finish top three but it's hard to believe that internally, their goal isn't to win the league. He appears several times in the video above. Scroll to 0:41.
No offense but R&F is top heavy, then layered with veterans and young or fringe CSL players. I see Kitchee winning the league, again, then Tai Po, then R&F.
Let's not forget that "fringe CSL" is still pretty good relative to the HKPL. You could argue that Kitchee is top heavy as well even if their starting XI is better. Consider this - Kitchee like to play a high press and close down their opponents right away. But they also have a lot of players in their starting XI who are over 30 including their back four of Tong (33), Helio (32), Nando (35) and Dani (36). They also have to play at least seven matches in Asian competitions, where at least four will be away. It is not possible for them play that way for an entire season with an older starting XI and a smaller squad compared to last season. That's why I think one of two things will happen: 1) Alex Chu will not ask his players to play with as much intensity as last season which will allow other clubs to have more time on the ball or 2) they still continue to play the same way and their players break down. Either of these could result in Kitchee dropping points. R&F's squad is younger, but less experienced. Kitchee's squad is more experienced, but older. Kitchee have an advantage in that their squad has greater chemistry right now. Right now Kitchee are the favourites but I wouldn't right off R&F's chances just yet.