AFC Cup 2011

Another proof that star players could not guarantee success. However, South China is grouped with more than one strong teams in this year AFC cup... That is a factor why SC could not perform well.

A year ago, SC was grouped with MTU (strong), VB (Maldives.. you know lah) and Persiwa of Indonesia (Just luckyness brought them into AFC Cup, they were really2 bad actually). Just MTU could compete SC.

Two years ago, SC was grouped with VB (maldives), Johor (Malaysia) and PSMS Medan of Indonesia. No team could compete SC at that time. VB and Johor, both very weak teams while PSMS loosen almost all of their players after they won Indonesia Cup a year before. PSMS was struggled at bottom of ISL at that time then relegated a year after.

Just my personal opinion.. good luck to SC next season!

 

IN my opinion I think the one that should leave the club is Kezman. Butt has good performance.

 

Nicky Butt was clearly not comfortable to play under the 30 degree C heat and high humidity at 3pm in India and Indonesia. He said to Steven Lo that AFC should have done something about that.

Personally I think no one should be made to play football at over 30 degree C temperatures. But it goes to show the EPL players are really not much better than our players. They just have it easier with the cool and dry English weather most of the time, allowing them to play faster. EPL players being faster and fitter than our players is just a myth.

Get them to play here with the high temp and humidity and they will be just as good as our own. In 2007 when Portsmouth played Fulham in the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong (at night), they stopped after 20 minutes to drink water. Our players never do that.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grztSHLQzA4"]YouTube - Persipura Jayapura vs South China AA (4-2) All Goals Full Highlights 2011 AFC Cup[/ame]

How Persipura destroyed South China.

 

Has it not struck you that Butt is practically in semi retirement and isn't playing in the Premier League anymore. This is the difference.

The English game is much quicker, so how you can say it's a myth that the players are fitter is beyond me. If never seen a player from HK make it in the EPL.

Drinking water after 20 minutes, whats wrong with that? It's not that there thirsty, but re-fuelling their bodies, maybe HK players should do this and they might make the next step of WC Qualfiers.

Comparing EPL to HK league players is just wrong. I don't think in any normal temperature game could a HK player stick with an EPL player. As for the Asia Trophy, come on, it's pre-season for EPL. It's worth nothing but money to them.

Your right that no one should play in 30 degree heat, but when would half these teams play if they don't have the infrastructure in place. And thats why they are in the AFC Cup and not in the ACL.

 

Well, it's not surprising, they've failed the task they were brought to HK for.

 

Mateja Kezman on return to Hong Kong has blasted the AFC Cup as a "Stupid Game". He said travelling 12 hours and changing 4 flights to a place, all to play just one game at 3 or 4 pm under the sun in over 30 degree C is the stupidest and most troublesome. All the food provided was spicy. It was the worst experience in his life. Even the opposition players told him all this was to make sure the away team doesn't win.

But he is enjoying his time in HK and the HK League, and won't discuss his future at this moment.

 

Butt maybe, but what about Kezman? He was not particularly great either, especially in the 2nd half

Everyone play quicker in English weather. If you stop running in England then you will freeze. I know it as a fact, I lived there for 8 years. You just want to get off the street most of the time, it is that cold.

They went EN MASS to the substitutes' benches to drink water. Not just one or two of them. Both teams, all 22 players went off in the middle of a bloody game. The whole stadium 39,000 people watched them drink water for 5 minutes and the game kicked off at 6pm, when the sun was already setting. You see that happen every game in EPL or Thai League?

South China did beat Spurs 2:0 in HK Stadium in July 2009. Yeah, pre-season again, mind you it was also pre-season game for South China.

I thought AFC has rules about flood lights at 1200 lux at all AFC Cup game hosting stadiums, so teams can play at 8pm or something when the sun has set. Obviously AFC does not really care about its own rules and regulations.

 

The Standard

TSW bid stalls

Thursday, May 05, 2011

TSW Pegasus were minutes away from securing a place in the last 16 of the AFC Cup but a pair of late strikes gave Vietnam side Song Lam Nghe An a 3-2 win over their hosts in the Group F clash at Tseung Kwan O Stadium last night.

Tournament debutants TSW were leading 2-1 thanks to a brace by Leandro Silva, but Bryan Kavin Elroy equalized in the 84th minute before Hoang Thinh Ngo grabbed a last-gasp winner for the visitors.

The result left TSW needing a point in their final group match against Sriwijaya of Indonesia on Wednesday to guarantee their progress into the knock-out stage.

TSW and Song Lam Nghe An top the group on nine points, just two clear of Sriwijaya, who were beaten 2-0 by bottom side VB of Maldives in Male.

 

South China Morning Post

AFC Cup the worst, Kezman moans
Some home teams 'enjoy unfair advantage'

Chan Kin-wa

South China star Mateja Kezman fired a stinging broadside at the format of the AFC Cup competition after his side were eliminated in the group stage, saying extreme tropical conditions and remote venues gave some of the home sides an unfair advantage.

The Hong Kong champions returned yesterday from Papua, Indonesia, where they lost 4-2 to home team Persipura, a week after they were held to a 3-3 away draw in India by unheralded East Bengal.

The two results helped ensure they do not progress in the regional cup tournament, though they have one game still to play in group H. The Caroliners were semi-finalists two years ago and finished top of the group last year before losing in the last 16.

"This is an unfair competition as the home side can have a great advantage," said the former Serbia international, who has played for top European clubs such as Eindhoven, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

"In fact, it is the worst tournament I have played in. We had to take four different flights altogether to play one game with 18 hours of travelling, starting the match at 4pm in 30 degrees Celsius heat and with 100 per cent humidity. I swear I was fighting to survive under these conditions and it was very difficult. A strange competition and kind of stupid."

He noted that Persipura lost 4-1 to Chonburi when they went to Thailand, but thrashed the same opponents 3-0 at home, saying the Thai team simply could not deal with the difficult away match conditions.

Kezman admitted it was very disappointing to exit the regional tournament in such a way. "I was dreaming about the last group match against Chonburi at a full stadium next week," he said. "At least we would have played one big game if we won the match in Papua. But I have done my best under these conditions. It's a pity."

Kezman, who joined South China with former Manchester United star Nicky Butt in January, said his contract with the local powerhouses would expire this month, but he had no clear plans for his immediate future at this stage.

"I haven't spoken to the boss yet, but I want to say I have been very happy in Hong Kong over these months," he said. "Although the football here is a bit lower standard than what I expected and the competition is not so strong, the city is amazing, the club is nice, the boss is so patient and the people are so kind to help me. I have done my best despite such a short time to settle in and have no regrets about coming to Hong Kong.

"There are a few games to finish and I want to finish them well. There is still plenty of time. We'll see."

South China are in the FA Cup semi-finals where they will play against Sun Hei next week. They also will meet Tai Chung in their last league match on May 21, but it will not affect the final standings if Kitchee beat Football Club tomorrow to clinch the championship.

Even if South China clinch the FA Cup, the second trophy of their season after lifting the League Cup, coach Chan Ho-yin will still not be a happy man. "Our target was very clear for this season," Chan said. The AFC Cup was our top priority, followed by the league championship."

The coach blamed the suspension of key players as well as the draw in the opening home match against Persipura for their failure in the AFC Cup. Both their central defenders, Lee Chi-ho and Joel Padilha, were suspended for the match against Persipura after accumulating two yellow cards, while Kezman also missed the 3-3 draw against East Bengal for the same reason.

 

South China has a buy 1 get 1 free ticket policy for tomorrow's game against Chonburi, Steven Lo hopes that the fans will still come in and show their support for South China despite the team's recent defeats.

TSW Pegasus' away game to Sriwijaya will be shown live on NOW TV's 630 and 633 channels on Wednesday at 4:30pm.

 

The Standard

Pegasus vow all-out attack in quest for last-16 place



TSW Pegasus have vowed to go on the offensive when they face Sriwijaya in Indonesia today for a place in the last 16 of the AFC Cup.

Tournament debutants Pegasus need only a point to qualify for the knock-out stage but club president Wilson Wong said they will not play for a draw as they seek to advance as Group F winners.

Wong is also hoping for his side to avoid the defensive lapses that saw TSW lose 3-2 to Vietnam's Song Lam Nghe An last week.

South China's campaign, meanwhile, ended in a 3-0 defeat by Chonburi, with Sukree Etae, pictured, scoring twice for the Group H winners.

OSWALD LEUNG

 

After last night's game Mateja Kezman claimed the high humidity and heat made him very uncomfortable. He said he finds it very difficult and cannot play under these conditions. Some newspapers, like Ta Kung Pao, takes that as a strong hint that he won't be staying.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5dKhGGtyDk"]YouTube - [AFC CUP] South China 0-3 Chonburi FC[/ame]

i-cable video of Chonburi vs South China.

 

Dempo SC 2-1 Al Ansar FT

With this win they Qualify for R-16,great level of attitude showed by Dempo especially after they were thrashed 9-0.

 

FT: Nasaf 7-1 Al Tilal

 

I believe Nasaf has just completed the best-ever group stage performance in the AFC Cup, congratulations. As it stands, Shurtan will advance as well.

 

Both HK teams South China and Pegasus fail to progress into R-16 and coincidentally it was decided by Indonesian teams when Persipura defeated South China [4-2] and Sriwijaya won over Pegasus [3-2].

I am slightly sure both HK teams had took lightly the Indonesian side as both their coaches previously predicted just team from HK, Thailand and Vietnam will progress into the next round from group F and H.

Source: http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-cup/33880-chonburi-v-south-china-reaction

South China even initially planned to be the champion.

Source: http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-cup/33880-chonburi-v-south-china-reaction

Source: http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/clubs/afc-cup/33802-chonburi-v-south-china-preview

IMHO.. It is not wrong a team targets the champion but when they had underestimated others then later they were lost to the teams they underestimated for, so it is not wrong if people are laughing at them.

 

The Standard

City feeling empty after TSW failure

Hong Kong will not be represented in the knock-out stage of the AFC Cup after TSW Pegasus were beaten 3-2 at Indonesian side Sriwijaya yesterday.

Mahadirga Maranando Lasut scored the winner in the 88th minute, lifting Sriwijaya into the last 16 alongside Group F table-toppers Song Lam Nghe An of Vietnam.

It was an agonizing ending to the campaign of TSW, who needed just a point from their final two matches to advance into the next round.

However, they blew a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 to 10-man Song Lam Nghe An at home last week then leaked another late goal six minutes after Lee Hong-lim had drawn them level 2-2 at Jaka Baring Stadium.

A 30th-minute strike by Lai Yiu- cheong had actually given the visitors a bright start, but Keith Jerome Gumbs equalized six minutes later and Supardi fired Sriwijaya ahead on 59 minutes.

Hong Kong champions South China also failed to advance past the group stage.

 

Persipura can beat SLNA, but I doubt that Sriwijaya can beat Chonburi...

 

This is going to be Nasaf's first true test against two-time holders Al-Faisaly... They haven't had a very good domestic season but they still can be a very dangerous side.