Mior returns to bubbling seven-up display by Caroliners
South China coach Casemiro Mior returned from a three-match touchline ban to guide the Caroliners to a 7-0 thrashing of Xiangxue Pharmaceutical at Mongkok Stadium yesterday.
Taking charge for the first time this season in the Hong Kong First Division, the Brazilian was happy to be back in his proper place - and was pleased with his side's overwhelming victory against the youngest side in the league.
'It feels good to be back,' said the Brazilian, who incurred the ban late last season for dissent. 'It was difficult trying to coach the team from the spectators stands.
'There was a lot of shouting and trying to give instructions out, but it was okay today and I am happy with the way things worked out.'
South China seemed to have played to a new level with Mior back in the dugout, although the coach had warned his team to score early to prevent their opposition from gaining any sort of confidence.
His fears were allayed when Brazilian forward Sandro Preigschat scored the first of his hat-trick in the ninth minute to get the ball rolling for the Caroliners.
And then it was all downhill for Xiangxue, whose average age is 18, and it was a case of the boys against the men as South China ran their opponents ragged with a powerful display.
'If we gave the young boys [Xiangxue] a chance, they could gain confidence and make it very difficult for us. But we put pressure on them from the start and after we were three goals ahead, we looked very good,' said Mior.
'We played very hard for 90 minutes which is good because we could have eased off after the first half leading 3-0. We attacked them from both sides and fully utilised our positions. It was a good win.'
Sandro also found his mark in the 56th and 72nd minutes but missed a host of other chances, including two sitters.
With former Instant-Dict striker Martin Jancula arriving to join the Caroliners on November 1, Sandro's place on the squad may be in doubt.
But Mior said: 'We only have three foreign players at the moment and we can afford to have another one.
'Sandro is not 100 per cent fit at the moment and it's up to the management to decide what to do with him.
'I think we should have more options up front and keeping another foreign player would be good.
'We are a big club and we should keep our players and play well on both sides, not just from one side, which has been the case before.'
Brazilian attacking forward Aderbal Filho struck twice inside two minutes in the 82nd and 83rd minutes, while Chan Ho-man (45) and Ricky Cheng Siu-chung (nine) hit the others for the Caroliners.
Earlier, league leaders Sun Hei maintained their 100 per cent record when they crushed Football Club 4-1 to stay two points clear of South China at the top of the table.
A first-minute goal from Yeung Hei-chi stunned the Sports Road side and last season's Second Division champions conceded three more goals through Wong Chun-yue (two) and Wong Chi-keung for Sun Hei to seal an emphatic win.
Wong Yiu-fu scored the only goal for struggling Club, who remain in sixth place in the seven-team table on goal difference ahead of Double Flowers.
