Jordan stop looks like end of line for Kitchee
AFC Cup semi-finals seem out of reach for HK side after 2-1 home defeat to Al Faisaly, but coach insists they can still win in the Middle East
Next stop Jordan. If only it were as simple as travelling a couple of stops down the MTR line from Mong Kok for Kitchee in their 2013 AFC Cup journey.
Instead they face a gruelling trip to Amman for next Tuesday's quarter-final second leg after losing 2-1 to 10-man Al Faisaly - and with the added baggage of having not only to win, but to try to claw back two away goals.
"We have a formidable task in front of us but despite this result, we will be going to Jordan with the aim of winning," said Kitchee head coach Alex Gomez. "Scoring an away goal is hard, now we have to score two, but this is football and anything can happen. But it is going to be tough."
Kitchee's bid to reach the AFC Cup semis is even more complicated as they face South China in a First Division game on Saturday. Soon after that, they will jump on board an aeroplane for the flight to the Middle East.
Despite being reduced to 10 men midway through the second half - defender Mohammad Khamees was shown red for remonstrating with the referee after a handball - the visitors had more than enough class to ward off an ineffectual Kitchee attack.
"I couldn't take the risk of only pressing forward in attack. We were trailing 2-1 at that stage and if we had conceded another goal on the break, that would have made our task in the return leg even harder," said Gomez.
Striker Jordi Tarres had entered the match as the leading goalscorer in the competition having netted 11 from seven games but he failed to find the net when it mattered most.