Manchester United have edge over Liverpool in Hong Kong Masters exhibition match – but Luis Figo stands supreme
- Michael Owen’s All-Stars beaten by Ryan Giggs-led Scholes Legends as veterans roll back the years
- Modest yet appreciative crowd grab pictures and autographs after Figo scores twice in a sedate contest on a mature garden of a pitch
Hong Kong’s back – in the 1990s, or perhaps earlier, after Saturday’s World Football Masters Cup swept a galaxy of used-to-bes in and out of town, with the Owen All-Stars outshone by the Scholes Legends while they were here.
There was time for slow-mo magic from Luis Figo and snapshots of a longed-for past in a 5-2 win for Scholes’ side, even if the players came with luggage, performed on a meadow at Hong Kong Stadium and left without a word.
Only about 7,000 parted with HK$280 to HK$980, but the atmosphere beat that for recent visits by present-day teams. It prompted the thought: was football, certainly in Hong Kong, better in the old days?
The latter added Figo and assorted Premier League throwbacks, while both line-ups featured grand old men of the local scene. There was Lau Wing-yip, 70, Leung Nang-yan, still 69, and Ku Kam-fai, a whippersnapper at 62. A sedate pace was guaranteed.
Only four minutes elapsed before a loose clearance was rifled home by Robert Pires, but it felt longer. Owen converted Emile Heskey’s cross after 10 minutes, ages after being flagged offside. It was a day of delayed reactions.
Figo had time to check the clock and his WhatsApps before curling in with Owen’s goalkeeper Bruce Grobelaar disinclined. Figo’s teammate Matt Le Tissier tried similar but squirted wide.
Often the most testing part of covering live sport is recording substitutions. Here, they were harder to keep up with than the glacial movement of Figo was for Owen’s lads.
Mark Wright’s race was run after 12 minutes, albeit the centre-back is 60 now, and it is 26 years since he retired at the real Liverpool. Off trotted Le Tissier and Karel Poborsky – back later as rolling subs.
The 25th minute was not Hong Kong’s finest. Lo Kwan-yee – a mere 39 – burst into the United box and, surrounded by legends, did what many would do and passed when he had a clear sight of goal. United broke and Wong Fuk-wing, with Grobelaar already submitting, spooned wide.
On came Leslie Santos for a cameo. That’s Sir Les, please: your correspondent used to watch playmaker Santos here in a faraway decade, a reminder of how the seed is planted.
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More boxes were ticked. Luis Garcia had a shot that, appropriately, just crossed the line: his “ghost goal” beat Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League semi, but this one was visibly legit.
Figo missed a sitter that allowed lesser lights to approach him and say “hard luck mate, keep working at it”, Lee Hendrie stunned Grobelaar with a bizarre lob and Pires ran clear for his second.
Robbie Fowler caressed a penalty through the deep-pile surface as if holing a putt on a municipal golf course. He rolled another that goalkeeper Chan Shu-ming ambled over to collect. Figo had the final, stately word, scooping in sublimely. More of a sand wedge.
After that curtain-raiser, the selfie frenzy, then the airport.
The Post was not allowed a quick chat with the legends, denying the world their answers to posers such as “is it nice to be back in Hong Kong?” and “do you expect [insert old club] to go well this season?” – kick those into the long grass, too.
Faded stars can still shine brightly enough for most.
