Hong Kong beat Guangdong, Andersen’s team sustain Asian Cup feel-good factor at raucous Mong Kok Stadium
- Philip Chan scores stunning opener, with Max Poon adding second soon after half-time
- Second leg of 42nd Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup to take place in Guangzhou next Wednesday
Hong Kong delivered an impressive display of quick and incisive football to beat a Guangdong XI 2-0 at Mong Kok Stadium on Thursday.
And any fears the game would feel like a hangover after the national team’s Asian Cup adventure, were blown away before a ball was kicked.
It felt like one side of the ground had been transported directly from Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, scene of Hong Kong’s final game in Qatar last week, with a red horde whipping up a partisan atmosphere. They were rewarded with goals in either half from Philip Chan Siu-kwan and Max Poon Pui-hin.
Jeers drowned out the announcement of the Guangdong team, and the vocal antipathy towards the mainland visitors did not dim all night. An away player needed only to touch the ball to be reminded they were not in friendly surrounds.
The loudest noise of the night, though, was the roar from most of the 5,067 people in the crowd that greeted Chan’s 11th-minute goal.
Marcus Chang Hei-yin, whose close control and direct running consistently tormented Guangdong down Hong Kong’s left, skipped past Ye Chugui and advanced to slide a pass infield for Chan.
The midfielder, who has his eye in after scoring at the Asian Cup, took one touch, then sent a strike from 25 yards zipping into the top-right corner. The lone blot on the celebrations that followed was the sight of Wong Tsz-ho limping off with what proved a match-ending injury.
Hong Kong’s starting XI boasted an average age of 24.8 years, five years younger than their opponents. And it showed, Jorn Andersen’s team were too fit, too mobile and too clever for Guangdong.
On 24 minutes, they were close to a beautiful second goal. Centre-forward Sun Ming-him dropped deep to receive Poon’s back-heeled flick from the right touchline. Jesse Yu Joy-yin took over to feed Poon, who had continued his run, leaving defender Liao Junjian trailing.
The striker seemed in two minds when confronted with goalkeeper Cheng Yuelei, however, and thrashed his attempt into the side netting.
There was an earlier opportunity for the rampant Chang, who gathered Ellison Tsang Yi-hang’s pass before shooting into a pack of bodies. The deflection fell to Wong, but his effort was hacked off the line by Liao.
Poon was presented with the simple task of doubling the lead soon after half-time. Sun muscled aside Tian Ziyi, leaving the defender on his backside, as the pair chased a Chang pass down the left.
Reaching the penalty area, Sun picked out Poon amid a defensive crowd, and the forward side-footed into an empty net.
Hong Kong were buoyant, however. Much is rightly made of this team’s increased physicality and endurance, but they have also improved technically and appear more confident in possession, qualities epitomised when Yu flicked up a ball and aimed a firm volley into the midriff of goalkeeper Cheng.
Yu, Poon and Chang carefully combined to tee-up Chan for a low drive parried by Cheng, and, after making all the running, Hong Kong might wish they had secured a bigger advantage to take to across the border next Wednesday for the second leg of the 42nd Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup.
