HKFC Soccer Sevens: Brighton & Hove Albion end Premier League rivals Villa’s reign, Chelsea claim first women’s title
- PFA All Stars seal Masters crown after Lita double, Kitchee miss out on first women’s title
- Brighton overcome slow Saturday, for clean sweep of Sunday victories and club’s first sevens crown
Benicio Baker-Boaitey said Brighton & Hove Albion were motivated by last year’s semi-final heartache in their triumphant 2024 HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens campaign.
Baker-Boaitey and Louis Flower were both on target in Brighton’s fully merited 2-0 final victory over defending champions Aston Villa.
Flower’s first-half strike across goalkeeper James Wright was the first goal Villa conceded in the competition. The 20-year-old Baker-Boaitey, who made five Premier League appearances last season, following a debut at Chelsea in December, danced around Wright to roll home Brighton’s second, and release Villa’s grip on the trophy.
Chelsea FC Soccer School won the maiden women’s competition, while the Masters title went to PFA All Stars. Both weekend days were watched by sold out crowds at Hong Kong Football Club.
Brighton lost their opening game against Hong Kong Rangers on Saturday, and diced with an early exit, before recovering to claim their first sevens crown.
Luca Barrington, the player of the tournament, scored with the last kick to earn a 1-1 draw with Yokohama F. Marinos in Brighton’s closing group match. Rather than tumbling out, Brighton had a play off with the Japanese team, which they won courtesy of Barrington’s golden goal.
Brighton needed another late goal to beat Leicester in the last eight, before hitting their straps in a 3-1 semi-final victory over Fulham.
“This topped off our season, we lost in the semi-finals last year, and before we came over, the gaffer told us we had to bring the cup home,” Baker-Boaitey said. “On Saturday, there was still some jet lag, and everyone was tired from the season. We had to get through that.”
Baker-Boaitey was nursing an injury, and played only the final five minutes of the final.
“I said I would go on and try to change the game,” he said. “For the goal, I wasn’t thinking of going round the keeper, but I saw him spread out, and rolled the ball around him.
“I saw on the scoreboard we only had a few minutes left, I told everyone to tuck in and park the bus.”
Barrington and Flower joined Brighton from Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively, both persuaded to the south coast by the club’s trust in young players.
Baker-Boaitey began with West Ham, then had 18 months with FC Porto, before transferring to Brighton in January 2022.
“Brighton are looking for players at this age to break through,” he said. “They tell you to work hard, and show something. I showed on my debut I could manage the Premier League, and they gave me more chances. We had 97 first-team involvements for under-21s last season.”
Leroy Lita said the PFA All Stars would celebrate until a 10.30pm flight home on Monday, following their 2-1 Masters final victory over Singapore Football Club.
Former Reading and Middlesbrough striker Lita scored both his team’s goals, after drawing a blank in the earlier rounds.
“I owed the team a couple of goals, scoring is what I do best, and what I was brought here for,” Lita said.
“We are competitive in everything we do, it doesn’t leave you. We have been here together nearly a week, and been competing in everything we do. It’s been fantastic to be with the boys, and bring back memories.”
Chelsea and Kitchee shared their second scoreless draw in the women’s final, after the teams began the weekend with a group-match stalemate. Ng Yuen-ki saved from Kitchee’s Vicky Chung Puk-ki in the shoot-out, and Chelsea converted all three of their penalties to become the first women’s champions.
