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Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 10:17
Eastern and Kitchee lift cup trophies
By Tobias Zuser
Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 10:17 By Tobias Zuser

Eastern are the 2020 FA Cup champions and qualified for the 2021 AFC competition. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

It could have been a historic moment for both Southern and R&F in their respective cup finals last weekend, as both clubs had the chance to win their first ever silverware, but in the end it was the experience of Hong Kong’s grandes dames of football that made the difference, as both Kitchee and Eastern added another trophy to their award display. Meanwhile, fans could only celebrate with their teams from afar, as all games continue to be played behind closed doors due to social distancing regulations in the city.

On Sunday afternoon, Sept 27, Kitchee and Southern locked horns in the Sapling Cup final, a domestic competition that is meant to boost the development of youth talents, requiring each team to field at least three U22 players at all times. Both sides took these rules to heart, with Kitchee even making room for eight U22 players in their match squad that day. 35 minutes into the game, Kitchee took the lead when Matthew Orr scored from the spot, after Chan Shinichi had been taken down in the penalty area. Just before half time, Southern’s Beto Fronza equalized, keeping his team in the race. However, in the end, the Aberdeeners were not able to start a comeback. In the 65th minute, Wellingsson de Souza made it 2-1 for Kitchee, and just ten minutes later Barak Braunshtain added another goal for a 3-1 win. It was the second time for Kitchee after 2018 to win the Sapling Cup. 18-year-old Chan Shinichi, who was involved in all three goals for his team, received the honours for Player of the Match.

Just one day later, on Sept 28, Eastern and R&F met at Hong Kong Stadium to fight for the prestigious FA Cup trophy, with the winners automatically qualifying for the 2021 AFC competition. Ahead of the game, R&F seemed poised to finally win their first piece of silverware, but the team has also been suffering from a limited roster. Tiago de Leonco has recently left for Beijing Renhe, and newly signed Jared Lum and Tsui Wang-kit are both not eligible to represent the new club for the remainder of the season. Eastern on the other hand could almost send their strongest team onto the field, including former Kitchee strikers Sandro and Lucas Silva. Coach Lee Chi-kin also relied on several of his Tai Po champions, including Eduardo Praes, Wong Wai, and Chak Ting-fung. Even though R&F lamented some referee decisions in the end, the final result was a one-sided affair, with Eastern celebrating a 2-0 victory. Following a header by Michel Clayton at the beginning of the second half, it was Everton Camargo who scored the eventual match winner in the 78th minute.

With less than two weeks left to finish the rest of the 2019/20 season, the HKFA have put together a tight schedule for the coming week, featuring five Premier League games and one cup final in just seven days.

18-year-old Chan Shinichi was Player of the Match of the Sapling Cup Final. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

SOUTHERN vs HAPPY VALLEY, Premier League, Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Sep 30, 3 pm

With no realistic chances to join the title race, the encounter between Southern and Happy Valley on Wednesday evening may be a bit of a dead rubber. Even though the Aberdeeners drew 2-2 with title favorites R&F, they were unable to repeat their success a few days later, when they lost 1-0 to Eastern. This currently puts them in fifth place out of six clubs that are still in the competition, seven points behind league leaders Eastern. That said, they should be able to close the gap a bit with a win over Happy Valley. Meanwhile, the Greens are still at the bottom of the table with zero points and may just use the remaining matches as a preparation for the upcoming 2020/21 season.

R&F vs KITCHEE, Premier League, Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, Oct 1, 3 pm

National Day will see an exciting match-up between title contenders R&F and Kitchee, the winners of which will find themselves in the pole position for the championship. However, the biggest beneficiaries may be Eastern, who could suddenly become the new title favourites, provided that Kitchee and R&F would end up sharing points that day.

EASTERN vs LEE MAN, Senior Shield Final, Mong Kok Stadium, Oct 2, 3 pm

On Friday afternoon, Eastern and Lee Man will face each other in the last cup final of the season. The Senior Shield was originally scheduled for January and was one of the first games that fell victim to the pandemic. After grabbing the FA Cup trophy, Eastern should be motivated enough to add another piece of silverware, and potentially they could even be close to a treble by then – an achievement that still seemed very unlikely a few months ago.

Kitchee won the Sapling Cup for the second time after 2018. (PHOTO COURTESY OF HKFA)

KITCHEE vs SOUTHERN, Premier League, Hong Kong Stadium, Oct 4, 3 pm

After this, there are only six games left in the Premier League, before the last decisive day on Oct 11. Kitchee and Southern will meet at Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday, and the Aberdeeners could easily spoil the party for the Bluewaves that day, if they would be able to cause another upset – something they have regularly delivered in the past.

LEE MAN vs R&F, Premier League, Mong Kok Stadium, Oct 5, 3 pm

This encounter could easily turn into a decisive match that puts an end to the title ambitions for at least of one of these clubs. R&F still seem to have the upper hand, but by then Lee Man could have enjoyed some extra boost from a potential Senior Shield win.

EASTERN vs HAPPY VALLEY, Premier League, Mong Kok Stadium, Oct 6, 3 pm

Last but not least, Eastern should have no problems to secure another three points against Happy Valley, which would keep them on track for a photo finish. No matter the results, it looks like the title will only be decided on the very last day of the season.


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