Without putting a boot on the pitch on the weekend, South China FC had won the 2012-13 Red MR 1st Division League championship title in the Hong Kong Football Association’s competition penultimate round.
Runner-up, Kitchee FC’s 1-all draw with Sun Pegasus at the Yuen Long Stadium on Friday (April 19) had left the South China Caroliners 4 points clear on top of the standings.
Kitchee, last season’s champions, would have been disappointed with their effort, as a win would have kept alive their slim mathematical chance of snatching the cup from the Caroliners’ hands.
While Kitchee and their fans would have been lamenting what could have been on Friday night, South China would have been celebrating early—if they hadn’t already been doing so for the past week.
With the title outcome already decided, perhaps South China were a bit flat coming into their match against Southern at the Aberdeen Soccer Ground on Saturday afternoon (April 20).
However, a very positive and determined Southern team seized their chances and celebrated a historical 3-2 win.
First points on the board were South China’s as Southern’s goalkeeper Chiu Yu Ming scored an own goal—he had accidentally knocked the ball into his own net after trying to defend it—an-unforgettable sad moment that will unfortunately always be remembered by all.
However, in the 40th minute Southern raced back when Hashin Chi received a free-kick and team mate Chan Cheuk Kwong headed it powerfully into the back of the net, making it 1-all.
In the 59th minute, Ruben Lopez from Southern headed a corner kick past the stunned goalkeeper Tin Man Ho of the Caroliners. This was followed by a South China goal when Carlos Bertoldi delivered a cross kick to Alessandro Celin, who in turn got the ball past the goalkeeper to tie the scores at 2-2.
An aggressive counter attack started in the 67th minute when Ip Chung-Long passed the ball to Chow Ka-wai, who surprised the Caroliner’s ’keeper and scored the match winning goal.
If the result of the match meant little to South China, it held far more importance for Southern as the win puts them safely out of relegation territory. A loss to Southern would have left them in danger of finishing one of the three bottom teams in the league, who will drop down to a lower division next season.
Relegation Battle Rages
Despite the title chase ending last weekend, other results in the second last round played from Thursday to Sunday (April 18-21) carried great significance as the relegation battle rages. Six teams remain in danger of dropping from HKFA’s top flight division with goal difference likely to enter the equation.
While, Yokohama FC (sixth with -9 goal difference) and Citizen (last with 3) played out a 1-all draw at the Sui Sai Wan Sports ground last Thursday; Sunray Cave JC Sun Hei (ninth with -8) triumphed over Wofoo Tai Po (eighth with -10) in Mongkok as they pulled off a 3-2 win on Saturday.
Perhaps more significantly, BC Rangers in fifth suffered huge disappointment on Sunday losing 1-4 to Tuen Mun at the Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. While they sit the highest of the bottom group, they have the worst goal difference of -14. A loss this weekend to Sun Pegasus will leave the Rangers relying on other results.
Sun Pegasus with a zero goal difference in seventh place will be coming off that credible draw from the big match against Kitchee. They will be looking to maintain that form, while the Rangers will be hoping to turn-around theirs.
To add further interest, if none of the other teams in danger of relegation play out a draw this weekend, the Rangers and Sun Pegasus must at least draw or they will drop. While this is a mathematical possibility and without factoring the chance of a Yokahama/Wofoo Tai Po draw, the chances of Citizen drawing with Kitchee AND Sunray Cave drawing with South China are remote.
This Weekend
The HKFA wisely scheduled four out five of the final round’s matches for Saturday (April 27) to coincide at 3.30 pm. This means that teams’ efforts will not be compromised.
Fortunately, the one game that is scheduled for Sunday (April 28) is virtually a dead rubber with only Southern a possibility of slipping down the ladder, but not into the relegation zone.
South China vs Sunray Cave JC Sun Hei at Hong Kong Stadium.
Citizen vs Kitchee Mong Kok Stadium.
BC Rangers vs Sun Pegasus at Sham Shui Po Soccer Ground.
Yokohama FC (HK) vs Wofoo Tai Po Siu Sai Wan Soccer Ground.
Southern vs Tuen Mun at Aberdeen Soccer Ground on Sunday at 2.30 pm.
Vincent P. Potgieter is a sports writer from South Africa based in Hong Kong.
