Latest news with #EastAsianFootballChampionship
South China Morning Post
14 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
East Asian Championship: China lose to Japan, face Hong Kong wooden spoon fight
Japan set up a final-day East Asian Football Championship title shoot-out with South Korea, after they beat China 2-0 in Seoul on Saturday. Advertisement In a mirror image of the past two editions, in 2019 and 2022, Hong Kong will fight the Chinese to avoid the ignominy of claiming the tournament's wooden spoon. And while hopes have been high of a first Hong Kong victory in 40 years, China were more organised, aggressive and ambitious against Japan than in their 3-0 loss to the Koreans five days earlier. Six minutes after they fell behind to Mao Hosoya's early strike, China had a golden chance to level. A slightly fortunate ricochet off his own boot sent Zhang Yuning clean through, but the striker's low shot was too close to Tomoki Hayakawa in goal. Wei Shihao tamely side-footed the rebound wide. Japan had made no such mistake when their chance fell, and after Gao Tianyi lost possession in midfield, early in the 11th minute, the next China player to touch the ball was goalkeeper Yan Junling, when he picked it out of his net roughly 40 seconds later. 01:30 Cristiano Ronaldo museum opens in Hong Kong Cristiano Ronaldo museum opens in Hong Kong Satoshi Tanaka rattled the final pass into Hosoya, who had his back to goal on the edge of the area. The centre-forward turned and escaped debutant China defender Liu Haofan in one movement, before unleashing a full-blooded shot across Yan and into the left corner.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
East Asian Football Championship: Hong Kong out to ‘impose ourselves on China'
Ashley Westwood has urged Hong Kong to go for the jugular against China when the teams renew their rivalry in Seoul on Tuesday. Advertisement Stung by a 6-1 thumping from Japan on Tuesday, head coach Westwood unfurled a more watchful strategy for his side's 2-0 defeat by South Korea in their second East Asian Football Championship fixture on Friday. The handbrake is set to come off against the Chinese, who are flattered by a world No 94 ranking on the evidence of their limp display in losing 3-0 to South Korea last week. 'Playing China, who are 94th in the world, is different from playing Korea,' Westwood said. 'We want to attack and score, we don't go many games without scoring. 'We have a good, highly qualified coaching staff, we know what we're doing, and we'll come up with something to impose ourselves on China. Advertisement 'We won't be looking to defend, defend. Part of football is coming up with a plan. Hopefully, the one for China works. If it doesn't, we'll learn another lesson.'
RTHK
a day ago
- Sport
- RTHK
Hong Kong, China keep it close in 2-0 loss to S Korea
Hong Kong, China keep it close in 2-0 loss to S Korea The South Koreans dominated possession, shots on target and passing in the game played in the city of Yongin. Photo courtesy of HKFA Hong Kong, China fell 2-0 to South Korea on Friday in the second game of the East Asian Football Championship played at the Yongin Mireu Stadium. The SAR squad was trying to bounce back from their defeat to Japan in their opening match, and their resilience showed as they faced the home team. Hong Kong, China was solid for most of the first half, but the hosts eventually broke through their defence in the 27th minute, when forward Kang Sang-yoon spun around with a shot with his right foot to give the South Koreans the lead. Lee Ho-jae's bullet header made the score 2-0 in the 67th minute and the game was all but over. The Koreans dominated possession, shots on target and passing, but Hong Kong goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai heroically kept the scoreline respectable. Hong Kong, China now face the national team on July 15.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong leap in Fifa rankings as coach vows to make fans proud against South Korea
East Asian Football Championship: South Korea v Hong Kong, Friday, 7pm Hong Kong time. Ashley Westwood said Hong Kong would learn from the mistakes that sunk them against Japan when they tackle South Korea in the East Asian Football Championship on Friday. Despite being thumped 6-1 by the Japanese on Tuesday, Hong Kong received a boost on the eve of their second fixture in Seoul, when they climbed six places to No 147 in the latest Fifa world rankings. That jump reflected the 10-match unbeaten run they stitched together before the Japan aberration. And Westwood, the head coach, promised he had left no stone unturned in his bid to get back on track against the hosts, who remained at No 23 in the global standings. 'We don't take any team lightly, we've studied Korea in depth and we know what they're going to do,' he said. 'We're going to try to adjust and amend our mistakes from the first game. We have a gameplan and we'll see if it works.'
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong striker Udebuluzor hopes to make China home, as he quits problem club in Germany
Michael Udebuluzor has pledged to knuckle down and fulfil his potential after emerging from a difficult period outside football. The Hong Kong striker was one of the few players to emerge with credit from Tuesday's 6-1 drubbing by Japan, after he was introduced with his side at 5-0 down at half-time in their East Asian Football Championship opener. Udebuluzor said he was juggling the city's time in South Korea with finalising his exit from VfR Mannheim, where he moved last summer from fellow German club FC Ingolstadt 04. 'I don't like the club, I've had my problems with the coach, and it's best for me to leave,' Udebuluzor said. 'My next club could be in Europe or Asia. 'Maybe it would be better to be in China, I'd be closer to my family and have no distractions. Germany had its problems, which I don't want to get into.' Michael Udebuluzor (left) wins the last-minute penalty that earned Hong Kong victory over India last month. Photo: Elson Li Asked if he had been happy in Germany, Udebuluzor replied 'no', but added that he expected that to change in a new country, where he would 'work harder and I can try to be the best I can be'.
