Spain’s Atletico Madrid and Japan’s Kashima Antlers confirm 2016 appearance

Posted on: 2016-03-07

Atletico Madrid came from 2-0 down to beat West Ham 3-2 after extra-time to win the Cup on their debut in 2015. Photo: Power Sport Images for HKFC.

Defending champions Atletico Madrid will appear at the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens for the second successive year after winning the title on their debut appearance, while Japan will be represented for the first time since 2008 with Kashima Antlers also set to appear at Hong Kong Football Club at the end of May.

Atletico came back from two goals down to beat England’s West Ham United 3-2 after extra-time in the 2015 final after the 2014 La Liga champions and UEFA Champions League runners-up were the first Spanish side to compete at the annual event.

The La Liga side boasted the tournament’s seven-goal top scorer Samuel Saiz last year, and with the club’s famed academy renowned for producing the likes of David De Gea and Fernando Torres, Atletico are again expected to challenge later this year.

“We always want to holders to come back and defend their title the following year. They are second in La Liga and are a high profile team with a high profile manager,” said HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens Organising Committee Chairman Tony Bratsanos.

“Last year they were a breath of fresh air because we have had lots of English Premier League teams over the years, but never anyone from La Liga. They also didn’t know what to expect when they arrived so to have them return is great.”

Japan’s Kashima, meanwhile, are set to make their first appearance at the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens since 2004 when the 17th edition of the event returns to Hong Kong Football Club from May 20-22.

And despite their prolonged absence, clubs from Japan have enjoyed a strong history at Hong Kong Football Club after Urawa Red Diamonds claimed back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006 before winning the Shield two years later.

Kashima are only one of three teams to have competed in Japan’s top-flight since its inception as a professional entity, and are one of the most successful having claimed the J.League title seven times as well as six J.League Cup’s and four Emperor’s Cup’s, having initially been founded in 1947.

And their youth system has produced the likes of current Japan international Gaku Shibasaki, while Germany-based defender Atsuto Uchida made his professional debut for the club aged 17 in 2006.

Former Japan international Mitsuo Ogasawara, a one-club man apart from a brief loan spell in Italy, has played for Kashima since 1998 and appeared at the FIFA World Cup in both 2002 and 2006.

Ogasawara, who has made over 600 appearances for Kashima, was also named J.League MVP in 2009 before helping Japan win the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.

“Because the J.League starts around this time of year, it’s always difficult to get a Japanese presence. But Kashima played in 2004 and Urawa Red Diamonds won it in 2005 and 2006,” added Bratsanos.

“Kashima got to the final when they last played in the tournament, losing to an Aston Villa side that featured Gabby Agbonlahor, so it’s great to have them back.”

And like Atletico, New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix will also return following a successful debut last year having been edged out by the Spanish side 1-0 after extra-time in the semi-finals last year.

“It’s nice to have a team from New Zealand be part of the competition; we have had a few from Australia in the past, but Wellington are the first from New Zealand,” said Bratsanos.

“Ernie Merrick, their coach, used to be the head coach of the Hong Kong national side so that is how we got their contact. Last year they had an impressive first tournament by getting to the semis.”
The remaining sides in this year’s 16-team Main Tournament and teams competing in the over-35 Masters Tournament will be confirmed soon.

Atletico Madrid, Newcastle, West Ham stars top Soccer Sevens scorers

Posted on: 2015-06-01

Newcastle United vs BC Rangers during day two of the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens 2015 on May 30, 2015 at the Hong Kong Football Club in Hong Kong, China. Photo by Xaume Olleros / Power Sport Images

Callum Roberts was Newcastle United’s top scorer at the Soccer Sevens with four goals. Photo: Power Sport Images for HKFC.

June 1, 2015: The sensational Samuel Saiz was the top scorer in the Main Tournament at the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens after scoring seven goals in Atletico Madrid’s six matches, finishing with his extra-time winner against West Ham in the Cup final.

The blond-bearded 24-year-old, a long-time Atletico B striker, was also named Player of the Tournament after match-winning displays throughout the two days.

West Ham midfielder Jaanai Gordon, who scored both of his team’s goals in the final, and Newcastle United striker Callum Roberts, who made his first-team debut in the FA Cup in January, both scored four goals in the Main Tournament.

Jaanai Gordon scored four goals, including both of West Ham’s goals in the final (pictured).

Benjamin Akoto Asamoah, scorer of Atletico’s first goal in the final, and Aston Villa striker Jerell Sellars, who played in 2013, were among several players to scorer three times.

Stoke City’s England U-20 midfielder Oliver Shenton, Wellington Phoenix duo Kwabena Appiah and Louis Fenton, Kitchee striker Juan Belencoso and BC Rangers striker Chuck Yiu-kwok also netted three goals.

Newcomer Marlon Harewood, 35, was the top scorer in the Masters Tournament with four goals for Citibank All Stars, who lost to eventual champions USRC – BTS in the Cup semi-finals.

Daniel Lins Cortes, also 35, scored three goals for USRC – BTS and was named the Masters’ Player of the Tournament, while Johnny Gbenda-Charles of runners-up Wallsend Boys Club also netted three times.

HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens 2015

Top Scorers – Main Tournament

Samuel Saiz scores Atletico Madrid’s extra-time winner in the final, taking his tally to seven goals.

7 – Samuel Saiz (Atletico Madrid)

4 – Callum Roberts (Newcastle United)

4 – Jaanai Gordon (West Ham United)

3 – Jerell Sellers (Aston Villa)

3 – Chuck Yiu-kwok (BC Rangers)

3 – Juan Belencoso (Kitchee)

3 – Oliver Shenton (Stoke City)

3 – Louis Fenton, Kwabena Appiah (both Wellington Phoenix)

3 – Benjamin Akoto Asamoah (Atletico Madrid)

2 – Han Jae-woong (BC Rangers)

2 – Harry Panayiotou, Jak McCourt (Leicester City)

2 – Lin Pei (Shanghai SIPG)

2 – Martin Ibarreche (Singapore Cricket Club)

2 – Eddy Lecynge (Stoke City)

2 – Alex Pike (West Ham United)

2 – Steve McGurgan, Sebastian Beer, Jack Cullinane (all Yau Yee League Select)

1 – Harry McKirdy, Riccardo Calder (both Aston Villa)

1 – Carlos Ramos Blanco, Samuel Villa Rodriguez, Ivan Perez (all Atletico Madrid)

1 – Hiromichi Katano, Roberto Fronza, Jason Eng (all BC Rangers)

1 – Cheng Kin-ho, Lau Hok-ming (both HKFA U-20)

1 – Jordon Brown, Tom Halder, Sebastian Fiedler, Michael Hampshire (all HKFC)

1 – John Ramage, Robbie Bacon, Niall Cox (all HKFC Captain’s Select)

1 – Kim Tae-min, Cheung Kwok-ming (Kitchee)

1 – Jack Barmby (Leicester City)

1 – Alex Gilliead, Adam Laidler, Jamie Sterry (Newcastle United)

1 – Wang Hongliang, Jiang Weiliang (Shanghai SIPG)

1 – Logan Rogerson, Joe Bell (Wellington Phoenix)

1 – Djair Parfitt-Williams, Josh Pask (West Ham United)

1 – Shunsuke Nakamura, Luca Merlone (Yau Yee League Select)

1 – Own Goal

Top Scorers – Main Tournament

Marlon Harewood, 35, was the Masters Tournament’s top scorer with four goals.

4 – Marlon Harewood (Citibank All Stars)

3 – Daniel Lins Cortes, Jorginho Rodriquez (USRC – BTS)

3 – Johnny Gbenda-Charles (Wallsend Boys Club)

2 – Mark Grainger (HKFC Chairman’s Select)

2 – Marcel Sossnowski (KCC Veterans)

2 – Matt Hulen (SCC Tigers)

2 – Lloyd Owusu (Wallsend Boys Club)

1 – Frank Sinclair, Dele Adebola, Jon Mackem, Darren Byfield (Citibank All Stars)

1 – Paul Fitzgerald, Simon Page (HKFC Chairman’s Select)

1 – James Grady, Ian Nelson (KCC Veterans)

1 – Brett Ormerod (Nottingham Forest Mobsters)

1 – Owen Monagahan, Mike Hemmingway, Yossi Azran (SCC Tigers)

1 – Andy Mitchell, Paulo Henrique (USRC)

1 – Michael Bridges, Robbie Elliot (Wallsend Boys Club)

1 – Own Goal

Atletico Madrid come from two goals down to beat West Ham in Cup final

Posted on: 2015-05-31

Atletico Madrid celebrate winning the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens at Hong Kong Football Club on their tournament debut. Photo: HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens.

Atletico Madrid celebrate winning the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens on their debut. Photos: HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens.

Hong Kong; May 31, 2015: Atletico Madrid came from two goals down to beat West Ham United 3-2 after extra-time to win the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens in spectacular fashion at Hong Kong Football Club on Sunday evening.

Atletico were the first Spanish club to compete at the Soccer Sevens and left with the Cup and a new army of fans after living up to their reputation as the tournament’s team to watch, thrilling fans with attacking football that provided dramatic matches throughout the group and knockout stages.

The Spanish giants – whose first team won La Liga last year – needed extra-time to win all three of their knockout matches on Sunday, edging Hong Kong champions Kitchee 3-2 in the quarter-finals and then pipping Wellington Phoenix 1-0 in the semi-finals.

Captain Samuel Saiz was named Player of the Tournament and was also the top scorer with seven goals, which included the extra-time winner against a young West Ham side.

“It’s very simple. We have this philosophy at the club that we never give up and this is the club’s philosophy. It’s in our heart. It’s part of the Atletico Madrid brand,” said the 24-year-old striker, who has played for Atletico B for the past five seasons.

“We really enjoyed it. The seven-a-side format is new to us, but it’s a lot of fun and great viewing for the spectators. We want to come back next year.”

West Ham led 1-0 at half-time through 19-year-old Janaai Gordon, who scored again in the second half to give the Premier League club a comfortable-looking lead. Benjamin Akoto Asamoah, 21, pulled one back for Atletico before Ivan Perez, 24, curled in a superb left-foot equaliser late on to force extra-time.

Atletico Madrid celebrate after Samuel Saiz scored an extra-time winner to secure a 3-2 win over West Ham in the Cup final at the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens. Photo: Power Sport Images for HKFC.

Atletico Madrid celebrate after Samuel Saiz scored an extra-time winner to secure a 3-2 win over West Ham in the final.

With a sudden burst of rain adding drama to the finale, Samu again rose to the occasion, the blonde striker skipping past the West Ham defence at the top of the box to create space for a low right-foot shot into the corner that prompted huge celebrations.

“It’s our first time and we can’t believe that we could keep going and going, all the way to the final,” Saiz said. “We had to give everything we had to win it.”

Atletico’s attacking style and their vulnerability at the back ensured thrill-a-minute matches and after dancing and singing in celebration at the trophy presentation, the squad were mobbed by young fans looking for mementos from their new heroes.

The team had to come from behind against both HKFA U-20 and Yau Yee League Select to record 2-1 wins in the group stage, and only secured their progress into the Cup competition with a lively 2-2 draw against Stoke City.

West Ham had earned their place in the final with a 3-1 win over Newcastle United, who had goalkeeper Adam Bartlett sent off in the fifth minute when the Hammers were 1-0 up.

Atletico Madrid light up Hong Kong on Soccer Sevens debut

Posted on: 2015-05-30

Atletico Madrid striker Samuel Saiz was the Main Tournament’s top scorer with five goals after Saturday’s pool matches at the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens. Photos: Power Sport Images for HKFC.

Hong Kong; May 30, 2015: Samuel Saiz fired five goals in three matches as Atletico Madrid lit up the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens on their tournament debut by topping Group D with two wins and a draw.

Yau Yee League Select, representing Hong Kong’s top amateur league, upset the seedings to finish second in the pool and join Atletico – the first Spanish club to compete in the tournament – in the Cup quarter-finals. Debutants Stoke City finished third in Group D to drop into the Plate competition.

Peter Beardsley’s Newcastle United looked impressive as they finished with two wins and a draw to top Group A on goal difference ahead of BC Rangers of the Hong Kong Premier League. Leicester City finished third to fall into the Plate for a second straight year since winning the Cup in 2013.

In earlier pools, West Ham United and Hong Kong champions Kitchee progressed from Group B, while New Zealand newcomers Wellington Phoenix and five-time champions Aston Villa qualified from Group C.

Atletico, last year’s Spanish champions, beat both HKFA U-20 and Yau Yee League Select 2-1 after coming from behind in each game, before twice taking the lead against Stoke City in a pulsating 2-2 draw.

Saiz, popularly known as Samu, was a dynamic presence at the head of the Atletico attack and was a star off the pitch, signing autographs and posing for photos with dozens of fans after each match.

“We’re going to do our best to become champions. We’re very proud to be here for the first time, we’ve got a lot of good players and we’re all trying to do as well as we can for Atletico,” said the 24-year-old striker, who has been playing for Atletico B for five seasons.

“The seven-a-side format is different for all of us, but we’re enjoying it. However, if you make one mistake, you can pay for it with a goal and seven minutes is not much time. But we’ve done okay so far.”

Easily distinguished by his shock of blond hair and beard, Saiz said he was impressed by the large, enthusiastic crowd at Hong Kong Football Club.

“It’s very hot, but we have a lot of support and there’s many people here, which is good. There’s a great atmosphere within the ground and it’s a great place to be playing. With the all the support from the fans, I can’t say we will win for sure but we certainly will try our best.”

Callum Roberts was a star for Newcastle United with three goals in the pool stage of the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens.

Callum Roberts, Newcastle’s top scorer with three goals, believed Atletico were among the teams to watch.

“Atletico looked good, although a few teams looked good,” said Roberts. “BC Rangers, the team we drew 0-0 with, were quite good; they knew what they were doing. There are some good teams here.”

Roberts, 18, was among several star players in the pool stage, netting the winner in the 1-0 win over Leicester City after scoring a brace in Newcastle’s opening 3-0 win over Singapore Cricket Club.

“I thought we did really well today,” Roberts said. “We kept the ball when we needed to. I was happy to put us in front against Leicester and then we defended that lead well. The five lads from last year have given us some experience and they told us what it would be like.”

Roberts, 18, made his first-team debut for Newcastle this year in the FA Cup and the skilful striker is enjoying the greater spaces afforded by the sevens format.

“I’ve started off well with three goals so hopefully I can keep going and score more tomorrow,” he said. “This type of football suits my game. I like getting at players in one on one, so this game suits me just perfect.”

Wellington Phoenix striker Kwabena Appiah, pictured against Hong Kong Football Club, later scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over five-time champions Aston Villa at the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens.

In the two earlier groups, Australian striker Kwabena Appiah scored a hat-trick as newcomers Wellington Phoenix smashed five-time champions Aston Villa 4-1 to finish top of Group C and cruise into the Cup quarter-finals.

Appiah, part of the Western Sydney Wanderers squad that won last year’s AFC Champions League, ran rampant against a Villa side who left themselves exposed trying to get back into the game. Teenager Logan Rogerson rounded off the scoring against Villa, for whom striker Jerell Sellars bagged his third goal of the group stage.

Gordon Cowans’ men progressed to the Cup quarter-finals in second place with four points. Sellars, who also played in 2013, helped them rescue a 1-1 draw against Hong Kong Football Club in the club’s opener and scored again in the 1-0 win over HKFA U-18.

West Ham topped Group C with five points following a 1-0 win over HKFC Captain’s Select, with star striker Djair Parfitt-Williams setting up Janaai Gordon for the winner.

The Hammers drew 0-0 with Shanghai SIPG and then maintained top spot with a 1-1 draw with Kitchee, when Parfitt-Williams scored, had a penalty saved and missed a glorious chance just seven yards out from goal.

Kitchee only secured second place in Group B after returning for a four-a-side sudden-death playoff against Shanghai SIPG, with Kim Tae-min scoring the winner. Both teams finished level on three points and had matching goals for and against.

Djair Parfitt-Williams scored three goals to finish as West Ham’s top scorer in the group stage of the HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens.

In the Masters Tournament, Group A winners USRC – BTS will face Group B runners-up Citibank All Stars in the first Cup semi-final. Wallsend Boys Club face surprise package SCC Tigers, who topped Group B after a shock 3-2 win over the Citibank All Stars.

USRC, featuring a cast of Brazilians, benefited from a late own goal to secure a 1-1 draw with Wallsend in their final group match, ensuring they pipped the Newcastle-based club on goal difference after both teams finished with 10 points from four matches.

KCC Veterans will face HKFC Chairman’s Select in the Plate final after both teams finished third in their groups. KCC, who lost both their games on Friday night, beat Kitchee All Stars 1-0 with a goal from Marcel Sossnowski and then drew 0-0 with HKFC Veterans to pick up four points.

Chairman’s Select, who also lost twice on Friday night, bounced back to shock Nottingham Forest Mobsters 1-0 with a goal from Mark Grainger, the former Hong Kong international who also scored in a 2-0 win over Discovery Bay.

All knockout matches and finals will be held on Sunday, when the action runs from 9.00am-6.00pm.

Tickets for Sunday only are priced at HK$160 and are available through Cityline (www.cityline.com) or from the Public Entrance at Hong Kong Football Club.

Results – May 30, 2015

Main – Group A
Leicester City 0-1 BC Rangers (Scorer: Rangers – Chuck Yiu-kwok)
Newcastle United 3-0 Singapore Cricket Club (Scorers: Newcastle – Callum Roberts x 2, Alex Gilliead)
Leicester City 3-0 Singapore Cricket Club (Scorers: Leicester – Jack McCourt, Harry Panayiotou, Jack Barmby)
Newcastle United 0-0 BC Rangers
BC Rangers 2-0 Singapore Cricket Club (Scorers: Rangers – Hiromichi Katano, Chuck Yiu-kwok)
Newcastle United 1-0 Leicester City (Scorer: Newcastle – Callum Roberts)
Positions: 1. Newcastle United (7 pts), 2. BC Rangers (7 pts), 3. Leicester City (3 pts), 4. Singapore Cricket Club (0 pots)

Main – Group B
Kitchee 1-1 Shanghai SIPG (Scorers: Kitchee – Juan Belencoso; SIPG – Lin Pei)
West Ham 1-0 HKFC Captain’s Select (Scorer: West Ham – Janaai Gordon)
Kitchee 0-0 HKFC Captain’s Select
West Ham United 0-0 Shanghai SIPG
Shanghai SIPG 1-1 HKFC Captain’s Select (Scorers: SIPG – Wang Hongliang pen; Captain’s – John Ramage)
West Ham United 1-1 Kitchee (Scorers: West Ham – Djair Parfitt-Williams; Kitchee – Juan Belencoso)
Positions: 1. West Ham United (5 pts); 2. Kitchee* (3 pts); 3. Shanghai SIPG (3 pts); 4. HKFC Captain’s Select (2 pts)
* Kitchee secured second place after 1-0 win (Kim Tae-min) over Shanghai SIPG in sudden-death playoff

Main – Group C
Wellington Phoenix 0-0 HKFA U-18
Aston Villa 1-1 Hong Kong Football Club (Scorers: Aston Villa – Jerell Sellars; HKFC – Jordon Brown)
Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Hong Kong Football Club (Scorer: Wellington – Louis Fenton)
Aston Villa 1-0 HKFA U-18 (Scorer: Villa – Jerell Sellars)
HKFA U-18 0-0 Hong Kong Football Club
Aston Villa 1-4 Wellington Phoenix (Scorers: Villa – Jerell Sellars; Wellington – Kwabena Appiah x 3; Logan Rogerson)
Positions: 1. Wellington Phoenix (7 pts); 2. Aston Villa (4 pts); Hong Kong Football Club (2 pts); 4. HKFA U-18 (2 pts)

Main – Group D
Atletico Madrid 2-1 HKFA U-20 (Scorers: Atletico – Carlos Ramos Blanco, Samuel Saiz Alonso; HKFA – Cheng King-ho)
Stoke City 0-2 Yau Yee League Select (Scorers: YYL – Steve McGurgan x 2)
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Yau Yee League Select (Scorers: Samuel Saiz Alonso x 2; YYL – Sebastian Beer)
Stoke City 3-0 HKFA U-20 (Scorers: Stoke – Oliver Shenton, Eddie Lecygne x 2)
HKFA U-20 1-2 Yau Yee League Select (Scorers: HKFA U-20 – Lau Hok-ming; YYL – Sebastian Beer, Jack Cullinane)
Stoke City 2-2 Atletico Madrid (Scorers: Stoke – Oliver Shenton x 2; Atletico – Samuel Saiz Alonso x 2)
Positions: 1. Atletico Madrid (7 pts), 2. Yau Yee League Select (6 pts), 3. Stoke City (4 pts), 4. HKFA U-20 (0 pts)

Masters – Group A
*Wallsend Boys Club 1-0 HKFC Veterans (Scorer: Wallsend – Robbie Elliot)
*USRC – BTS 1-0 KCC Veterans (Scorer: USRC – Andy Mitchell)
*Kitchee All Stars 0-0 HKFC Veterans
*Wallsend Boys Club 1-0 KCC Veterans (Scorer: Wallsend – Lloyd Owusu)
*USRC – BTS 2-0 Kitchee All Stars (Scorer: USRC – Jorginho Rodrigues x 2)
Kitchee All Stars 0-1 KCC Veterans (Scorer: KCC – Marcel Sossnowski)
USRC – BTS 2-0 HKFC Veterans (Scorers: USRC – Jorginho Rodrigues, Daniel Lins Cortes)
KCC Veterans 0-0 HKFC Veterans
Wallsend Boys Club 2-0 Kitchee All Stars (Scorer: Wallsend – John Gbenda-Charles x 2)
Wallsend Boys Club 1-1 USRC – BTS (Scorers: Wallsend – John Gbenda-Charles; USRC – own goal by Darren Timmons)
Positions: 1. USRC – BTS (10 pts), 2. Wallsend Boys Club (10 pts), 3. KCC Veterans (4 pts), 4. HKFC Veterans (2 pts), 5. Kitchee All Stars (1 pt)
* Played on Friday night (May 29, 2015)

Masters – Group B
*Citibank All Stars 1-0 HKFC Chairman’s Select (Scorer: Citibank – Marlon Harewood)
*Nottingham Forest Mobsters 1-0 Discovery Bay (Scorer: Forest – Brett Ormerod)
SCC Tigers 1-0 HKFC Chairman’s Select (Scorer: SCC – Matt Hulen)
* All Stars 3-0 Discovery Bay (Scorers: Citibank – Marlon Harewood x 2; Frank Sinclair)
*Nottingham Forest Mobsters 0-0 SCC Tigers
SCC Tigers 1-0 Discovery Bay (Scorer: SCC – Owen Monaghan)
Nottingham Forest Mobsters 0-1 HKFC Chairman’s Select (Scorer: Chairman’s – Mark Grainger)
Discovery Bay 0-2 HKFC Chairman’s Select (Scorers: Chairman’s – Mark Grainger, Paul Fitzgerald)
Citibank All Stars 2-3 SCC Tigers (Scorers: Citibank – Dele Adebola, Jon Macken; SCC – Matt Hulen, Mike Hemingway, Yossi Azran)
Citibank All Stars 2-0 Nottingham Forest Mobsters (Scorers: Marlon Harewood, Darren Byfield)
Positions: 1. SCC Tigers (10 pts), 2. Citibank All Stars (9 pts), 3. HKFC Chairman’s Select (6 pts), 4. Nottingham Forest Mobsters (4 pts), 5. Discovery Bay (0 pts)
* Played on Friday night (May 29, 2015)

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