In two months since my last post, I have attended two North District games. On the 8th of March, the Sheung Shui side defeated Hong Kong FC in the FA Cup – 3–1, and on the 12th of April drew 3–3 against Lee Man in the Premier League.
Hong Kong FC – North District
The FA Cup quarterfinal against Hong Kong FC took place at Tsing Yi Sports Ground, in the western part of the New Territories. It is a typical district sports ground with a single stand and running tracks around the pitch. I got the impression that the stands were further away from the pitch than in Sham Shui Po and Sheung Shui.
The FA Cup is the main cup competition in Hong Kong. As in other cup competitions (League Cup and Senior Shield), only Premier League sides compete in the tournament. Cup winners qualify for the AFC Champions League 2, together with Premier League winners.
I don’t remember anything about the match. I only remember that sea salt sour ale, purchased in a supermarket next to the ground, was disgusting.
North District will face Eastern District in the semifinal on the 24th of May.
North District – Lee Man
The match against Lee Man was memorable for its ending.
North District conceded just before the break and were trailing until the 77th minute when the Lee Man defence overloaded their left side, leaving the right side unattended. Villalobos shifted the play and connected with Weverton, who took the ball on the edge of the box, carried it to the goal area, and was clinical in the finish.
In the first minute of injury time, Samuel Granada received the ball from Weverton, dribbled past the defender and attempted a shot from the same spot on the edge of the goal area. The Lee Man goalkeeper saved the ball, but it rebounded to the far post, where Kayke David found the back of the net with a point-blank finish.
As usual, North District celebrated the goal in festive fashion. As usual, it didn’t end well. Immediately after the restart, Lee Man were awarded the penalty for a handball from Arboleda who failed to keep his hands down during the aerial battle. Mikael equalised from the spot.
No sooner had I been disappointed that North District had let victory slip away, than I found myself despairing that they had let a draw slip away. Tachibana took the ball on the left, made his way unchallenged into the penalty area, and scored Lee Man’s third goal from a fairly tight angle.
The victory secured Lee Man’s mathematical chances for the league title, so they celebrated the goal in festive fashion. It didn’t end well for them. Immediately after the restart, North District charged, and Arboleda equalised from the edge of the box. The game to remember!
I have absorbed four beers.
Round-up of the first phase
The fixture against Lee Man concluded the first phase for the Sheung Shui side. After a memorable victory over Eastern, North District enjoyed a single victory (2–1 against Rangers), secured three draws (against Eastern District, Southern District, and Lee Man), and were thrashed 0–3 by Eastern.
Standings after the first phase:
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitchee | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 15 | 32 | 50 |
| 2 | Lee Man | 18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 47 | 19 | 28 | 36 |
| 3 | North District | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 31 |
| 4 | Tai Po | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 36 | 26 | 10 | 31 |
| 5 | Eastern | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 28 | 1 | 25 |
| 6 | Kowloon City | 18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 22 | 33 | -11 | 21 |
| 7 | Eastern District | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 19 |
| 8 | Southern District | 18 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 28 | -10 | 18 |
| 9 | Rangers | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 38 | -18 | 17 |
| 10 | Hong Kong FC | 18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 53 | -41 | 4 |
In accordance with competition rules, after the first phase, the top five teams enter the Championship Group, while the bottom five enter the Challenging Group, with each group playing a single round-robin format. Thus, Kitchee secured the title with a 14-point lead over Lee Man.
Last Saturday, North District lost to Tai Po 2–3 in the first matchweek of the Championship group. They are now in fourth place, where they are likely to finish the season.