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November 17, 2004

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Tonight's the night

All of China's sporting eyes will be focussed on one event tonight: the clash between China and Hong Kong in the World Cup soccer qualifying tournament. As previously mentioned, minnows Hong Kong face a desperate China who need to win by at least 2 more goals than Kuwait's likely win over Malaysia. The Chinese team is "restless". Hong Kong's coach has said "(we) will try our best and we will resist all outside factors". China's coach is upbeat, as well he might given he'll be out of a job if they don't make it through. Suspicions of a fix linger. The police in Guangzhou, where the match will be held, are getting ready for riots (and we all know how China's police can react in such situations). China's already embattled soccer authorities face humiliation and worse should they not make it through to the World Cup, especially given expectations like this from journalist Lily Xiang- Li (via SCMP):

"It will be bad news for Chinese soccer: for players, coaches, for sports newspapers, for everyone involved in Chinese football. It will be very unfortunate for soccer fans because in the next World Cup there will be no Chinese team".
No doubt FIFA, despite Asian officials protesting otherwise, will be wishing for a miracle. After all, who wants to miss out on the marketing bonanza to the world's hottest market for the sake of a pesky qualifying mishap? The greatest puzzle is the patriotic conundrum that faces loyal citizens of the Big Lychee. After having the Motherland drum into our collective heads that Hong Kong is now an inalienable part of China, it now turns out its football team may put the Motherland's out of the World Cup tournament. I have no doubt that tonight Hong Kongers have only one loyalty, and it is not to the Motherland.

Go Hong Kong.

 posted by Simon on 11.17.04 at 01:38 PM in the




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Comments:

Well we got stuffed 5-0.

Guess the glorious red army marches on. I'm off to go grumble about never getting to cheer on Hong Kong in the World Cup Finals.

 posted by: John Swaine on 11.17.04 at 11:18 PM [permalink]




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