Soccer Sevens: skipper seizes day for Leicester – now for English Premier League relegation fight
- The Foxes will chase cup glory on Sunday at HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens before their young squad watch nervously as last day of the Premier League unfolds
- Aston Villa beaten by Hong Kong side Tai Po but both reach cup quarter-finals at Rangers’ expense
On the eve of the Premier League season’s final round, when the club must win to beat the dreaded drop – while Newcastle could snatch third – their rising stars showed how it’s done at Hong Kong Football Club.
On Sunday it could be Jamie Vardy or James Maddison saving the Foxes. On Saturday, it was their skipper Lewis Brunt who ensured they topped group C to reach the Soccer Sevens cup quarter-finals.
He left it late. When the dominant Magpies took the lead through Amadou Diallo, there were obvious parallels with the English season, in which Saudi-backed Newcastle have surged to a Champions League place while Leicester have toiled.
Back in Hong Kong, Tawanda Maswanhise levelled and Leicester looked set to settle for a draw – which will not suffice for their first team on Sunday at home to West Ham United.
But cometh the hour, cometh the young man, as Brunt pounced on a weak clearance to fire first time into the top-right corner. It proved to be the last kick of the game.
His club’s supporters would more than settle for a similar ending at King Power Stadium, although they will be relying on Everton not beating Bournemouth.
“Obviously [the relegation threat] is tough, but we’ve got to focus on our own stuff, and fingers crossed for a result – I’m sure they can get through it,” centre-back Harvey Godsmark-Ford said. “We’ve been known in the past for getting through hard times. I’ll back them.”
Godsmark-Ford, 19, who grew up in Leicestershire and has supported the Foxes all his life, admitted there was much at stake.
“I’ve been at the club since I was eight – 11 years now,” he said. “Leicester is massive for me, just hoping to get into the first team. Everyone dreams of being a Premier League footballer. Hopefully I can get there.”
His side head into their own final day in decent shape.
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“We didn’t want to come second in the group and get a harder opponent on Sunday,” Godsmark-Ford said. “It’s so hot, but we’re buzzing. We’ll get in the pool after this, get an early night’s sleep then let’s go.”
Awaiting Leicester in the last eight on Sunday are local top-flight club Tai Po, who sprang a surprise in group A when they beat Aston Villa 1-0. It was a composed and combative display, with Villa struggling to get the ball off them and rattled by some feisty challenges.
Luizinho got the only goal when he ran from his own half and finished smartly, sending the Sports Road ground into raptures.
“I’m so happy with the first game, let’s go,” the Brazilian said. “It was hard. They’re a big team, it was a very difficult game, but we won.”
However, Tai Po got a taste of their own medicine when they were humbled 1-0 by local amateurs Yau Yee League Select, who had already held Rangers 0-0. Another goalless draw between Tai Po and Rangers consigned the latter to the plate.
