Football: Kitchee boss Chu demands improvement after Hong Kong Premier League opening-day win
- Debutant Juninho at the double as champions begin bid for a fourth straight title with 3-0 victory against Tai Po at Mong Kok Stadium
- Tai Po head coach admits second goal from the penalty spot ‘killed’ his team, after Lee Ka-ho needlessly dived in to challenge Ruslan Mingazov
Alex Chu Chi-kwong insisted Kitchee had enormous scope for improvement despite beginning their Hong Kong Premier League title defence with victory over Tai Po on Saturday.
Tai Po initially frustrated the hosts at Mong Kok Stadium and could have grabbed a shock 21st-minute lead when forward Luizinho pulled his shot wide after racing clean through. Kitchee midfielder Cleiton remonstrating with Chu after that let-off was indicative of his team’s mood.
But forward Juninho, making his debut following a move from BC Rangers, settled the hosts with a crisp 32nd-minute strike.
The goal acted to shake off Kitchee’s rust and the champions steadily gained control. Victory was all but assured when Mikael Severo converted from the penalty spot after 71 minutes. Brazilian Juninho then netted his second goal from outside the box three minutes later to complete the scoring.
“We improved during the match and I think we will get better, step-by-step,” Chu told the Post.
“We had a lot of combinations in the wide areas, which I was happy to see – but we need to create more chances in the penalty area.
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“It was difficult because of the heat and it is always tough at the beginning of the season bedding players into the team. Juninho has been at Kitchee a short time but had a lot of combinations with our midfield players and finished well for his goals.”
Chu withdrew Mikael and debutant Ogenyi Onazi, the Nigerian former Lazio midfielder, directly after Kitchee’s second goal and admitted he was “rotating” with forthcoming fixtures in mind.
Onazi was his side’s best player during their scruffy opening, locating his target with a succession of positive, long-range passes. Mikael had a number of goal attempts but the best opportunity came for Tai Po when Luizinho was released by outstanding new-signing Michel Renner’s precise pass.
Luizinho’s miss didn’t dampen Cleiton’s fury. “He is always like that,” Chu smiled. “I understand this guy.”
Law Tsz-chun rattled the woodwork soon before the half-hour mark. And Kitchee soon swept from one end of the field to the other after goalkeeper Paulo Cesar caught a corner and quickly released the ball. Juninho applied the eventual finish from 20 yards.
“Luizinho’s chance was the key moment, he hesitated a little bit,” Tai Po head coach Lee Chi-kin told the Post.
“My game plan was to be patient in defence and create the chance to score. We didn’t take it. When we next attacked, they countered and scored. Our concentration was not good enough.”
Brazilian Renner gave Kitchee centre-halves Andy Russell and new recruit Aleksandar Damcevski an awfully uncomfortable afternoon.
But clear openings evaded the visitors and the best of it for Tai Po after half-time was a wayward Luizinho shot from 12 yards.
Mikael struck the base of the post on 47 minutes. But he got his goal from the spot after Lee Ka-ho needlessly dived in to challenge Ruslan Mingazov.
“The penalty killed us,” said Lee. “At 2-0 our chance was gone. I told the player [Lee] there was no need to do this. We had enough covering defenders.”
Juninho, who came to Hong Kong in 2016, collected Mingazov’s 74th-minute pass to arrow in off the post and complete a satisfying afternoon.
“It was so important we started well, now we have to keep going and seek more and more,” he said.
“After seven years it is very good to get to Kitchee, it was my target and now I am here.”
