This article was initially published in May 2017 in the print version of the “Hong Kong Football Podcast Season Review”. You can download the PDF version of the magazine here.
August
After briefly looking like they might go out of business altogether, champions Eastern made it into the 11-team league with a new sponsor, and brought in Spanish striker Manuel Bleda. Kitchee strengthened with former Bundesliga midfielder Lam Zhi-gin. BC Glory Sky and R&F joined the league, with Tai Po and Hong Kong Football Club promoted. HKFC started with a worrying 6-2 loss at Yuen Long, while new signing Nikola Komazec set down a marker for the season with a debut goal for South China against BCGS.
R&F stunned Pegasus in September at the Hong Kong Stadium (Photo: HKFA).
八月
季前經歷散班危機後，應屆聯賽冠軍東方覓得新贊助商以「東方龍獅」繼續參戰港超，並簽入西班牙籍前鋒洛迪古斯。傑志則成功收購前德甲中場林志堅為球隊增強實力。新一季有標準灝天和R&F富力空降港超，同時亦有大埔和港會升班。港會在首戰以6：2慘敗元朗，而新加盟南華的外援高美斯在處子戰為球隊射入奠勝一球擊敗標準灝天。
September
BCGS grabbed early points with a 2-0 win over R&F. But R&F sprang a shock the next week with a 2-1 comeback win away at Pegasus.
九月
標準灝天以2：0 擊敗富力全取三分。不過富力隨即在作客飛馬一仗中反擊，以2：1反勝。
October
Two Michael Hampshire goals in the last 10 minutes earned a win for HKFC away at BCGS. Five current or former Pegasus players were arrested over alleged match-fixing involving reserve division matches the previous season. Southern got their stuttering season back on track with a 7-0 win against HKFC. Both Eastern and Kitchee dropped their first points of the season in thrilling draws with South China. But Caroliners coach Ricardo Rambo was sacked after a humiliating 4-2 home defeat to Rangers.
十月
米高堪士在最後十分鐘梅開二度為港會作客標準灝天取得勝利。五名現役或前飛馬球員因涉嫌上季預備組賽事中打假波被廉署拘捕。開季以來未嘗一勝的南區終於以7：0擊敗港會。東方和傑志均被南華戲劇性逼和而在今季首次失分。「少林寺」當時的看守教練列卡度帶領球隊意外以2：4不敵理文流浪後隨即被被降職為助教。
This match, between South China and HKFC on November 26 was abandoned because of the weather (Photo: HKFA).
November
Manuel Bleda overtook Komazec at the top of the scoring charts, helped by four goals in Eastern’s 6-2 win over BCGS as the champions won all three matches for the month, scoring 12 goals. A 90th-minute winner from Fung Hing-wa helped 9-man Tai Po beat 10-man Rangers 1-0. A 4-0 demolition of BCGS started Yuen Long on a run of five wins in six, helped by goals from Stefan Pereira and Alexander Randelovic. Kitchee dropped two big points in a 0-0 draw with BCGS.
十一月
洛迪古斯在射手榜取代高美斯成為神射手，並在東方以6：2擊敗標準灝天一戰中取得四個入球。東方在本月三戰全勝，一共射入十二球。只有九人應戰的大埔憑著馮慶燁在第九十分鐘一箭定江山以1：0贏十人應戰的流浪。元朗以4：0擊潰標準灝天展開他們在聯賽中六戰五勝的佳績，狀態大勇的雲迪奴域和史堤芬彭利拿為元朗取得多個入球。傑志被標準灝天逼和痛失重要的兩分。
December
At the top, Kitchee and Eastern played out a stale 0-0 draw, in a game neither team wanted to win. At the bottom, R&F grabbed an advantage by beating HKFC 1-0 at home. A late Leong Ka-hang winner against South China gave Pegasus their first win in five, and gave South China their first loss in five.
十二月
榜首大戰傑志對東方以0：0悶和，兩隊都未有表現出爭勝決心。而在榜尾，富力主場以1：0擊敗港會在聯賽榜上取得優勢。飛馬靠著梁嘉恆的入球絕殺南華，終於取得近五戰首場勝仗，同時也是南華近五戰的首場敗仗。
January
This month saw two major departures for South China, with Chan Siu-ki joining Pegasus and Andy Russell joining Malaysia’s Palau Pinang. Kitchee won the first silverware of the season, beating Eastern 2-1 in an excellent Senior Shield final. But a week later they lost their first game of the season to Southern, 1-0, losing ground on Eastern. South China’s new signing Marko Perovic got one assist and scored two on his debut against BCGS, including a great free kick. Meanwhile, Kitchee brought in experienced South Korean defender Kim Dong-jin.
一月
本月先後有兩名南華的重心球員離隊：陳肇麒加盟飛馬及羅素轉投馬來西亞球隊檳城。傑志在今季贏得首項錦標，在銀牌決賽以2：1挫東方成為冠軍。不過傑志隨即在一週後被南區以1：0打破聯賽不敗身，令東方有機可乘升上榜首。南華的新簽外援麥高派路域首仗上陣便為球隊射入紗絕罰球，最後一傳兩射協助南華大勝標準灝天。傑志簽入大賽經驗豐富的南韓球員金東進。
Pegasus’ Leong Ka-hang celebrates his winning goal against South China (Photo: Pegasus FC).
February
Rangers moved to Sham Shui Po Sports Ground, but lost their first game there to South China. At the bottom, R&F ensured a double over HKFC by hitting four in the first 70 minutes, but three late goals from HKFC nearly earned them a comeback. Southern’s 6-0 battering of BCGS made it five wins in a row, during a run of 12 league games unbeaten. This set up a third-versus-fourth “Battle of the Buses” against Yuen Long, which ended a forgettable 0-0. R&F’s star Chuck bagged four goals in four matches for the month, but – after 10 goals in his first 9 league games – Nikola Komazec entered March without a goal in six.
二月
理文流浪回到深水埗運動場主場出戰，惜首戰便以0：1不敵南華。在榜尾，R&F 富力對港會一仗首七十分鐘攻入四球，港會雖然在賽事尾段追回三球，但仍然逃不過兩循環都要敗給富力的命運。南區以6：0大勝標準灝天取得五連勝，並延續十二場不敗的佳績。同時令南區升上聯賽第三名，在「巴士打吡」中迎戰聯賽第四名的元朗，以0：0悶和賽事。R&F 富力球員卓耀國在二月份的四場賽事合共攻入四球，而南華的高美斯雖然在頭九場賽事射入十球，但至二月底已累積六場入球荒。
March
HKFC grabbed a massive result, winning 2-1 at Tai Po, but Komazec ended the club’s mini-revival – and his own lean spell – in their next game, with a long-range free kick in a 4-0 win for South China. Sandro got five goals in two games as free-scoring Kitchee beat Yuen Long 4-1 and Rangers 5-1. Kitchee kept pace with Eastern, who beat South China 4-3 in a thriller at the Mong Kok Stadium, Bai He scoring the winner in extra time.
三月
港會爆冷以2：1擊敗大埔；惜之後對南華一戰，高美斯不但打破港會翻身希望，同時亦打破自己的入球荒，在主場射入遠距離罰球，最終大勝港會四球。隨著辛祖在兩仗射入五球，傑志以4：1輕取元朗及以5：1大勝理文流浪，在聯賽榜上緊追東方。東方則在旺角大球場憑著白鶴補時絕殺以4：3 險勝南華。
Tai Po beat Yuen Long to get back into play-off contention (Photo: HKFA).
Jordi – on loan from Kitchee – scored a hat-trick for Rangers in a 3-3 draw with Eastern. That result put Kitchee within four points of Eastern with a game in hand. Tai Po beat Yuen Long and South China back to back to pull themselves back into the play-off race. HKFC confirmed their place at the bottom of the table for the season with a 10-0 loss to Kitchee, who then beat Pegasus and South China to set up a last-game title decider with Eastern.
四月
現時效力流浪的傑志借將佐迪在主場出戰東方時上演帽子戲法，迫和對方為球隊搶得一分。東方失分令踢少一場既傑志追近至只有四分差距。大埔接連擊敗元朗和南華，重燃爭取季後附加賽資格的希望。港會被傑志大炒十球後，篤定將以榜尾完成今季賽事。而傑志擊敗飛馬和南華後，將會在煞科戰對東方爭奪今季聯賽冠軍寶座。
May
On the season’s last day, Kitchee dominated Eastern, winning 4-1 with a hat-trick from Sandro, to win the league by two points. South China beat Yuen Long with a last-minute penalty to secure fourth place. A week later, Kitchee beat South China 2-1 in the FA Cup final to complete the treble.
五月
在賽季的最後一天，憑著辛祖連中三元，傑志以 4：1 大勝東方，成日以兩分之差後上奪得聯賽冠軍。南華在最後一刻射入十二碼絕殺元朗，成功守得第四位。一星期後，傑志在足總盃以 2：1 擊敗南華奪標，成為本季三冠王。
Author: James Legge
Translation: grenzenlosgroundhopping.com
The Hong Kong Football Podcast is your weekly round-up of news, scores and chit-chat from around local football. It is out every Wednesday, and has just completed its first full season, which included interviews with players like Eastern’s Josh Mitchell and Southern’s Paul Olivier Ngue. You can listen on Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher, or any other of your favourite podcast applications.
