My footballing brother, the performance of the National Football Team and Hong Kong Football Team is always a cause for concern, but 2023 is a year for Hong Kong Football Team, which first experienced bitterness and finally reaped the sweetness. The local veteran team had suffered a 0-10 defeat to Uzbekistan, and Hong Kong coach Jon Anderson managed to lead the team out of the predicament with his impassioned motivation. At the beginning of his tenure, he tried to persuade his players to apply for Hong Kong SAR China passports, and this year has finally borne fruit. Jon Anderson's strategy is something that the national soccer team may want to learn from!
In 2024, Jon Anderson will face an even tougher challenge - leading the Hong Kong soccer team in the Asian Cup. The tournament has been hailed as Asia's version of the UEFA Europa League and Copa America, second only to the World Cup. It is the biggest stage Hong Kong soccer has touched so far, and he himself will be involved in such a top-level contest for the first time. "Feel good and give your best" is the message he wants to convey to the players and fans.
2023 will be Jon Anderson's second year at the helm of the Hong Kong team. In his first year, he led the team to the Asian Cup but was challenged by the epidemic and lack of training. He started the new year with high expectations, but the Hong Kong team failed to taste victory against Southeast Asian powerhouses such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. In the team, they even failed to break down the opponent's door, the only goal was the opponent's "oolong".
The poor performance of the Hong Kong team, coupled with the outbreak of match-fixing incidents in the local league, has put pressure on Jon Anderson. In May this year, Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested 23 people, including coaches and players, to dismantle an illegal outside gambling ring. The news of Hong Kong's veteran team's involvement caused widespread concern. Although Jon Anderson is only the coach of the Hong Kong soccer team, he did not hold back in the face of reporters' questions: "Why did they do it? Why did it happen in Hong Kong? Before we go deeper into the discussion, we should think about these questions first."
Other woes of the Hong Kong soccer team also puzzled Jon Anderson. He, the first foreign "Golden Boot" scorer in Bundesliga history, has repeatedly urged fans to turn out for matches, but the peak attendance for Hong Kong matches remains at 13,434 for the match against Thailand at the Hong Kong Stadium in June. After the Asian Games fervor receded, the number did not rise, but fell. The passion of Hong Kong people for soccer is evident in the fact that they follow the European leagues, but here, the Hong Kong team deserves more attention," he said in an interview. In this city of over 8 million people, not many people support the Hong Kong team."
In Norway and even other small European countries, the stadiums for national team matches are always packed even if the population is small. However, some Hong Kong teams complain about high ticket prices or criticize their teams for often losing. Jørn Andersen knows that there is only one thing he needs to emphasize: "The definition of a fan is one who stands in the stadium for every game, win or lose."
Other aspects of the Hong Kong soccer team are also difficult for Jørn Andersen to understand. He was the first foreign "Golden Boot scorer" in the history of the Bundesliga in Norway. Despite his repeated appeals to fans through the media, the highest attendance at a Hong Kong game was 13,434 against Thailand at the Hong Kong Stadium in June. Instead of rising, the number has fallen since the Asian Games fervor receded. "Hong Kong people are very passionate about soccer and will follow the Euroleague, but here, the Hong Kong team should be the most watched. I'm surprised that not many people support the Hong Kong team in a city of more than 8 million people."
In Norway, and even in other small European countries back home, stadiums are always packed for national team games, despite the sparse population. However, some Hong Kong teams will complain about the high ticket prices or criticize the team for losing so often. Jørn Andersen knows that, and he emphasizes only one thing: "The definition of a fan is a supporter who enters the stadium for every game, win or lose."
Apart from shouting at the fans, Jon Anderson's most important task after arriving in Hong Kong was to "convince" the Hong Kong players that they were not as bad as they thought, and that they were capable of performing miracles. Both striker Ahn Wing-kai, who was in a goal drought, and goalkeeper Tse Ka-wing, who was banned from representing Hong Kong for a year after a disciplinary storm over drunkenness, gained the coach's trust and guidance, and ultimately performed well at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Jörn Andersson will inspire his players in every way possible. He revealed a short story before the Hong Kong team's match against Iran at the Hangzhou Asian Games. As an Asian soccer powerhouse, Iran's strength should not be underestimated. Jon Anderson noted that he asked his players before the match what the team could do to beat their opponents. They didn't get a reply at first. "They couldn't believe they could win."
The Port players kept repeating the strengths of their opponents, and Jörn Andersson asked the same question several times and eventually got the answer. "Work harder, don't shrink back, push forward more", some of the players said, "I said : 'Yes, that's the way to win the game'. I wrote down these conversations and then said them once in every training and meeting, convincing them with what they said, and we all know how it turned out." Hong Kong ended up with a historic entry into the Asian Games semifinals, defeating Iran.
However, even so, the coach did not take all the credit. After defeating Palestine and Iran, he chose to go back to the locker room alone instead of celebrating in circles on the pitch. "This is the result of the players' and team's efforts. The team doctor, team management and other staff helped a lot. I let them go out and enjoy the cheers of the fans, and the media spotlight. When everyone says Hong Kong doesn't have a good new generation of players, this wonderful moment is especially important for local young players."
After the Asian Games, Hong Kong's soccer team returned from dream to reality with back-to-back losses to Japan and Uzbekistan. Jon Anderson admits that everyone doesn't have to feel lost about it. "I must emphasize that Hong Kong is just Hong Kong and we can't beat all the teams, but no one would have expected us to reach the semi-finals at the beginning."
During the Asian Games, there was one thing that made him proud of the Hong Kong team. "Most of the soccer teams participating in the Asian Games stayed in the same hotel. There were a lot of people there at the beginning, but when it came to the knockout stage, there were more and more restaurant vacancies. In the end, only Japan, South Korea and the Hong Kong team would come for dinner."
Just having dinner with Japan and South Korea, it felt good to see strong teams like China and Saudi Arabia leave before us.
Convincing newly naturalized players: seizing the opportunity
Speaking of another of Jon Anderson's "accomplishments", he has been on the lookout for players who have a chance of getting a Hong Kong SAR passport and playing in foreign leagues since he took over.
Michael Udebuluzor was successfully naturalized this year at the age of 19. (Michael Udebuluzor) Naturalization shows his "persuasive power". "I said that if he could progress and bring achievements to the Hong Kong team, he could be as famous as Harland in Hong Kong. I actually didn't know if he was playing well at the time. I heard his team coach say he was a rising star in Germany, so I believed he could be a star in Hong Kong."
Jörn Andersson revealed that there were still three to four similar players who could be registered in Hong Kong, but the other side did not want to give up their original nationality for the time being. However, he did not give up. "I tell them that a soccer career is short and they get older after 10 years. If you want to be a star in Hong Kong, you have to grab it or the opportunity will slip away."
Frankness and sincerity may be the key to a coach's success. He doesn't report the good news to please others but speaks directly about the problems, but he may offend others, but he always wants Hong Kong soccer to be good. "I will continue to be myself, be honest with the players, contribute my experience and knowledge and achieve more with the Hong Kong team."
