HKFC Soccer Sevens: Brighton & Hove Albion end Premier League rivals Villa’s reign, Chelsea claim first women’s title
- PFA All Stars seal Masters crown after Lita double, Kitchee miss out on first women’s title
- Brighton overcome slow Saturday, for clean sweep of Sunday victories and club’s first sevens crown
Benicio Baker-Boaitey said Brighton & Hove Albion were motivated by last year’s semi-final heartache in their triumphant 2024 HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens campaign.
Baker-Boaitey and Louis Flower were both on target in Brighton’s fully merited 2-0 final victory over defending champions Aston Villa.
Flower’s first-half strike across goalkeeper James Wright was the first goal Villa conceded in the competition. The 20-year-old Baker-Boaitey, who made five Premier League appearances last season, following a debut at Chelsea in December, danced around Wright to roll home Brighton’s second, and release Villa’s grip on the trophy.
Chelsea FC Soccer School won the maiden women’s competition, while the Masters title went to PFA All Stars. Both weekend days were watched by sold out crowds at Hong Kong Football Club.
Brighton lost their opening game against Hong Kong Rangers on Saturday, and diced with an early exit, before recovering to claim their first sevens crown.
Luca Barrington, the player of the tournament, scored with the last kick to earn a 1-1 draw with Yokohama F. Marinos in Brighton’s closing group match. Rather than tumbling out, Brighton had a play off with the Japanese team, which they won courtesy of Barrington’s golden goal.