East Asian Football Championship: Hong Kong out to ‘impose ourselves on China’
Ashley Westwood keen to avoid pointless fate of four previous coaches who led city team in four-team tournament
Ashley Westwood has urged Hong Kong to go for the jugular against China when the teams renew their rivalry in Seoul on Tuesday.
Stung by a 6-1 thumping from Japan on Tuesday, head coach Westwood unfurled a more watchful strategy for his side’s 2-0 defeat by South Korea in their second East Asian Football Championship fixture on Friday.
The handbrake is set to come off against the Chinese, who are flattered by a world No 94 ranking on the evidence of their limp display in losing 3-0 to South Korea last week.
“Playing China, who are 94th in the world, is different from playing Korea,” Westwood said. “We want to attack and score, we don’t go many games without scoring.
“We have a good, highly qualified coaching staff, we know what we’re doing, and we’ll come up with something to impose ourselves on China.
“We won’t be looking to defend, defend. Part of football is coming up with a plan. Hopefully, the one for China works. If it doesn’t, we’ll learn another lesson.”