2018–19_Hong_Kong_Sapling_Cup
2018–19 Hong Kong Sapling Cup
Football tournament season
The 2018–19 Hong Kong Sapling Cup was the 4th edition of the Sapling Cup and was the first time in history without name sponsorship. The Cup was contested by the 10 teams in the 2018–19 Hong Kong Premier League. The objective of the Cup was to create more potential playing opportunities for youth players. Each team were required to field a minimum of two players born on or after 1 January 1997 (U-22) and a maximum of six foreign players during every whole match, with no more than four foreign players on the pitch at the same time. [1]
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | Hong Kong China |
| Dates | 24 November 2018 – 27 April 2019 |
| Teams | 10 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Lee Man (1st title) |
| Runner-up | Yuen Long |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 23 |
| Goals scored | 90 (3.91 per match) |
| Attendance | 15,180 (660 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Fran González (6 goals) |
| All statistics correct as of 19 May 2019. | |
Kitchee were the defending champions, but they were eliminated after failing to get out of group stage. Lee Man became the champions for the first time after beating Yuen Long in the final. This is also Lee Man's first title in club history.
| Phase | Round | Draw Date | Date | Matches | Clubs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 5 November 2018 | 24–25 November 2018 | 20 | 10 → 4 |
| Matchday 2 | 16, 30 December 2018 1 January 2019 | ||||
| Matchday 3 | 2–3 February 2019 | ||||
| Matchday 4 | 10–11 February 2019 | ||||
| Matchday 5 | 2–3 March 2019 | ||||
| Knockout phase | Semi-finals | 13 – 14 April 2018 | 2 | 4 → 2 | |
| Final | 27 April 2018 at Mong Kok Stadium | 1 | 2 → 1 |
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuen Long | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 | Advance to Semi-finals |
| 2 | Dreams FC | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
| 3 |  R&F |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 7 | |
| 4 | Tai Po | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 3 | |
| 5 | Eastern | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored.
| Yuen Long | 1–2 | R&F |
|---|---|---|
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| Tai Po | 1–3 | R&F |
|---|---|---|
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| Dreams FC | 2–4 | Yuen Long |
|---|---|---|
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Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee Man | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 9 | Advance to Semi-finals |
| 2 | Pegasus | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 9 | |
| 3 | Southern | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 7 | |
| 4 | Kitchee | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 4 | |
| 5 | Hoi King | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 18 | −14 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored.
| Kitchee | 2–3 | Pegasus |
|---|---|---|
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| Hoi King | 2–6 | Lee Man |
|---|---|---|
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The two semi-finals took place on 13–14 April 2019 at Mong Kok Stadium. [2]
| Lee Man | 4–1 | Dreams FC |
|---|---|---|
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The final took place on 27 April 2019 at Mong Kok Stadium.[2]
| Yuen Long | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Lee Man |
|---|---|---|
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| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Fran González |
Lee Man | 6 |
| 2 |  Travis Major |
Pegasus | 5 |
| 3 |  Jean Moser |
Yuen Long | 4 |
| 4 |  Leong Ka Hang |
Lee Man | 3 |
 Nikola Komazec |
Southern | ||
| Cleiton |
Yuen Long | ||
| Stefan Pereira |
Lee Man | ||
 Mahama Awal |
Pegasus |
- 「2018-19年度菁英盃」賽程公佈 (in Chinese), Hong Kong Football Association, 5 November 2018, retrieved 5 November 2018