Hong Kong football fans stay away as Barcelona and Real Madrid legends clash falls flat
Banks of empty seats at 40-000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium, as city’s football supporters grow fatigued with overhyped veterans matches
Friday night’s Hong Kong Stadium exhibition match between two teams of former Real Madrid and Barcelona stars fell flat after only 7,982 people turned up to watch the pedestrian action in Causeway Bay.
The meagre attendance, which compared unfavourably with the far bigger crowds that recently watched these sides play in Doha and Tokyo, perhaps indicated that local football fans have grown jaded of splashing out to watch ageing stars passing through town to supplement their already healthy bank balances.
Even the cheap seats in the 40,000-venue cost HK$680 (US$87.50), with the most expensive tickets priced at an exorbitant HK$2,480.
Those who parted with their cash could justifiably have felt short-changed when Roberto Carlos played only the opening 10 minutes and Thierry Henry strolled off the field six minutes later. The match lasted only 80 minutes, rather than the standard 90, too.
Barcelona won 5-2 after David Villa twice cancelled out Michael Owen goals for Real Madrid, before Barca’s Javier Saviola and Patrick Kluivert netted, and Villa completed his hat-trick in the final minute.
Villa produced a fine dribble and finish for his second goal, Xavi Hernandez demonstrated that he still has the crisp, accurate passing ability to match his exceptional vision, and Carles Puyol characteristically crunched both Carlos and Luis Figo. Given the men on the field were largely in their fifth or sixth decades, however, moments of quality were few and far between.
