There is no doubt that the reasons behind Hong Kong's 1-3 loss on the road were complex. The mistakes made by head coach Muscat in tactical deployment were just the tip of the iceberg, while the penalty style of the West Asian refereeing team was even more relevant. In the match, the six-member team headed by Qatari referee Farahi gave Hong Kong a taste of the unique flavor of West Asian referees with their unique enforcement style.
In an atmosphere where the referee tends to intensify confrontation, Kawasaki Forward was able to press high up the pitch with impunity, and this kind of biased call in favor of the home team made the Hong Kong players feel uncomfortable. The referee's style of play was very different from that of the Chinese Super League referees, which made the Hong Kong team feel uncomfortable on the field.
As a result, many Harbour fans have speculated that the situation might change if a Chinese Super League referee were to officiate the match. The Harbour team might not be under such obvious pressure, and the players could be properly protected by the referee when they are infringed by the opponents.
The Qatari referee seemed to return to his "normal" behavior when the Ports fell behind 0-3. Towards the end of the second half, he began to penalize the Kawasaki striker frequently for foul play. However, the red card shown to the Kawasaki striker seemed to suggest a lapse in game control by the referee. Whether or not Shanghai Harbour will file a complaint with the AFC after the loss has become a hot topic of discussion among fans.
After the 1-3 defeat against Kawasaki Frontale on the road, the Hong Kong team is in dire need of a tune-up. The team must learn from this loss and identify and solve the problems by watching game footage and intensive training. Although the Chinese Super League season is over, the Hong Kong team still has to deal with multiple fronts. Not only do they have to face the challenge of the AFC Champions League, they will also be competing with Shandong Taishan for the FA Cup at the end of this month.
As it stands, the Seaports still have a strong presence back home, despite the fact that the AFC Champions League is no easy task. As long as they can play at the right level, they are expected to beat Shandong Taishan and win the first Chinese Super League title in the club's history.
