Djair Parfitt-Williams and his West Ham United teammates ended their impressive HKFC Citibank Soccer Sevens campaign as runners-up after a dramatic 3-2 defeat in the final against Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
After a strong opening day to the tournament that saw Mark Phillips’ side top their group with one win and two draws, West Ham started their second and final day with a quarter-final fixture against Yau Yee League Select, which consists of a selection of the top players from Hong Kong’s leading amateur football league.
An impressive victory against Matt Seddon’s side set up an all English semi-final against Peter Beardsley’s Newcastle United, where West Ham again came out on top with goals from Josh Pask, Alex Pike and Jaanai Gordon.
Against Atletico, who were the first Spanish team to compete in the competition, Gordon slotted in his third and fourth goals of the tournament in either half to give West Ham a seemingly conclusive 2-0 lead, before Benjamin Akoto Asamoah and Ivan Perez dragged Madrid level with just a minute on the second ten-minute half remaining.
At full-time, the rules of the tournament meant that the match changed from seven-a-side to four-a-side as both teams looked for the golden goal in extra-time. Phillips decided on goalkeeper Clarke Bogard, defenders Pask and Pike and striker Jordan Brown, while their opponents decided to take the risk with an outfield player replacing Bernabe Barragan Maestre in goal.
It was Madrid who got the better of the drop-ball situation and all four players immediately launched an attack on West Ham goal. The ball was worked to Madrid captain Samuel Saiz Alonso, at 24 a regular in Atletico’s senior B team, who fired a low shot from the edge of the box into the corner of the net. That goal was Saiz’s seventh goal of the tournament and he was duly crowned by both goalscorer and Player of the Tournament.
"It is easily the best tournament that I have ever attended as a West Ham coach," said Phillips. "There was some good quality opposition, playing in very good facilities surrounded by some extremely friendly people. Every member of West Ham's playing team and staff were a credit to the club on the trip."
For West Ham, there was the consolation of fine football and making new friends in the Far East.
The tournament, has been held annually by Hong Kong FC since 1999, featuring an open-aged Main competition and a Masters competition for players aged over 35.
Academy graduates Glen Johnson and Anton Ferdinand played in the Main tournament as youngsters, while Teddy Sheringham and Marlon Harewood have featured in the Masters competition.
West Ham won the Plate competition in 2012, reached the Cup semi-finals in 2010 and the Shield final in both 2008 and 2009.
This time around, West Ham took a squad consisting of Under 18’s Bogard, Pask, Pike, Oscar Borg, Noha Sylvestre, Marcus Browne and Grady Diangana, alongside Development Squad regulars Parfitt-Williams, Jordan Brown and Gordon.
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