FIFA World Cup 18 Qualifiers - CN vs HK match in Shenzhen on Sep 3 - Where to buy tickets?

[Stu79]

I guess there are a couple of questions

1) Do Hong Kong have a chance of winning?

If yes then
2) Which gives a better home advantage,
a) Mong Kok's tiny ground that will stop China getting into a rhythm with a few baying fans or
b) Main Stadium with its much bigger pitch an more likely to benefit China and a packed stadium of screaming (anti mainland) fans.

Option a) gives the lowest chance of significant embarrassment. Losing a game can be explained. Losing the hearts of the people in the city can't.

I don't see why playing in a bigger stadium hands the advantage to China. They drew 0-0 in Shenzhen a few weeks back and that was played in a 60,000 seater.

I can see the atmosphere in either stadium verging on hostile, which is the way you want it for a big game regardless of the politics. You want the away team feeling uncomfortable. Massive difference if you can get 40,000 people yelling abuse and booing compared to a few thousand in my opinion.

[East_coast]

I don't see why playing in a bigger PITCH hands the advantage to China. They drew 0-0 in Shenzhen a few weeks back and that was played in a 60,000 seater.

Pitch rather than stadium. China are the better team but a tiny pitch may act as a leveller.

[Stu79]

Pitch rather than stadium. China are the better team but a tiny pitch may act as a leveller.

Is the pitch at Mong Kok smaller? I know the stadium is, but is there much difference in the field dimensions?

Anyway, the home team is in control of pitch marking, so if a smaller (or narrower) pitch is in Hong Kong's favour they could just mark the pitch at Happy Valley to their liking, as long as it meets standard FIFA criteria.

[Tom007]

Mong Kok Stadium 105m x 65m



Hong Kong Stadium 105 x 68m




[ source wiki ]

[Stu79]

Not sure how accurate that is, as the minimum required pitch width for World Cup games is 68m.

Scroll down to page 60 if you want to check the rules:

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tour...ts_en_8211.pdf

Obviously HK have been playing games in Mong Kok so the pitch must conform to the required rules.

[Tom007]

64m ( wide ) is minimum as far as I remember

[Tom007]

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-...-field-of-play

[Stu79]

Different rules apply to World Cup games, the laws apply to all levels of football from park pitches upwards.

[East_coast]

Mong Kok Stadium 105m x 65m



Hong Kong Stadium 105 x 68m




[ source wiki ]

Someone from the HKFA was obviously toeing the government line when he suggested Mong Kok was the better place for a win because of the smaller pitch

[East_coast]

Mong Kok Stadium to host HK's match against China - RTHK


You can see the headlines now
FIFA to investigate Hong Kong for chooses sub-optimum stadium