Hong Kong director Ashley Westwood had a lot to learn from Japan
Jul 08, 2025
|
This is the words of Ashley Westwood, manager of the Hong Kong A national football team.
Hong Kong lost 1-6 to Japan in the first match of the 2025 East Asian Football Confederation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 8th. Hong Kong will compete with South Korea (11th) and China (15th).
After the game, coach Ashley Westwood said, `The results tell us everything. But defeat is a lesson. It also serves as a springboard for growth. The young players of our team checked their skills against the Asian strong team. I think it will lead to growth. We have no choice but to praise Japan's way of playing, system and style. Japan is a very good team. The quality is also high. Japan is not afraid of any team. Although there were many young players on the team that clashed in this match, their performance was at the highest level enough."
"Japan has a well-organized league from J1 to J3," he said. Hong Kong has a Premier League but not many below it. Japan thinks there will be more teams in J3 alone. Forty to 50 teams have a competitive structure. In Japan, all players who want to enter the first team have dedicated an age-specific development system. I play soccer from an early age and there are stadiums and training places. Japan has invested heavily. You can't compare the two countries in football. We are in the development phase. I need time. If you develop every year even in a long journey, you will eventually be rewarded. There was a lot to learn from watching Japan."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
