The Lunar New Year Cup, also known as the Carlsberg Challenge or the Carlsberg Cup before, is an annual football tournament organised in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Football Association. It is usually held on the first and the fourth day of the Chinese New Year as a part of celebration. The tournament is called Carlsberg Cup between 1983 and 2006 because Carlsberg was the major sponsor of the event.
Since the 2007 edition of the event, the competition is officially known as Lunar New Year Cup according to the Hong Kong Football Association. This is because Carlsberg is no longer the major sponsor but a mere co-sponsor.
[edit] Early-Period
In the period before and around WWII, Lunar New Year Cup was participated by Hong Kong teams and teams from mainland China. Since 1950, HKFA invited at least one overseas team to enter the competition. Before 1982, there were 3 exhibition matches in the tournament. The first two matches were usually participated by Hong Kong national football team, Hong Kong player team and Hong Kong League XI while Chinese XI played the last match.
[edit] International Competition
In 1983, it was the first time to have a main sponsorship for the competition and the invited team number increased to three. From 1993 onwards, national teams rather than club teams were invited to particpate in the competition.
[edit] Results
Year Final Third place match
Winners Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
1983
Hong Kong 2 - 0 Hallelujah AGF 3 - 1 Peking
1984 Unknown Unknown
1985 Unknown Unknown
1986
Paraguay (Three-team Round-robin tournament)
South Korea
Hong Kong
1987 Brøndby IF 2 - 0
Hong Kong Beijing 1 - 0 Shanghai
1988 Unknown Unknown
1989 Malmö FF (Four-team Round-robin tournament)
China PR
Hong Kong Odense
1990 Sparta Prague 2 - 0
China PR Spartak Moscow 4 - 1 Hong Kong League XI
1991 Hong Kong League XI 3 - 2
Aston Villa Unknown
1992 Hong Kong League XI 2 - 2
3 - 2 pen FK Partizan Steaua Bucureşti 2 - 0 BSC Young Boys Bern
1993
Switzerland 3 - 2 Hong Kong League XI
Denmark U-21 2 - 1
Japan
1994
Denmark 2 - 0 Hong Kong League XI
Romania 2 - 1
United States
1995
Yugoslavia 1 - 0
South Korea U-21
Colombia 3 - 1 Hong Kong League XI
1996
Sweden 1 - 1
5 - 4 pen
Japan
Poland 1 - 0
Hong Kong League XI
1997
Russia 2 - 1
Switzerland
Yugoslavia 3 - 1 Hong Kong League XI
1998
Details
Nigeria 2 - 0 Hong Kong League XI
Iran 1 - 1
4 - 2 pen
Chile
1999
Details
Mexico 3 - 0
Egypt
Bulgaria 3 - 0
6 - 5 pen Hong Kong League XI
2000
Details
Czech Republic 2 - 1
Mexico
Japan 0 - 0 Hong Kong League XI
2001
Norway 2 - 1 Hong Kong League XI
South Korea 1 - 1
6 - 5 pen
Paraguay
2002
Honduras 1 - 0 Hong Kong League XI
Slovenia 0 - 0
4 - 3 pen
China PR
2003
Uruguay 1 - 1
4 - 2 pen
Iran
Denmark 2 - 1 Hong Kong League XI
2004
Norway 3 - 1
Honduras
Sweden 3 - 0 Hong Kong League XI
2005
Details
Brazil 7 - 1 Hong Kong not played
2006
Details
Denmark 3 - 1
South Korea
Croatia 4 - 0
Hong Kong
2007
Details
Jamaica Olympic Team 0 - 0
5 - 4 pen
China Olympic Team
Australia Olympic Team 2 - 2
5 - 3 pen Hong Kong League XI
[edit] References