Hong Bids Adieu
Half a season after his arrival, former national star
Hong Kang Leong has resumed his silverware chase with a new club - Pinoy Prazilia of the Philippines Football League, who have won it seven times already... with eight national cups to boot. They laid out close to S$1.3 million for the 34 year-old, who took the move very much in his stride.
Head coach
Tian Yonghang indicated that the sale very much made sense for all parties involved, and while not explicitly said, Hong clearly being a defensive liability in open play - especially on the break - had to be a major factor in Grilled being willing to let him go, despite his steel-clad mentality and undoubted facility at set-pieces. "He will be a success with Prazilia, for sure." Tian predicted. "They have won the Philippines Football League seven times in a row before this season, perhaps Hong will be the ingredient they need, to make it back to the very top!"
Against Prazilia's lure, none of the other offers really made sense, although Hong had at least three more clubs seriously interested in him. Argentine III.3 runners-up Saavedra Fobal Clú were the first to express an interest almost immediately once he went on the transfer list, soon followed by Uruguyan Division Four champions NAClONAL. Swiss V.131 titleholders FC Vorwärts-Grausam were Pinoy Prazilia's main competitors as the negotiations proceeded, but there was only one way this was going to end.