Premier League top sharpshooter Harry Kane played just 15 minutes but still had time to score as Tottenham Hotspur cruised to a 4-1 victory over newly-crowned Hong Kong champions Kitchee on Friday
Son Heung-Min delighted his legions of Asian fans by scoring the opener, Vincent Janssen added the second and 18-year-old Kazaiah Sterling another at the Hong Kong Football Stadium.
Lucas bagged Kitchee’s consolation a minute from time, and it was no more than they deserved after playing a full part in an entertaining friendly.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino left all but one of his England quintet on the bench.
Only Kyle Walker made the starting line-up with Kane, who was shaking off a flu-type bug, Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Kieran Trippier all leaving their tracksuits on at the start.
UK newspapers reported Friday that Dier may be a target for Manchester United and that Walker may be sold, but Pochettino bristled after when asked about the stories about two of his England internationals.
“I don’t talk about rumours,” the Argentine manager said. “When we arrive back in North London tomorrow we will start to plan next season.
“I’m not worried about the situation of our players, because the players we want to keep we will keep and the players we want to sell we will sell. I cannot keep talking about rumours.”
Hong Kong’s Spurs fans were out in force in the 27,568 crowd and saved their biggest cheers in the first half for Son, the most successful Asian player in the history of the English Premier League.
– Son shines –
The South Korean, who has bagged 31 goals in two season with Tottenham, did not disappoint them with a man-of-the-match display before he made way for Kane with 15 minutes to go.
On 17 minutes he intercepted a poor clearance just outside the box and curled home a delicious right-foot shot to open Tottenham’s account with Janssen doubling the lead three minutes later.
Spurs made a raft of substitutions for the second half, with Alli, Dier, Trippier, Jan Vertonghen and Victor Wanyama all getting a run-out.
The promising 18-year-old striker Kazaiah Sterling came on for Janssen in the 70th minute and almost scored with his first touch, a header that was saved acrobatically by Wang Zhenpeng.
Golden Boot winner Kane was on the scoresheet within eight minutes of arriving on the pitch to a huge ovation, starting and finishing a sweeping move by tapping in Trippier’s cross.
Kitchee deserved a goal for playing a full part in an end-to-end encounter and it came a minute from the end when Lucas managed to scramble the ball home.
The home team’s joy was short lived as Spurs went straight back up the other end and Sterling slotted home his first senior goal.
Red-hot Spurs have scored 17 times in their last three games, all away from home, and Pochettino said he was not worried about having to play all their home matches “away” at Wembley next season while White Hart Lane is redeveloped.
“I have said many, many times that Wembley will be another challenge for us,” he said.
“I am not worried because we will be successful wherever we play.” – Agence France-Presse
