Portsmouth beat fellow English Premier League club Liverpool to win the third edition of the EPL's Barclays Asia Trophy. After a scoreless draw with no extra time played, Portsmouth goalkeeper David James helped snatch the trophy 4-2 on penalties. In the third and fourth-place play-off, Fulham defeated Hong Kong's South China 4-1 with goals from Boupa Diop (21 minutes), Bocanegra (47), Healy (74) and McBride (83). Barros (52) repleid for the home side
David Maddock of the Mirror noticed that theinternational clearance papers Liverpool's new Spanish striker, Fernando Torres, had not been transmitted to the correct authorities and, minutes before kick-off of the Asian Trophy final he was still ineligible to play in Hong Kong. "Given that Steven Gerrard was also confined to the bench through injury, it left a major headache for the Premier League, who were promoters of a tournament designed to take the English game to the lucrative Asian market and bolster the already massive TV rights in the region ... . So the sight of the chief executive of the Premier League scurrying down the touchline just seconds before kick-off suggested that there was a real desire to see Torres play. Referee Mark Clattenburg had delayed the kick-off for a few minutes in the hope that the proper documentation would come through, and at the very last second there was Richard Scudamore dashing to the dug-outs with the news that it had. Torres had not been included on the original team-sheet, so Scudamore had to ask Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp if he would agree to the Spanish striker playing. A quick thumbs-up from the Pompey boss got things under way ..." he reported.
David Maddock of the Mirror noticed that theinternational clearance papers Liverpool's new Spanish striker, Fernando Torres, had not been transmitted to the correct authorities and, minutes before kick-off of the Asian Trophy final he was still ineligible to play in Hong Kong. "Given that Steven Gerrard was also confined to the bench through injury, it left a major headache for the Premier League, who were promoters of a tournament designed to take the English game to the lucrative Asian market and bolster the already massive TV rights in the region ... . So the sight of the chief executive of the Premier League scurrying down the touchline just seconds before kick-off suggested that there was a real desire to see Torres play. Referee Mark Clattenburg had delayed the kick-off for a few minutes in the hope that the proper documentation would come through, and at the very last second there was Richard Scudamore dashing to the dug-outs with the news that it had. Torres had not been included on the original team-sheet, so Scudamore had to ask Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp if he would agree to the Spanish striker playing. A quick thumbs-up from the Pompey boss got things under way ..." he reported.