19 May incident

19 May incident

Event	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC First Round
China PR Hong Kong 1 2
Hong Kong qualifies for the final round of qualification.
Date	19 May 1985
Venue	Workers Stadium, Beijing
Referee	Melvyn D'Souza (India)
Attendance	80,000
Weather	Night

China v Hong Kong was a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification match played on 19 May 1985, also known as 19 May incident or 519 incident. It is one of the most notable matches of the China PR national football team and the Hong Kong national football team.

Hong Kong defeated the China PR 2–1 with goals from Cheung Chi Tak 19 minutes from the start of kick-off and Ku Kam Fai in the 60th-minute. Indian referee Melvyn D'Souza was selected to officiate the match, which was marked by an unusually intense match in Asian football history. Rioting by Chinese fans erupted around Workers Stadium after the match and Chinese government sent People's Armed Police to quell the riot.

Background

China was the runners-up of the 1984 AFC Asian Cup and was by far the strongest team in its 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification AFC Zone B first round group. China and Hong Kong had already met earlier in the group in Hong Kong where they played out a scoreless draw in the first match. Heading into the final match however, China was the leader of the group.

Table before the match

See also: 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)

After 12 May 1985, the group 3 table was the follow:

Legend
Cannot qualify

#	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	China PR	5	4	1	0	22	0	+22	9
2	Hong Kong	5	4	1	0	18	1	+17	9
3	Macau	6	2	0	4	4	15	−11	4
4	Brunei	6	0	0	6	2	29	−27	0

If China at least draws with Hong Kong then China will qualify for next round.

If Hong Kong wins against China then Hong Kong will qualify for next round.

Match

Summary

Details

19 May 1985 CST UTC+8	China PR	1 – 2	Hong Kong	Workers Stadium, Beijing Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Melvyn J. Victor D'Souza (India)
	Li Hui  31'		Cheung Chi Tak  19' Ku Kam Fai  60'

China PR

Hong Kong

CHINA PR: GK 1 Lu Jianren RB 2 Zhu Bo CB 4 Jia Xiuquan CB 3 Lin Lefeng LB 2 Lu Hongxiang RM 10 Lin Qiang CM 6 Li Hiu 64' LM 8 Wang Huiliang 70' RF 11 Gu Guangming CF 9 Yang Chaohui LF 7 Zuo Shusheng (c) 38' Substitutions: FW Li Huajun 38' MF Zhao Dayu 70' Manager: Zeng Xuelin

HONG KONG: GK Chan Wan Ngok RB Cheung Chi Tak CWP Leung Sui Wing (c) CB Lai Lo Kau LB Yu Kwok Sum 21' RM Wong Kwok On CM Ku Kam Fai CM Wu Kwok Hung LM Chan Fat Chi 73' SS Lau Wing Yip CF Wan Chi Keung 85' Substitutions: DF Tam Yu Wah 73' DF Philip Reis 85' Manager: Kwok Ka Ming

Aftermath

Result

Legend
Qualified directly for the next round

#	Team	Pts	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
1	Hong Kong	11	6	5	1	0	19	2	+17
2	China PR	9	6	4	1	1	23	2	+21
3	Macau	4	6	2	0	4	4	15	−11
4	Brunei	0	6	0	0	6	2	29	−27

Hong Kong qualifies for the next round after the dramatic upset victory where they would fall to the Japan national football team 5 – 1 in a two legged home and away matchup.

11 August 1985	Japan	3 – 0	Hong Kong	Kobe, Japan
	Hara Kimura Mizunuma			Referee: Gurkan (Philippines)

22 September 1985	Hong Kong	1 – 2	Japan	Hong Kong
	Wang Chi-Keung  80'		Kimura  45' Hara  89'	Referee: Lee Kok Leong (Singapore)

Japan advanced to the Zone B Final Round, 5–1 on aggregate score.

For China there were riots by the local fans as it was another heartbreaking failure to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup after losing to the New Zealand national football team by the same score in the deciding playoff match of the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification. It would be until the 2002 FIFA World Cup that China would finally qualify for their first and only FIFA World Cup.

Riot in Beijing

Resignation of Zeng Xuelin

References

• (Chinese) 资料：中国足球“519惨案”
• Database