Brighton & Hove Albion Beat Yokohama F. Marinos to Clinch HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens 2026 Title Urawa Red Ladies Claim Women’s Championship on Debut Yau Yee League All Stars Wins in Masters Tournament
Brighton & Hove Albion clinched the champion title in the Men’s Tournament at the HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens 2026 Sunday (24 May) with a 2-0 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos. The thrilling finals day also saw Urawa Red Ladies take home the Women’s Tournament trophy, while Yau Yee League All Stars secured top honors in the Masters Tournament. Brighton & Hove Albion, the Premier League outfit, broke the deadlock in the first half when Tyler Silsby capitalized on a chance in front of the goal to fire the team ahead, leading 1-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Jesse Middleton doubled the lead to seal the victory, securing the championship title for the team once again following their triumph in 2024. Brighton’s Tyler Silsby expressed his delight at scoring in the final, saying "Like in any game, you want to score. So for it to be in the finals, it’s a really proud moment.”
"We won this tournament two years ago. It’s good to beat the teams that beat us last year. It really proves a point," he added. Brighton & Hove Albion advanced to the finals by defeating Rangers 2-0 in the quarter-finals and coming from behind to beat defending champions AZ Alkmaar 2-1 in the semi-finals. Yokohama F. Marinos reached the final by beating Hong Kong Football Club and seven-time champions Aston Villa in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.
In the Women’s Tournament, TSL FC struck first in the first half to take the lead, but the trailing Urawa Red Ladies quickly found the back of the net to equalizer. With neither side scoring in the second half, the match ended in a draw during regulation time. The final was then decided through a "4-v-4" sudden-death golden goal format.
Ultimately, Urawa Red Ladies goalkeeper Kaho Kumazawa blasted home the winning goal to edge TSL FC 2-1, capturing the Women’s Cup championship on their tournament debut. Kaho Kumazawa said: " It’s very surprising, I didn’t expect to win at all. We have many good team players so we’re very happy. Our team members are great and we’re very happy with the results."
In the Masters Tournament, Yau Yee League All Stars, with a star-studded roster, defeated Singapore Football Club Masters 1-0 in the finals. The two teams were deadlocked in a tight first half, ending goalless. In the second half, Yau Yee League All Stars intensified their attack, and Timm Klose eventually seized an opportunity to score the decisive winner, narrowly defeating their opponents to lift the Masters Tournament championship trophy.
Timm Klose stated: " I am delighted to win. It’s my first time here. It’s a fantastic tournament. Thank you very much for the Hong Kong Football Club. All the teams are really nice. Everyone was polite and respectful and I really enjoyed playing