Kitchee’s Lam (and Lum) Army in full force ahead o

Lam Ka-wai, Matthew Lam, Jared Lum and Lam Zhi Gin might have come from various continents around the world but fate has blessed the four of them – all sharing the same Chinese last name – with tremendous football talent and brought them to the Kitchee family. While it might not be far-fetch to witness a football squad having four players with the same last name. However, it is also not a common sight to see a club lining up its midfield with players bearing the same Chinese last name. Yet that was exactly what happened in the last fourteen minutes of Kitchee’s Senior Shield semi-final against Wofoo Tai Po, as Lam Ka-wai, Matthew Lam, Jared Lum and Lam Zhi Gin all took up midfield positions for the Blues, eventually powering the side over the opponent and punching its way into the coveted Senior Shield final. Australia-born Jared Lum, who skippered various Australian youth teams on the international level, will be celebrating his one-year anniversary in Kitchee colors in January. The versatile midfield dynamo talks about the honor of going into midfield battles with the other “Lams” shoulder to shoulder. “We are all pretty similar players and they are all quality professionals. Matthew (Lam) is pretty much an ever-present in the side and (Lam) Ka-wai can do a lot of wonderful things with the ball. Then you have someone like (Lam) Zhi Gin who has played at such a high level. It is truly an honor to play with the other three Lams and I think we can do something special on the pitch. However, whether we do get the chance to play together once again in the final, that is all up to the Head Coach,” said the all-round midfielder. Often counted on to supply Kitchee with creative sparks, Lam Ka-wai packs excellent passing skills and tremendous free-kick ability in his diminutive stature. As the only local born-and-raised “Lam” in the side and the longest serving “Lam” amongst the four, the talented playmaker injects local flavor to the midfield and is very much aware of what the elusive Senior Shield means to the Club. “(smile) I think it is merely a coincident to have all four players with the same Chinese last name in the side but it is quite remarkable that the four of us all happen to be midfielders. However, we are all quite different function-wise and that can be a great benefit to the coaching staff when it comes to tactics and formations. The Club has not won the Senior Shield trophy for quite some time now and a lot of players are only missing that piece of silverware to complete their medal collection. There is no doubt that you will be seeing our burning desire to win the trophy on the pitch come match time.” All-action Matthew Lam offers muscle and toughness to the Kitchee midfield but the Canadian-born grinder is also a very capable ball-playing midfielder, often ignites Kitchee’s attack by winning the ball in midfield. Lam acknowledges the common straits of his fellow namesakes and stresses the four of them can all bring something unique to the Kitchee midfield, as well as co-existing at the same time on the pitch. “All of us have our own areas that we excel at but it is true that we are all very comfortable with the ball and like to have the ball at our feet. Some of us like to receive the ball on the wing, some of us like it in the middle and some of us like to drop back and pick up the ball. Hence sharing the ball is not necessary a problem for us and it is not like as if we all demand the ball at the same position. We all like to pass the ball around on the pitch, get the team going and I am sure the four of us can fit into the team rhythm if deployed at the same time,” Kitchee’s midfield engine stressed. Having received his formal football education in Germany, former Hamburg SV player Lam Zhi Gin brings speed and agility to the Kitchee flanks. Courageous and always ready to cause opponent trouble from the wing, Lam is ready to battle for Kitchee’s first major trophy of the season with his fellow “Lams” on midfield, while also trying to secure his first major silverware in Hong Kong football. “(Lam) Ka-wai, Matthew (Lam) and Jared (Lum) are all great football players and it is very easy to play with them. We all like to keep possession, play passes and I have certainly enjoyed sharing the midfield with them. The Senior Shield trophy final is a big game for the team and I think the key will be capitalizing on our scoring chances. When two good sides play together, goal-scoring chances will come at a premium and hence, we will need to capitalize on that,” offered the silky-smooth Lam. Can the four players with the same Chinese last name do it once again for Kitchee in the Senior Shield final, just like how they sparked the team to victory in the semi-final? Come to the Senior Shield final and you will be able to find out yourselves, Kitchee fans.