Kinetic's historic tour of China includes final appearance and victory over Japanese powerhouse

By Tom BurtonCoaches have hailed an 'immense' tour of China as Kinetic reached the final of a major tournament for the first time, beating top Japanese outfit Tokyo Verdy in the process.The U17s won three of their five group games in Shenyang and took on South Africa's best youth side Mamelodi Sundowns for the chance to lift the inaugural Gothia Cup China.Kinetic were defeated 2-0 but the coaching team could not be prouder of how the players performed throughout the invitational tournament against youth sides from several pro clubs."It went far better than we could have imagined," Harry Hudson said. "To say we travelled all that way, adapted to the surroundings, and then finished as runners-up is immense."The highlight has to be the win over Tokyo Verdy, arguably one of the best youth sides on the planet. It was definitely one of the best days of my coaching career."We're so proud of all of the players in the squad. We were beaten by the best side in the tournament and that is nothing to be ashamed of. As we look ahead to the new season, the experience is going to be invaluable."Kinetic dispatched ACBB Paris 3-0 with goals from David Owusu and Alberto Lubango (2). A gutsy display against BK Häcken saw 10-man Kinetic score a last-minute equaliser through Mothibi Penn-Kekana.Japanese powerhouse Tokyo Verdy were then beaten 1-0 in what coaches described as a 'colossal' performance and a comprehensive 7-0 victory over Hongyun meant Kinetic reached the final.