Chinese fans dare to dream big but come up short in Morocco

We're barely 60 miles southeast of the home of China's latest sports phenomenon, but as kickoff approaches the atmosphere in Hong Kong is, in contrast to European Champions League nights, muted at best.

The city's fans, it seems, don't always have the stomach for 3.30 a.m. kickoffs.

A mere border may separate Hong Kong from Guangdong and its flagship sports franchise, Guangzhou Evergrande FC, but the city sleeps, unaware, or uncaring, that the team from the neighboring province is playing the game of their lives.

This team, which was languishing in China's second division when property magnate Xu Jiayin bought it in 2010, has just played current European champions Bayern Munich at the Stade d'Agadir in Morocco.

There is no feeling of ownership here of the team that has surprised everyone, and captured a historic trophy in the process, as Hong Kong fans struggle to even find the FIFA Club World Cup on their dials.

The fiscal situation of this Southern Chinese team is not dissimilar to that at, say, Chelsea or Manchester City, both title hopefuls in England's overwhelmingly popular Premier League, or Ligue 1's Paris Saint Germain, who have similarly benefited enormously from the largesse of well-to-do owners.

All three have designs on Europe's biggest prize, the Champions League.

Chinese domestic football can't hope to match the popularity of English or Spanish football here in Hong Kong, but even so there's been little sense of occasion tonight.

If anyone was capturing hearts and minds it would have been the Bayern players, with an assured victory over the newly wealthy Chinese, with three rapid-fire goals around the half-time whistle sealing victory in a game in which Guangzhou failed to score.

The result was never really in doubt -- the question was rather the severity of the mauling, but just to be on the same pitch in a competitive match, albeit as underdogs, is enough for many Mainland fans. (CNN)