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Etoile FC came back from their three-week break to brush aside Balestier Khalsa 4-0 at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night.
The defeat was the third consecutive one for Salim Moin’s men, who have now conceded fourteen goals from the horrid run.
It was in stark contrast to the previous meeting between the two sides, when they battled to a goalless draw in February, also in a televised match.
Having made bold statements of his intention to take a more attack-oriented approach for the second round of the competition in the aftermath of the previous game, Balestier coach Salim felt disappointed at the latest setback.
“Of course I am upset at losing 0-4,” said the former Singapore international.
“A few of my players are still lacking in tactical awareness, and that is not good.
“I want to revert back to the Round One style of play. Same style of pressing them high, and from there we can start work.
“And I hope they can get back to the basics. They have to work. Those players not willing to work hard enough, they can just sit on the bench.”
Salim, noting the distinct lack of fight in his team, started showing how his team’s situation was beginning to irk him when he expressed his dismay to the full.
“This is football, if you are fearful, you will get kicked,” he said mercilessly.
“The question is very straightforward, if you are not mentally prepared for the game, just be honest enough to say, ‘Coach, I’m fearful of playing against this team’. What’s so difficult?
“I’m very straightforward to my players. If you’re scared to play, if you have fear, if you have uncertainty being in the first eleven, just be open (about it). What is there to be afraid of?
“At the end of the day, even if I get sacked, I will be happy to tell you this is what football is about. You must show your courage.
“Look at Etoile, even 50-50 balls or 60-40 balls, they put in their aggression. But why are my players fearful? If you are afraid you will get injured, a couple of times I can see that. No need to say, everybody can see, even the spectators can see.”
Given the seriousness of the problem, the Tigers coach was unafraid to issue a stinging wake-up call to his players.
“Why fear? If there’s fear, sit on the bench. Don’t play football. Go and play something else, volleyball or basketball. Or even carrom for that matter,” he remarked.
“I told them, this is football. If you’re not going to work for it, then I will just say, ‘I will look through your contract and see what I can do’.”
His Etoile counterpart was, needless to say, in buoyant mood at the comprehensive victory which propelled his team to third in the table.
“I am a very happy coach,” said Guglielmo Arena, clearly elated.
The Italian also let on that his team had been keeping match-fit by playing in two friendlies during the lengthy break.
“We worked on fitness, we worked on tactical approach. The players were looking hungry tonight.”
The hunger Arena referred to was on display from the get-go, and it took just three minutes for the floodgates to open.
Jonathan Toto, who had easily broken the offside trap, looked to have taken the ball past Ahmadulhaq Che Omar in goal, only to be blocked by the custodian inside the penalty box.
Though the decision looked soft, a penalty was awarded with no hesitation by referee Johan Jahari.
Maxime Belouet stepped up for the spot kick and made no mistake, sending Ahmadulhaq the wrong way.
Salim’s decision to push his defenders high up to apply more attacking pressure on Etoile proved to be a mistaken decision at times, as the Stars time and time again broke through the lines in numbers, their pace too intense for the Tigers to even think of tracking back.
In similar vein, then, Toto doubled his team’s lead with another soft goal inside 15 minutes after breaking free down the right flank.
His powerful yet routine effort from an awkward angle beat Ahmadulhaq at the near post as the custodian failed to even react, perhaps expecting the ball to get out of play.
In fact, the former Woodlands Wellington man’s suspect performance plagued Balestier all night, and that led to his team conceding a third goal just nine minutes later.
Theo Raymond’s looping free kick from forty yards out sailed over Ahmadulhaq’s head as he misjudged the trajectory of the ball and ran off his line to claim it.
Unlike the previous match, when Salim brought off starter Joey Sim for Ahmadulhaq, there was no real hint of another bold change of gloves, though Vitor Borges was introduced just before the break despite suffering from an eye problem.
The Brazilian did well to add pressure on the Etoile defence upon arrival, and twice sent headers sailing wide.
But the revival did not last for long, and Toto stepped up to claim his second strike of the game on 53 minutes after springing past the Balestier backline and rounding Ahmadulhaq some 35 yards out from the goal, after the goalkeeper had sprinted out to sweep the long ball.
Knocking the ball into an empty net, Toto finished off the scoring for his team for the night as Etoile slipped into casual mode, with no real further threats coming as Arena took the opportunity to rotate his players, including all his goalscorers for the night.
But the lack of depth in his squad was telling, as only four players were named on the bench for the match.
The remedy for the problem, however, was already on the way, according to Etoile chairman Johan Gouttefangeas.
“There are definitely players on the way,” he said slyly, sitting in with his team manager and coach in the post-match interview for the first time in a long time.
“If there are players leaving there will be others coming in to replace them.”
Then, with a confidence of a man who was hiding a big secret, he let on with a crafty grin, “But one of them coming in is a ‘star player’.”
Though Gouttefangeas failed to provide further information, he assured that there will be noteworthy changes coming, especially given how injuries had taken a heavy toll on the team.
“Last year we went through an entire season with no major injuries, but this year we’ve already had two. So we have to bring in backups.”
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