Cubs launch stunning fightback to shock Newcastle

Source

Canon Lion City Cup

Singapore under-15 4 Newcastle under-15 3

SINGAPORE - It was a group of 15-year-olds that lit up the Singapore football scene in an otherwise dark 2010, putting on a rousing bronze-medal show at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.

Last night, another group of 15-year-olds propelled themselves into the limelight, after a scintillating performance to kick off the Canon Lion City Cup at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The hosts were 3-1 down with three minutes left on the clock, but Dejan Gluscevic's Singapore under-15 team turned on the afterburners, scoring three times to beat Newcastle's under-15s 4-3 to top Group A and put one foot into the semi-finals of the six-team tourney.

After the national team's abject performance at the AFF Suzuki Cup last December, this will be a big year for Singapore football. There has been an injection of new blood in the Lions, a clash against old rivals Malaysia is on the cards in July in a two-leg FIFA World Cup qualifier, and the Football Association of Singapore have set a target of a silver medal in December's SEA Games under-23 tournament in Indonesia.

Right now, though, all the talk in the local football fraternity will be centred around Gluscevic's 15-year-olds, who showed they can mix it up with their peers from England.

Skipper Adam Swandi masterminded the come-from-behind victory, prodding Singapore into attack with incisive passing and a dazzling display of footwork; with R Aarvin adept in defence and his partner Sadik Said spraying useful passes from deep.

The performance of his juniors was not lost on Safuwan Baharudin, who at 19, already has a couple of senior caps to his name.

Recently back from the Singapore under-23 team's training trip to Sydney, and watching from the Jalan Besar stands, he was impressed by his juniors.

"Honestly I've not seen a youth side come back from 3-1 down like they did. Looking at how they've done, we (the senior side) have to step up our game," said Safuwan, who picked Sadik and Adam as standout players from the match.

Speaking to the media after the game, coach Gluscevic said: "This is no surprise to me, as long as the boys play up to their ability, they will do very well.

"To me they are the best players in the world, and this 1996 batch (under-15s) have a good opportunity to achieve the success of the 1995 generation (Youth Olympic squad)."

Defender Aarvin did not want to get carried away with a win over a Newcastle side that suffered from the heat and endured a lethargic closing 15 minutes.

He just hopes he is on the right path as he eyes a spot one day in Radojko Avramovic's senior side.

"It's a dream of mine and my dad's to one day play for the national team, and I will keep working hard to get there," he said.