Delwinder over the moon as Avramovic comes calling

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by Tan Yo-Hinn

The name Delwinder Singh (picture) may not ring a bell for local football fans today but it could in years to come.

The Tanjong Pagar United defender was a surprise inclusion in national coach Radojko Avramovic's provisional 33-strong squad, as the Serb looks to assemble a team for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

The 18-year-old is one of 13 players selected for the first time. Of the group, six - Hamqaamal Shah (Gombak United), Muhd Ruzaini (SAFFC), Muhd Sufian (Home United), Andrew Tan (Balestier Khalsa), Shukor Zailan (Tampines Rovers) and Delwinder - will be in a 23-strong squad for a friendly against the Maldives on June 7.

The other seven will miss out due to National Service or because of their commitments with the Courts Young Lions, who will play two friendlies in Australia on June 12 and 15.

But they could feature in the three friendlies that have already been confirmed, and one possibly against Laos on July 18.

Avramovic believes the rookies could become mainstays of the Lions in the future.

"This group of players have a long future in the national team, and we must give them the opportunities to show their quality," he said yesterday at Jalan Besar Stadium.

" ... We sent them to the SEA Games to build them up to take over some positions in the national team ... in some ways, they've proven themselves. At the (last two) SEA Games, they twice won bronze as part of the youngest team in the competition, and they've been groomed to be in top form for this year's SEA Games in November."

Delwinder and the Courts Young Lions' Muhd Faris Ramli, all 18, are the youngest members in the 33-strong squad.

"I'm (still) totally shocked but excited! I didn't expect myself to feature in his (Avramovic) plans," said centre-back Delwinder, who got the news from Jaguars' coach Terry Pathmanathan.

He is looking to become the second Sikh to play for Singapore, after Jita Singh in the 1970s.

"Obviously I'm happy, to come from a minority race and now have the chance to play for the national team.

"It's a morale booster for me. My dream has been to play for the national team. Now that I've this opportunity, I've to work really hard." Tan Yo-Hinn

Avramovic's mix of experience and youth

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Singapore coach drops host of Indonesia-based players and calls up 13 rookies

SINGAPORE - Five of the eight Indonesia-based players, including striker Noh Alam Shah and defender Baihakki Khaizan, have been left out of Rodojko Avramovic's provisional squad of 33 players for Singapore's Asian Zone 2014 World Cup qualifiers in July.

Only three players who ply their trade in Indonesia - midfield ace Mustafic Fahrudin, midfielder Sharil Ishak and striker Khairul Amri Kamal - are in the list, along with 13 players who have earned the nod for the first time.

National coach Avramovic is gearing up for a possible blockbuster clash against Malaysia - the Asean champions are favoured to overcome Taiwan in the second round - in the third round of the pre-World Cup qualifiers, and there was much anticipation over his latest squad after Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Zainudin Nordin promised sweeping changes following the Lions' shock exit from the AFF Suzuki Cup in December.

Avramovic will eventually trim the squad down to between 23 and 25 players before the home-and-away qualifiers, scheduled on July 23 (at home) and July 28 (away), and the Serb feels the new-look national team could go on to be even stronger than the one he guided to back-to-back ASEAN titles (2004, 2007).

"This time, I think they will be more successful because we have been preparing the youngsters for quite some time and they played in the last two SEA Games (2007, 2009)," said the Serb.

The average age of the 13 new faces is 21, and while Avramovic found it easy to mix them up with experienced players in midfield and attack, defence, Singapore's Achilles heel in the last few matches, gave him much food for thought.

Veteran Daniel Bennett is in the mix, along with Gombak United's Ismail Yunos and Juma'at Jantan of Home United. The likes of the Courts Young Lions' Safuwan Baharudin could also figure in the final analysis.

One player in the squad will raise eyebrows.

Many had expected the worse for Aleksandar Duric when FAS chief Zainudin made the call for more youngsters in the team, but the 40-year-old Tampines Rovers striker has been included in Avramovic's latest squad.

Explaining his decision, Avramovic said: "If you look at the S-League at the moment, the top scorer is still Duric and second is Qiu Li. (Khairul) Amri is doing well in Indonesia and I don't think we have seen the best of him yet."

The coach insisted players not in the squad can be recalled if the current slate are injured or are not up to the mark.

While he will only select the best available players, Avramovic said: "We must not forget that those who were previously in the squad have contributed to the national team and their efforts must be acknowledged. So everyone still has a chance to be included in the squad.

"I think we must have that flexibility and the possibility to call players we may need in the World Cup qualifiers."

The Lions are scheduled to play three international friendlies, against Maldives on June 7 and two matches against Indonesia, one in Jakarta on June 29 and another match here on July 3. There could be another against Laos on July 18.

All players will be assessed in training and in the friendlies, and Avramovic hopes he can give the newcomers time to make their mark. "We are not going to eliminate the new players after one game. We must be patient and give them a chance."



The 33-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Lionel Lewis (Home United), Hassan Sunny (Tampines Rovers), Izwan Mahbud (Courts Young Lions)

Defenders: Juma'at Jantan (Home United), Afiq Yunos, Shakir Hamzah, Irwan Shah, Safuwan Baharudin (Courts Young Lions), Ismail Yunos, Hamqaamal Shah (Gombak United), Daniel Bennett, Saiful Esah (SAFFC), Delwinder Singh (Tanjong Pagar United)

Midfielders: Shahdan Sulaiman, Shukor Zailan (Tampines Rovers), Ruzaini Zainal (SAFFC), Shi Jiayi, Isa Halim (Home United), Mustafic Fahrudin (Persela Lamongan), Hariss Harun, Faris Ramli, Zulfahmi Arifin, Nazrul Nazari, Raihan Rahman, Fazly Ayob (Courts Young Lions), Shahril Ishak (Medan Chiefs), Andrew Tan (Balestier Khalsa)

Forwards: Aleksandar Duric (Tampines Rovers), Fazrul Nawaz (SAFFC), Khairul Amri (Persiba Balikpapan), Qiu Li, Sufian Anuar (Home United), Khairul Nizam (Courts Young Lions)

S-League coaches applaud Raddy's 'bold' decision

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May 26, 2011 SINGAPORE - With the national team missing seasoned stalwarts like Mustafic Fahrudin and Noh Alam Shah, Khairul Amri recognises that he now has a new role to play: To help his new and younger team-mates settle down quickly before their Asian Zone 2014 World Cup qualifiers in July.

Singapore are up for a possible clash with Malaysia, who are favoured to overcome Taiwan in their opening round tie next month.

The 26-year-old, along with midfielders Mustafic Fahrudin and Shahril Ishak, are three of eight Singaporeans plying their trade in Indonesia who are in Radojko Avramovic's 33-man provisional roster, which includes 13 newcomers.

"For me, it means that I will have to work harder and run faster on the pitch to set an example for the younger players," said the Persiba Balikpapan hitman.

Avramovic's decision to blend experience and youth in the squad was given the thumbs-up by S-League coaches MediaCorp spoke to yesterday. SAFFC's Richard Bok said: "I am sure there are more young talent that can still fight for places, like Balestier's Armanizam Dolah and our own striker Erwan Gunawan."

After losing 2-1 to the Courts Young Lions on Monday night, Gombak coach Darren Stewart held up Fazly Ayob and Safuwan Baharudin as players to watch. "These are two very special players in the Young Lions side, the other one is SAFFC's Fazrul Nawaz, and I applaud Raddy for his boldness," he said.

With four players doing National Service (NS) - striker Khairul Nizam, defender Safuwan and midfielders Raihan Rahman and Fazly - in the squad, Avramovic refuted suggestions they may not be released for duty with the Lions. He also defended roping in Nizam who has just finished serving an eight-month ban for his involvement in a brawl during an S-League match between the Young Lions and Beijing Guoan last September.

Said the Serb: "Nizam may not have played matches during his ban, but he has the skills we cannot ignore. He can get back to match fitness training alongside the experienced players and we must help him.

"As for the boys who are serving NS, they are available and it is only a question of working with the authorities to get them released for the World Cup qualifiers."

Under-16s all keyed up to rouse the nation again

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May 26, 2011 In the audience of more than 500 at the Singapore Sports Award last night were the national under-16 football team that enraptured the nation during last year's Youth Olympics.

The team rallied the nation behind them en route to winning the under-15 boys' bronze medal and skipper Jeffrey Lightfoot is looking forward to doing the same again during the Canon Lion City Cup next month, despite the fact that expectations from the public will be high.

"There's always going to be pressure, but we're looking forward to doing well again with the support from the fans, friends and family," said Lightfoot, whose team received the Junior Team of the Year award.

The 15-year-old is recovering from a muscle strain but may travel with the current squad on their pre-tournament tour of Sydney on June 9, where they are due to play several friendlies.

"Coach has told me that I may go to Sydney even if I can't play, as it'll be good for team bonding," he added.

It's that bonding that exemplifies what Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said when he talked about sport being a unifying factor, pointed out Mark Lightfoot, Jeffrey's father.

"The team is made up of boys of all races. They socialise together, play together, and have grown up together since they were 12," said Lightfoot senior. Philip Goh

FAS suspends Hougang and Etoile indefinitely

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Etoile's story

Reserve goalkeeper Hadama Bathily (above) ventures into the Hougang side of the pitch to retrieve a loose ball

Hougang's assistant coach Hasrin Jailani starts hurling abuse at Bathily, shouting 'F**king French' repeatedly

Bathily squares up to Hasrin, but is kicked by Hasrin and then attacked by Hougang captain Shariff Samat, who also kicks him
 

Hougang's story

Both Etoile goalkeepers are practising their goal kicks and several balls land in Hougang's warm-up area

After three or four such incidents, Hougang's assistant coach Hasrin Jailani approaches reserve goalkeeper Hadama Bathily, who was retrieving the ball, to tell him to confine his team's warm-up to their own half of the pitch

Bathily head-butts Hasrin and subsequently throws a punch at him, sparking a full-scale scuffle between both sets of players 

Hougang Stadium was the scene of the fight that broke out when an Etoile player went over to the Hougang United warm-up area to retrieve a ball. -- PHOTOS: THE NEW PAPER AND DESMOND WEE



HOUGANG United and Etoile FC, the two S-League sides involved in Monday night's pre-match brawl, have been suspended indefinitely by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).


The game at the Hougang Stadium was marred by a scuffle between both sets of players during the warm-up session, prompting match officials to abandon proceedings - the first time in the league's 16-year history that a match was scrapped before kick-off for disciplinary problems.

It is believed the FAS has obtained a video recording of the incident.

In a statement issued yesterday, the FAS said that a disciplinary hearing has been scheduled for June 3, while the three matches involving both teams during this period have been suspended.

Said FAS president Zainudin Nordin: 'We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to violent conduct both on and off the pitch.

'FAS has started investigations and will pursue the matter thoroughly. Any players and officials found guilty of misconduct will be severely dealt with.'

Singapore football teams suspended over brawl

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SINGAPORE (AFP) – Singapore football officials have suspended indefinitely two teams who were involved in a mass brawl this week, a report said on Wednesday.

Hougang United and Etoile FC will face a disciplinary hearing on June 3 after a melee involving 30-40 players during a pre-kick off warm-up on Monday, the Straits Times said.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to violent conduct both on and off the pitch," FAS president Zainudin Nordin said in a statement.

"FAS has started investigations and will pursue the matter thoroughly. Any players and officials found guilty of misconduct will be severely dealt with."

The brawl forced the cancellation of Monday's game before a ball had been kicked, which is believed to be a first for Singapore's 16-year-old S-League.

It came just nine months after fighting between Young Lions and Beijing Guoan players led to long bans and fines for 16 players.

The tiny city-state bolsters its 12-club professional league by allowing foreign teams including Etoile, whose players are of French origin, and China's Beijing Guoan.

But the policy has been accused of inflaming racial tensions, and adding other unsavoury elements.

In 2008, China's Liaoning Guangyuan were thrown out following a match-fixing scandal, while two years earlier Sporting Afrique were barred over financial irregularities.

FAS was not immediately available to provide a copy of its statement when approached by AFP.

Avramovic announces wholesale changes to Lions

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By Sanjay Nair

National coach Raddy Avramovic has announced wholesale changes in his 33-man provisional squad for upcoming international friendlies and 2014 World Cup qualifiers. -- ST PHOTO: ALBERT SIM

NATIONAL coach Raddy Avramovic has announced wholesale changes in his 33-man provisional squad for upcoming international friendlies and 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Eight players from December's Suzuki Cup squad, including former national captain Noh Alam Shah and Baihakki Khaizan, were dropped, although Avramovic, 61, refused to rule them out of future selections. The Serb said he made his choices based on players' form in recent international competitions as well as their current club performances.

Thirteen players received their first call-up for the Lions, including Balestier Khalsa forward Andrew Tan, 24, and Tanjong Pagar United defender Delwinder Singh, the youngest player on the list at 19 years old.

As expected, S-League top scorer Aleksandar Duric, 41, was included on the list, alongside stalwarts Daniel Bennett, Hassan Sunny and Mustafic Fahrudin.

The Lions kick off their set of friendlies against Maldives on June 7, before facing Indonesia on June 29 and July 3, and Laos on July 18. They will then face either neighbours Malaysia or Chinese Taipei in the World Cup qualifiers on July 23 and 28.

Squad: Lionel Lewis, Juma'at Jantan, Shi Jia Yi, Qiu Li, Hassan Sunny, Shahdan Sulaiman, Shaiful Esah, Fazrul Nawaz, Ismail Yunos, Hariss Harun, Khairul Amri, Shahril Ishak, Mustafic Fahrudin, Daniel Bennett, Aleksandar Duric, Isa Halim, Delwinder Singh, Hamqaamal Shah, Ruzaini Zainal, Sufian Anwar, Andrew Tan, Afiq Yunos, Shukor Zailan, Raihan Rahman, Safuwan Baharudin, Fazly Ayob, Khairul Nizam, Faris Ramli, Shakir Hamzah, Zulfahmin Arifin, Izwan Mahbud, Nazrul Nazari, Irwan Shah

Eight dropped as Raddy announces new Lions squad

Source

May 25, 2011 - 12:18am

By:
David Lee

NP, ST FILE PICTURES

NATIONAL football coach Raddy Avramovic has announced his first Lions squad since his side's disastrous 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup group-stage exit.

Despite Football Association of Singapore president Zainudin Nordin claiming that only "four or five" players stood a chance of a recall five months ago, just eight of the 22 players from the Suzuki Cup campaign have been dropped (above).

Of the 33-man provisional squad, 13 players received their first national call-ups, while there was a shock inclusion for Courts Young Lions forward Khairul Nizam, who hasn't played a competitive game for eight months.

We take a look at Avramovic's intentions for this new squad and ask Mr Zainudin about the 10-man discrepancy from his proposed cull.

Read the full report in The New Paper today (May 25).

Exclusive: Hougang United captain speaks out on footbrawl

Source

May 25, 2011 - 12:47am

By: Sazali Abdul Aziz

**TNP EXCLUSIVE**

In an exclusive interview with The New Paper last night, Hougang United captain Shariff Samat gave a first-person account of what took place during the free-for-all on Monday night between Etoile FC and Hougang United.

Shariff said that he saw Etoile reserve goalkeeper Hadama Bathily enter Hougang's half to retrieve a ball that had strayed into the area.

He said he saw Bathily walk towards Hougang assistant coach Hasrin Jailani, before headbutting and punching him.

However, speaking to the press yesterday, Etoile chairman Johan Gouttefangeas gave a different version of what happened.

More in The New Paper on Wednesday (May 25).

TNP PHOTO: Choo Chwee Hua

Arbil 1-0 Tampines Rovers (aet)

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Arbil: Arbil reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup after substitute Muslim Mubarak’s goal in the first-half of extra time finally saw off a determined Tampines Rovers at Francouse Al Hareeri Stadium.

Arbil had dominated Group E, finishing top of the table with an unbeaten record to secure a home tie in the last 16.

Tampines, by contrast, had ended runners-up in Group G behind Muang Thong United following a 4-0 defeat to the Thais on the final match day.

But the Singaporeans made light of an arduous journey and the calibre of their opponents to finish 90 minutes deadlocked at 0-0.

However, man of the match Mubarak popped up four minutes into the first extra period to find the back of the net and Arbil managed to make the goal stand up as they stood firm to progress to the last eight.

Guilty of violence, end the contract

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Kadir believes club should use it as a deterrent against fighting

by Patwant Singh

Updated 09:35 AM May 25, 2011

Singapore - Former Singapore international Kadir Yahaya (picture), a stalwart of the Lions in the 1990s, believes the punishments meted out by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on players guilty of fighting are heavy enough. The former defender wants to see S-League clubs drive this message home to their respective players, even before the season kicks off, and that their contracts can also be terminated.

Kadir, currently a coach at the Singapore Sports School, spoke to MediaCorp a day after the S-League match between Hougang United and Etoile FC was abandoned after both sets of players were involved in a brawl before kick-off at Hougang Stadium.

Said the former Singapore captain: "The clubs must have a standard contract, to inform their players before the start of S-League that if they are involved in this type of incident, their contracts will be terminated and there will be many other repercussions as well.

"No other club will want such a player.

"Maybe, before the start of an S-League season, there can be a conference for the players about managing their frustrations and anger."

Over the years, there have been a number of incidents that have cast a dark cloud over the S-League.

Last year, heavy fines and lengthy bans of up to eight months were slapped on a few players from the Young Lions and Beijing Guoan, for their part in a mass brawl. I

n another infamous incident, Noh Alam Shah, then with Tampines Rovers, was fined S$2,000 and banned for seven months after he attacked SAFFC defender Daniel Bennett in the 2007 RHB Singapore Cup final.

Kadir would like to see security at S-League matches enhanced even if it means extra cost are incurred. The presence of uniformed Cisco guards could even deter players from violent behaviour, while providing better security.

Such professionally trained guards can also act as impartial agents documenting incidents on the ground that can be used as references to authorities like the FAS.

Clementi Khalsa vice-chairman Jagjit Singh agreed.

And he added: "All the club officials, starting with the chairmen, can quickly convene a discussion within their own clubs first to quickly check on security.

"The question is whether the officials acted fast enough on Monday night. I think we have a standard operating procedure that needs to be seriously looked at."

Jagjit feels the current manpower situation for matches is inadequate, with volunteers or paid volunteers acting as security personnel: "I think we can consider Cisco's Certis. That would send a strong message to players, fans and everybody.

"Even if there is an increase in cost, I think we should be able to provide for that whether at club or FAS level." Patwant Singh

Etoile chief lays down the law, vows to punish 'guilty players'

Source

by Philip Goh Haw Hann

08:12 AM May 25, 2011

SINGAPORE - A day after their match an Hougang Stadium was abandoned before kick-off due to fighting - the first time a match has had to be called off even before the first whistle due to violence in the 16 years of the S-League - the Etoile FC players were back at their home ground at Queenstown Stadium yesterday.

Trooping out for their usual training session at 5pm, the 17 players present sat in a semi-circle as club chairman and chief-executive Johan Gouttefangeas laid down the law.

The players eventually kicked off training more than 35 minutes later.

The ugly incidents involving French outfit Etoile and the Hougang players shocked the football fraternity and Gouttefangeas insisted that there was no compromise on the standard he had set for his players.

The Frenchman said he told his players the events at Hougang Stadium were unacceptable.

"Since the team arrived, I've always been very strict about their behaviour, on and off the field," he added.

"We have to apologise to FAS, the fans and the public, and everyone involved in football ... this is not what we want to see on a football field.

"I'm very, very angry to see such an incident because this is not the image I want for the club.

"I will watch the video and if some of my players are guilty for violent conduct, they will be punished very heavily. I won't wait for FAS to punish them, we will be the first to take action against the players."

Etoile defender Franklin Anzite and reserve goalkeeper Hadama Bathily sat out training. Anzite's arm was in a sling after picking up an elbow injury in the fracas, while Bathily sustained a neck injury.

On the Hougang side, chairman Bill Ng said assistant coach Hasrin Jailani had sought medical treatment after being punched in the neck and jaw, while defender Basit Abdul Hamid had suffered from blurred vision after being kick in the face.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) have set a disciplinary hearing next Friday (June 3rd), and pending that, all matches involving both teams have been suspended.



Matches suspended

26 May Etoile FC vs Albirex Niigata; 28 May Courts Young Lions vs Hougang United; 1 June Singapore Armed Forces FC vs Hougang United

World Cup qualifier could be chance to draw fans back

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Singapore football chief Zainudin excited at the prospect of a Causeway derby

May 24, 2011 SINGAPORE - National coach Radojko Avramovic this evening will reveal the much-anticipated list of players in the running to make the final squad that will play in the second round of the Asian Zone 2014 World Cup qualifiers, possibly against arch-rivals Malaysia.

He has already seen the roster and the mix of experience and young blood has received the thumbs up from Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Zainudin Nordin.

The provisional list of 32 players was handpicked by Avramovic and will be trimmed to 23 before the Lions' first major assignment of the year, a home and away clash with ASEAN champions Malaysia or Taiwan, scheduled for July 23 and July 28, respectively.

Singapore received a bye into the second round, while Malaysia and Taiwan do battle on June 29 (Kuala Lumpur) and July 3 (Taipei).

With Malaysia hot favourites to advance, anticipation is slowly building over a possible Causeway cracker and Zainudin has charged the Lions to come out on top.

"This is an opportunity to draw fans back to the local game and, if Malaysia do advance, the interest will be very high because of our traditional rivalry and we must take advantage to excite the fans," he said.

"But we must beat whoever we meet to advance to the next round and we are planning a communications programme to promote the matches."

It has been almost five months since Singapore were bundled out of the AFF Suzuki Cup in the first round and several long-serving players are expected to be dropped after the shock exit.

Zainudin added: "I am impressed with the players who made the list. It is a roster selected on merit and the mix of experience and young talent holds promise for the future of the national team."

In his effort to draw fans back to the S-League, Zainudin also revealed a recent meeting with four local football bloggers.

It was the first time the FAS president had engaged members of the new media. Aged between 21 and 29, the four were part-time student Muhammad Arief, Neo Chee Seong, who is self employed, IT executive Herdi Juma'at and undergraduate Muhammad Ali Haikal.

"It was refreshing because these guys are loyal supporters of the S-League and they were frank and honest about their opinions," said Zainudin, who will continue engaging members of the new media.

"They had a 15-page document suggesting how to improve the league, how to bond with the community and we will definitely take in their ideas, many of which we have been looking at as well."

The four bloggers also offered to help promote the league through their websites.

Zainudin believes new media has not been fully exploited yet to popularise the local game.

"They (the four bloggers) feel the mainstream media are not giving the S-League enough coverage and the FAS should make use of those in the new media to extend this. We can definitely use their services and I have told them the FAS will assist them fully to generate stories that will be of interest to fans."

Dark day for local football

Source

For the first time, S-League match is abandoned before kick-off after rival players fight

by Philip Goh Haw Hann

May 24, 2011

SINGAPORE - Eight months after the Young Lions and Beijing Guoan turned their football match into a brawl, another two S-League clubs have dragged the game into the gutter after disgraceful scenes at Hougang Stadium last night.

In an unprecedented move, match officials were forced to abandon the tie between hosts Hougang United and defending champions Etoile FC even before kick-off, after players from both teams started fighting during the warm-up session.

While details were sketchy, witnesses MediaCorp spoke to said the action resembled a gang fight, with players chasing each other and some rushing onto the terraces.

They said Etoile players rushed to the Hougang side of the pitch after words were exchanged between a player each from the two teams over a ball kicked accidently kicked into the Hougang warm-up area.

A scuffle then broke out between the players, which one witness said lasted as long as eight minutes.

New Hougang Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong was in the stands.

A Hougang player had to be restrained from swinging a chair at one of his opponents, said another witness.

With training cones and footballs still on the pitch, the players were instructed to go to their respective dressing rooms.

After consulting the teams and the referee, match commissioner A Raamasamy called off the game.

Football Association of Singapore deputy director (marketing and competitions) Ridzal Saat said: "We do not condone any sort of violence, more so anything that is pre-match. We will conduct a full investigation to find out what actually happened. This is something we do not want in our game and, following investigations, any guilty parties, if there are, will be severely dealt with."

This is the first instance since the S-League was inaugurated in 1996 that a match has been abandoned prior to kick-off due to disciplinary issues.

It comes eight-and-a-half months after the fight between players from the Young Lions and Beijing Guoan last season, which resulted in a total of 16 players (six from the Young Lions and 10 from Beijing Guoan) being banned between four and 12 months, or fined.

Observers said last night's fracas could well have been a spillover from a previous altercation at Queenstown Stadium on March 7, when the teams met in the S-League for the first time this season.

According to a report on a Hougang fansite, a "mini-brawl" had broken out after the match, which Etoile won 4-2.

The S-League did not take action then as the clubs dealt with the matter internally.

When contacted last night, Bill Ng, chairman of Hougang United FC, said: "I will conduct a full investigation on our side and cooperate with the FAS fully. I do not tolerate violence and, if any of our players are at fault, we will take strong disciplinary action and will not even hesitate to drop them from our squad.

"The incident today is a pity because we had a good crowd, about 2,000, who wanted to watch a good game."

Opening the door to Europe

Source

SINGAPORE - Having experienced top-flight European football in the 1980s, Fandi Ahmad believes he can help more Singaporeans play professionally on the continent.

Revealing details of a collaboration between his Fandi Ahmad Academy (FAA), the Genova International School of Soccer (GISS) and Italian Serie B side Vicenza Calcio at SAFRA Tampines yesterday, the former Singapore star said he aims to send 30 to 45 players over the next six months for stints in Italy in the hope of helping them secure contracts worth at least €50,000 (S$88,570) annually.

"I've gone through this (process) and have seen it," said 49-year-old Fandi, who played for Dutch side FC Groningen (1983 to 1985) and Greek side OFI Crete (1990). "If we can send 100 (players), don't tell me not even one can make the grade?"

A month-long stint will cost about S$6,000 per player and Fandi, also GISS project manager for Asia, said talks with potential sponsors are progressing well.

With bases worldwide, GISS, whose headquarters is in Piedmonte, Italy, has secured deals for 42 players over the past 18 months.

Singaporean Ahmad Hakim Putra, 20, whose self-funded six-month stint with GISS ends in July, has also attracted interest but the school's director, Morris Pagniello, is keeping mum about details.

Firdaus Tohari, 18, and Singapore Sports School's Jonathan Tan, 16, part of last year's Youth Olympic Games side, recently completed attachments with GISS, while Luis Lim, a 17-year-old Singapore Polytechnic student, will leave for Italy in the next two months.

Despite initial reservations about Lim's intention to pursue a professional career, his father Dave, 46, said: "Studies can wait but chances like this may never come again."

Firdaus, who is returning to GISS soon, is also looking at a month-long stint with Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

European club scouts watch the trainees at weekly friendlies and tournaments, although Vicenza, which counts the likes of Paolo Rossi, Luca Toni and Roberto Baggio as alumni, has first option on players from the FAA, which was formed in March and has 200 trainees working with 16 coaches.

"It is important they perform every week as that is how they get spotted," said Fandi.

Ex-national star V Sundramoorthy, who starred for Swiss side FC Basel (1987 to 1988), is the only other Singaporean to have played professionally in Europe.

Said Pagniello: "Within six months, we could see Singapore players being signed up … Technically and tactically, they're not far off the Europeans. There are actually more opportunities to play in Europe. In Italy alone, there are 300 professional clubs."

Added Vicenza director Fabrizio de Poli: "Sometimes, we need only one or two sessions to spot a talent… We don't look for normal players, we always look for something different."

Obtaining work permits shouldn't be an issue in Italy but one key concern is Singapore's mandatory two-year National Service, which all 18 year olds have to complete. Should any player be offered a contract, the academy will work with the authorities here for a solution.

White Swans fade at Tampines after bright start

 Source

Paul Green
info@sleague.com

For a while on Sunday night, it looked as if the enterprising Albirex Niigata (Singapore) might be able to do enough against unbeaten Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League leaders Tampines Rovers to spring an upset.

But once the Stags, playing in front of their faithful at Tampines Stadium, had hit the front on 28 minutes, the challenge from the fifth-placed White Swans began to fizzle out.

Eventually Tampines were able to win 3-1, the last goal a mere consolation during stoppage time for the Japanese side.

A very lively opening spell nearly led to a quick breakthrough for the visitors, however, in only the second minute, when Tatsuro Inui sent a long ball in behind the Tampines defence that was read perfectly by the speedy Atsushi Shimono.

As the latter rushed through, from very deep, down the middle of the park and then raced to within a few yards of the penalty area, Stags goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, left exposed, rushed out to stop the Albirex man, and the two collided in mid-air, both coming to grief.

A free kick was then awarded by referee Abas Daud to Albirex, as Hassan was attended to for a bang on the head and a sore hand.

Two Tampines defenders had rushed back to protect the goal in the incident, thus a yellow card rather than a red was the verdict and the free kick, when it was taken nearly four minutes later, saw Hassan parry the ball uncertainly and then relying on his fellow defenders to clear before any of the predatory White Swans could get there first.

Inui was to find only the side-netting with one of two ensuing opportunities he shared with Shotaro Ihata, but with those chances gone it was soon time for Tampines to take over.

Aleksandar Duric got to the near post on 12 minutes to latch on to a nice ball played there by Park Yo Seb, but the snap-shot was deflected narrowly wide and the Stags still had to wait a little longer.

Four minutes later Bruno Suzuki Castanheira found Ihata, who clipped the ball just over the bar, missing by the narrowest of margins, but it was another chance that had gone begging all the same.

Ben Croissant made a huge run from deep on 21 minutes for Tampines, and as he reached the six-yard box he got a shot well on target only for White Swans goalkeeper Yoshito Matsushita to turn the ball around the post.

From an excellent Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin pass Duric looked set to score with 26 minutes gone, but a defender robbed the skipper of the ball close to goal.

Then came the opening goal, as Albirex allowed Akihiro Nakamura to waltz through the middle and line up a shot from 20 yards. The ball whizzed through a crowd of players, and it looked as it Matsushita was probably unsighted and caught out by a slight deflection as the one-time White Swans midfielder slammed the ball low into the net.

Later it emerged that the referee had awarded an own goal to Albirex defender Takuya Hidaka.

The Japanese side responded quickly, however, again forcing a corner at the other end, but when Inui’s measured cross arrived at the near post Ihata got his head to the ball only to see it miss the post by mere inches.

Another glancing header by Ihata on 36 minutes, coming after an Inui 25-yard shot that Hassan brilliantly tipped over the bar, illustrated that this was not going to be Albirex’s day.

Things only got worse for the team in all-white after the break.

The Albirex defence stood off Shahdan Sulaiman on 47 minutes, allowing the talented midfielder to pick his spot from 20 yards and make it 2-0.

Thereafter the resistance began to fade rapidly.

Latiff and Duric both had good chances in the next few minutes, with their efforts going narrowly wide, but by 57 it was 3-0 and all-time S.League top scorer Duric was once again the man to show the younger players from Albirex how it was done.

His twelfth S.League goal of the season came with a simple headed finish to a cross provided by Imran Sahib, who had made a lightning-fast move down the right flank.

Albirex, by now three down, had a few chances to score as the Stags began to ease off a little, Castanheira and substitute Yosuke Saito both going close before the latter netted in stoppage time with a fierce close-range volley, after a nice cross from the right.

Tampines coach Steven Tan attributed the strong showing largely to being back on home soil again after a series of games played at Jalan Besar Stadium during the election period, as well as their recent trip to Bangkok to play Muang Thong United in the AFC Cup.

“I think the last time we played here was a month ago against the Young Lions, and the team really appreciated playing on their home pitch,” he insisted.

“We had to weather the Albirex storm for a while, but once we settled down we showed our true abilities.”

Albirex coach Koichi Sugiyama had few excuses for his team’s 1-3 loss.

“This is not the end for us as we have to play Tampines again later in the season,” he said.

“They are a good side, as we know, and perhaps we will do better in our next game against Home United. Then we can stay in touch with the leaders.”

The coach did not want to comment on the second-minute incident, other than to say that if the referee awarded a free kick to his side and a yellow card to Hassan he had to accept it.

Cup draw kicks off this year's journey

Source

May 16, 2011 SINGAPORE - The RHB Singapore Cup draw threw up some tough encounters yesterday, as the tournament gears up for new champions this year in the country's most prestigious domestic cup competition.

Thai side Bangkok Glass, the 2010 champions, will not return to defend their title and S-League side Young Lions will also sit out due to international commitments as the Republic's under-23 team. That means 11 S-League teams and five invited sides will fight for this year's crown.

One side of the draw could see S-League title contenders Tampines Rovers, Home United and Etoile FC do battle in the latter stages of the competition, while the other sees the five invited foreign sides competing for a spot in the final, along with a possible SAFFC-Albirex Niigata face-off in the quarter-finals.

While the exact fixture list has not been released, the preliminary round will kick off on June 6 and the final will be held on Nov 5.

"It's a tough draw. If we beat Geylang in the preliminary round, we might have to face Home and Etoile later but if you want to win a cup tournament, you have to beat all the big teams," said Tampines coach Steven Tan.

SAFFC coach Richard Bok echoed Tan's sentiments.

He said: "The last two years we were knocked out in the first round, by Geylang in 2009, then by Bangkok Glass last year. Right now we just want to make it past the preliminary round fixture against Phnom Penh ... who are a much improved team."

Commemorating their 50th anniversary, RHB Bank renewed their S$1.5 million title sponsorship (picture) of the Singapore Cup for another three-year term till 2013.

The bank also donated S$10,000 to the Boys' Town and the Jamiyah Children's Home after a 10-team five-a-side charity challenge yesterday morning at the Sports Planet East Coast. SHAMIR OSMAN



Preliminary

round draw:

Left side

Geylang United vs Tampines Rovers, Home United vs Woodlands Wellington, Etoile FC vs Tanjong Pagar United, Gombak United vs Balestier Khalsa



Right side

SAFFC vs Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodia), South Melbourne FC (Australia) vs Albirex Niigata, Hougang United vs Young Tigers (Malaysia), Pattaya United (Thailand) vs Okkthat United (Myanmar)

AFF U 23 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011

Source


AFF U 23 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
PALEMBANG, INDONESIA
16-26 JULY 2011

1. Myanmar

2. Timor Leste

3. Indonesia

4. Philippines

5. Singapore

Date	Match No	Match	Time	Venue
14 July 2011	Arrival of Teams & Match Officials
15 July 2011	Team Managers’ Meeting
16 July 2011	1 2	Indonesia vs Timor Leste Singapore vs Philippines		Jaka Baring Stadium
17 July 2011		Rest Day
18 July 2011	3 4	Philippines vs Myanmar Singapore vs Indonesia		Jaka Baring Stadium
19 July 2011		Rest Day
20 July 2011	5 6	Myanmar vs Singapore Timor Leste vs Philippines		Jaka Baring Stadium
21 July 2011		Rest Day
22 July 2011	7 8	Singapore vs Timor Leste Indonesia vs Myanmar		Jaka Baring Stadium
23 July 2011		Rest Day
24 July 2011	9 10	Philippines vs Indonesia Timor Leste vs Myanmar		Jaka Baring Stadium
25 July 2011		Rest Day
26 July 2011	11 12	3rd Place vs 4th Place Winner vs Runner-up		Jaka Baring Stadium
	Departure of Teams & Officials

Courts Young Lions not participating in the 2011 Singapore Cup

Source

Conflicting schedules and fixtures have forced Courts Young Lions to skip this season’s edition of the RHB Singapore cup, which will hold its draw this coming Sunday.

The tournament, which is scheduled to take place in June and stretching all the way to November, will clash with the Singapore Under-23 team’s preparation for the SEA Games as they participate in the AFF Under-23 Championship in Palembang in July. It is expected that the bulk of the players forming that squad will be from the Courts Young Lions and as a result, it was decided that the young guns will not be participating in this year’s cup tournament.

It is definitely unfortunate that last year’s forth placed team will not be participating but looking at it positively, it allows them time to prepare for the SEA Games at the end of the year.

Gombak United holding COE Under-18 and Under-16 trials

Source

Gombak United Football Club are holding trials for players interested in joining the Centre of Excellence Under-18 and Under-16 teams.

Details of the trials are as follows.

COE Under-18
Eligibility: Open to males born in 1993 and 1994 only.
Date: 17 May 2011
Venue: Jurong West Stadium
Trial Timing: 9am to 11am
Report Timing: 8am

COE Under-16
Eligibility: Open to males born in 1995 and 1996 only.
Date: 22 May 2011
Venue: Jurong West Stadium
Trial Timing: 3pm to 5pm
Report Timing: 2pm

Players attending either trial should bring their own attire.

Those interested in the trials can contact the club at 6561 2290.

RHB Singapore Cup Preliminary Draw Results

From Pohui Twitter 

Geylang United vs Tampines Rovers
Home United vs Woodlands Wellington
Etoile vs Tanjong Pagar United
Gombak United vs Balestier Khalsa
Singapore Armed Forces vs Phnom Penh Crown
South Melbourne vs Albirex Niigata
Hougang United vs Harimau Muda A
Pattaya United vs Okkthar United

Note:  Young Lions Withdrew due to the Asean U-23 Tournament in Indonesia

Courts Young Lions silenced by late Leo roar

Source

Paul Green
info@sleague.com

The Courts Young Lions’ wretched Saturday evening luck continued when they were beaten 1-2 by erstwhile bottom-dogs Woodlands Wellington in a rearranged Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League match at Jalan Besar Stadium.

After foul weather had twice thwarted this fixture in April, the third iteration looked good for them early on when Fazli Ayob gave them the lead inside 17 minutes, but everything went wrong after that, including an equaliser by Goh Swee Swee on 33 minutes for the Rams and an early second-half sending-off for defensive lynchpin Shakir Hamzah.

Even though the red card given to Shakir looked quite harsh and the resulting penalty taken by Ali Imran Lomri was easily claimed by Izwan Mahbud, the home team never recovered from the setback.

Indeed Woodlands gained confidence, even after missing the penalty, before going on to record their maiden win in 2011, courtesy of a well-taken header by Brazilian substitute Leonardo Alexio da Costa five minutes from time.

Both teams were shorthanded going into this match, with the Young Lions missing Shahfiq Ghani, Faritz Abdul Hameed and Raihan Abdul Rahman among others, and the Rams without defender Adrian Butters, ruled out by the medicos for six weeks, and Shahri Musa, for at least a fortnight.

Meanwhile goalkeeper Ang Bang Heng had suffered a knock in a previous game and Amos Boon, still recovering from ankle ligament damage, was forced to play when handicapped by his injury.

It certainly seemed to affect the Woodlands backline for a while, and a lack of teamwork between Boon, Graham Tatters and Ali Imran contributed to the opening goal.

But despite looking like going on with the job initially, the Young Lions’ confidence began to wane once the Rams had equalised, and when they were reduced to ten men with 40 minutes to play, it made life very hard for Robin Chitrakar’s boys.

“I thought we controlled the first half,” he said after the match.

“We performed well until we went a man down, and that send-off changed the game completely.

“We need results to give the players more confidence, but I hope the players learned something from this game, as it was down to inexperience that the game got away from us in the end.

“We are also struggling for numbers, as out of 30 players I should have available I have only 18 to call on, and we had to name two goalkeepers on the bench as we were so short of players.

“At least we can do better in the second round,” the coach observed, noting that after this catch-up game the first eleven games have now been completed for his side, although they are yet to meet Etoile and SAFFC in deferred games and have drawn with Geylang United in their first second-round outing just five days before this one.

Sadly for the sponsors and the fans, none of their enterprisingly early Saturday evening matches have yielded a point just yet.

For Woodlands, it was a case of finally making the breakthrough for a win after going close more than once.

Against Geylang at home at the start of April, they thought they might have snatched a 2-1 win after da Costa had headed them in front near the end, but the Eagles then spoiled that with a late equaliser.

This time it was the tall Brazilian’s turn once more to silence the knockers with a crisp, headed finish to a cross from the right byline by Syed Karim, a man fast gaining experience at Woodlands after earlier spells with Gombak United and SAFFC.

The much-maligned striker, often called by the contraction ‘Leo’, proved a worthy winner this time around, terrorising the Young Lions in their own den once he was on for Navin Nigel Vanu on 72 minutes.

There were still some scary moments before the players and their coach R. Balasubramaniam could celebrate the win, with the 37-year-old enjoying a good soaking by his players out on the field.

“Leonardo caused them a few problems when he went on,” said the affable man.

“He was a real Dennis the Menace!

“I would like to dedicate this win to the Woodlands chairman and to the fans,” he then said, in a nod to the proverbial men upstairs.

“The chairman has put no pressure on us at all, he’s been patient and we knew the wins would come eventually. We now need to build on this with another good performance against Tanjong Pagar on Tuesday (at Woodlands Stadium).”

The Rams backline was strong even without the injured Butters, as Tatters, Munier Raychouni et al took care of a lively Young Lions outfit.

Despite seeming to lose out on the wings, particularly on the left side of the field, the quartet clung on well once the action moved towards the centre, and apart from the one goal they performed competently.

In what proved a very entertaining game, the greater experience and the extra man probably made the difference for Woodlands.

“I could not see the incident too well,” said the Rams coach, “but it definitely helped us when Shakir was sent off.”

All said, though, Woodlands were up against a Young Lions side that had a few strong performers as well.

Nazrul Ahmad Nazari and, to a lesser extent, Eugene Luo were very effective on the flanks, and captain Hariss Harun in midfield made a big contribution.

The opening goal by Fazli came after good early lead-up work from Nazrul and then a through ball from Syafiq Zainal that Fazli finished with precision.

But Rams attacking midfielder Goh had one of his strongest games in a while, emphasising that with a fine equaliser on 33 minutes.

He began the move by finding Sazali Salleh on the right, who switched play to the left by picking out Jalal, and it was from Jalal’s cross that the Woodlands No.9 gleefully headed past Izwan to level the scores.

Nazrul might have restored the Young Lions’ lead on the stroke of half-time, but his low effort from 20 yards flashed just wide.

Woodlands forced a number of corners and free kicks in the second half and once the key attacking substitution had taken place, things began to happen.

The monster-like da Costa’s physical presence seemed to intimidate the Young Lions defenders, and while an Irwan Shah lob did come back off the crossbar with Amos Boon looking stranded, there were few other chances for the home fans to get excited about.

Jalal almost made it 2-1 on 82 minutes after picking up a long throw from Sahairi Ramri, but he fired just wide of the right post from close range.

But the Woodlands fans only had to wait another three minutes for the winner.

A ball across the face of goal from the left was not dealt with adequately by the team in red and black, and was instead picked up by Karim out wide on the right.

His pinpoint cross from the byline was laid on a platter for da Costa to head in his second of the season, this time a winning goal to savour as his team hung on well to see out the game.

Young Lions coach Chitrakar bewailed his continuing lack of numbers at training and the way things have been going against his team in games recently.

“We’re only a part-time team, in many ways,” he said.

“A lot of the players cannot get to training in time, and some cannot come at all. We really need to have our full squad back to perform at our best.

“With so many international matches to play soon, I do hope we can get more players before too long. We can’t even call on the Under-18s this season as they are playing in AFF tournaments.”

And so another Young Lions game ends in defeat, a result that allowed Woodlands to move to within a point of them and left Tanjong Pagar firmly at the foot of the ladder with only three points to the Rams’ five.

All that could change in another three days, of course, but things are beginning to get interesting for the team from up north after they have now broken past a key mental barrier.

Etoile cruise past stuttering Tigers

Source

Bhaskaran Kunju
info@sleague.com

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.”

Home extend winning streak against ten-man Bulls

Source

Koh Yizhe
info@sleague.com

Home United are now just one point behind Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League leaders Tampines Rovers after dismantling Gombak United 4-1 at Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday night.

Shi Jiayi scored a brace from corners either side of the interval, while Qiu Li and substitute Firdaus Idros had a goal each in the second half as the Protectors followed up on their success against Balestier Khalsa last week to register their ninth win of the season.

Winning the three points for Lee Lim Saeng’s side also means they now extend their winning run to four matches.

But their victory was heavily assisted by Park Kang Jin’s red card on 29 minutes. Until that point, Gombak were doing a decent job against their opponents, but then came Park’s marching orders for dissent, which allowed Home to stamp their dominance.

“It’s hard not to talk about the refereeing after a game like this,” bemoaned a normally-politically correct Darren Stewart.

“Until the sending-off I thought we were magnificent and were playing good football. But after that we weren’t going to get anything out of this match. Once we were down to ten men we were just looking to keep the score to a minimum.

“I just feel gutted for the boys.”

Indeed, Gombak were the team that had an early sight at goal in the opening minutes. Kwon Jin Sung, who earned his place in the starting lineup after he scored with a late free kick in the Bulls’ draw with Tampines Rovers, had his shot saved by Lionel Lewis after only ten minutes.

Lewis was returning to the first eleven for Home after a hamstring injury had kept him out of the 5-2 victory over Balestier last week.

Both teams were rather cautious in the first 20 minutes, but it was Home who took the lead with their first clear-cut chance of the match midway into the first half.

Kenji Arai’s flick-on from a Juma’at Jantan corner confused the Gombak defence, which allowed Shi, who was unmarked, to head into an unguarded net.

The Bulls pushed hard for an equaliser, but before they had a chance to create an opening, disaster struck on 29 minutes.

Already trailing 0-1 at that point, Park showed his frustration to the referee when a foul went against his team, earning himself a yellow card. Possibly saying more then that the referee did not like, the act resulted in his marching orders.

Qiu nearly doubled his team’s lead shortly afterwards when his shot from outside the box struck the bar, before Darren Stewart decided he needed to make changes.

Attacking spearhead Kwon was the one sacrificed on 36 minute, as he was replaced by defensive midfielder Shafuan Sutohmoh in a move intended to shore things up in the centre.

The Protectors continued to make the most of their one-man advantage, Korean star Kim Dae Eui dribbling past a couple of defenders before dragging his shot wide, and then Frederic Mendy’s header found the bar instead of the back of the net from Kim’s cross.

Half-time must have come as a relief for the Gombak players, but things did not get any better in the second half as they conceded a goal within two minutes of the restart.

Shi, a man better known for his skills with his feet, scored his second headed goal of the night from another corner to give Home a 2-0 lead.

A minute later, Chang Jo Yoon halved the deficit with a beautiful curling shot from just outside the area that Home custodian Lewis could do nothing about. Though the Protectors eventually scored two more, Gombak’s goal was definitely the pick of the bunch on the night, one that the neutrals in the stadium would definitely have enjoyed.

However, the Home supporters were cheering again on 55 minutes when a penalty was awarded after substitute Firdaus Idros was brought down by goalkeeper Zakariah Nerani just inside the area.

Mendy was the architect of the move, displaying some fancy footwork to get past two defenders before threading a perfect lifted ball from the left to the onrushing Firdaus, who came on at half-time for his doppelgänger Firdaus Kasman.

The Gombak custodian, despite looking groggy as a result of the challenge, was lucky to stay on the pitch as that looked to be a clear goalscoring opportunity, but he was helpless as Qiu sent him the wrong way to make the score 3-1.

Firdaus Idros almost got onto the scoresheet ten minutes later when his shot from a tight angle was saved by Zakariah, but the 24-year-old was not to be denied on 79 minutes as he tapped into an open net after Gombak’s goalkeeper punched Qiu’s cross straight into his path.

Late substitute Sufian Anuar had a great opportunity to make it 5-1 for the Protectors after being sent through by Mendy, but his shot was well kept out by Zakariah, who at least made an effort to redeem himself.

Gombak then had the last chance of the match when substitute Zulkiffli Hassim headed Tengku Mushadad’s injury-time free kick onto the bar, but they were unable to change the score and so could only se their five-match undefeated run come to an end.

For much of the post-match conference with Bulls head coach Darren Stewart, he talked about the red card which changed the direction of the match.

“The boy (Park) can’t speak English and has even got problems stringing a sentence together, so I don’t know what he said to the referee,” said the Australian.

“(The red card) didn’t do justice to the efforts that the lads put in. I am not saying it not was a red or the decisions were bad, but a bit of common sense helps early in the game.”

“Against a team of quality like Home United, you can’t afford to have things go down against you. Of course, we didn’t deserve anything from the game, but we weren’t poor even when we went down to ten men.”

Home coach Lee was obviously very delighted with the result, and pointed out that the team had also performed well en route to the win.

“I am so happy,” beamed the Korean.

“In the last game, we had a good performance and we had the same tonight, so I am proud of my guys.

“Now we are one point away from the top, but we still have a lot of games to play. I hope our guys will try to play at their best to get to where we want.

“I am confident and happy to watch my guys play the way they did tonight.”

When asked about his compatriot Park’s sending-off in the first half, Lee admitted initial surprise, but said he quickly reasoned out the probable cause.

“I think he might have said something wrong or was swearing at the referee. Every team can experience something like that – with the opponent leading the game 1-0, you have your guy sent off. It can be damaging to the team.”

Lee was careful not to directly answer any question regarding his team’s numerical advantage, but he stressed his pleasure with the work everyone had put in, including Mendy, who was visibly frustrated not to get a goal himself.

Even without the Frenchman finding the net here, though, the four goals in the game have sent Home top in terms of goal count with 33 in 13 matches, throwing the gauntlet firmly in the direction of Tampines and Albirex Niigata (Singapore), who meet each other in 72 hours.

Gombak meanwhile could be fretting over the possibility of losing fifth spot, as sixth-placed Etoile FC, who have played ten matches compared to their 13, will meet Balestier Khalsa in a game the defending champions are widely expected not to lose.

Jaguars stun lacklustre Warriors

Source

Bhaskaran Kunju
info@sleague.com

Tanjong Pagar United had only managed two goals from their first eleven games this season, but against Singapore Armed Forces FC at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night, the Jaguars matched that tally in the space of 90 minutes.

Not only that, the goals were enough for them to grab an unlikely point with a 2-2 draw.

The point might have been only their third of the season, but it was enough to lift them off the foot of the table for the first time in a long while.

Incidentally, one of Tanjong Pagar’s two goals before the match had come against SAFFC as well, in a 1-2 defeat way back in February.

This time around, the S.League re-debutants came incredibly close to shocking the Warriors into defeat, before settling for a well-earned point.

Showing no sign of their earlier nervous disposition, which had plagued the team in their numerous earlier defeats, like the five-goal reverse at the hands of Hougang United in their last match two weeks ago, the Jaguars started this match in good stead.

SAFFC were prevented from controlling the game despite an attacking lineup that boasted Mislav Karoglan and Indra Sahdan Daud up front, and while the match was evenly balanced from the beginning, Tanjong Pagar looked the likelier to break the deadlock.

Ganesan Devadas so nearly did that when he stayed onside and ran on to a through ball at full speed before wastefully hitting straight at Shahril Jantan.

But it was SAFFC who took the lead against the run of play on 26 minutes. Karoglan, who had been quietly threatening on his own, picked up a straight pass from Shaiful Esah and then held off his markers to place a carefully-aimed shot into the back of the net.

Just after Ivan Jerkovic fired agonisingly wide nearing the break to pass on a chance to double his team’s lead, however, Hyun Jong Woon popped up with an eye-catching strike that stunned all in attendance.

Picking up a loose ball some 45 yards out, the Korean launched a hopeful volley at goal. The shot caught Shahril off guard and cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and over the line, sending Tanjong Pagar off level at the break, much to the disbelief of the Warriors.

SAFFC’s woes did not end there, however, as just three minutes after the restart Razaleigh Khalik sent the ball past his own goalkeeper to hand the cellar-dwellers a come-from-behind lead, the first time they had found themselves in such a position all season.

The defender inexplicably headed a harmless cross from Arisman Arman back across the face of goal and into the bottom far corner, completely wrongfooting Shahril, who was not entirely devoid of blame, having been slow to react to the header from the fringes of the penalty area.

Tanjong Pagar looked threatening on the counter as Richard Bok pushed his men forward in search of a desperately-needed equaliser, but the Jaguars frontline were never quite able to connect in the final third and seriously test the Warriors custodian.

Indra did however manage to level the score with just over twenty minutes of regulation time left. Pouncing on a poorly-defended cross, the former Singapore international finished off in his typical poacher’s style, hitting a low hard shot from the centre of the penalty box.

Despite needing a win to close the gap on league leaders Tampines Rovers, who started the night with an eight-point lead on them, the desperate introduction of Erwan Gunawan and Fazrul Nawaz minutes later to bolster the frontline did little to help SAFFC’s cause.

Fazrul’s enthusiasm nearly provided a chance for Karoglan to snatch a winner, but the Croatian’s effort from close range was cleverly blocked by Ridhuan Barudin.

The former Tampines custodian was in impressive form to keep his team in the game, doing well to deny Mustaqim Manzur’s powerful header moments earlier.

When Ridhuan looked beaten, the Tanjong Pagar defenders, who had compacted into the penalty box to preserve their point, were there to block all efforts, notably one from Jerkovic, who had timed his run perfectly to get onto another teasing ball from Fazrul.

But with all means exhuasted, SAFFC settled for a disappointing draw as the Jaguars celebrated a priceless point that, despite coming against all odds, was well-deserved.

Tanjong Pagar coach Terry Pathmanathan was however quick to play down the impact of the game.

“Temporarily we might be off the bottom, But I don’t think I want to put myself or the team under pressure,” he said quickly when it was pointed out that his players were off the foot of the table and were coming up against the new bottom-placed team, Woodlands Wellington, on Tuesday.

“The important thing is that they maintain and improve on the performance. They have to start moving up (the field) and improve on their fitness, because the last ten minutes, one by one they were falling down.”

But the former national team captain was not without praise for his boys.

“I was quite pleased. I thought if we had minimised the mistakes we could have actually won the game, because we were attacking quite well,” he remarked.

“With Taka (Kawanabe) and Hyun and Ganesan coming in, they were quite decent against their backline. I was quite surprised their backline was disorganised. They were giving us a lot of space with Taka and Ganesan running in.”

Needless to say, given the poor performance of his team, SAFFC’s Bok was visibly despondent when explaining his team’s showing.

“I think we had a sloppy first half, although we took the lead, it was sloppy,” said the three-time MIKASA Coach of the Year in a hushed tone.

“We were very lethargic, we didn’t move the ball fast enough. The players were trying to do something that we don’t usually do.

“In the second half we came out quite well, but I think the own goal did us in. We fought and fought and got an equaliser, but I thought we deserved at least another goal. But it doesn’t come, even right in front of goal someone blocks it.”

Given the evidently lacklustre performance of his team, Bok was still at a loss for words, unable to explain the startling loss in form and the lack of passion in one of the most feared and highly-decorated teams in domestic football.

Reflecting on the dramatic change, the 41-year-old remained hopeful things would turn around with 21 league matches left to play, even if he was uncertain where to start the process.

“It is difficult to tell you how, I really don’t know how,” he said, his face showing a mix of concern and vexation.

“When we played Home (United in April and won 2-0) there was a lot of fire and desire, so I don’t know. Maybe that’s what I have to try and find out now.”

Post-Election field issues cause concern

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Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com

Election fever may be over, but it appears things are not back to normal in the S.League just yet.

Nine S.League stadiums were among 41 sites used for campaigning purposes during the General Election 2011, while Hougang Stadium was among the venues for supporters of various political parties to gather on Polling Day to wait for the election results.

It was earlier reported that these ten stadiums, together with Queenstown Stadium – which was eventually not used – had been closed to all bookings for sports activities until Polling Day on 7 May, according to media releases published by the Singapore Sports Council.

However, sleague.com now understands that clubs will only be able to regain normal use of their home grounds, particularly the fields, as late as 14 May, one full week longer than was officially stated.

As a consequence, four S.League matches in the coming week have been moved to Jalan Besar Stadium, which was the only facility seeing S.League action since 28 April.

This includes the Courts Young Lions’ meeting with Geylang United on Monday, which was originally to be played at Bedok Stadium but was eventually relocated in a fixture swap.

While the decision to move all games to Jalan Besar may cause some inconvenience for fans, clubs have been more concerned with the effects the stadium closures have had on their training schedules.

Home United are one such example. Unable to use their base at Bishan Stadium, the Protectors have found themselves training next to recreational players or meeting at little-used venues that have fallen to a poor state of repair.

“Getting a field has been a major concern for us,” confided Home assistant coach S. Subramani.

“It’s not easy to get a field to train, in fact it has been difficult for the past two weeks. We could hardly get any stadiums, and there is a lot of competition in terms of booking public fields.

“Because of that, we have had to change our training times, and it has been very inconvenient for our players. There was this time when we trained in the morning at the Kallang Practice Track, and the condition of the pitch there was terrible, not at all ideal for football training.

“We were fortunate to be able to make bookings sometimes at places like the Premier Pitch facilities at Balestier. But otherwise we have had to make many adjustments.”

Some other clubs have been more fortunate than Home. Gombak United, for example, are known to occasionally go to Turf City off Bukit Timah Road, where there is another artificial pitch facility, while Tampines Rovers sometimes train at Temasek Polytechnic.

A few clubs have even been given the option to train at their regular home grounds in the mornings, although for bottom side Tanjong Pagar United, this solution was less than ideal.

“The SSC was actually willing to assist us by giving us a training field before 3pm,” explained Jaguars general manager Francis Lee.

“But I can only say that we could not take advantage of this. This is because many of our players are polytechnic students who have classes in the daytime, and so we could not train together as a whole squad.

“For us, though, it should make no difference. We are a team of professional footballers, so whether we train or play at Clementi or Jalan Besar, it should all be the same to us.

“But I don’t think I can say the same for every other club, because every club faces different implications as a result of this. Still, if people say they cannot train because of this and that, I think that’s just an excuse.”

That ‘excuse’ is expected to disappear for all clubs by 15 May, when Tampines host Albirex Niigata (Singapore) at their regular home ground in Tampines Central in what will be the first post-election S.League clash not to take place at Jalan Besar.

With both teams showing a penchant for passing football based on ground play, the match will be a good indicator of whether the Tampines Stadium field has faced damage during the General Election period.

The same concern also applies to all other stadiums, and it remains to be seen whether any of them will need to be closed beyond the one-week period from the end of the General Election.

It is something the FAS Competitions Division, as organisers of the S.League, will be keen to avoid, and while no precise answers regarding pitch maintenance was forthcoming, they appear confident that there will be no need for further postponements.

“The usage of some of the stadiums for the General Election 2011 meant that we had to move a number of games from their original venues,” said an FAS spokesman responding to queries from sleague.com.

“Now that the General Election is over, maintenance will be carried out on the various pitches, and S.League matches will resume at the stadiums starting from next week.”

Should that indeed hold true, things will swiftly move back to normal for all teams ahead of a hectic June period that will see the RHB Singapore Cup kick off before the S.League season approaches the halfway mark.

All clubs would therefore be crossing their fingers over the state of the fields, many of which had been trampled upon by thousands of feet belonging to people who had attended the numerous events held throughout the election campaign.

Lee for one was quick to state his belief that Tanjong Pagar’s home ground at Clementi, which was used for election rallies for West Coast GRC, will be good enough to pass the pitch inspection before their home fixture against Tampines at the end of the month.

“I saw the way the stage had been put up at the stadium,” he noted.

“I think the relevant people were quite cautious about it, because they did not put the stage over the grass area, which would have killed the field. The only thing I noticed was that the barricades were moved, and that’s our only concern.

“As for the participants at the gatherings stepping on the field, I think it’s like footballers stepping on it, so I see no difference. I took a few photos of the ground after the rallies, and I didn’t see much damage.”

For Home’s Subramani, though, there was more cause for concern, after Bishan Stadium had hosted several well-attended rallies by both the People’s Action Party and the Singapore People’s Party, who were contesting for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

“I haven’t really seen the pitch, but I hope there is not much damage,” said the 38-year-old.

“The pitch was already not in an ideal situation when the authorities took over the stadium. Hopefully, after the Elections, the pitch was not further damaged.

“I was told beforehand that if there was indeed any further damage, then they will take some time to repair that damage before handing the field over to us. If that’s the case, it will cause further difficulties for us to deal with.”

Singapore's Lion City Cup teams juggle exams and football

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SINGAPORE - The two youngsters sat in the middle, encircled by their team-mates.

Minutes later, with coach Takuma Koga watching a few steps away, Syazwan Radhi and Sunny Ng were serenaded with a loud rendition of Happy Birthday, before the newly-minted 16-year-olds were doused with water.

Nine months after a heady journey to the bronze medal in the under-15 competition at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, the players from the Singapore team, now the country's under-16 side, remain a tight unit. Their next assignment, the Canon Lion City Cup 2011, is just six weeks away and they've spent the last fortnight getting to know their new head coach from Japan.

Despite being in the midst of mid-year examinations, all but two in the 26-strong squad turned up for a 90-minute training session yesterday at the Singapore Sports School.

Many locals fans will be happy to hear that Koga's football philosophy is a positive one. Speaking to MediaCorp, the Osaka native said: "You can have all the good players, but without the ball, they can't do anything.

"I want them to play positively, both in attack and defence. I'd like to see them attacking swiftly but also know how to get back quickly to defend."

The Lion City Cup will be held here from June 18 to 26. The Singapore under-16s have been drawn in Group B, alongside the under-15 sides from Brazil's Flamengo and English outfit Everton.

The Singapore under-15 boys will play in Group A, with the under-15s from Italy's Juventus and England's Everton.

The current examination period has complicated the preparation period of both teams, but Jita Singh, head of game development at the Football Association of Singapore, said: "We've exempted those boys who are having their exams from training.

"Half the squad come from the Sports School, which will have their exams next week, while the rest are from other schools who have their own exam schedules."

Hanafi Akbar, who lit up the Youth Olympic tournament last year with his bright attacking play, has no problems coping. "I just concentrate on the books when it's time to study, and put my full focus on football when it's time for training," he said.

The team could still head overseas for a final training stint, but Jita said: "We're still deciding on this and will announce our decision soon."