The opening night of the 2012 season brought the Jaguars of Tanjong Pajar to the Cheetah’s den of Hougang United.
With last season’s heart-stopping 4-3 thriller still in the back of many fans’ mind, they could be forgiven for expecting something similar in this “catfight”.
But in the end, the storyline was of the home side dominating large parts of the game but unable to grab a winner as the away side put up a valiant display to secure a 1-1 draw.
To be fair, the Jaguars always look threatening whenever they broke for counter-attacks, led by their East Asian foreign trio.
It consisted of the team’s top scorer of last season - Takaya Kawanabe, and a pair of Koreans making their league debut. Midfielder Jang In Jun impressed with his tenacity and touches while Lee Joo Sang showed great feet and was constantly a thorn in the Cheetah’s defence with his darting runs.
Hougang fans, on the other hand, also witnessed the maiden bow of their Croatian duo. While Stanislav Vidakovic probably still need some convincing in defence, 32 year old Ante Barac was at his enterprising best in midfield, showing excellent ball sense and the ability to distribute ala Velimir Crljen (SAFFC’s playmaker in the league’s formative years).
Little doubt hence that the game’s opening goal for Hougang on 23 minutes came via an assist from Barac, whose sweet cross from the left saw flying winger Jordan Webb produce a gigantic leap to plan a header at the far corner for 1-0.
However, the lead did not last as admiration of the part of Vidakovic let Kawanabe in and the Japanese needed no second invitation, showing great composure before equalizing with a left-foot curler on 28 minutes.
The home side was rattled but slowly got back into their mode. A lovely free-kick on 4o minutes by Barac had half the crowd shouting goal but alas the strike ended up at the side-netting.
In the 56th minute, Hougang could have netted the second but Jaguars’ custodian Fajar Sarib denied Fazli Jaffar smartly before the deflection was ballooned wastefully by Nurhilmi Jasni.
By this time, Tanjong Pagar was already slowly getting into their defensive shape of men behind the ball with their young captain Delwinder Singh leading the backline while relying on the speedy Lee upfront on his own to cause problems further upfield.
Hougang were restricted to long range efforts as Barac, Azhar Sairudin and rightback Faizal Amir all made Fajar earned his keep in goal.
In the 86th minute, when they finally manage to penetrate into the Jaguars’ penalty area as Webb created space out of nowhere to setup substitute Basit Hamid, Fajar was again alert to deflect the effort out wide was denied.
Then a flowing move in injury time involving Basit and Barac almost saw Azhar finish the move he started but his final shot lack bite and Fajar was able to claw the ball away.
In the first post-match interview with sleague.com since his return to coaching in Singapore, Hougang coach Nenad Bacina lamented that his players deserved more than a point from the game.
“I am happy with the commitment, approach and how we played, but of course we can’t be happy with the final result.
“But this is football, it doesn’t mean when you control the game for 80 minutes, you will win the game”, he added.
The former Woodlands coach also revealed that his optimism in that Mamadou Diallo should be available for selection the next game as there will be two chances for the livewire forward to clear his mandatory Beep test.
For Jaguars’ coach Terry Pathmanathan, he felt his players still needed time to gel as a team.
“The players was nervous and pressured for much of the game, even the more senior players.
They looked like they were afraid of holding the ball, when in fact, they are more than capable of doing so”, the former national captain commented.
No doubt he will be working on his charges in training to whip them into shape. However there was a sour note for the Jaguars as veteran journeyman Azlan Alipah was taken to hospital in what could be a serious knee injury.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
REWIND 8/11/2009 - Eagles overcome all odd to end 8-year barren spell
Date: 8 November 2009
Location: Jalan Besar
Match Attendance: 5,870
8 November 2009 has earned itself a place in Geylang United’s history books after the Eagles rounded off a fine 2009 campaign in style by overcoming their underdog tag to clinch the Singapore Cup.
It was the first piece of silverware that the once all-conquering giants of local football took home in eight long years.
In front of a vociferous crowd of 5,870, the Eagles showed character, resilience and discipline to outwit the smooth passing Thai outfit Bangkok Glass through a solitary strike from substitute Hafiz Rahim in the 82th minute.
Man-of-the match Yazid Yasin was in the form of his life, proving to be a one-man wall on many occasions as he repelled the Thais repeatedly to keep his team in the game. His performance was capped by a superb penalty save in the 87th minute.
Coach Mike Wong made one change to his previous starting eleven as he reinstated club captain Noor Ali into a packed midfield.
The Eagles started the match tentatively as they allowed the Thais the early possession. It was only in the 13th minute that the team put together their first inventive move of the night through a counter attack involving Syed Thaha, Miroslav Latiak, Kim Jae Hong and Noor which led to a corner.
From the ensuing set-piece, the Thais broke swiftly to the other end as dangerman Gbenga Ajayi warded off two challenges before unleashing a shot which Yazid palmed away.
Five minutes later, Masrezwan Masturi (Mas) picked up a loose ball and drove at the Thai team backline. As the defence closed him down, Mas laid the ball out wide to Noor who then picked him out with a first time cross but the latter could not make a clean connection.
Ajaki was proving to be a handful for the Eagles and in the 33th minute, the Nigerian raced into the box and pulled the ball back for his strike partner. Luckily, Walid Lounis managed to deflect the effort to safety.
Geylang was getting into the game gradually and two freekicks either side of the half-time break almost provided the breakthrough.
As the game headed to first half injury time, Kim went on a solo run after being played through by Adrian Dhanaraj before being chopped down unceremoniously by the Thais’ captain Amnart.
Off Latiak’s powerpack attempt which deflected off the wall, Kim stole in and tried to nick the ball past keeper Klisana but the angle was just too tight.
The Korean then curled a brilliant left-foot set-piece attempt himself which narrowly missed the goal three minutes after the break.
Through another counter in the 63th minute, Latiak raced down at goal after Noor had played him in with a delightful chip, however, an unexpected bounce off the artificial turf allowed the Thais’ defence to recover and clear the danger.
It sparked Bangkok Glass into action as they started a series of intense bombardment of the Eagles’ goal soon after with playmaker Peeraphong in the thick of things.
The No. 23 gave the slip to both Adrian and Rastislav Belicak in the 64th minute before testing Yazid with a stinger from inside the box which the keeper responded with a brilliant save.
Eight minutes later, Peeraphong’s fierce drive from the edge of the box again needed the intervention of the increasing busy Yazid.
Next, a far post header back across goal from a corner situation for the Thais soon after bounced dangerously just in front the Eagles goal. Once again Yazid showed great agility to punch clear as the Eagles sought to weather the storm.
Geylang rode their luck and their determination was rewarded in the 82th minute. Klisana flapped at Kim’s corner and a goalmouth melee ensued.
Within the space of seconds, Noor and Hafiz Rahim – who had come on ten minutes earlier for Mas, saw their efforts cannoned off the woodwork.
As it is, Lady Luck smiled at the Eagles in the pinball situation as the ball fell at the feet of Hafiz a second time and this time, the striker who had been unlucky with injuries the past few seasons, produced an unerring finish as the fans in green roared in absolute joy.
A controversial decision from the match officials minutes later then had the Eagles’ fans up in protest.
Referee Kenny Ng had waved play on when Ajaki went down under a challenge inside the box. However, the referee overruled his decision when he saw the linesman flagging and instead gave the Thais a penalty kick.
Geylang players disputed the decision and Kim was booked for carrying his arguments too far.
The stage was set for Yazid to play hero yet again and the Geylang custodian obliged by pulling off a stunning save from Supachai.
Frustration soon took over the Thais and substitute Nantawat was given a straight red card in the 90th minute for a tackle from behind on Kim.
The Eagles held on for the remaining three minutes of added time and joyous scenes soon broke out at the final whistle.
Coach Mike Wong post-match attributed this tremendous cup run to the fantastic team spirit in the dressing room and revealed that he is hoping to build on this success for next season which will also see a return to the AFC Cup for the Eagles.While the Eagles celebrate this latest success, we all hope that this will be the start of a new dawn for Geylang United in the coming seasons.
Report by: Hugo Ng
Location: Jalan Besar
Match Attendance: 5,870
8 November 2009 has earned itself a place in Geylang United’s history books after the Eagles rounded off a fine 2009 campaign in style by overcoming their underdog tag to clinch the Singapore Cup.
It was the first piece of silverware that the once all-conquering giants of local football took home in eight long years.
In front of a vociferous crowd of 5,870, the Eagles showed character, resilience and discipline to outwit the smooth passing Thai outfit Bangkok Glass through a solitary strike from substitute Hafiz Rahim in the 82th minute.
Man-of-the match Yazid Yasin was in the form of his life, proving to be a one-man wall on many occasions as he repelled the Thais repeatedly to keep his team in the game. His performance was capped by a superb penalty save in the 87th minute.
Coach Mike Wong made one change to his previous starting eleven as he reinstated club captain Noor Ali into a packed midfield.
The Eagles started the match tentatively as they allowed the Thais the early possession. It was only in the 13th minute that the team put together their first inventive move of the night through a counter attack involving Syed Thaha, Miroslav Latiak, Kim Jae Hong and Noor which led to a corner.
From the ensuing set-piece, the Thais broke swiftly to the other end as dangerman Gbenga Ajayi warded off two challenges before unleashing a shot which Yazid palmed away.
Five minutes later, Masrezwan Masturi (Mas) picked up a loose ball and drove at the Thai team backline. As the defence closed him down, Mas laid the ball out wide to Noor who then picked him out with a first time cross but the latter could not make a clean connection.
Ajaki was proving to be a handful for the Eagles and in the 33th minute, the Nigerian raced into the box and pulled the ball back for his strike partner. Luckily, Walid Lounis managed to deflect the effort to safety.
Geylang was getting into the game gradually and two freekicks either side of the half-time break almost provided the breakthrough.
As the game headed to first half injury time, Kim went on a solo run after being played through by Adrian Dhanaraj before being chopped down unceremoniously by the Thais’ captain Amnart.
Off Latiak’s powerpack attempt which deflected off the wall, Kim stole in and tried to nick the ball past keeper Klisana but the angle was just too tight.
The Korean then curled a brilliant left-foot set-piece attempt himself which narrowly missed the goal three minutes after the break.
Through another counter in the 63th minute, Latiak raced down at goal after Noor had played him in with a delightful chip, however, an unexpected bounce off the artificial turf allowed the Thais’ defence to recover and clear the danger.
It sparked Bangkok Glass into action as they started a series of intense bombardment of the Eagles’ goal soon after with playmaker Peeraphong in the thick of things.
The No. 23 gave the slip to both Adrian and Rastislav Belicak in the 64th minute before testing Yazid with a stinger from inside the box which the keeper responded with a brilliant save.
Eight minutes later, Peeraphong’s fierce drive from the edge of the box again needed the intervention of the increasing busy Yazid.
Next, a far post header back across goal from a corner situation for the Thais soon after bounced dangerously just in front the Eagles goal. Once again Yazid showed great agility to punch clear as the Eagles sought to weather the storm.
Geylang rode their luck and their determination was rewarded in the 82th minute. Klisana flapped at Kim’s corner and a goalmouth melee ensued.
Within the space of seconds, Noor and Hafiz Rahim – who had come on ten minutes earlier for Mas, saw their efforts cannoned off the woodwork.
As it is, Lady Luck smiled at the Eagles in the pinball situation as the ball fell at the feet of Hafiz a second time and this time, the striker who had been unlucky with injuries the past few seasons, produced an unerring finish as the fans in green roared in absolute joy.
A controversial decision from the match officials minutes later then had the Eagles’ fans up in protest.
Referee Kenny Ng had waved play on when Ajaki went down under a challenge inside the box. However, the referee overruled his decision when he saw the linesman flagging and instead gave the Thais a penalty kick.
Geylang players disputed the decision and Kim was booked for carrying his arguments too far.
The stage was set for Yazid to play hero yet again and the Geylang custodian obliged by pulling off a stunning save from Supachai.
Frustration soon took over the Thais and substitute Nantawat was given a straight red card in the 90th minute for a tackle from behind on Kim.
The Eagles held on for the remaining three minutes of added time and joyous scenes soon broke out at the final whistle.
Coach Mike Wong post-match attributed this tremendous cup run to the fantastic team spirit in the dressing room and revealed that he is hoping to build on this success for next season which will also see a return to the AFC Cup for the Eagles.While the Eagles celebrate this latest success, we all hope that this will be the start of a new dawn for Geylang United in the coming seasons.
Report by: Hugo Ng
Thursday, January 12, 2012
When everyone is taling about 12Lions
Now that the media and fans have warmed up to 12Lions, think I can take a break about talking about local soccer for awhile.
Ultimately I am on the side of the realists who are concerned about our own local league - S.league!
We will hope for the spillover considering in many sense S.league standard is actually comparable to the M League.
Well just have to strive harder to bring our own league up 1 level when the season begins!
Ultimately I am on the side of the realists who are concerned about our own local league - S.league!
We will hope for the spillover considering in many sense S.league standard is actually comparable to the M League.
Well just have to strive harder to bring our own league up 1 level when the season begins!
Uniform Derby (S.league) - 31/12/11
A phone call between the coaches was all it took as the country’s two uniformed teams put their recent work on the training pitch to test on New Year’s Eve at Jalan Besar Stadium.
In the end, the game went in favour of the side which have had a solid week of pre-season training – SAF FC, by a 2-0 scoreline.
In contrast, Home United had just started work three days earlier. Coach Lee Lim Seang’s main intention was to check on the condition of his charges after having spent the past weeks back in Korea to attain his UEFA Pro Licence.
During the game, the Warriors paraded their two new signings from Tampines - Shukor Zailan and Hassan Sunny, along Eddie Chang and a bunch of promising young boys who have been promoted from their Prime League team.
Lee, on the same note, took a first look at promising Hafiz Nor (from Tanjong Pagar) and compatriot Chang Jo Yoon (from Gombak), while checking out a new look defence consisting of seasoned campaigners like Sofiyan Abdul Hamid, Jeremy Chiang and Zahid Ahmad along a Korean trialist.
However it was in midfield where the attention was as it featured former Warriors Rhysh Roshan Rai and the ever industrious John Wilkinson, who was returning from his Thai adventure.
New signing Shotaro Ihata was carrying a minor injury, thus did not feature, as were key men Shi Jiayi and Frederic Mendy who were still on holiday.
Earlier on in the game, it was Shahril Jantan in the Warriors goal who was the busiest as he was tested fully by Hafiz, Roshan Rai and Qiu Li. Wilkinson also had a trademark long range blaster crashing against the woodwork.
But it was the returnee in the Warriors’ camp - Ruzaini Zainal (on loan to Young Lions), that was instrumental in the final result as the winger were involved in both moves which saw the strike duo of Fazrul Nawaz and Erwan Gunawan finish off in the 30th and 33th minute.
Notably, the second period saw the return to action of Hassan in the Warriors’ goal and the national custodian impressed in his run-out with a couple of good saves.
Post-match, SAF coach Richard Bok expressed satisfaction with the game as he maintained the priority in making his team gel quickly before the season begins.
“We still have five players who are not back with us”, referring to Daniel Bennett, foreign signings Mislav Karolgan, Shimpei Sakurada, Tatsuro Inui and former Japanese youth international Seiji Saito.
With his recent acquisitions, Bok is hopeful that the reshaped team will be able to play the ideal type of football he is envisaging.
“We are trying to move towards a passing game, to keep the ball as much as possible. Hopefully, with these new guys, we can build a more balanced game to challenge for honours”.
While Bok has settled on his squad and strategy for the coming season, it is obvious the same cannot be same with Lee.
Quizzed about his defence which seemed vulnerable on many occasions during the game following the confirmation of defensive rock Valery Hiek to Thai outfit Bangkok Glass, it seemed Lee had already in place a partial solution.
“As you saw today, we got a big problem (in defence)!” he quipped.
“So I have called Kenji (Arai) and he is coming back next week to be with us”.
The experienced Japanese defender had earlier left the Protectors after not being offered an extension to his deal.
“People can worry about our defence now, but we train as a unit and let’s see what we can show when the season starts”, he smiled confidently.
In the end, the game went in favour of the side which have had a solid week of pre-season training – SAF FC, by a 2-0 scoreline.
In contrast, Home United had just started work three days earlier. Coach Lee Lim Seang’s main intention was to check on the condition of his charges after having spent the past weeks back in Korea to attain his UEFA Pro Licence.
During the game, the Warriors paraded their two new signings from Tampines - Shukor Zailan and Hassan Sunny, along Eddie Chang and a bunch of promising young boys who have been promoted from their Prime League team.
Lee, on the same note, took a first look at promising Hafiz Nor (from Tanjong Pagar) and compatriot Chang Jo Yoon (from Gombak), while checking out a new look defence consisting of seasoned campaigners like Sofiyan Abdul Hamid, Jeremy Chiang and Zahid Ahmad along a Korean trialist.
However it was in midfield where the attention was as it featured former Warriors Rhysh Roshan Rai and the ever industrious John Wilkinson, who was returning from his Thai adventure.
New signing Shotaro Ihata was carrying a minor injury, thus did not feature, as were key men Shi Jiayi and Frederic Mendy who were still on holiday.
Earlier on in the game, it was Shahril Jantan in the Warriors goal who was the busiest as he was tested fully by Hafiz, Roshan Rai and Qiu Li. Wilkinson also had a trademark long range blaster crashing against the woodwork.
But it was the returnee in the Warriors’ camp - Ruzaini Zainal (on loan to Young Lions), that was instrumental in the final result as the winger were involved in both moves which saw the strike duo of Fazrul Nawaz and Erwan Gunawan finish off in the 30th and 33th minute.
Notably, the second period saw the return to action of Hassan in the Warriors’ goal and the national custodian impressed in his run-out with a couple of good saves.
Post-match, SAF coach Richard Bok expressed satisfaction with the game as he maintained the priority in making his team gel quickly before the season begins.
“We still have five players who are not back with us”, referring to Daniel Bennett, foreign signings Mislav Karolgan, Shimpei Sakurada, Tatsuro Inui and former Japanese youth international Seiji Saito.
With his recent acquisitions, Bok is hopeful that the reshaped team will be able to play the ideal type of football he is envisaging.
“We are trying to move towards a passing game, to keep the ball as much as possible. Hopefully, with these new guys, we can build a more balanced game to challenge for honours”.
While Bok has settled on his squad and strategy for the coming season, it is obvious the same cannot be same with Lee.
Quizzed about his defence which seemed vulnerable on many occasions during the game following the confirmation of defensive rock Valery Hiek to Thai outfit Bangkok Glass, it seemed Lee had already in place a partial solution.
“As you saw today, we got a big problem (in defence)!” he quipped.
“So I have called Kenji (Arai) and he is coming back next week to be with us”.
The experienced Japanese defender had earlier left the Protectors after not being offered an extension to his deal.
“People can worry about our defence now, but we train as a unit and let’s see what we can show when the season starts”, he smiled confidently.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Comment: If we are to stand a chance against China..
Yes some players have been dropped before the first qualifier began.
But as 4 matches gone by, we have seen some players really being out of depth on the Asian level. They may be stars in the local S.League, but would it be wise in persisting with them?
We all note the incredible absence of Qiu Li & Khairul Amri. But have we forgotten about Noh Alam Shah?? NAS may have underperformed in the Suzuki Cup (when he was partnered with Duric). But during the WC qualifiers where we need a battering target-man against the bigger teams, NAS I believe would have been useful. His international goals against big teams includ include strikes against West Asia's Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Jordan (as far as I remember). This is a man who can compete against the giant Asian defenders. Duric, to be trueful, have struggled to
find form somewhat when pitted against them. Duric's strike-rate on a bigger stage would probably be just against Tajikistan?
How I wish NAS can be at JBS to bully the over-the hill Li Weifeng out of his game on Tuesday.. Lets hope Duric can raise his game in probably what will be his last home international game & kick the China skipper's ass off before his sunset with the Lions.
With Khairul Nizam still a distance away to inherit the No 9 shirt, I do think among all eligible Singaporean men, NAS is still our option to go. His finishing may not be 20/20, but his other attributes make him a good leader up the field.
Anyway, if I am in the Lions' hotseat on Tuesday, I will pump forward with this line-up. The onus is for the 2 front men to deliver, while the 2 wide men try their best to support..
Lionel Lewis
Ismail Yunos (RB)
Jumaat Jantan (LB)
Sevki Sha'bban (LCB)
Daniel Bennett (RCB)
Hafiz Rahim (RM)
Isa Halim
Mustafic Fahrudin
Firdaus Idros (LM)
Shahril Ishak
Aleksander Duric
Supersub: Shi Jiayi
"I am neither an expert nor a die-hard fan, but I am Singaporean"
But as 4 matches gone by, we have seen some players really being out of depth on the Asian level. They may be stars in the local S.League, but would it be wise in persisting with them?
We all note the incredible absence of Qiu Li & Khairul Amri. But have we forgotten about Noh Alam Shah?? NAS may have underperformed in the Suzuki Cup (when he was partnered with Duric). But during the WC qualifiers where we need a battering target-man against the bigger teams, NAS I believe would have been useful. His international goals against big teams includ include strikes against West Asia's Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Jordan (as far as I remember). This is a man who can compete against the giant Asian defenders. Duric, to be trueful, have struggled to
find form somewhat when pitted against them. Duric's strike-rate on a bigger stage would probably be just against Tajikistan?
How I wish NAS can be at JBS to bully the over-the hill Li Weifeng out of his game on Tuesday.. Lets hope Duric can raise his game in probably what will be his last home international game & kick the China skipper's ass off before his sunset with the Lions.
With Khairul Nizam still a distance away to inherit the No 9 shirt, I do think among all eligible Singaporean men, NAS is still our option to go. His finishing may not be 20/20, but his other attributes make him a good leader up the field.
Anyway, if I am in the Lions' hotseat on Tuesday, I will pump forward with this line-up. The onus is for the 2 front men to deliver, while the 2 wide men try their best to support..
Lionel Lewis
Ismail Yunos (RB)
Jumaat Jantan (LB)
Sevki Sha'bban (LCB)
Daniel Bennett (RCB)
Hafiz Rahim (RM)
Isa Halim
Mustafic Fahrudin
Firdaus Idros (LM)
Shahril Ishak
Aleksander Duric
Supersub: Shi Jiayi
"I am neither an expert nor a die-hard fan, but I am Singaporean"
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Full Time report : Hougang United vs Tanjong Pagar (6 Oct)
Seven goal thriller ends Hougang favour
The fire in the cauldron of the Hougang Stadium was almost extinguished, not by the rain, by a gutsy Tanjong Pagar side on Thursday night as the Jaguars were minutes away from snatching a credible point after coming from three goals behind only to be denied by an injury-time Jordan Webb winner.
The final score of 4-3 in favour of Hougang was not on the script for much of the game. A header from veteran winger Noor Ali off a corner had given the Cheetahs a 7th minute lead which Carlos Delgado doubled on 24th after great set-up work from Webb, who went on a mazy run down the left wing.
After racing to a two-goal lead, the home side then slowed the tempo a little which allowed the Jaguars to start fashioning a few moves through Frenchman Cyril Bagnost and rising starlet Hafiz Nor.
However, Brazilian Diego Oliveira should have added to Hougang’s tally before the break but for Jaguars’ keeper Ng Jia Fa and journeyman Azlan Alipah.
Midfield general Azhar Sairudin also had an outrageous lob attempt from half-way field which just landed on the top of the Jaguars’ net.
Tanjong Pagar came out of the second period looking for a way back in the game with the introduction of Patrick Paran to partner Takaya Kawanabe upfront. Both were to have something to cheer about as the game went on.
On 64 minutes, another assist from Webb allowed another half-time substitute Sobrie Mazlan to find the bottom corner for 3-0 and the Jaguars looked dead and buried.
Two minutes later, Bagnost pulled his team straight back into the contest. The former Etoile man showed great enterprise and determination to get into position before fortune benefited him as his left footer, which appeared to have been intended as a cross, sneaked in via Fadhil Salim’s near post.
The impressive Hafiz then almost got his third goal in three games but he hesitated in a one vs one situation which allowed Fadhil to smother the danger.
A counter-attack on 76 minutes saw Kawanabe calmly slotted it in for 3-2 after a brilliant through ball from Jaguars’ substitute Shamil Sharif was controlled immaculately by the Japanese.
Hafiz, who had been threatening all night, finally stamped his mark on 79 minutes as he showed a combination of skill and determination to set up Paran for a simple finish to tie the game up at three apiece.
The away side could have easily sank the hearts of the Hougang diehards on 85 minutes Bagnost showed great feet and balance to trick his way down the left flank and squared the ball to Kawanabe. However the diminutive forward’s volley was met by the wonderful reflexes of Fadhil.
This laid the platform for the home win in stoppage time as Webb met Fazli Jaffar’s freekick and flicked the ball home to ensure late drama at Hougang.
Cheetahs’ coach Aide Iskandar was a relieved man at the end.
“I knew they were on a high and could spring a surprise. They have improved a lot since the start of the season and credit to them and Terry, who has done a good job”, he said.
While he lamented the lapse of concentration and defensive errors that almost cost his side, the former national skipper showed pragmatism in the end, “I am glad that my boys kept pushing. At his stage of the season, I guess the most important thing is three points”.
On the other end, with regards to the comeback which nearly materialized, Jaguars’ team manager Steve Nathan noted the emphasis on being focused and the increased confidence of the players following Aide's substitutions at half-time of Noor Ali (tactical) and Delgado (illness).
He remarked, “ I thought the team’s performance was excellent, considering it was the first time that we have played in the kind of weather”.
“You can see we took awhile to adapt. But I am pleased with the fight back, the spirit displayed and I thought we deserved to win”, he added.
Hougang next travel up to Jurong West to face off with Gombak on 12 Oct while the Jaguars renew ties with their old adversaries Geylang a day later at Bedok.
~extracted from sleague.com~ hugo boss
The fire in the cauldron of the Hougang Stadium was almost extinguished, not by the rain, by a gutsy Tanjong Pagar side on Thursday night as the Jaguars were minutes away from snatching a credible point after coming from three goals behind only to be denied by an injury-time Jordan Webb winner.
The final score of 4-3 in favour of Hougang was not on the script for much of the game. A header from veteran winger Noor Ali off a corner had given the Cheetahs a 7th minute lead which Carlos Delgado doubled on 24th after great set-up work from Webb, who went on a mazy run down the left wing.
After racing to a two-goal lead, the home side then slowed the tempo a little which allowed the Jaguars to start fashioning a few moves through Frenchman Cyril Bagnost and rising starlet Hafiz Nor.
However, Brazilian Diego Oliveira should have added to Hougang’s tally before the break but for Jaguars’ keeper Ng Jia Fa and journeyman Azlan Alipah.
Midfield general Azhar Sairudin also had an outrageous lob attempt from half-way field which just landed on the top of the Jaguars’ net.
Tanjong Pagar came out of the second period looking for a way back in the game with the introduction of Patrick Paran to partner Takaya Kawanabe upfront. Both were to have something to cheer about as the game went on.
On 64 minutes, another assist from Webb allowed another half-time substitute Sobrie Mazlan to find the bottom corner for 3-0 and the Jaguars looked dead and buried.
Two minutes later, Bagnost pulled his team straight back into the contest. The former Etoile man showed great enterprise and determination to get into position before fortune benefited him as his left footer, which appeared to have been intended as a cross, sneaked in via Fadhil Salim’s near post.
The impressive Hafiz then almost got his third goal in three games but he hesitated in a one vs one situation which allowed Fadhil to smother the danger.
A counter-attack on 76 minutes saw Kawanabe calmly slotted it in for 3-2 after a brilliant through ball from Jaguars’ substitute Shamil Sharif was controlled immaculately by the Japanese.
Hafiz, who had been threatening all night, finally stamped his mark on 79 minutes as he showed a combination of skill and determination to set up Paran for a simple finish to tie the game up at three apiece.
The away side could have easily sank the hearts of the Hougang diehards on 85 minutes Bagnost showed great feet and balance to trick his way down the left flank and squared the ball to Kawanabe. However the diminutive forward’s volley was met by the wonderful reflexes of Fadhil.
This laid the platform for the home win in stoppage time as Webb met Fazli Jaffar’s freekick and flicked the ball home to ensure late drama at Hougang.
Cheetahs’ coach Aide Iskandar was a relieved man at the end.
“I knew they were on a high and could spring a surprise. They have improved a lot since the start of the season and credit to them and Terry, who has done a good job”, he said.
While he lamented the lapse of concentration and defensive errors that almost cost his side, the former national skipper showed pragmatism in the end, “I am glad that my boys kept pushing. At his stage of the season, I guess the most important thing is three points”.
On the other end, with regards to the comeback which nearly materialized, Jaguars’ team manager Steve Nathan noted the emphasis on being focused and the increased confidence of the players following Aide's substitutions at half-time of Noor Ali (tactical) and Delgado (illness).
He remarked, “ I thought the team’s performance was excellent, considering it was the first time that we have played in the kind of weather”.
“You can see we took awhile to adapt. But I am pleased with the fight back, the spirit displayed and I thought we deserved to win”, he added.
Hougang next travel up to Jurong West to face off with Gombak on 12 Oct while the Jaguars renew ties with their old adversaries Geylang a day later at Bedok.
~extracted from sleague.com~ hugo boss
Monday, September 5, 2011
s.League 4/9: Hougang 2-1 Etoile - Azhar marks comeback with winner
A moment of improvisation from Azhar Sairudin earned Hougang United a morale boosting 2-1 victory over defending champions Etoile FC as the league schedule resumed on Sunday evening.
The 25 year-old had missed his club’s last couple of matches due to suspension but showed again on his return how much his market value has risen this season.
In the 67th minute, not long after Etoile has cancelled out Vitor Borges’ first half opener, Azhar pounced on a loose clearance off a freekick, evaded a challenge, before firing in a half-volley with the outside of his right boot to give the Cheetahs’ the initiative for a second time on the night. It was a lead which they never relinquished.
The game was even from the start as Azhar and his partner Carlos Delgado sought to tussle against the ever-improving Theo Raymond in the centre of the park. On the wings, Cheetah Jordan Webb and the Etoile’s Sirina Camara were also looking in menacing mood.
Hougang took the lead in the 23th minute as Delgado’s smart distribution left Webb one-on-one with an Etoile defender. The fleet-footed Canadian proceeded to storm his way down the by-line and setup Borges for an easy finish.
The French side tried to hit back with a couple of in-swinging corners that caused the home team a few scares. However it was only in the 40th minute through Raymond’s freekick that Fadhil Salim was really tested. The Hougang custodian’s steady hands proved vital in neutralizing the threats in this instant and many others during the match.
Early in the second period, Etoile upped their tempo and coach Guglielmo Arena followed up by unleashing his wild cards in the form of Aly Doumbouya and Hicham Bouchemlal at the 59th minute mark.
Five minutes later, the game was levelled as defender Selim Kaabi nodded home from close range after good work from Jonathan Toto off a Raymond corner.
Next came the moment of improvisation from Azhar, which went in off Etoile’s keeper Antonin Trilles’ left post. This sparked jubilant scenes as the players celebrated the delightful goal right in front of their die-hard faithful.
Doumbouya, Bouchemlal and Raymond all had decent chances at goal but none managed to seriously test Fadhil after that.
Thus, it was left to Trilles to produce the save of the night as the French keeper tipped over from Brazilian substitute Diego Oliveira’s flying header in the 89th minute.
At the other end, Cheetahs’ captain Shariff Samat and his defence worked effectively to repel the French attempts late in the game to hang on for the three points.
Speaking to sleague.com after the game, Cheetahs’ coach Aide Iskandar was evidently a happy man.
“This is a result of good team discipline and everyone taking responsibility, it was never an easy game against a well-drilled team, especially after three weeks’ break”.
“But it is good to see us start winning against the top teams again, which is good for team morale leading to the semi-finals of the Singapore Cup”, he explained.
The former national skipper also had kind words for his match winner, “No doubt Azhar has potential, his technical abilities allow him to make those good passes”.
With his side’s recent good form having been halted by this defeat, Etoile coach Arena was visibly unsatisfied.
“Our individual mistakes cost us. Hougang did not have that many good chances to score, except the header at the end”, he commented through his translator.
He then vented his frustration at the absence of proper facilities and a perceived unfairness in the way the league fixtures were rescheduled.
“We did not have goalposts at Queenstown for training till three days ago”.
He added, “This weekend is a FIFA date for internationals, but Etoile had to play, minus our two players”, referring to the absence of Franklin Anzite and Serge Souchon on national duties.
“It is not correct”, as he lamented the fact that other title challengers were not scheduled for action.
Next up for Etoile will be a tough battle against the Albirex side on Wednesday night and Arena will certainly hope his team can rediscover their winning mentality then.
~credits: Pohui from Bolasepako.com and s-league.com~
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