Category: News
A first-ever Singapore Premier League (SPL) hat-trick for Kim Shin-wook, an assist each for Maxime Lestienne and Gabriel Quak on their first starts of the season, and a second clean sheet in three outings.
There were several plus points as the Lion City Sailors romped to a convincing 4-0 victory over Balestier Khalsa at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night (1 April), kick-starting what is lined up to be an important month for the defending SPL champions. The Sailors will play nine matches across two competitions over just 28 days.
Friday’s win was undoubtedly the Sailors’ most complete display of 2022 so far. And while Head Coach Kim Do-hoon derived much satisfaction from the performance, he immediately spotted a key issue to address.
“It was good to see how the players connected with each other and played as a team, but it’s still disappointing that the number of goals didn’t tally with the chances created. A lot of hard work went into creating those chances, so we have to be more clinical – we have to learn to kill off games to make life a lot easier for us,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man, of the 21 shots that his charges took in the match.
“The most pleasing thing was to see how we were able to keep the ball and move it around – we could break their organisation by making their players go out of positions to press us and create space for us to exploit. That’s something we worked on a lot during training, so it’s good to see it coming off in the game.”
With the loosening of pandemic restrictions and local rapper Akeem Jahat in the house to provide half-time entertainment, the atmosphere was buzzing amongst the Sailors faithful, especially when the team’s lineup was announced before the game.
Nur Adam Abdullah, Gabriel and Maxime were handed their first starts of 2022, while Shin-wook and Pedro Henrique were restored to the starting eleven – with the Brazilian returning from a two-match suspension – as all four Sailors foreign players started a match for the first time this season.
Four players who starred in Singapore’s successful FAS Tri-Nations Series campaign also made the lineup, including Song Ui-young who was deployed in the no. 10 role that saw him shine for the Lions.
The Sailors imposed themselves from the get-go and drew first blood after just seven minutes, with Shin-wook shrewdly freeing himself from Balestier’s Serbian defender Ensar Brunčević before nodding home Shahdan Sulaiman’s outswinging corner.
The early goal gave the champions added impetus as they began to dictate the tempo and become more fluid in possession.
After Hassan Sunny thwarted a couple of Balestier attempts, the Sailors went on to double their advantage on 27 minutes. Maxime’s exquisite left-wing cross took out the entire Tigers defence, with Song proceeding to slot underneath Hairul Syirhan for his first goal of the season.
Kim’s men were relentless and duly made it three on the half-hour mark. Gabriel – who switched flanks with Maxime just moments earlier – strode onto an excellent Hariss Harun ball over the top, before squaring across for Shin-wook to convert from six yards out.
Victory was then wrapped up 10 minutes into the second half, with the 1.98m “Wookie” steering in another header off Diego Lopes’ pinpoint cross – after some great interchange of passes between Maxime and Gabriel – to complete his first Sailors hat-trick.
The Sailors continued to carve out openings, but were unable to add further goals with Maxime going agonisingly close on a few occasions.
The tempo was then disrupted by a flurry of substitutions, but the rejigged Sailors kept their heads in the game as Hariss foiled Kuraba Kondo from going clean through in the dying stages to preserve another valuable clean sheet for the home side.
An accomplished display was a firm indication that things are coming together for the Sailors. The defending champions go top of the table with 10 points from five matches – although Tanjong Pagar United could reclaim the summit if they beat Young Lions on Saturday (2 Apr). But Kim wants his charges to keep their feet on the ground as they play another two SPL games before embarking on their maiden AFC Champions League campaign in mid-April.
“I’ve said a few times before that I was only expecting us to have a full team ready around April, and this performance shows we’re on track. But there is still a lot of room for improvement and I know we can do even better than this,” said the 51-year-old.
“I just want to say a big thank you to all the fans that came down – we’re happy to be able to put up a good show for them – and I hope they continue to give us that extra motivation for our challenges ahead.”
Pedro ready to make amends and raring to go
As he trudged off the Our Tampines Hub pitch after a 34th-minute sending off, Pedro Henrique gave an apologetic wave to the visiting Lion City Sailors fans as he dragged his feet into the dressing room.
Handed a straight red for tugging down Geylang International Croatian forward Šime Žužul, the towering Brazilian centre-back’s absence on the pitch proved crucial as the 10-man Sailors eventually went down 1-0 to the Eagles in the 4 March Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture.
It was their first loss in 21 competitive outings.
Having to watch from the sidelines as Kim Do-hoon’s men ground out a 1-0 win over Tampines Rovers and a 1-1 draw against Albirex Niigata (S) while he served out his two-match suspension, Pedro is chomping at the bit to get back to action for the Sailors, acutely aware that he now has a fight on his hands to secure a return to the first eleven.
“After reviewing the video I feel that I should not be sent off, but I have to admit I made a mistake,” reflected the 29-year-old. “No player likes to be sent off and miss games – I’ve played professional football for 11 years and that was my third red card – but that’s now over and I have to focus on the present and future.
“Being on the sidelines has made me more motivated to come back stronger and help the team. I know the team has done well without me, so I know it’s not easy for the coach to put me straight back in.
“The key for myself is just to get ready and do my best possible, to regain my spot. I just need to prepare myself properly and make sure I’m in the best condition to perform when Coach makes the call.”
Pedro has impressed in his first couple of outings for the Sailors in a 2-1 Community Shield win over Albirex and a 3-1 defeat of Hougang in their opening SPL game of 2022. But the dismissal and two-match ban disrupted what has been a promising start to his career in Singapore.
Now settling in well and acclimatising to life in the Lion City with the help of compatriot Diego Lopes and interpreter Nelson, the former Vitoria Guimaraes captain is looking forward to get back into gear as the Sailors host a tricky Balestier Khalsa side at Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday night (1 April).
While the Sailors are unbeaten against Balestier in the five encounters since their 2020 inception, the Tigers class of 2022 could prove to be tough opponents with their Japanese attacking trio of Ryoya Taniguchi, Kuraba Kondo and Shuhei Hoshino.
“We did play a friendly against them in pre-season, so we know the quality of their players and how dangerous they can be,” said Pedro, who previously plied his trade in the Portuguese and Brazilian top tiers. “While we know their threat, we just have to focus on playing the football that Coach Kim wants us to play and I’m sure that’ll bring us good results.
“Our team has shown a strong will to win every game and the desire to play the attacking football that the fans love to see – that will never change for us.”
The Balestier game kick-starts a busy and important April with two more SPL games in quick succession – against Young Lions next Wednesday (6 April) and Tanjong Pagar United three days later (9 April) – before the Sailors head to Buriram, Thailand, where they will have to navigate six games in a period of 15 days against quality opposition like Urawa Red Diamonds, Daegu FC and Shandong Luneng in their maiden Asian Football Confederation (ACL) campaign.
With Singapore national team representatives like Song Ui-young, Shahdan Sulaiman, Hariss Harun and Hassan Sunny coming off the back of strong performances for the Lions in the recently-concluded FAS Tri-Nations Series 2022, Pedro believes the Sailors are primed to excel on both fronts and build on what has been a mixed start to the season as the team lies third in the table with two wins and a draw from their opening four games.
“I’ve been really impressed by how my teammates performed for the country and it’s my honour to be playing alongside these players. The league is very competitive this season for sure, and everyone wants to beat us because we’re the defending champions, but I know our boys have what it takes to rise to this challenge,” he elaborated.
“We’re always trying to improve as a team and we know for sure we can play better football than what we’ve been producing so far this season. But the primary aim is of course to pick up all nine points in the league, so that we can go to the ACL full of confidence.”
Sailors duo withdraw from Lions squad
Lion City Sailors duo Iqram Rifqi and M Anumanthan have withdrawn from Nazri Nasir’s Singapore team, leaving nine Sailors in the squad that will line up in the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) Tri-Nations Series that kicks off this evening (23 March).
Iqram, who has enjoyed a good start to the 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, starting all four Sailors’ games at left-back, pulled out of the Lions squad after testing positive for Covid-19.
The 27-year-old Anu withdrew because of a family emergency.
The remaining 24-man Singapore squad will line up against Malaysia on Saturday (26 Mar) and the Philippines three days later, before the Lions return to their clubs.
The Sailors will next line up against Balestier Khalsa at the Jalan Besar Stadium on 1 April.
Trailing 1-0 to Singapore Premier League (SPL) title rivals Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jurong East Stadium on Friday night (18 March), the Lion City Sailors stared defeat in the face – and did not flinch.
Neither did Gabriel Quak.
First, it was his deep cross into the area that led to Kim Shin-wook being tugged down in the area by Albirex defender Tatsuya Sambongi to earn the Sailors a penalty.
Then the 31-year-old took responsibility for the resulting kick, stroking it confidently past Albirex goalkeeper Takahiro Koga with just two minutes left of injury time to rescue a valuable point for the Sailors in a crucial SPL six-pointer.
This was just Gabriel’s second appearance of the season – he came on as a 77th-minute substitute for Iqram Rifqi – as he worked his way back from a shoulder injury sustained in last December’s AFF Suzuki Cup.
“I really like all these high-pressure moments, I had no issues stepping up. I’m just glad the ball hit the back of the net to steal a point for us,” said the Singapore winger, who was last season’s top local scorer with 13 goals.
Sailors toiled hard but found it difficult to break down a resilient Albirex side, with coach Kim Do-hoon glad to see his charges showing the mental fortitude to ensure they at least did not leave Jurong East empty-handed.
“This shows the difference between last year and this. To come back at the end of the match shows the strength and mentality of my boys. I’m not satisfied because we always strive for a victory, but this never-say-die spirit is something that we can definitely build on,” said the 51-year-old.
“As defending champions, we know we need to constantly prove ourselves – it’s not just in matches, but also in training – and I’m grateful that these boys continue to show great attitude in trying to improve.”
With players like Song Ui-young, Saifullah Akbar and Naqiuddin Eunos all unavailable, while main forward Shin-wook was not 100 percent, Kim needed to make a few changes to the lineup that beat Tampines Rovers 1-0 last Sunday.
Amiruldin came in for “Wookie” upfront, while Hafiz Nor and Anaqi Ismit – who was making his senior Sailors debut – were given their first starts of the campaign on the Sailors’ flanks.
As opposed to previous matches, the Sailors had started off the more purposeful of the two sides as they pressed from the front and enjoyed good passages of play. Diego Lopes – starting in successive games for the first time since May 2021 – provided fans a real treat, with his superb close control enabling him to keep the ball under pressure as he dedicated play from the middle of the park.
Hassan Sunny, Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman and Adam Swandi also turned in performances that drove the Sailors forward even as they trailed Albirex for most of the match.
While the Sailors enjoyed possession and exchanged passes comfortably, clear-cut chances were hard to come by, with Albirex growing into the game towards the closing stages of the first half and looked more dangerous in attack. The hosts duly broke the deadlock just before the break.
As the ball bobbled outside the area after a corner, Daichi Omori seized the opportunity to lash a swerving drive that took a touch off Amirul Adli before swerving past a full-stretch Hassan in the Sailors goal.
At half time, Kim rang the changes with Nur Adam Abdullah coming on to fill in for Tajeli Salamat in an unfamiliar right-back position for his first appearance of the campaign, while Maxime Lestienne replaced Anaqi Ismit on the left.
Haiqal Pashia and Shin-wook were introduced later, before Gabriel Quak joined the fray with 13 minutes to play.
The rejigged Sailors were more threatening in the attacking third, with Adli and Shin-wook both going close before the equaliser eventually came at the death.
Gabriel, who scored an 88th-minute stunner at the same end in a 3-2 defeat back in October 2020, held his nerve to convert the spot-kick to give the boisterous Sailors fans something to cheer about.
The euphoria continued in the stands and even spilled outside the stadium, long after the final whistle had sounded.
The point meant the Sailors now have seven points from four matches, level with Albirex and Tanjong Pagar atop the eight-team SPL standings, before the latter host Geylang International on Saturday evening.
While it has not been the most ideal of starts to the season, the Sailors are taking several positives going into next week’s international break.
“Football’s a game that can change in a split second. Credit goes to every player that played a part in getting this result in the last minute and we’ll continue to work harder for better results for our fans,” said Kim, who was confident that his charges will build on this performance.
Gabriel sang from the same song book.
“Having lost to us in the Community Shield, they wanted a victory badly so conceding a late equaliser to us must have felt like a defeat to them,” he said.
“There’s nothing much to be worried about right now, I rather we start slow and end the season high, and I’m sure we can build on this draw.”
The Lion City Sailors are well-represented in Nazri Nasir’s Singapore squad that will take on Malaysia and the Philippines at the FAS Tri-Nations Series 2022, a three-team ‘A’ international friendly tournament hosted in Singapore from 23-29 March.
Hariss Harun is poised to lead the Republic’s Lions under interim Singapore coach Nazri, and the Singapore captain is joined by 10 Sailors teammates including Iqram Rifqi – who has enjoyed a good start to the Singapore Premier League (SPL) season – in the 26-man squad.
The left-sided fullback has started all four Sailors’ games in 2022 – including the AIA Community Shield – and already has one goal to his name. Iqram scored with a rasping shot in the Sailor’s 3-1 win over Hougang United in the club’s SPL opening fixture.
“It’s always an honour to be called up to represent Singapore, and I’m delighted that the work that I’ve put into every training session and every match for the Sailors is paying off,” said the 26-year-old who was part of the Lions squad that inspired the nation at last year’s AFF Suzuki Cup.
“I know there are things in my game that I can improve on, and I’m glad that I’m being tested and pushed on a daily basis by coaches and my teammates at the club. I think my game is improving, and I hope I’ll be able to pull on the Singapore jersey and do a job for my country.”
The Sailors will line up against Albirex Niigata (S) on Friday (18 Mar) in the club’s final SPL fixture before the international break, with the Lions playing Malaysia on 26 Mar before facing the Philippines three days later.
Harimau Malaya and the Azkals will square off on 23 Mar.
All three matches will be played at the Singapore Sports Hub’s National Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8pm.
As Singapore eases Covid-19 restrictions, more spectators will be able to catch the Lions ‘live’. Up to 15,000 fans will be allowed for both Lions games – up from 10,000 at the Suzuki Cup – with a 5,000 limit set for the Malaysia-Philippines fixture.
Sailors in the Lions squad: Hassan Sunny, Izwan Mahbud, Amirul Adli, Hariss Harun, Iqram Rifqi, M Anumanthan, Shahdan Sulaiman, Hami Syahin, Adam Swandi, Hafiz Nor, Song Ui-young
Standing in the centre circle at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Kim Do-hoon stood still, hands on hips and eyes fixed on the players in front of him. With a shrill burst of the whistle, he barked instructions and stepped in to demonstrate to his Lion City Sailors exactly what he wanted.
The South Korean was leaving no stones unturned as the Sailors prepared for what is poised to be a titanic battle on Friday night (18 March) – a final challenge in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) before the international break next week.
The Sailors will face Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jurong East Stadium in a battle between last season’s top two sides. In 2021, both teams were neck and neck in a tight title race, going into the final day level on points before Kim’s men held their nerve to be crowned SPL champions for the first time.
Rivalries were renewed in the 2022 season curtain-raiser, with the Sailors coming from behind to triumph 2-1 in the AIA Community Shield in February. Some four weeks after that encounter, both sides will meet again – this time with three points at stake.
Kazuaki Yoshinaga’s White Swans have been in imperious form since losing 2-0 to Tanjong Pagar United on opening day, plundering 11 goals without reply as they thrashed Balestier Khalsa 6-0 and Young Lions 5-0 respectively to come into this clash level on six points with the Sailors after three matches.
Both sides have their eyes set on the summit which is currently occupied by Tanjong Pagar (seven points), and Kim is under no illusions on the magnitude of this game.
“We have confidence – after beating them in the Community Shield – but this will be a whole new challenge. They’ll want to avenge that defeat, and especially since they’re playing at home, I’m sure they will give something more for their fans,” said the 51-year-old.
“We just have to stay humble, and focused on our task: on the pitch, the players have to be prepared to run that extra step for each other. We’ll have to put on an improved performance to get the result that will put smiles on our fans’ faces.”
The Sailors fell to identical 3-2 defeats in 2020, before holding the White Swans on all three occasions in 2021.
Indeed, an improved performance – a more cohesive display specifically in areas of defensive organisation and offensive rhythm – will be required if the Sailors are to get what will be a first-ever league victory over Albirex.
“It’s understandable that our fans are quite disappointed with our first four matches (Shield and three league games). There are reasons why we’ve not been able to produce our best football yet, but we’re not providing excuses,” said Kim, who first took charge in July 2021.
“With a few new players, it definitely takes time for the squad to come together, and we’re still a work in progress. (Kim) Shin-wook has been training very hard since he’s here and he has the capability to contribute more than just goals for the team. We’re working on the offensive rhythm and the attacking combinations definitely need to be more precise, but that will come with more understanding and more matches.
“I always emphasise team defensive solidarity – because it’s not just about individuals. The last game (1-0 win over Tampines Rovers) proved that if we don’t concede, we can nick a goal at the other end and win the match. Without conceding, we need not be pressured by the scoreline and take extra effort to get back into the game.”
While the 2022 season is still in its infancy, it is setting up to be an intriguing one with the likes of Tanjong Pagar and Geylang International showing they have what it takes to be amongst the top few local sides.
Kim wants his Sailors to embrace the challenge from other teams and go above what they produced in the previous campaign.
“We know coming into this season that opponents will be more aggressive to challenge us even more. But that’s something that will help my boys to stay more focused in training and matches,” he said.
“We have to take up this challenge to constantly improve ourselves and lift this team to the next level. We have to go out in every game with the right mindset and play with our philosophy.
“One thing’s for sure: the attitude and spirit in the team have been superb. Everyone is putting their head down to do what we need to do, and that’s what gives me the confidence that we can get better after a slow start.”
Jalan Besar to welcome up to 3,000 fans
The Lion City Sailors will line up against Albirex Niigata on Friday evening (18 March) in a tough Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture away at the Jurong East Stadium. The Sailors expect to be tested in front of an away crowd that will be backing the White Swans to the hilt.
But the SPL’s defending champions could well have the full force of Sailors fans – The Crew – backing their title defence the next time the Sailors line up at their Jalan Besar Stadium home on 1 April, after the FIFA international window.
Jalan Besar will be able to open its doors to 3,000 fans on matchday, three times the current numbers.
This comes after the FAS announcement that spectator limits at SPL stadiums will be raised to 50 percent of each stadium’s capacity starting tomorrow (18 Mar), in line with the government directive of simplification of safe management measures that went into effect earlier this week.
“Our fans have been brilliant for us so far this season, and I’m excited to see the impact from the stands when we are able to welcome more of our fans into Jalan Besar,” said Sailors’ Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang.
Backed by a raucous crowd, the Sailors have a 100 percent record at Jalan Besar in 2022, beating Hougang United 3-1 (4 Mar), before edging out Tampines Rovers 1-0 last Sunday (13 Mar). This after beating Albirex for the first time in the club’s two-year history when the Sailors triumphed 2-1 to win the league’s curtain raiser, the AIA Community Shield.
“We’ve seen healthy demand for tickets for the two home games that we’ve hosted so far, and this easing of measures will be helpful in deepening our engagement with local football fans,” said Chun-Liang.
“We’ve already implemented online ticketing in partnership with SISTIC, and I’m confident that we will be able to provide fans with a smooth matchday experience, and entertain them both on and off the pitch.”
While safe distancing will no longer be mandatory in stadiums, mask-wearing will continue to be mandatory at all times and spectators are required to be fully vaccinated in order to gain entry.
Chun-Liang is already looking forward to 1 April, when the Sailors host Balestier Khalsa.
He said: “It’ll be fantastic to see a bigger crowd in the stadium, and just how much more the team will be boosted by our fans.”
Defensive solidity, an audacious Kim Shin-wook Panenka penalty – and perhaps a dash of luck – were what it took for the Lion City Sailors to defeat Tampines Rovers in a hard-fought 1-0 victory at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday night (13 March) and return to winning ways in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
In a week that saw the team hard at work to sort out issues that resulted in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Geylang International on 4 Mar, Head Coach Kim Do-hoon did not have the luxury of a full squad with a number of players not in condition to train, and others out through injuries.
The South Korean went with seven changes to the Sailors’ lineup and the much-changed side repaid his confidence with a clean sheet – and the three points – to deny a solid Tampines side that carved out several promising opportunities.
This was only the Sailors’ second clean sheet in 14 outings, including the AIA Community Shield, since Kim took over in July 2021, and he acknowledged that his team should be coming away with clean sheets with regularity.
“I’ve always said that playing better football and dominating the game starts from being solid in defence, and that’s what the boys showed today. This is our first clean sheet this year and that was the most satisfying thing from this match,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“It’s not an excuse, but this was a difficult week with the conditions that we had. I put out the players in the best shape to play in the match, and every one of them did their part tonight. They played for their teammates who were not with us this week.
“I just want to thank the boys who played for making such an effort to get the result, and it’s clear that everyone needs to be ready to play – there’s no so-called best eleven for us – when the opportunity comes, you have to take it. And this also ensures healthy competition within our team,” he added.
Kim restored stalwarts Hassan Sunny, Shahdan Sulaiman and Shin-wook to the starting eleven, while others like Diego Lopes, Haiqal Pashia and Naqiuddin Eunos were handed their first starts of the campaign. In the absence of the suspended Pedro Henrique, Amirul Adli also came in to partner Hariss Harun at the heart of defence.
The rejigged Sailors faced issues against a fluid Tampines side, especially in the first half, but held the fort. Hassan was his usual excellent self in goal, tipping Boris Kopitović’s shot onto the post before denying Taufik Suparno with two point-blank saves all within the first 10 minutes. When the 37-year-old was finally beaten in the 21st minute, Adli was alert and positioned himself well to clear Yasir Hanapi’s goal-bound shot off the line.
With Gavin Lee’s men constantly working their way into dangerous areas, the Sailors stood firm with Diego – on his first start since September 2021 – also putting in a solid defensive shift, dropping back into his area to block off another promising Tampines chance.
The Sailors’ only meaningful opportunity was a 14th minute Shin-wook header off a Diego cross, but that did not hit the target.
Half-time provided the opportunity for Kim to change things around – with Hafiz Nor coming on to play in an unfamiliar right-back role in place of Naqiuddin, while Adam Swandi replaced Saifullah Akbar as Shahdan’s midfield partner.
The changes appeared to bring more balance to the team, and the Sailors began to show more desire and aggression to press higher up the pitch – with Diego hassling Kyoga Nakamura to win the ball before seeing his curling shot tipped around the post two minutes into the second half.
The match-deciding moment came in the 55th-minute after Pashia was adjudged to be brought down by Christopher van Huizen in the area. Shin-wook duly stepped up from the spot and had the audacity – as well as execution – to pull off a Panenka effort that bamboozled Tampines goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari.
A combination of some dogged defending and Lady Luck thereafter ensured the Sailors held out for the victory. First, left-back Iqram Rifqi produced a goal-saving challenge on Zehrudin Mehmedović when the Serbian was through on goal on 66 minutes.
Then Tampines saw two goals ruled out – with substitute Firdaus Kasman’s opportunistic 68th minute shot disallowed with Yasir adjudged to be interfering with play from an offside position, before Mehmedović was deemed marginally ahead of the Sailors’ last defender when he fired home an overhead kick in the area six minutes later.
In what was a welcome sight, Gabriel Quak then came on for the final five minutes for his first appearance since sustaining a shoulder injury during last December’s AFF Suzuki Cup as the Sailors collected their second win of the season to remain level on six points with Albirex Niigata (S) – and one behind leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
While Kim readily admitted it was not the most fluent of performances, the three points was ultimately most important as they gear up for an important away clash against Albirex this coming Friday (18 Mar).
“It was a well-deserved victory, the boys did exactly what we asked of them at half-time and changed the game for us, but we won’t get too carried away with this win,” said the 51-year-old.
“We know we need to show huge improvement in our football. We need to start to play our football from the first minute, we need to do better in timing our press, and also our positioning.
“(For Tampines’ disallowed goals) Luck is part of this Beautiful Game and it’s the referee who makes the decisions. For us, we will definitely look back on those images – not to see and decide whether it’s a goal – but to work on how we can defend better as a team.”
As the Lion City Sailors trudged back into the dressing room after another gruelling training session at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Song Ui-young was still out on the pitch firing one ball after another at goal.
The Singaporean midfielder was stung by last week’s 1-0 defeat to Geylang International that saw the Sailors fall to the club’s first defeat in 20 Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches, and he is determined to do everything he can to ensure there is no repeat as the Sailors host Tampines Rovers this Sunday (13 March).
“We were very disappointed that we couldn’t take the three points. We were one man down (after Pedro Henrique’s sending-off) which made our task more difficult, but there are no excuses for the loss,” said the 28-year-old.
“That game is already history, so we’ve been focusing on training hard to bounce back in our next game. No matter whether we win or lose, it’s always the same aim for us – to keep improving and get better in every area that we should.
“We have a very strong bond within the team, so the belief and motivation is always very high – we’re ready to take the three points this time.”
It is exactly this drive that Sailors’ Head Coach Kim Do-hoon believes will put his team in good stead.
“I’ve said before the SPL kicked off that I’ve been delighted with the spirit that everyone in the team brings to training sessions – and that drive has got stronger this past week,” said Kim.
“We are determined to bounce back from last week’s loss, and we are soldiering on.”
The Sailors were undefeated against Tampines in 2021, with a 3-3 season-opening draw followed by emphatic 4-1 and 6-1 victories en route to winning their first-ever SPL title. But Song is not bothered by past statistics and prefers to focus on the development of the team in a season where other teams are also vastly improving.
Kim Do-hoon’s men lie third in the table with three points after two matches, behind Albirex Niigata (S) on goal difference, and a point behind surprise leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
“It’s important how we play, not who we play against. We have to focus on ourselves rather than thinking too much about our opponents,” stressed Song, who has played in the SPL since 2012.
“This year, my role on the pitch is a bit different from where I usually play but it doesn’t matter. Whatever role the coaches want me to play, I do my best and make sure I support my teammates in the best way I can.”
Kim is counting on the spirit and team ethic to help the Sailors to power through what has been a challenging week.
“We don’t expect any easy games in the SPL, and it is clear from results that we’ve seen so far in the league that it is going to be very competitive this year. Tampines are a good side with quality players who play with a clear structure, and we expect a very tough game,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“The Geylang loss hurt us, and a big part of that was the awful feeling that we let our fans down last week. It is us who have a point to prove in this game against Tampines – we must bounce back from the defeat, and to do that we must win the internal mental battle.
“And from what I’ve seen from the team this past week, we are going into the game ready to give everything we’ve got.”
Sailors must learn from Geylang defeat
As the final whistle sounded at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Friday night (4 March), shoulders slumped and heads hung low amongst the Lion City Sailors.
On the other half of the OTH pitch, jubilant fists were thrown into the Tampines sky, as confetti rained down as Geylang International celebrated what will go down as a famous 1-0 victory over the defending Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions.
The Eagles scored an early goal, then put in a stubborn defensive performance to hand the Sailors their first defeat in 21 matches in all competitions. It was Kim Do-hoon’s first loss in 13 outings as Sailors coach since he took over in July 2021.
The former Ulsan Hyundai man made no excuses for the Sailors’ off-colour display.
“Geylang prepared well, so credit to them for that. In football, you have to score to win and we didn’t do that today. So we’ll have to go back and take a look at the game again, keep our chins up, work harder to prepare better and bounce back – I’m confident we will bounce back,” said the 51-year-old.
Playing in front of a boisterous 978-strong crowd at OTH, with the majority turning out to root for Geylang in what was their first game of the 2022 season, a rejigged Sailors side had issues finding their rhythm in the first half.
An aggressive Geylang side pressed high up the field before the visitors could settle, forcing the Sailors to concede possession near their own penalty area in the ninth minute of play – and that proved fatal. Eagles’ French midfielder Vincent Bezecourt picked up possession and lashed in a low rasping drive past Izwan Mahbud.
Izwan’s debut game for the Sailors saw three other changes to the Sailors’ lineup, along with Adam Swandi, Faris Ramli and Amiruldin Asraf who led the Sailors’ attack.
Amiruldin toiled hard upfront, with the Sailors going close midway through the first half with Faris firing wide from the edge of the box.
The Sailors’ bid for a come-from-behind victory was hamstrung by the dismissal of Pedro Henrique in the 34th minute, with the Brazilian centre-back shown a straight red for what was deemed a professional foul on Eagles’ Croatian forward Šime Žužul.
“The red card obviously had an impact on the game – it’s not easy to play against any opponent when you are one man down – but Pedro was trying his best for the team,” said Kim.
Despite being a man down for the majority of the game, Kim continued to push his Sailors forward in search of goals, introducing added attacking impetus at half time with Diego Lopes and Kim Shin-wook both coming on as part of a triple change, before Maxime Lestienne joined the fray soon after.
Shin-wook’s presence upfront created a few problems for the Eagles’ backline and the former Shanghai Shenhua man almost poked home on the hour mark after Amirul Adli had knocked on Adam’s inswinging corner.
The Sailors’ best chance of the night came on 66 minutes with Maxime and Diego combining to great effect down the left, with the latter looking set to slot into the bottom right corner before a stunning fingertip save by Geylang custodian Zaiful Nizam.
Hafiz Nor was the last throw of the dice as the Sailors threw bodies forward in the final 15 minutes, but could not find a way past a resolute Eagles backline led by Rio Sakuma.
A couple of late set-piece opportunities bore no fruit as the Sailors fell to their first defeat of the season. This was the first time the Sailors had failed to score in 35 matches – they last drew a blank in a 4-0 defeat to Tampines Rovers in March 2020.
Kim and his Sailors will host Tampines at the Jalan Besar Stadium the following Sunday (13 Mar) and he called for reflection and improvement.
“We learn from every game, and we’ll learn more from games that we lose,” said a resolute Kim.
“It’s only the second game of the season for us, so we’ll go back, analyse what happened, and we’ll learn – we’ll learn and bounce back.”
