Category: News
Proud. Fantastic. Amazing.
These were the words that Lion City Sailors head coach Aurelio Vidmar used to describe his players in the aftermath of his team’s 1-1 draw with Tampines Rovers at the Bishan Stadium in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) on Wednesday evening (Dec 2).
The message from Aurelio to his team could not have been clearer. While the draw meant the Sailors could no longer achieve their aim of qualifying for next season’s Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) – they needed to beat the Stags in order to stand a chance of doing so – Aurelio was far from upset with what he had seen from his charges over the course of a gruelling season.
“I’m not disappointed at all. I think we’ve come a long way since the beginning when I first came here,” the Australian reflected. “We all wanted the same thing, to win the SPL, but it didn’t eventuate. Nonetheless, I’m super proud of the players’ performances up to this point.
“It’s a fantastic effort from everyone. It hasn’t been easy because we’ve had a lot of games in a short span of time. But the players did an amazing job to keep themselves fit, fresh and upbeat right through this whole period.”
But it could have been so different for the Sailors had they capitalised on their dominance in the first-half against Tampines. Song Ui-Young and Gabriel Quak came close to scoring for the Sailors, but it was experienced forward Shahril Ishak who eventually broke the deadlock on the cusp of half-time, as he bundled home Arshad Shamim’s cutback at the second time of asking.
The visitors grew into the game in the second half, and eventually found the equaliser in the 62nd minute through Zehrudin Mehmedović.
While the Sailors picked up the pace in the final 10 minutes of the game, they were unable to get the winning goal they needed.
Acknowledging that his team faded after the break, Aurelio said: “I thought we had a very good first-half where we controlled the game. We deserved the lead, and definitely could have had another goal in that first-half.
“In the second-half, we started to lose the ball a bit too much. There are some reasons why we did that – we weren’t able to squeeze the lines between the defenders and the forwards, and the gaps started to appear. but it’s quite understandable, because we came to this point now right at the end after having absolutely worked our socks off, and we just lacked a little bit of legs.”
Having lost 4-0 to Tampines in the reverse fixture at Our Tampines Hub in March before the SPL was suspended, the Sailors showed just how much they had progressed over the course of the season – they more than matched Gavin Lee’s men throughout the 90 minutes.
Aurelio revealed he never had any doubt that his players were better than the defeat to Tampines had suggested, and credited them for working hard to improve to their current level, despite the disruption caused by Covid-19 and a truncated SPL season.
“I was always confident the improvement was going to happen. Yes, we started slowly, because I had somewhat planned it in terms of 27 league games that we want to be playing at a high tempo right through to round 27,” Aurelio explained.
“That’s why we had a slower start, although I knew back then that we would be able to play in this type of way anyway. It just takes time, and we’re now a completely different side to the one we were in March.”
While the Sailors may have been unable to win the title and qualify for the ACL this year, Aurelio made no bones about what he expects from the Sailors next season.
“Next year there’s only one thing on my mind, and it should be on everyone else’s – we have to win it. It’s very simple, very clear,” said Aurelio. “Things just don’t happen quickly in a small space of time. We needed time to build, to get trust and build confidence, and to get people to understand exactly what the requirements are.
“Such things don’t happen overnight. There’s a lot that goes into preparing players and the team as a whole. Everyone at the club has done a remarkable job so far, but next year has to be our year.”
In the immediate future, however, the Sailors will have to turn their attention to the visit of Balestier Khalsa on Saturday (Dec 5), 5.30pm, at the Bishan Stadium.
Though the match is effectively a dead rubber for the Sailors, who will finish third in the table regardless of the result, Aurelio insists his players will give nothing but their 100 per cent for their final fixture of the season.
“There is always something to play for, regardless what it means mathematically. We are not going to be a team that is going to go into a game to lie down and not compete. That’s just never going to happen,” Aurelio declared emphatically.
“It’s our responsibility as professional sportspeople to go and compete. We’re not going to play Balestier thinking it’s a holiday. After Saturday, they’re going to get the nice break they richly deserve. But not until after the game.”
In the blink of an eye, we are down to the penultimate fixture of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
While the Lion City Sailors have been in impressive form since the league restarted in mid-October, they currently find themselves third in the table – three points off Albirex Niigata (S) and a further point behind leaders Tampines Rovers.
Clinching the SPL title is still mathematically possible, but the Sailors require more than a bit of luck going their way in the other fixtures – both Albirex and Tampines must drop points in their final two games for the Sailors to stand a chance of winning the league.
A more realistic target for the Sailors would be to achieve qualification for the 2021 AFC Champions League (ACL) group stages by finishing the season as the best local team.
To do that, however, Aurelio Vidmar’s men must first beat Tampines on Wednesday evening (Dec 2) to narrow the gap between the teams to just one point. Fail to do that, and the Sailors’ ACL dream is over.
But, should they secure all three points against Tampines, the Sailors will enter the final round of SPL fixtures on Saturday (Nov 5) with every chance of qualifying for the ACL.
After all, the Sailors will take on Balestier Khalsa – who they beat 7-1 early last month – while the Stags face a tricky clash against Eastern rivals Geylang International, who themselves are chasing qualification into the AFC Cup, the second-tier regional competition.
Though the Sailors are not the favourites to secure ACL qualification, let alone win the title, midfielder Gabriel Quak believes ‘stranger things have happened’ in football, and urged the team to simply focus on their immediate task at hand: beating Tampines.
“I can give you two very good examples (of strange things happening in football) – firstly, in 2018, Bangkok Glass (now BG Pathum United) just needed a draw on the final day to stay up. But they lost, and other results went against them, so they suffered an unlikely relegation to Thai League 2,” said the 29-year-old, who played in Thai League 1 with Navy FC that year.
“Then, last year, for Chiangrai United to win the league, they needed to beat Suphanburi, while Buriram had to drop points against bottom-placed team Chiangmai FC. The chances of that happening were very slim, but it happened. So, anything can happen – but we need to first focus on beating Tampines before we can talk about achieving the unlikely.”
Apart from their ACL aspirations, the Sailors will also have a point to prove in this game, following their heavy 0-4 defeat at Our Tampines Hub in the reverse fixture in March.
“We weren’t 100 per cent ready at that stage of the season and Tampines probably deserved that win in the first round,” recalled Coach Aurelio. “But it is how it is. We can’t bring back what has happened in the past, we can only learn from it and improve.”
Tampines certainly have quality in their ranks in the likes of Jordan Webb and Boris Kopitovic, but Gabriel believes the Sailors have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the league leaders. As such, he does not think there is a need for the Sailors to detract from their attacking philosophy to counter the threat of Tampines.
“Tampines are now the favourites for the title and they know they will be champions if they win their last two games, so the onus is on them to come and take the three points from us,” he explained.
“We do need to be wary and cautious of them, but we won’t change our approach – we always play to win and entertain the fans. That’s the only way for our team to progress.”
Centre-back Tajeli Salamat, who will be looking to reprise his partnership with Kaishu Yamazaki at the heart of the Sailors defence, echoed similar sentiments.
“I’m not going to worry too much about them – for sure Jordan and Kopi are good individuals, but we do have talented players too,” said the 26-year-old, who has featured in every game this campaign after moving from Warriors FC in the off-season.
“The key to shutting them down is through a collective effort. Whichever team is hungrier and makes the fewest mistakes will get the victory!”
Given that this clash between two massively ambitious teams will likely be a high-octane affair, goalkeeper and vice-captain Hassan Sunny emphasised the need to remain calm in the heat of battle.
“With both teams having many experienced players, it’ll boil down to how they or we manage pressure as a team,” said the 36-year-old, who was part of Warriors FC’s league-winning side in 2014.
“Of course, Tampines will be difficult to play against because of the quality in their team, but we have good players as well. We just have to focus on our task to win this game, as well as on our final fixture against Balestier.”
Under Coach Aurelio’s tutelage, several local players within the Sailors squad have flourished. One of those is speedy young winger Arshad Shamim, who played a starring role in the team’s 4-0 win over the Young Lions last Sunday.
“It was one of my best games in my career so far, and I hope Coach will trust me to start against Tampines after that performance (against the Young Lions),” the 21-year-old said. “Out of my three seasons with the senior team, this has been the best year for me. Coach Aurelio’s belief in my potential definitely gives me a boost in confidence, and my game has improved immensely under him.
“It’s been a delight to play with this team as we know each other’s strengths and we play to that. It’s also a great honour to be playing with the likes of Shahril (Ishak) and Gabriel in attack – I’m learning a lot from them not just in matches, but also every single day in training.”
With the season coming to a close, Gabriel admits he will be disappointed if the Sailors finish third in the league, and he has vowed to do his utmost to help the team as high up the table as possible – and hopefully achieve ACL qualification.
“Right from the start, we wanted to be champions or at least qualify for the ACL,” reflected the Singapore international. “After not starting well, it’s always tough to play catch-up. And when it’s only two rounds this season, it means we have to sprint (in the league).
“We’ve done all we can. While some results did not go our way (especially the two narrow defeats to Albirex), we’ve been one of the more entertaining teams this season, and I think we have won some fans over with the way we play. This puts us in good stead for next season, but for now I’m going all out to help the team make it to the ACL.”
The Lion City Sailors’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Asian Champions League (ACL) suffered a blow last evening (Nov 29), despite a 4-0 win over the Young Lions in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
With Tampines Rovers beating Albirex Niigata (S) 4-1 in last night’s other SPL match, the Sailors are now third in the eight-team standings, on 23 points, four behind league leaders, Tampines Rovers, with just two games to play.
The Sailors will now not only have to beat Tampines on Wednesday (Dec 2), but also hope that the Stags drop points against Geylang International in their last match of the campaign on Saturday (Dec 5) in order to qualify for next season’s ACL. And that is also provided the Sailors win their final SPL game against Balestier Khalsa.
In short, the Sailors’ ACL dream hangs by a thread at the moment, but head coach Aurelio Vidmar is not giving up the fight just yet.
“The (Albirex vs Tampines) result didn’t go our way,” Aurelio admitted. “But we have to fight to the very last game – that’s my message to the players. We have a big match against Tampines coming up that we absolutely have to win, because you don’t know what’s going to happen after that.
“Football is funny and anything can happen, so we can’t give up. Right now, we’ll just have to get ready for what I think will probably be one of the games of the season on Wednesday. We’ve done a very good job up to this point, and we’ll have to keep fighting and doing our very best till the end of the season.”
While the result of the game between Albirex and Tampines may not have been beneficial for the Sailors, Aurelio’s charges held up their end of the bargain at the Jurong West Stadium, running out 4-0 winners over the Young Lions.
Two goals from Arshad Shamim, along with a penalty from Song Ui-Young and Gabriel Quak’s second-half strike, helped the Sailors get all three points against a spirited Young Lions side.
Indeed, the Young Lions nearly took the lead several times in the first-half, but they were just unable to find a way past Sailors goalkeeper Hassan Sunny. The one time they did, through Ilhan Fandi’s effort from the edge of the box, the woodwork came to the Sailors’ rescue.
Acknowledging the Sailors’ slow start to the game, Aurelio said: “The first half was very difficult for us because they (Young Lions) were organised reasonably well, nice and compact, and didn’t give us too much space. But our intensity also wasn’t at the level where it has been in the past. So, we suffered quite a bit in those first 20, 25 minutes.”
Midfielder Arshad, however, then stepped up for the Sailors with a poacher’s goal in the 34th minute, as he instinctively got a touch on Shahril Ishak’s header to redirect the ball past Young Lions custodian Ridhwan Fikri.
The 21-year-old then got in behind the Young Lions’ defence again in the 40th minute, forcing Ridhwan into conceding a penalty that Song confidently dispatched.
Arshad got his second on the night in the 55th minute as he timed his run perfectly to meet Gabriel’s right wing cross. That proved to be his last meaningful contribution in the game, as he was brought off two minutes later for Adam Swandi.
The in-form Gabriel then put the icing on the cake for the Sailors in the 73rd minute with a composed finish from Hafiz Nor’s cutback.
Arshad’s mature performance drew praise from Aurelio, who hailed the youngster’s innate ability to get into threatening positions in the final third.
“Arshad was very good for us tonight. He was always a threat being on the last line of defenders and making some great runs in behind the defence,” said Aurelio. “A lot of the times the ball didn’t get to him in those positions, but he was always in the box at the important moments, and that’s how he got his goals and won the penalty.”
Trudging off the pitch at the Bishan Stadium last Sunday (Nov 22), Saifullah Akbar was a picture of despondence, and for good reason.
The 21-year-old had given everything to help the Lion City Sailors get the three points that night, but still suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat to Albirex Niigata (S) in the Singapore Premier League (SPL). The home side had arguably played better football throughout, and had done enough to get the win, so to eventually come away with a defeat at the end of 90 minutes was a huge disappointment for the Singapore Under-22 international.
Nonetheless, Saifullah’s display for the Sailors was certainly encouraging – he was one of the standout performers against Albirex, covering every blade of grass and racking up the joint-highest number of shots in the team alongside Song Ui-Young.
Saifullah even went close to scoring in the 18th minute with his close-range snapshot looking destined to nestle in the bottom left corner of the net, but Albirex keeper Kei Okawa somehow managed to keep the ball out with a flying save.
To put it simply, Saifullah did almost everything right, apart from finding the back of the net. To compound matters, he received a yellow card late in the game – his fourth booking of the season – which meant he was suspended for the Sailors’ following fixture – a 3-0 win over Geylang International.
Reflecting on the Albirex result, Saifullah lamented: “Obviously that was such a frustrating night. Coach Aurelio (Vidmar) told us to bring our A-game and we did – from Hassan (Sunny) in goal to Shahril (Ishak) up front, we put up a good show and gave nothing less than 100 percent. But the result just didn’t go our way.
“Personally, for myself, I felt I played one of the best 90 minutes of my career. The intensity and pace of the game was on another level – it’s always like that against Albirex. I’m glad I was able to adapt and thrive in that game. I got to run all over the park, get shots on goal and contribute both in defence and attack.
“However, not getting the three points meant the good performance did not matter at all and I would not like to experience that again.”
Thankfully, such disappointments have not been a frequent occurrence for Saifullah since he joined the Sailors in the off-season. Having started in eight of the ten SPL games before his suspension against Geylang, the skilful playmaker has been a lynchpin in the centre of the park for the team, with his performances getting better with each passing week.
And Saifullah credits coach Aurelio’s advice, as well as being around quality players, for his rapid improvement.
“The areas that I feel I’ve improved the most in are getting shots and running into the box more,” said Saifullah, who has one goal and one assist so far this campaign. “Before the start of the season, Coach said that for me to take the step up to another level as a midfielder, I’ve to get into the box more; to get more shots away, and to capitalise from any rebounds that fall my way.
“So, after I make forward passes, I have to continue my runs into the box – like how I scored (in the 7-1 win) against Balestier. That is what Coach demands from me so that I can develop into an all-round midfielder. I’m really enjoying it so far, and I hope to get more goals and assists – that’s the target,” he said.
“Being at the Sailors is similar to what I experienced in my first professional season with Tampines (Rovers) in 2016. There are experienced national players as well as quality foreign players within the team.
“As a youngster, it’s a blessing for me to learn from seasoned pros like Song, Shahdan (Sulaiman) and Gabriel (Quak) every single day about what true professionalism is, on and off the pitch, and what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Being around so many good players also means that I’ve to be on top form in every training session to show that I deserve to be in the starting 11.”
The ambitious Saifullah has also set his sights high on making the breakthrough with the Singapore national team, although he is fully focused on his current mission with the Sailors.
“Of course, like any other player, I dream of playing for the Singapore national team. But first things first, I have to put in more consistent performances to convince the national coach (Tatsuma Yoshida) to call me up,” he said.
“Right now, though, my main focus is to help the Sailors win trophies, and I really want to help us qualify for the AFC Champions League (ACL) next season.”
Up next for Saifullah and the Sailors is a clash against his former club Young Lions at the Jurong West Stadium. It is a must-win game for the Sailors if they are to stay in the hunt for ACL qualification although they may well have to cope without top scorer Stipe Plazibat, who is still recovering from a niggling hamstring problem.
The Sailors are currently third in the table, four points off Tampines and a further two behind Albirex.
“Yes, Stipe could be a big loss for us (if he doesn’t play), but we have Shahril who has the experience to help us in the attacking third,” insisted Saifullah.
“From my time with the Young Lions, I know they can really put up a good fight on their day. They always play their hearts out with something to prove, and coach Nazri (Nasir) always pumps in a lot of energy into the team, so it may be a tricky game for us. Moreover, they’ve got Hami (Syahin) and Ilhan (Fandi) now back with the team, so they are a very different side from the one we beat (5-0 at the start of November).
“We’re not too worried about the top two (Albirex and Tampines) for now. We just have to focus on getting the full nine points from the remaining three games and see where that brings us. Football’s an interesting game and many things can change over a week.”
For close to 70 minutes last evening (Nov 25), the Lion City Sailors battered the Geylang International goal at Our Tampines Hub to no avail.
In footballing parlance, it was starting to look like ‘one of those days’, where the Sailors were doing everything right, except putting the ball in the net.
Then, in the 71st minute, with Geylang committing numbers up top for a corner, the Sailors launched a devastating counter-attack – starting all the way from goalkeeper Hassan Sunny – which ended in Adam Swandi delivering a peach of a cross for Song Ui-Young to tap home from close range.
It was just rewards for the Sailors’ tenacity, who went on to seal the victory through Gabriel Quak’s superb solo goal in the 86th minute, before defender Kaishu Yamazaki put the icing on the cake in stoppage time with an outstanding long-range strike.
The Sailors may have ended up 3-0 winners on the night, but the scoreline belied just how difficult it was to break down a determined Geylang side.
Speaking after the game, Sailors head coach Aurelio Vidmar praised his players for their “persistence”, which he believes was vital in helping them eventually break the deadlock.
“It should have been over in the first-half, because we had two to three very good chances that we should have put away,” said Aurelio. “I was still very confident (that we would get the goal), although the longer it went, the harder it was getting.
“But I think we showed a lot of persistence tonight, and that was definitely the key. We were a little bit more dogged in making sure that we found the winner, so that was very pleasing for me.”
Sailors midfielder Song Ui-Young highlighted how important it was for the team to secure the victory over Geylang, especially with the season coming to an end.
The 27-year-old said: “We’re treating every single match like a final. We had to win today, and we did, so we’re really happy with the three points. But now, we’ll need to focus and prepare for the next game (against the Young Lions).
“Fortunately, the team is going into every game with plenty of confidence at the moment. We’ve got good guidance from Coach Aurelio, and all the players are on the same page with a good understanding with one another. That’s why we are able to work so well together on the pitch.”
Unfortunately, the Sailors’ win was marred by what appeared to be a recurrence of the hamstring injury that striker Stipe Plazibat picked up in the 3-1 win over Hougang United last week.
The Croatian hotshot came on as a substitute in the 73rd minute for Shahril Ishak, but had to be replaced barely five minutes later by captain Izzdin Shafiq.
Explaining the decision to play Stipe, Aurelio said: “Look, we took a little bit of a risk to try and give him a bit of game time. But obviously he’s still not quite ready, so that (injury) might put him back another four, five days, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Aurelio, however, is confident that the rest of the team will be able to cope in the absence of Stipe for the remaining three games of the season.
“We have plenty of players in the squad, and I think everyone is capable of playing in the first team. But of course, we can only choose 11 at the end of the day,” said Aurelio.
“We’ve won without Song before, we’ve won without Gabriel, and we won without Stipe tonight. And to be honest, we should have also beaten Albirex in the last game without him (Stipe).
“So, what we’re building here is a team that doesn’t just rely on the main guys, but is resilient across the board.”
The Sailors are set to play their remaining three games in the span of one week, starting with a clash against the Young Lions this Sunday (Nov 29), 5.30pm, at the Jurong West Stadium.
Aurelio, however, was coy when asked about whether he would rotate for the match against the Young Lions to keep his players fresh for the season run-in.
“It’s getting harder but as I said, we’re a fit team, and we recover really well,” said Aurelio. “The medical staff are doing an enormous job in getting the players ready for the following games, so we’ll just have to wait and see over the next couple of days what we’ll do (for the Young Lions game).”
The Lion City Sailors’ 2-3 defeat to Albirex Niigata (S) on Sunday night was undoubtedly a painful one to endure, but the Sailors can ill-afford to cry over spilt milk.
They will now have to turn their attention to their remaining four Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixtures that will be coming up in the short span of 11 days.
First up is a tricky away game against fourth-placed Geylang International – who are just one point off the Sailors in the table – on Wednesday night (Nov 25). The Sailors will be missing Saifullah Akbar due to suspension, but could welcome striker Stipe Plazibat back into the fold after the Croatian missed the Albirex game as a precautionary measure after hurting his hamstring in the previous match against Hougang United.
In order to get all three points against Geylang, Sailors midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman believes all the players will need to work hard and show their mettle again.
“The Albirex defeat was such a disappointing night for us. We really wanted to win that game and we showed that in our performance,” reflected Shahdan, who had set up Tajeli Salamat to nod home the Sailors’ second equaliser on the night.
“We created many chances and felt a draw is a fairer result, but this is football and there’s no time to brood over what’s over.”
“We’ve another game coming up so shortly, so this is a chance for all of us to prove ourselves and show our desire again. We’ve to get back to what we do best to win the remaining matches.”
The Albirex loss may have put a stop to the Sailors’ five-match unbeaten run which yielded four wins, but the Sailors have improved spectacularly after a slow start, having scored 30 goals in eight matches since the league restarted in mid-October.
Young players like Saifullah, Haiqal Pashia and Naqiuddin Eunos have dovetailed well with their more senior teammates, and that has resulted in the Sailors playing some superb football at times.
And Shahdan is pleased to witness the team’s growth under renowned Australian coach Aurelio Vidmar.
“As you can see, we’re growing with every match together,” said the 32-year-old, who joined the Sailors in the off-season after spending a total of 10 years with Tampines Rovers across four different spells.
“Every individual has improved in some way under Coach Aurelio and that speaks a lot about him as a coach. His positivity rubs off not just on us players, but also on the whole club. He’s very approachable and is open to having any discussions or listening to whatever worries the players might have.”
As one of the most experienced players in the squad, Shahdan revealed he has taken on the responsibility of trying to help the younger Sailors in any way he can.
“I try to impart my knowledge and whatever experience I had over the years to them,” said Shahdan, who is now into his 15th professional season after debuting in the SPL (then known as the S.League) back in 2006.
“I’ve learned from many classy midfielders in the past and now that I’m older, it’s my responsibility to help the young ones reach their potential. For example, we can see Saifullah maturing into a strong attacking midfielder, and I believe he can be a regular in the national team in the near future.”
A key part of the younger players’ developmental pathway is to test themselves against stronger teams. To that end, Shahdan has set a target for the Sailors to qualify for the 2021 AFC Champions League (ACL) group stages – something that they will be able to achieve if they either win the SPL title or finish as the best-ranked local team this season.
The Sailors, currently third in the table, trail behind Tampines and Albirex by four and six points respectively.
“Like any other player, I dream of playing in the ACL and we really want to achieve this target as a team,” said Shahdan, who has numerous appearances for Tampines in the second-tier AFC Cup under his belt.
“Playing in the AFC Cup has been great for me personally and the level’s been competitive, but as players we can only get better by playing in Asia’s biggest club competition.
“I know people’s been saying it’s hard for us to win the title now, but there’s still plenty to play for till the end of the season. We just have to do our job for these final few games and hope other results go our way for us to finish second or first.”
The Sailors’ match against Geylang is set to take place this Wednesday (Nov 25), 7.45pm, at Our Tampines Hub.
The look on the faces of our Lion City Sailors players when the final whistle blew at the Bishan Stadium last evening (Nov 22) to confirm their 2-3 loss to Albirex Niigata (S) in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) said it all.
This defeat hurt. Badly.
After all, each and every of our Sailors had given their all on the pitch, and had probably done more than enough to secure all three points against Albirex.
Twice Albirex took the lead last night – first, through Tomoyuki Doi (13’), then through Fairoz Hasan (34’) – but each time, our Sailors fought back to level the score, with both Song Ui-Young (22’) and Tajeli Salamat (45’) getting on the scoresheet.
But the visitors took the lead for the third time in the 77th minute courtesy of Yasuhiro Hanada’s strike. And that, unfortunately, proved just a bridge too far for our Sailors – who had arguably played the better football on the night. Not that we did not try, with the likes of the impressive Saifullah Akbar and Song Ui-Young both coming close to drawing us level in the final stages of the game.
Speaking after the match, head coach Aurelio Vidmar said he was still pleased with the commitment shown by his charges despite the defeat.
“I thought we had a very good first-half, and certainly in the first 15 minutes of that second half, we had a lot of control, and played some really good football,” Aurelio reflected. “But conceding too easily put us on the back foot, so we had to chase (for the win). We’ve chased a couple of times already this year, and we’ve shown that we can do that, but it makes it harder.
“What I saw from the players was their courage and belief. Yes, the result didn’t go our way today, but they showed a lot of commitment, as they always do. We played some nice little combinations in the midfield, and we continued to play our style. It’s just one of those games today.
“Now, we just have to review the game and see where we can continue to work on our weaknesses and strengths. But it’s very hard when the next game is in three days’ time.”
More than the defeat itself, the result was particularly galling because it saw the Sailors’ SPL title hopes dwindle further – we are currently six points behind league leaders Albirex with just four more games to go this season, and while we are mathematically still able to win the SPL, our fate in the title race is no longer in our hands.
While Aurelio was just as upset with the defeat as any, he wants his players to recover from this disappointment quickly, and instead focus on ending the season on a high.
“They’d have to pick themselves up… and as hard as that pill is to swallow tonight, it is one of those things we’ll have to do,” said Aurelio. “This result makes it difficult for (us to win the title) in the last four games, but I still believe there’s a lot to play for, you never know what could happen.
“We can’t all of a sudden think about throwing the towel in, just because of this defeat. We’ve done so many good things over the last couple of months, so we need to be fired up for the last four games and finish (the season) strongly.”
Our Sailors will be in action again in the SPL this Wednesday (Nov 25), 7.45pm, when they take on Geylang International at Our Tampines Hub.
It was in the 56th minute of the Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) match at Hougang United last Wednesday (Nov 17), when Gabriel Quak received a loose ball just outside the penalty area.
Almost instinctively, Aqhari Abdullah raced into the box from the right in anticipation of a through pass from Gabriel, who did not disappoint with an inch-perfect ball for the Sailors right-back.
Aqhari knew exactly what he had to do once the ball reached his feet – whip in a dangerous first-time cross across the six-yard box, where he was confident one of his team-mates would pop up to divert the ball towards goal.
As it turns out, that team-mate was Hafiz Nor, who simply tapped the ball into the back of the net for his first goal of the season – his team’s second goal of the night – as the Sailors went on to win the match 3-1.
That assist by Aqhari was an exact replica of what he did to set up Shahril Ishak for the final goal in the Sailors’ 4-0 victory over Geylang International a month ago.
Those two moments encapsulated the evolution of Aqhari into a modern-day full-back who is not just strong defensively, but also adept in the attacking third.
While widely regarded as one of the most committed right-backs in the league over the past few years, the 29-year-old’s attacking qualities have never been as evident as this season under Coach Aurelio Vidmar.
In fact, Aqhari has already equaled his 2019 tally of two assists. And with five more matches to go, there is every chance that he will be able to add to that count before the season ends.
“My role in this team is a bit different (as compared to last time) – defending is still my priority, but I’m now expected to contribute a lot more in attacking,” explained Aqhari. “For this, I really have to thank Coach Aurelio because he has taught me how to attack from another perspective, and how to see the game from another angle.
“My game has changed a lot and I’ve improved immensely under him. Hopefully I can continue to develop further and get more assists to help the team.”
This year has been quite the ride for Aqhari, who reclaimed his spot in the starting-11 through sheer hard work after not being selected in the squad for the Sailors’ first two outings back in March. He has since started in six of the seven matches since the SPL restarted in mid-October, missing only the 5-0 win over the Young Lions as he was rested on the bench.
“It’s normal for any player who is not selected amongst the matchday 18 to be disappointed – and the same goes for me,” he admitted. “The (COVID-19) pandemic then came and everyone was unsure whether the league is going to restart, but I just kept myself positive.
“I had a chat with Coach and he told me I really have to work hard to get my position back. So, I did just that once training resumed (in mid-June) to convince him – whatever he wants me to execute, I’ll do it. And once I got the position in the first-team back, I just played my best in every game, and gave my 100 per cent without holding back.”
Aqhari’s professionalism and unwavering commitment are attributes which the club clearly values. It explains why he has stayed on at the Bishan Stadium since joining the club – then known as Home United – in 2016. From the current group of players, only Abdil Qaiyyim, who signed for the club a year earlier, has stayed on longer.
Having been an integral part of the Home United teams that reached the AFC Cup zonal final in 2017 and 2018, he is now seen as a senior figure in the Lion City Sailors – a role which he clearly relishes.
“It has been an enjoyable five seasons, four with Home United and this year in this new journey with the Sailors,” said Aqhari, who has made 73 league appearances (114 in all competitions) with the club across both entities. “The management takes care of me on and off the field, and as a professional player, I make sure I don’t give them any problems.
“Now that I’m one of the older players in the team, it’s important for me to share my knowledge and experience to help the younger players – especially when they come to me personally for advice.”
After an uncertain start to the campaign, the Sailors appear to be finally hitting top gear, having recorded three straight victories – while scoring an impressive 16 goals in total – over the past two weeks.
“It’s been enjoyable to see this team showing the progress that we’ve made,” commented Aqhari. “The team has gelled together really well because we worked really hard in training and we tried everything that Coach wants us to do in every game.”
The Sailors’ recent results set them up nicely for a rematch against current league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) on Sunday (Nov 22) in a crucial six-pointer that could potentially decide the winners of the SPL title. Aurelio’s side are now just three points off the White Swans and Tampines Rovers in the table.
The Sailors went down to a contentious 3-2 defeat when both sides met at Jurong East nearly a month ago, with Albirex’s 94th-minute winner allowed to stand despite a handball in the build-up.
“That was quite a tough one to take because from what I saw, it was a definite handball,” Aqhari lamented.
“If that game had ended in a draw, that one point would have meant a lot to us (in the title challenge). But it’s over now and we just have to focus on each game as it comes. Now that we’re chasing Albirex, it’s good that we get to play them, because then we can do something about it.”
Albirex are in similarly good form, having also won three matches in a row, with Aqhari emphasising that the Sailors will likely have to toil to claim the three points on Sunday.
“They’re technically very good, disciplined and work very hard. So, the key is to work harder than them and overpower them,” he said.
“Usually the game is lost from our own errors, so we have to cut down on as many mistakes as we can and try to capitalise with the experienced players on our side.”
Just two weeks ago at the Bishan Stadium, the Lion City Sailors were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) by a resolute Hougang United side.
But the Sailors made amends for that last evening (Nov 17), overcoming the Cheetahs 3-1 in a battling display at the Hougang Stadium.
Similar to the reverse fixture at Bishan, the Sailors were once again the dominant team in possession yesterday, while Hougang set themselves up in a deep block and looked to hit back on the break.
This time, though, we were able to take the lead early, with Gabriel Quak breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute with a sublime free-kick.
Speedy winger Hafiz Nor then doubled our lead in the 57th minute with his first goal of the season, before Shahdan Sulaiman put the result beyond any doubt four minutes from time with our third goal of the night.
Hougang scored a consolation in the third minute of added time through a Charlie Machell penalty, but that did little to mar an otherwise splendid performance and win for the Sailors.
Indeed, head coach Aurelio Vidmar was effusive in his praise for the players after the game, as he labelled the victory as one of the ‘most impressive’ since he took over the club earlier this year.
“I thought it was a super performance tonight, we showed a lot of toughness and character in difficult circumstances – I think this was one of our most impressive wins of the season,” gushed Aurelio.
“We didn’t do much differently from the previous game. We played very similar, as they did, but I think we executed our shots on target a lot better than we did previously. We’ve been building on that (aspect) the last couple of weeks.”
The only downside from last evening’s game was an injury to our in-form Croatian striker Stipe Plazibat, who had to come off the pitch in the 40th minute due to a hamstring problem.
While the extent of Stipe’s injury is still unknown, the prospect of losing him at this crucial stage of the season – with just five more SPL games to go – would be a huge blow.
Nonetheless, Aurelio is confident that the rest of his players, including a refreshed and recharged Shahril Ishak, has the ability to fill in capably for Stipe if needed.
“It’s going to be a loss if he (Stipe) doesn’t play,” Aurelio admitted. “But I think we showed tonight that we’ve got some flexibility in that (striker) position as well. We have Shahril back…Gabriel’s played there as well, we can put Adam or Hafiz there too, so we have a number of options.
“But let’s just wait and see because it’s still too early to say (how long Stipe could be out for). He’ll see a physio, get a scan and we’ll assess it from there.”
The Sailors’ win over Hougang means we have now won three consecutive SPL games, and are unbeaten in our last five overall. This good run of form has seen us jump up to third in the table, just three points behind joint-league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) and Tampines Rovers.
Up next for the Sailors will arguably be one of our toughest and most important matches of the season – a potential title-deciding clash against Albirex on Sunday (Nov 22), 5.30pm, at the Bishan Stadium.
And although Albirex were able to beat the Sailors 3-2 somewhat controversially the last time we met them at the Jurong East Stadium, Aurelio is confident that the momentum generated from the past few games will help see the team through this time around.
“Obviously, there’s a big game on Sunday…Albirex have been very consistent and very strong this year, it’s certainly a defining moment in the season for both clubs,” said Aurelio. “But the boys have been fantastic the last few weeks, and have really worked extremely hard to get the results that they have.
“I’m very happy with the three wins on the trot, so let’s see (what happens on Sunday). I can’t think too much ahead because we’re just coming off the win tonight, so we’ll just enjoy that now, because the players deserve that,” added Aurelio.
“We’ll take the next couple of days to recover and relax, and then get ourselves prepared for Albirex.”
The Lion City Sailors are stepping into gear in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), following up on their 7-1 victory over Balestier Khalsa on Nov 7, with another high-scoring 6-1 win over Tanjong Pagar United on Friday (Nov 13).
The Sailors looked like they were scoring for fun at the Bishan Stadium, racing to a 4-0 half-time lead with a brace from Stipe Plazibat and a goal each from Kaishu Yamazaki and Song Ui-Young.
In a tighter second half, Tanjong Pagar’s Suhairi Sabri scored with a well-taken shot in the 52nd minute, but any hope of a comeback was quashed by substitute Adam Swandi, who found the back of the net twice in the final seven minutes of the match.
Aurelio Vidmar’s charges are now third in the eight-team standings on 14 points, just three adrift of both Albirex Niigata and Tampines Rovers.
The Sailors are playing flowing football and scoring with exhilarating regularity, and while both performances and results have brought a smile to his face, Aurelio is taking nothing for granted.
“The team is progressing well – there’s a vast difference from where we first started to where we are now, and everyone’s understanding one another better. I was really pleased with the first half performance: we played some great football, and scored some really nice goals,” said the former Australia captain, who also noted his team’s ability to switch gears.
He said: “We had to be a bit more patient and accelerate our tempo when we got closer to the front third of the pitch. But at 4-0 up at half-time, sometimes you take your foot off the pedal and that’s probably what we did. In saying that, we reacted much better in the second part of the second half.
“But I think we still have a lot of improvement to make, and in time we’ll get there.”
Sailors’ skipper Izzdin Shafiq was pleased with how well the team has progressed over the course of this season – something that he puts down to work on the training ground.
“We always try to improve after every game, and the team looks more positive now than we were at the restart of the league,” said the midfielder. “There really isn’t any secret behind all that. If there is a secret, it’s the hard work, discipline and commitment from every single Sailor.”
Izzdin is under no illusions as to the size of the task ahead of his team, if they are to push for the SPL title, but he is confident in the ability of his team to step up to the plate.
“There will be tough matches ahead of us, but if we want to win the title, we must put in similar performances and show the same fighting spirit,” said Izzdin.
The Sailors’ ruthless efficiency in front of goal and patience in the face of a resolute Tanjong Pagar defence augurs well for their next fixture – against Hougang United on Tuesday (17 Nov) at the Hougang Stadium.
The last time these two teams locked horns, the Sailors struggled to break down a compact Cheetahs’ side in a 1-1 draw at the Bishan Stadium in early November.
“We know what a tough nut they were to break down, and this match will potentially be very similar to that (1-1 draw) – it’s going to be a challenge for us,” said Aurelio, who was acutely aware that Hougang are not the only obstacle his team needs to overcome.
“We’ve got a game every three and a half days, so there’s not a lot of training we can do. We must focus on recovery and getting the players fresh for upcoming games,” said Aurelio.
“It’s freshness, freshness, freshness.”
