BoLASEPaKO.com - a simple view on Singapore Soccer

Envy from their peer - El Nino Del Firo's Brazilian soujour

2010-09-02T00:08:00.006+08:00

(The content of this entry is obtained via the transcript provided by Integrated Marketing Solutions Group [IMSG] - the PR agency for Nike Singapore)

(P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike.)

(Pictured Above) El Nino Del Firo represented Singapore in this training trip at Granja Comary

INTRODUCTION
El Nino Del Firo, the winning team of the "Senior"category of Nike Cup Singapore 2010, headed to Brazil recently to fulfill that once-in-a-lifetime dream to train in the famed Granja Comary.

DAY 1
One thing that for sure is that the group of five boys that formed the El Nino Del Firo will have the admiration from all their peers for being the selected few from around the globe that travelled to the famed Granja Comary – the Cradle of Football in Brazil that is also the training base of the A Seleção – the Brazilian national team.

That was the reward for emerged as the champions of the “Senior” category of the Nike Cup Singapore 2010.

(Pictured above) Learn dribbling the Brazilian way!!

Upon arriving at Granja Comary, the boys - Syafiq, Izwann, Faiz Rahim, Sahhid and Afiq were all giving once-in-a-lifetime experience to train exactly how the Brazilian national team train .

DAY 2
Part of the training trip was given the opportunity to be coached by some of the finest coaches in the academy that the boys learned the finer details of the game such as going through tactical drills in awareness, passing and positioning while in Teresópolis, where the academy is located.

(Pictured above) "Listen up, boys" as the coach gives out his instructions to the team.

(Pictured above) Catching beach football action at the famous Copacabana

But it was not all about having undergo drilling sessions on the pitch, the Singaporean boys were also given the opportunity to stroll along the famed Copacabana beach to catch beach football actions there.

DAY 3
The third day of the trip saw El Nino Del Firo being put to the test when they found themselves pitted against the other winning teams of the Nike Cup from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand that joined them in this training trip.

(Pictured above) It's not all about "work" and sight-seeing too with the other participating teams at Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Beside playing against their “neighbours”, the Singapore representatives also gauged themselves against two top Brazilian youth teams were on the same day.

DAY 4
Beach football plays an important role in the development of any Brazilian footballer besides futsal, the 5-a-side indoor version of the game.

(Pictured above)The Brazilian coach and player showing the boys how beach football is properly played!

The fourth day of the trip given the boys an opportunity to be gauged by one top Brazilian beach football coach on their skill level that trademarked the game such as one-touch passing, juggling and volley of the ball while playing on the sandy surfaces.

DAY 5
It is back to the business on the fifth day of the trip, as reality unfolded on the futsal court.

(Pictured above) The Heat is on!!

Having proven themselves at their own backyard, El Nino Del Firo squared off again against their counterparts to decide who are the best in South East Asia.

Although our Singapore boys did make it to the final of the challenge, they failed to overcome the eventual winners, Enjoy FC from Malaysia at the final hurdle.

(Pictured above) El Nino Del Firo (in red) vs Malaysia's Enjoy FC

It was double happiness for the boys from across the Causeway, as they were also the winning team of the beach football competition.

"Ambushed" scouting by Fandi, Nazri and Aide

2010-08-29T20:07:00.008+08:00

To the players of both Orange County (pictured above, in orange jersey) and Team Beyond Imagination (lime jersey), it was something rather unusual for them when they saw a sudden surge of "intruders" turning out for their Sunday League fixture at the Bedok North Secondary School.

(Pictured above) Rare mainstream media coverage on a Sunday League game.

Beside those from the media and their D2DLeague coordinators, making their appearance at the school compound nested inside the Bedok Reservoir Road estate were three former national skippers - Fandi Ahmad, Nazri Nasir and Aide Iskandar.

(L-R) Aide Iskandar, Fandi Ahmad and Nazri Nasir watching the game from sidelines.

Under the hot scorching heat, the two teams slogged out against each other and with Team Beyond Imagination claiming a 2-1 victory over their opponents on a bumpy playing surface.

Following the end of the match, it was then made known to the players that the three former Lions skippers were actually on a scouting mission launched worldwide by Nike.

Both teams fought hard under the hot sun.

Called "The Chance", the talent scouting exercise will see a panel of coaches shortlisting a group of amateur players from the age of 18 to 25 years old from various amateur league matches being played around the island during the selection period from now until 15th September.

The three former Lions skippers shortlisting their selected players.

Following that, shortlisted players will be invited for a four-day trial from 15th to 19th of September.

The top 30 selected players will take part in a Final Trial on 2 – 3 October, which will see the top 18 players playing a friendly game on the second day of the final.

The winner of the Singapore competition (out of the final 18 players) represent the Republic to complete for the exclusive eight slots being offered by the Nike Academy in London with other 99 candidates from other countries, following a trial with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

This group of eight players will eventually embark a year long, full-expenses paid training in this high performance training program, supported by the English Premier League, starting from July 2011.

Muhd Helmi (pictured above, being interviewed by Mediacorp) was one of the selected players during this unique kind of scouting process and promised to give him best during the upcoming trial.

"I will definitely give my best during the trial, as this is a great opportunity for me to develop as a better player." said the 22 year-old civil servant who started playing the game at the age of five and singled out his idol Fandi as his source of inspiration.

Fandi addresses the group of players after the announcement of the shortlisted players.

"I believe this campaign will definitely help to unearth some raw talents out there and hopefully they will get a chance to play in Europe." said Fandi following the match.

Fandi talks to the media after the scouting session.

When asked what are qualities they are looking for during the selection period, the former SAFFC coach said:"Just play your normal game and for your team, you need not have to perform any "bicycle-kicks" to gain attention, but they must learn to express themselves during the match."

(P.S: Unfortunately, Fandi did not divulge more details on his linkup to the assistant coaching post in FC Groningen and his two sons' training stint in England which he felt would be more appropriate when the time is right, when sidetracked by the media.)

For more information or to register for ‘The Chance", visit www.nikefootball.com.sg

FOR MORE PICTURES OF THE LAUNCH OF "THE CHANCE", PLEASE CLICK HERE...

Keep Up the Good Work, Guys!!

2010-08-26T00:32:00.002+08:00

The Youtube Clip of the highlights of the match...

It was indeed a roller-coaster ride for the group of 15 year-old boys that formed the National U15 football team that took part in the Youth Olympic Games.

After two emphatic victories in the group stages over Zimbabwe and Montenegro, the expectation was at an all-time high on the "Little Cubs" to aim a shot at the elusive gold medal of the football competition.

No one can blame the kind of expectation and hope, after all these boys did just enough to captivate the nation that is starved of footballing success in the recent years (yes, we were that close to knock the doors to Doha and only after a successful appeal that the Cubs are granted the ticket to Asian Games in November).

So how could we expect that every hope was crashed to the earth when the boys lost to the unheralded Haitian in the semi-final.

As always, fingers went pointing around with players, coaches, media and fans putting the blame on each other.

But at the end of the day, like a phoenix raised from the ashes, the Little Cubs redeemed themselves and beat the Montenegrin in the third fourth placing match to clinch the bronze medal of this inaugural competition.

(Pictured above) The "Little Cubs" in jubilation (photo credit: Mr Yazeen Buhari)

Generally speaking the second win over the Balkans earned some praises from some thoughts I gathered from this blog Facebook Group (as detailed below).

We have good boys. But we have to credit the coach as it has been a major transformation from the AYG team to the YOG team. They excelled this time round with grit , determination and fantastic positional and possessional play. Thumbs up to (coach) Kadir (Yahaya). - K Asyraf

Confidence has grown enormously since then and skill has been going ahead by leaps and bounds and of course Kadir must take the, errr, Lions' share of the credit.....no tears tonight, ...except tears of joy... - P Goodwin

Although, there's one reader who remained cautious and hope the team "don't get carry away" following the bronze winning showing.

Don't get too carried away by the result taking into account the standard of football in YOG and the fact that we lost to Haiti, a team who get to train only last two weeks and beating Montenegro is no big deal (as) they are not the world cup nation unless it's the used to be Serbia Montenegro.

I was hoping that we meet Bolivia in the final but losing to Haiti and the way they played under par I rather not they meet Bolivia.

Lastly this YOG did managed to bring the nation together and that is the ultimate motive of having YOG here in our land. Hopefully the support The Cubs had won't stop there. - Y Ibrahim

Indeed, "Y Ibrahim" had mentioned this YOG had brought the nation together and I agree with him that let's hope the support don't end there with the concluding of this Games.

I would sincerely urge all necessary efforts to keep this team intact for the years to come.

Let's not forget with the Strategic Plan that was launched months ago and the good showing from the "Little Cubs", we are actually heading on the right note (hope I'm not "carry away" for saying that).

Keep Up the Good Work, Guys!!

WILL U STILL THERE FOR THEM? - picking up the pieces...

2010-08-23T08:30:00.001+08:00

BEFORE
So far the response have been positive on the Little Cubs' epic performance over Montenegro. It was such a long time I last heard of something said in unison about the performance of any of the national teams.

Kudos again for the Little Cubs and credit to the coaching staff headed by Kadir Yahaya for the wonderful execution of the tactics on Thursday night.

Of course, amid all the euphoria over these boys, it also important to like what coach Kadir said the essential "to keep the feet on the ground."

(Pictured above)Headlines like this above epitomized the "feel good" feeling towards the "Little Cubs"

Yet, so much hype on the YOG football team, hope the little cubs can cope with the expectation and media should balance their writeup on the little cubs without over hype the things.

Hope the little cubs can play their normal game amid all hype around them, as unlike the last game they are now the favorite against Haiti.

AFTER

Our Little Cubs (pictured above - screengrab from TV) given everything they had in the game against Haiti.

A slip at the crucial moment saw the Caribbean scored the only goal of the night to jolt the hope of the nation, while we had several chances throughout the game, but the clinical touch in front of goal eluded us.

Kudos to the Haitian for the victory, but in a rather less-than-desired manner.

BUT the most important thing is for the fans out there - WILL YOU BE THERE FOR THE TEAM AFTER TONIGHT?

Here are some of the responds I gathered after I posted the question on my Facebook account with the screengrab.

they need our support more than ever now. it's easy to support winners but these young boys have shown enough spirit to earn my respect and support despite the loss today. they have given singapore something precious and rare - an untainted display of passion for the country on the field. this is the moment for singaporeans to show they are not just fairweather fans. let's continue building on the revival of football passion that the cubs have ignited. boys, keep your head high, for you have done your country proud! - C Ng

They played well against Montenegro and already have an eye on the final when they thought that Haiti is just a stroll in the park. Well back to ground zero dear Cubs, the ball is round and don't under estimate your opponent. Take this as an experience and learn from it. - Y Ibrahim

I just think that in our thirst for singapore football glory, we blindly placed our hopes on a group of schoolboys. i'm not belittling them but it is essentially kids football. it just got blown way out of proportion after the last match against montenegro. it is what it is and we should have let it be, but it evolved into a monster especially in the media...

But as consolation we can take heart that support for local football isn't dead. which country in the world will interrupt regular programming at prime-time to show their schoolboys team play live or have public screenings! - B Kunju

They, more than the rest of us.What they need right now is our support and get that medal which has our name on it.

We are all disappointed with their performance tonight but this team more than any other this YOG captured our imagination.

This team showed us why the Youth Olympics matters.Its bigger than winning.

It's getting a country together and showing us why sports is the greatest teacher of them all. They owe it to us getting that medal and we owe it to them being there this Wednesday. - V Subramaniam

The boys have worked really hard and we should not be faulting anyone.
They are after all 15 years old and time will progressed them. To... all fans out there, if you happens to bump into this kids, show them your support. They will always have mine no matter what. Cheers! - H Razzak

[Event] Do You all think I deserve a chance??

2010-08-20T19:39:00.048+08:00

(P.S: I was recently put to a task by Tiger Beer, the sponsor of the Singapore National Team, to see if I deserved a chance to win the grand prize of the "Tiger Beer Regional Online Influencer Challenge"... read on for more details...)

For one, I'm always try to make myself heard...

And that's the reason why I started this blog to share whatever my opinions and thoughts on the local game (even if sometimes it did gave me some frightening moments)..

Thanks to blogging, I got the chance to visit the Shah Alam Stadium, where one of the greatest moments of Singapore football history was written when the Lions clinched the Malaysia Cup in 1994 before breaking away to form the S.League in 1996.

Thanks to blogging, I got a chance to pass a BOCAP to my boyhood idol - former Singapore captain Fandi Ahmad (pictured above) and met one of the greatest strikers that graced the football field - Robbie Fowler, when he was here with the North Queensland Fury (pictured below).

Along the journey, I was fortunate enough to meet another legendary figure of the game - former England captain and currently the head coach of the Thailand national team - Bryan Robson (pictured below with me last year when he was here with the Thai national team for the Asian Cup Qualifiers).

Having already met one of the Red Devils greats in person... Here comes the question - SHOULD THIS WORLD RENOWNED PLAYER BELOW BE THE NEXT ON THE LIST FOR MY ALBUM? (see below)

Yes, that's him - Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United and England star striker and the Tiger Beer ambassador.

For past few days, I have been pondering if there's any similarity between Wazza and me (as it's one of the key criteria for judging), well here's what I thought...

Sourced from "Youtube"

How about that?? Same like this blog that both of us are being vocal, at times, to voice our thoughts on issues dear to us (for him, was after the booing of his own fans and for me - the issues pertaining local football).

If you guys felt I deserved a chance to go to Manchester and meet up with the man himself, please kindly drop a comment using your REAL NAME with URLs to your social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. (as required by the contest organizers).

OR alternatively, you may simply just move your mouse over the image below and click it (which will accumulate the number of "buzz" generate from this entry).

WISH ME LUCK and THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT...

(copyrights of the picture of Wayne Rooney belongs to Tiger Beer.)

They just wanna PLAY football, They just wanna SEE football...

2010-08-20T00:26:00.002+08:00

I think the title of this post should be suffice to describe the mood at the Jalan Besar Stadium just now when a near-capacity crowd of 5,850 (based on what the stadium announcer said over the PA system).

(Pictured above) A shot of the crowds at the Gallery of the stadium before the kick-off

Anyone who were at the ground just now, would tell you it was either their first time witnessed this kind of fiery atmosphere (some would say still existed in school games' finals) OR they would tell you it was such a long time they LAST had this kind of atmosphere in any Singapore game featuring any of the national teams, be it the senior or their juniors - the national U15 who triumphed over their much bigger-built opponents from the Balkan state of Montenegro in the YOG's Group D fixture and saw them clinched the top of their group.

Twitvid of the celebrations after the victory over the Balkans
(sorry for the quality as compression was necessary to load the video fast in the first place)

(Pictured above) The "Little Cubs"acknowledged the supporters after the game...

Perhaps, one fan who shared his thoughts on this blog's Facebook group would probably explained why could such a passion ignite in this match.

S.League does have good matches. its just that people cannot find an identity with the clubs. when it comes to Singapore matches its different, because its country. so its easier for people to come and support. has been like that since Malaysia Cup days. - Gale Gan

While a S.League club official whom I met at the end of the match more or less echoed Gale's thought by added

This is real passion which presently the S.League don't have!

It simple as the boys just wanna play football and the fans just wanna see football.. Purely and simple as that.

Well, isn't that case?

What the Heck is going on???? [edited]

2010-08-19T06:30:00.000+08:00

"Sorry Sir, the tickets are SOLD OUT." said the sales personnel over the counter as I was trying to buy the ticket for the Youth Olympic Games' football match on the 19th August.

It came at a time amid reports of poor ticketing sales that forced the games' organizers to close the gallery section of the Jalan Besar Stadium (pictured below), where all the football matches of the inaugural event were hosted.

Prt-Scr of the news that the Gallery Section was shut down due to poor responce

The decision to “shut down” the gallery section proved to be an unpopular decision that it meant fans would have to fork out a higher price price to be seated at the covered “grandstand”of the 6,500-capacity stadium.

However, a sudden twist of event saw the surge of interest on the football tickets that it was announced that the tickets to matches involved the Singapore team in the preliminary round were “not longer available”.

Prt-Scr of the news that MOE bought 80k of YOG tickets

I later then realized that there was this report that the Ministry of Education had buying “80,000 tickets for students from primary schools to junior colleges to watch the game” (pictured above) so as to “ensure that students here have the opportunity to support local and foreign athletes while enjoying the spirit of sports competition”.

And based on the account from the eye-witnesses at the opening game between Singapore and Zimbabwe that the large part of the 4,800 crowds at the arena were actually students.

Stringent, yet necessary, check at entrance saw many fans missed this goal...

“(The) mystery of sold out tickets (was) solved when whole grandstand was filled with 3/4 students, if nobody wanna buy ticks, at least the schools are doing a good thing to buy them and let their students go unless otherwise.” said one fan who was at the match, but missed the first goal scored by Ammirul Mazlan in the very first minute due to the “stringent security check” at the gates.

But he added, “The support was deafening, (and such a)long long (time, we have) no such (an) atmo(sphere) at jbs (Jalan Besar Stadium), just look at our Friday night games (that is telecast live) for eg of quiet matches”

Just as I thought I resigned to fate for not able to be part of the crowds on the 19th August, things took a sudden twist (again!) when I read this tweet post (pictured below).

Wasting no little way, I logged on to the website via my iPhone to get the transaction done in the shortest space of time.

So I took the opportunity and asked the sales personnel what had actually happened.

"It's up to the ticketing system that they decided to release some for the public sales." replied the sales personnel regarding my query.

"As you can see for yourself (on the website), they (organizers) only stated 'AVAILABLE' without giving the actual figure they put up for sale." she added.

In the end, the whole saga is still so murky and mystical, perhaps, there are some things that should leave the way it's but the whole thing does left a bitter taste on what a mess they had created, yet managed to resolve it, well, more or less, whatever...

But I think I'm not the only one unhappy over about the handling of the ticketing sales, as you can see from the screengrab (pictured above) that a member of public wrote in the mainstream press to voice her concern on this issue.

[Instant Reaction]Thailand 1-0 Singapore [edited]

2010-08-11T21:00:00.006+08:00

I think it's not fair for me to pass any judgment when I could only managed to see the game for the last 20-odd minutes, after a frantic search around for the elusive livestreaming (pictured above).

This defeat should not be seen as a calamity, although that's always seem to be the case that fans asking the heads of the coach and players who don't perform when things don't go their way.

1-0 to the Thais from Sarayoot Chaikamdee in the first half, which I couldn't see in the first instance.

While I thought the last 20-odd minutes, we looked tight at the back amid some pacey raid from the Thais (as always), good display by Hassan Sunny who made some good saves towards the end of the game.

MEDIA RELEASE FROM FAS ON THE MATCH

Lions fall to solitary Thai strike

SINGAPORE, 11 August 2010: A first half strike Thailand striker, Sarayoot Chaikamdee was enough to see off a determined Singapore team 1-0 in an international friendly match played at the Yamaha Stadium in Bangkok.

On 29 minutes, a neat passing move by the Thai midfield eventually sent the ball to the way of Sarayoot, who still had plenty to do.

The Thai Port striker managed to shake off the attentions of defender Safuwan Baharudin to unleash a fierce strike from the edge of the penalty area, leaving goal keeper Hassan Sunny with no chance.

The Lions started of the stronger of the two teams with Khairul Amri in particular outstanding with his penetrative runs.

As early as the 5th minute, Amri burst into the penalty area and was brought down illegally but the referee failed to point to the spot.

He had another chance to draw first blood for the Lions but instead of pulling the trigger, he decided to pass and the opportunity was lost.

The Lions dominated the rest of the half but were unable to draw level. The second half was a more even affair as the Thais defended in numbers and relied on their dangerous counter attacks but neither team were able to add to the scoresheet .

“This was a game of two different halves. In the first half we played very well, creating numerous chances, dominating the game and passing the ball well," coach Radojko Avramovic said after the game.

“In the second half, Thailand sat back and defended, trying to score through their counter attacks. Instead of passing the ball, we kept running with the ball and never were able create chances.

“But generally we played well and I am looking forward to bringing the players to Serbia. This will be a good opportunity to see all the players together as they try to build an understanding and shape together,” said Avramovic.

Avramovic was pleased with contributions from his team, especially central defender Safuwan Baharudin.

“He played well today. It was not easy playing against a team like Thailand but I am happy with his performance, especially as it rained before the game and pitch was slippery.”

Singapore: Hassan Sunny (GK), Shi Jiayi, Safuwan Baharudin, Baihakki Khaizan (Afiq Yunos), Irwan Shah (Daniel Bennett), Khairul Amri (Masrezwan Masturi), Hariss Harun, Fahrudin Mustafic, Fazrul Nawaz (John Wilkinson), Aleksandar Duric (Agu Casmir), Shahril Ishak (C)

Note: Home United’s Shahdan Sulaiman made his international debut tonight when he came on for Fahrudin Mustafic in the 80th minute.

[Event] Show your support to the Singapore Team in the YOG football competition

2010-08-09T15:35:00.033+08:00

Whilst the S.League heads for its recess period, local football supporters will still get the opportunity to catch some live competitive football actions during the inaugural Youth Olympics Games football competition.

The national U-15 team, coached by former national defender Kadir Yahaya, will kick off their quest for glory when they take on Zimbabwe on 13th August (Friday) at the Jalan Besar Stadium before facing Montenegro on the 19th on the same venue.

(Picture above) The schedule of the preliminaries matches of the YOG football competition (click here for a larger view) - courtesy of the YOG official site.

Tickets are now on sale at authorized ticketing outlets (click here for the list of these outlets) OR you may log on to the following website to purchase the tickets online at "http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en/en_tickets.html"

To enhance your match day experience while watching the boys in action, what could not be the better way but to wave and swing the "Singapore Scarf"!!

Picture courtesy of the "Young Lions" Facebook Group

The "Singapore Scarf" is currently on sale and available at the FAS office at the Jalan Besar Stadium (as detailed in the picture above).

C'MON, SINGAPORE and LET'S PAINT THE TOWN RED!!!

A late tribute to Milous Kvacek (1933-2010)

2010-08-09T15:18:00.003+08:00

Coach Kvacek with the Malaysia Cup which he won with Kedah in 1990

I am not sure how many of you know who he was, but the fact is Milous Kvacek was once, erstwhile national coach of Singapore back in 1992.

Despite his short and tumultuous tenure as the Lions coach, the Czech coach left behind a legacy by introduced the formation of “3-2-3-2”, which was a weird tactic unheard of among the local football fans in those day who were more accustomed to “4-3-3” or “4-4-2”.

Not only that, the Czech coach was also credited to unearth players such as Zakaria Awang, Steven Tan, Toh Choon Ming to the national team during his two-month stint.

It was a time when Singapore football was facing one of its darkest periods after a disappointing campaign in the 1991 Malaysia Cup season, when the Lions failed to follow up from its successful run a year before in 1990.

So when the news of the appointment of the Czech tactician came about in early 1992, it simply got the local fraternity exciting with his tough and no-nonsense approach that he once famously said to those selected few (aka the Lions),

You don't consider yourself a star player, unless you are someone like Maradona or Gary Lineker.

Such a high esteem the Czech coach commanded then that it was said whenever the Lions were having their training sessions at Jalan Besar, it attracted quite a number of local coaches who hope to pick up a thing or two from those sessions.

However, the FAS had a different approach on Kvacek's role then with the game's local governing body wanted him as a “Super Coach”.

Beside being the coach of the Lions, the FAS also hoped to tap on the vast experience of the Czech coach to “coach” the local coaches as well, which was something Kvacek, in my opinion, found it “too much to handle”.

Coupled with several other issues, such as the “boot” issues, etc., the stormy affairs reached its boiling point when Kvacek resigned and left the $7,000-a-month job at the end of April.

For a brief period in 1996 S.League season, the Czech did returned to local football as the Technical Director of SAFFC in the Pioneer Series.

Since then, nothing was heard about him until this SMS (pictured above) that came about this noon.

(Credit: Many Thanks to Mr Cheng Tim Nee who alerted me of this information and some relevant details provided in this entry.)

(Disclaimer: Whatever written in this entry is based on my recollection and to my truth knowledge. Should there be any mistake, discrepancy related to whatever is written, please feel free to point out, thanks)

No rest for the Lions....

2010-08-07T22:48:00.007+08:00

While the rest of the league adjourned for the YOG break, the national team players are not, as they are gearing up for the two main tournaments scheduled at the end of the year - The Asian Games in November and the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Just before they embark for their trip to Bangkok for the upcoming friendly against Thailand on the 11th of August, coach Raddy and the Lions undergo another session at their Geylang Field training base.

PICTURES FROM THE TRAINING SESSION

(Pictured above) Tampines Rovers' custodian Hassan Sunny preparing himself before the start of the day.

(Picture above) Coach Raddy having some deep thoughts, as the team were warming up.

Persija's Fahrudin Mustafic (pictured above in foreground) returns from Indonesia to be part of the set-up, so is his team-mate Baihakki Khaizan following the concluding of the Indonesian League.

(Pictured above, from L-R) Having played the night before this session, the SAFFC's trio of Shahril Jantan, John Wilkinson and Daniel Bennett did not join in the match practice but some running exercise on the sidelines.

Interesting fact is that Bennett is just EIGHT caps away from joining the exclusive club of Lions' centenarians and the first foreign-born player to achieve that honour.

While the rest of the team went through some match practice (as pictured above)

(Pictured above) What would you call this? "Stags' Power"?? as Khairul Amri (left) and Alek Duric (right) combine in this offense with Izwan Mahbud in goal facing the music!!

Home United's skipper Shahril Ishak (pictured above) beaming with confidence, as let's hope the newly-appointed Lions' captain will rally and inspire his fellow team-mates to greater heights with his brilliant form of late.

Before the end of the session, team manager Eugene Loo (pictured above and second from right, in white top) brief the team on some matters before calling it a day.

FOR MORE PICTURES ON THE ENTRY, PLEASE CLICK HERE

Worth a thought

2010-08-02T22:15:00.003+08:00

Some of you have already known that Sriwijaya had won the Copa Indonesia last night by beating ISL champions Arema Malang.

Interesting fact is that three Singaporeans were featured in that match with Precious Emuejaraye for the victorious Palembang club, while Noh Alam Shah and Ridhuan Mahamud for the East Javanese side.

As rumors have been flying around and it's confirmed (according to sources) that both Ah Long (Noh Alam Shah - pictured above) and Ridhuan had played their last game for the "Crazy Lions" after talks apparently broke down over their messy contractual issues.

All these came at a time when speculations are rife that there might be another raiding exercise carried by the Indonesian clubs on notable Singapore players by dangling fat cheques and the prospect of playing in front of the big, passionate crowds (as depicted below).

Persija's supporters at Solo (courtesy of Jakarta Casual TV)

Ironically, when Sriwijaya were in town months ago for the ACL play-off match against SAFFC I was told their expenditure from flights and accommodation were fully bored by the Warriors because of financial difficulties (must be one of the reasons why Duric did not end up in Palembang after all).

Sriwijaya's team shoot before their ACL play-off match against SAFFC.

On a separate story, it was revealed that Dutchman Roberts Alberts (former Tanjong Pagar Utd and ex-Home Utd coach) and several players threatened to quit Arema over unpaid wages months back.

Once, a friend asked me what's my take of the "second raid" that's going to be taken place.

"For experience sake, yes, why not as you are talking about playing in front a big, passionate crowds."

"However, with the financial instability that some Indonesian football clubs are known for, our guys must think really hard before moving down south." I replied.

Last thing I heard according to this link here, which gives a good break-down account of the financial losses "Ah Long" had made since leaving Tampines Rovers for "Singo Edan" (the nickname of Arema in native language), that he might be heading to Thailand.

While it was reported that "Ah Long" had tempted his fellow Lions with the clips of the passionate "Aremania", I'm dead sure he will also tell them the downside of it and warn them to avoid the same mistake he made.

[EVENT] SOCCEREX Asian Forum 28-29th July [edited]

2010-07-29T21:29:00.006+08:00

(Picture above) My accreditation pass, press kit

Was at the Soccerex Asian Forum held at the Raffles City Convention Center.

It was networking gathering whosoever in the beautiful game graced by the presence of AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam.

Beside a section of the venue catered for the exhibitors in the football industry, there were also number of workshops and seminars for keen participants to mingle and socialized around.

Mr Bin Hammam (pictured above) was an one-on-one interview session hosted by renowned journalist Matt Lorenzo, prior to the start of the day. as they touched on various issues pertaining the game in the continent.

The much-travelled 61-year old Qatari said football is the "key" to unite the people of Asia "as it bring us all together".

On the possibility of having another World Cup stage in Asia, Mr Bin Hammam (pictured above with back facing the camera, facing Lorenzo) added the 2002 tournament jointly-hosted by Japan and South Korea was a success and it fueled the desire for Asia to see it back in this part of the world.

On the trend of Asian fans seems to be inclined towards support European teams than those of their backyard, the AFC president said, "On the contrary, the (English) Premier League helps to popularize the game in Asia, therefore, it's naturally for the fans to support these (EPL) teams."

RESPECT THE MARKET – HOW TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN ASIA
Interesting discussion which I thought might be a dry topic session.

One of the panelist - Mr Ian Ayre, the commercial director of Liverpool Football club believes self-evolution within the local clubs and organizations to see the value growth for Asian market.

"It took years to develop that kind of relationship we have enjoyed with the Asian football fans." said Ayre.

"And how you managed and maintain the ties with our fans in Asia, and giving them the respect and what they want." said the self-proclaimed Kop supporter since 1960s.

While Seamus O'Brien, the chairman of World Sports Group (pictured above right) added the football market in Asia will only grow bigger and that "sense of self-inferior" that attached to Asian football is a thing of a past.

He concluded his session by added it's essential to be "be local and go local".

THE EVOLUTION OF SPORTS BROADCASTING
In another one-on-one interview session that featured former Director of International Broadcasting and Media Operations for the Premier League, Phil Lines, who drawn his vast experience in dealing with negotiating broadcasting rights for the English Premier League.

“You got start with a good partnership with a good broadcaster, as the money (earned from the broadcasting rights) will go back to the league.” said Lines.

“If SKY (the present rights holder) decided to drop their bid by 20%, you would see many clubs gone into liquidation and having top players leaving the league.” explained Lines when asked why the Rupert Murdoch-fronted media giant kept increasing and outbid other competitors in the bidding for the lucrative rights to the English Premiership.

SOCCEREX LEGENDS DISCUSS

(Pictured above, L-R) The last event of the day was the gathering of the four footballing legends - Phil Thompson, Steve McMahon, Ossie Ardiles and Bryan Robson with host Matt Lorenzo in the middle.

Various topics were discussed during the session moderated by Matt Lorenzo, who jibed Ardiles while introduced the Argentine legend for signing for "Tottingham" instead of his beloved West Ham United way in 1978.

Some of the topics that brought up during the discussions were the feasibility of implement the "Goal-Line" technology with McMahon and Thompson agreed the importance of having it implement to weed out those controversial moments we seen during the last World Cup.

The distinguished panelists also analyzed the England's flopped campaign in South Africa, with the "Captain Marvel"- Robson described the Three Lions' performance against Algeria as the "worst display" he seen.

Being the only World Cup winner on the panel, Ardiles said he wasn't surprise to see the stepping down of Diego Maradona as the coach of Argentina, on the separate note the former Spurs midfielder disagreed with former Liverpool skipper Thompson that referee Howard Webb did a good job to officiate the World Cup Final between Holland and Spain.

While Robson suggested it was the players who made things difficult for Webb in that match.

(Many thanks to the organizers and especially to Mr Shane Neubronner of Fulford PR, for letting me know this eye-opening event and the surfacing of this entry)

FOR MORE PICTURES OF THIS FORUM, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

2010 RHB Singapore Cup Quarter Finals to kick off on 12 Sept

2010-07-27T23:53:00.010+08:00

(Picture above)FAS President Mr Zainudin Nordin (left)and RHB Bank Singapore Country Head Mr Jason Wong hoisted the Cup at the prelim draw back in May.

Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore

SINGAPORE, 27 July 2010: The 2010 RHB Singapore Cup Quarter Final stage is set to kick off on 12 September, Sunday, with the Young Lions taking on Albirex Niigata in the opening match at the Jalan Besar Stadium. League Leaders Tampines Rovers will host Balestier Khalsa on 27 September, while League Cup winners Etoile FC will face Kitchee SC at the Queenstown stadium on 28 September.

In perhaps the most anticipated encounter, Singapore Cup debutants South Melbourne will take on last year’s finalist Bangkok Glass on 5 October followed by the return leg on 8 October, with both legs scheduled to be played at the Jalan Besar stadium.

RHB Singapore Cup Quarter Final Fixtures:

Young Lions vs Albirex Niigata S. (1st Leg)
Date: Sunday 12 September
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium

Albirex Niigata S. vs Young Lions (2nd Leg)
Date: Thursday 23 September
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Jurong East Stadium

Tampines Rovers vs Balestier Khalsa (1st Leg)
Match No: 11
Date: Monday 27 September
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Tampines Stadium

Etoile vs Kitchee (1st Leg)
Match No:12
Date: Tuesday 28 September
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Queenstown Stadium

Balestier Khalsa vs Tampines Rovers (2nd Leg)
Date: Thursday 30 September
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Toa Payoh Stadium

Kitchee vs Etoile (2nd Leg) - 'LIVE' Match
Date: Friday 1 October
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium

South Melbourne vs Bangkok Glass (1st Leg)
Date: Tuesday 5 October
Time: 7.45pm
Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium

Bangkok Glass vs South Melbourne (2nd Leg) - 'LIVE' Match
Date: Friday 8 October
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Jalan Besar Stadium

Please also note that the following Great Eastern-YEO's S.League matches have been rescheduled due to the RHB Singapore Cup Quarter-Finals:

Match 184: Home United vs Balestier Khalsa (Clementi Stadium) will now be played on Monday 4 October 2010.
Match 178: Geylang United vs Sengkang Punggol (Jalan Besar Stadium) will now be played on Wednesday 29 September 2010.

Match 183: Woodlands Wellington vs Gombak United (Jalan Besar Stadium) will now be played on Wednesday 6 October 2010.

FIS Asian Challenge Cup - Singapore Selection 0-1 Burnley FC

2010-07-25T00:33:00.001+08:00

SHORT SCRIBE OF THE MATCH
One thing I know for sure, many of the 5,000 odd crowds at the Jalan Besar Stadium were first-timer (judging from the way they asked for the direction, the ignorance of banning water-bottles and drink cans on the match day).

And one more particular sight of the night was the sizable "Man Utd" supporters turned out to support the local team, which I thought was a pleasant sight (although, I came to realize it was because the Red Devils were once defeated by the Clarets which they would love to see the Singapore side avenge for their beloved team).

Nonetheless, it was a brave performance from the Singapore Selection that was lauded by all who were there.

PICTURES FROM THE MATCH

(Pictured above) Referee Abdul Malik raised his armed to signal the disallowing of the goal scored by Fairoz Hasan (right of the picture).

Claret's custodian Brian Jensen folded another attempt by the hosts, as he gathered ball safely in mid-air, while Khairul Amri (on the right) was still "floating in the air"!!

"Boy Wonder" Hariss Harun up against his opposite number Andre Bikey in one of the numerous attempts into the tourists' half.

Home United's Shahril Ishak (number 17) shown his flash of creativity from the middle of the park, wonder if the search of elusive playmaker had ended with emerging of form from the Protectors' star?

Hapless Shahril Jantan could do nothing to stop this well-taken effort by Chris Eagles from going in the 50th minute.

It was a hard fought victory as the Clarets claimed the victory of the night and walked away with the challenge trophy.

"I happy with the crowd as it was a good turnout." said Burnley FC coach Brian Laws said after the match.

"Coach Raddy was spot on when he said this could be the toughest in our tour, as there are several players with good potential." he added.

Singapore selection coach Raddy Avramovic is pleased with the effort shown.

"They had done more than what I expected from them and they gave a good game to those who came to see the match."

Although, the Serbian coach felt the free-kick that led to the only goal"shouldn't existed in the first place."

SOME COMMENTS FROM THE BLOG's FACEBOOK GROUP

Real pity we didn't convert the few chances that we had. But we kept possession at the back pretty well, and matched Burnley all the way!

Agreed with Sazali about those young boys that impressed. Not so sure about Fairoz though. Gotta say th...at Shahdan did pretty ok in the centre of the park as well! The future is bright! - Aaron Ong

Gutsy was the word PoHui. That summed up the match for the boys today. I held my head in disbelief for all the misses, but that's part and parcel of football. The only thing I wanted to see today from the boys, were their fighting spirit. Everyone of them showcased that (fighting spirit) in front of all of us to perfection :) - Daniel Lau

Well what matters isnt the result really but how bright the future is for Singapore! For years, i waited and finally i felt that patriotism of local fans in a stadium! I love the atmosphere and i am really excited by the performances of Singapore today. If the national team keeps showing such good football, JBS will be too small to hold all of us. Bring back the Kallang roar! (PS: i am sure the players felt the fans' support tonight!) - Ayyub Kay

FOR MORE PICTURES OF THE MATCH, PLEASE CLICK HERE, THANKS

My Letter to the "World"...

2010-07-21T21:46:00.000+08:00

Dear World,

While you were away to the World Cup festival (pictured above - a common sight everywhere in Singapore), some interesting events actually took place during your absence.

Several procrastinating issues were pushed onto the table top after the media probed on matters pertaining the security and the crowd attendance.

SCREEN-GRAB of the issues probed by the media of late

Matters as such were never openly discussed, and now as they pricked wide open, one can't simply avoid them now.

While they had caught the league authority "off-guard", I do certainly hope they are readily going to address these nagging issues instead of paying "lip-service" to the masses.

On the bright side, though, it was confirmed that the Cubs (National U-23 team) are heading to Guangzhou for the Asian Games in November, following the successful appeal to the SNOC, the decision-making body.

But it was just the beginning of the start, since now all eyes will be the Young Lions, whom being the base of the Cubs to justify their call to represent the nation.

Following a whirlwind trip to Burma, the Young Lions saw themselves succumbed to a 1-0 lost to Beijing Guoan Talents at the Yishun Stadium, under the watchful eyes of national coach Raddy (pictured above left with team manager Eugene Loo on his right).

Citing fatigue as one of the reasons, Young Lions' coach V Sundramoorthy also felt the absence of skipper Hariss Harun (pictured below) was another key factor too.

Hariss Harun's trip to Shanghai failed to clinch him a contract but "Player of the Month" instead

While the young prodigal son of local football set the buzz alight with a long-awaited trial overseas to top CSL side, Shanghai Shenhua, which, however, failed to materialize after the Chinese team's Croatian coach, Miroslav Blazevic "did not get the chance to assess the 19-year-old thoroughly during his stay there".

Sengkang's new signing Kenji Arai (pictured right) came as a surprise to many

The transfer window seen some interesting signing with the returning of ex-SAFFC defender Kenji Arai to local football by joining cellar-dwellers Sengkang Punggol.

And still on the Dolphins, are they glad that Ryan Fante (pictured below) is off-loaded after a misery stint at Hougang.

For the time being, Singapore will never be a wonderful destination to Fante (pictured above right)

Whilst, I tried not to be influenced by what I heard and read about the short-comings of the Canadian striker, unfortunately, having seen the hapless Fante in action against the NFA U17 squad had more or less confirmed he did not met the minimum requirement.

Back on the title race, while SAFFC had walloped Woodlands Wellington 4-0 last week, their “auld enemy”- Home United strung up an impressive six straight clean sheet and propelled them up to second place, four points behind leaders Etoile, following their 2-0 win over Gombak United.

Has Home Utd's coach Paul Lee (pictured above right) found the right formula after a shaky start to the campaign?

Before that long, weren't we wondering if Tampines Rovers would be the ONE instead, till their draw with their neighbour Geylang United in the recent derby that ended 0-0.

But the biggest shock of all must be the defeat to Albirex Niigata by Etoile that prompted the official tweet to declare

“S.League title race blown wide open as Etoile lose 1st game after going 12 unbeaten when they went down 1-0 to Albirex.”

Anyway, the World Cup had concluded days ago, it's interesting to see what's in store next for the local season...

Hope to see you back at grounds...

With Regards
Pohui :)

PICTORIAL - Uniform Derby

2010-07-18T21:42:00.001+08:00

(Managed to take a breather while my house's upgrading work still in progress, how could I possibly miss the "Uniform Derby" between SAFFC and Home Utd?)

Anyway, it was the first time in months since I last saw the Protectors in action.

Since then things have been improved for the MHA-linked club by offloaded some mis-fitted players in the transfer window, while making some shrew recruitments that totally transformed Home United into a force to be reckon with.

While on the other hand, the long dominant SAFFC are experiencing one of its inconsistent seasons in its recent years, the gallant performance in the ACL seems to be a distant past with coach Richard Bok facing his toughest task to lift the spirit of the Warriors back to its glory.

PICTURES FROM THE MATCH

Both coaches - Paul Lee of Home United (left) and Richard Bok having a chatter before the start (wondering what was Lee smiling about...hmmm).

It was a revitalized Home United, as compared to the same squad I saw that was crushed by Beijing Guoan Talents months back on the same ground.

Given its dominance play since the kick-off, it was not surprise to see the Protectors took the lead as early as ninth minute through skipper Shahril Ishak (pictured above no 17).

In a match that was supposed to have both sides on the same footing, the defending champions SAFFC found it tough to break through the Home's fortress (as pictured above with John Wikinson being well taken of by the impressive Shahdan Sulaiman).

The Warriors were given the lifeline in the 28th minute when they were awarded a penalty, but as you can see from the picture above, former Home star Indra Sahdan Daud placed the ball wide by a grounded Lionel Lewis (who had a minor sore of his right shoulder which is OK afterward).

Things took a worse turn for the Warriors immediately after the game was resumed in the second half when Korean import Jun Woo Kuen stabbed home off a ball from skipper Shahril to make it 3-0 in the 46th minute (In my memory, I can't recall when was the last time Warriors were lagging so far behind against their arch-rivals in this derby fixture).

It came at a time when Warriors' custodian Shahril Jantan (pictured above as he gets down to smother the ball against Shahril Ishak) when he earned a recall back to the national setup a day before (tough luck, man...).

By the time when Shahril Ishak scored his hat-trick (pictured above - think it was his first ever hat-trick in senior level) the first thing that came to my mind was - Could he be a contender for the "Player of the Year" award?

Under the tutelage of coach Lee, the national midfielder's performance to this stage bears the testament that he should be one of those shortlisted.

It was all over for the Warriors as they were dealt with another killer blow for the sloppy defending duly punished by the Home United's number 17, who turned the ball in for the surging Shahdan Sulaiman (pictured above left) to drill home the designated away team's fifth goal of the night.

A sweet victory, indeed, for these police cadets who travelled for their Pasir Laba base to spur their team to a truly-deserving victory (pictured above).

"Richard Bok, you should resign!!" shouted an irate fan after the game from the gallery, as the Warriors coach was getting ready to be TV interviewed (pictured above, wonder if he was aware of that suggestion made, which one fan tweeted "that's just preposterous. For all the glory he has brought them..." agreed, we can't censure him based on this season's performance).

Nonetheless, in the post-match presser coach Bok braved the media by saying the team's aim now is to "finish among the top three in a constantly reviewing process that is on-going throughout the season".

Personally, I felt happy for coach Paul Lee as (above with team manager S Mahalingam on his right) I felt he is vindicated man after a shaky start to the season.

For someone who came to the scene with near zero knowledge of the S.League and the team he was then given charge, his sheer hard work had paid off with the style of football we seen on Friday and the impressive record so far had speak for itself.

Keep it up and all the best, Coach Paul

FOR MORE PICTURES FROM THIS MATCH, PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK HERE... THANKS

[ANNOUNCEMENT] SLIGHT delay for the time being...

2010-07-11T22:27:00.012+08:00

Some of you might aware that there's lack of updating on BoLASEPaKO late, it is due to the fact that there are some upgrading works being carried out at my place (pictured above) recently that my net access is restricted at this moment.

Therefore, for the time being some of those not-so-time-sensitive postings will be delayed until the upgrading works are completed.

However, with the help of the modern technology, I still managed to keep the show going through the means of using social media tools, such as "Twitter" and "Facebook".

The SCREENGRAB of my "Twitter" page

The SCREENGRAB of BoLASEPaKO's FB page

So for the time being, while there are some delay in loading up the postings to the blog, visitors are encouraged to log on to either the "Twitter" or the "Facebook" page to peep into some of the on-going happenings, discussions taking place in the local football scene.

The URLs of both pages as follows..

Twitter - "http://twitter.com/pohui" (using "#sleague" for more precise tweets)
Facebook Group - "http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=304227695329"

Thank you for your kind attention and support ... Save and Support Our own GAME!!

[ANNOUNCEMENT] It's just for the time being...

2010-07-06T21:21:00.016+08:00

Since the establishment of this blog, I always strive to maintain a "non-interference" policy in regard to feedback, comments post on this blog (unless comments containing discrimination of race, derogatory terms and seditious remarks ).

However, since this morning this blog had seen some "anonymous" postings with similar message (as pictured above) appeared on various past entries, as such, certain measures must be in place to ensure the blog from flooded with irrelevant comments/feedback.

So for the time being, all comments posted will be moderated before reflect on the entry to weed out any irrelevant content.

But please assure that this is just a temporary measure and will be constantly review.

Thank you for your kind attention and support...

[EVENT] "NIKE CUP SINGAPORE 2010" Grand Finals

2010-07-04T23:14:00.008+08:00

How appropriate to have the Grand Final of this event held at the Grand Ol' Lady (National Stadium - pictured above) before its scheduled demolish in days to come.

A total of 200 teams from both Senior and Junior categories emerged after two weeks of intensive competitions around the island to pit for the ultimate prize.

The completed set of the graffiti mural first started at *SCAPE

"It was only plastic ball on the basketball courts in my days" said former Lions skipper Fandi Ahmad (holding the microphone)

A recap of the catch for the senior category is the all-expenses paid training trip to Brazil to experience the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train at Granja Comary, where the Brazilian national teams train.

While the winning team of the Junior category get a chance to train with the Singapore National Team.

The legendary striker showcases his skill in friendly match against one of the participating teams in between the "junior"and "senior"finals

The "junior"final saw "NHS Dudes" in red jersey pit against "Young Stars"

The deciding PK that eventually handed the top prize to "NHS Dudes"

... and walked away with $8000 worth of Nike products and a training session with the Lions

After four hours energy sapping afternoon, "NHS Dudes" and "El Nino Delfiro" emerged as the winners of the "Junior" and "Senior" category respectively.

"We started playing at Teck Whye area over the weekend and gradually got to know one and other since our secondary school days." said 19-year old Md Afiq Yahya, one of "El Nino Delfiro" players, as he shared with the media the origin of the team.

SOME PICTURES FROM THE "SENIOR" FINAL

The winning team (in A Seleçãos' tracksuits) received the trophy from Fandi

"Despite now studying in different schools, we still make it a point to play once every three weeks at either Teck Whye or at FICO (at Jurong West) ." added Afiq.

On his upcoming trip to Brazil, the ITE East College student hopes to fulfil some of his wishes,"I really hope to met and learn from players like Robinho and Kaka, and possible give them a hug!"

FOR MORE PICTURES OF THIS EVENT, PLEASE CLICK HERE!!!

(P.S: Many thanks to Ms Cheryl Ng and Mr Gene Khor of IMSG - the PR Agency for Nike Singapore, for making this entry possible)

A League of their own (Asia Now Junior Indoor Soccer League)

2010-07-01T00:08:00.009+08:00

All matches are play at THE CAGE.

Asia Now Junior Indoor Soccer League - The league being first of its kind in Singapore featured a total of 36 teams of various age-group from six to eleven, with games play on alternate Sunday mornings of every month at "The Cage".

"What we want to do is to instill the idea of fair play to these kids, therefore the winning team is not decided by the number of goals scored but based on point system of the 'green card' and 'blue card' system we devised." said Mr Jamaludeen Kunjun, the Technical Director of Singapore Soccer Academy (SSA) - the tournament organizers, , on the idea behind this youth indoor Sunday tournament .

The "shaking hands" ceremony at the end of the match, is one of the values the tournament wants to promote.

The “card” system which Mr Kunjun explained that to qualify for a "green"card, every players must completed the given specific task when they play, and these are noted by the respective coaches for the various teams in SSA.

An reveiw is done by the coaches after the matches to see how much each player did his specific task and then a report submitted.

Whereas, a “blue” card will be issued to any player for any foul committed, however, instead of given the marching order, this particular player will be “sin-binned” for one minute to reflect the mistake he made that warranted the card before allow back to the game.

Woodlands Wellington's captain Noor Ali (in grey outfit) coaches one of the teams that is taking part in this tournament.

According to Mr Kunjun, who is also a certified AFC coaching instructor, a medal will be awarded to each participating player at the end of the tournament in October.

This unique way of teaching the skills and values of the game had impressed Mr Simon Littlewood, the President of "Asia Now", the main sponsor of this unique tournament.

"I like the whole idea when they (SSA) first approached me" said Mr Littlewood, who has been calling Singapore home for the past 20 years.

"As this league focus on having the right behaviour when playing the game, rather than putting pressure on these kids to achieve results in terms of scoring more goals than their opponents.

"And it's very important at this age to learn how to pass and kicking the ball properly." he added.

Which is probably why Mr Ben Breen, one of the parents is glad to have his son taking part in this competition.

"I hope my son, Liam (pictured above, wearing yellow boots), not only learn the basic skills and proper techniques and also the values of teamwork and discipline the game is promoting through this event." said the father of the 8-year old custodian-cum-outfield player.

"The whole idea is to let the kids to have fun, enjoy the game in a free environment which we would like to thank our sponsors for making this possible." said Mr Stephen Rajah (pictured above, in green jersey as he brief his players during a break), one of the directors of the SSA as he sums up the thought of the day .

A SHORT CLIP FROM ONE OF THE MATCHES PLAYED

Check out the white's no 8 player on how he turned the ball away from his marker, before being well-cut out by the same defender.

(P.S: Many thanks to Singapore Soccer Academy for making this entry possible, for details on the "Asia Now Junior Indoor Soccer League", please log on to http://www.singaporesocceracademy.com/)

The show must go on....

2010-06-27T00:26:00.001+08:00

Balestier's Brazilian import Vitor Borges venturing into the Rams' heartlands

So much debate had been on-going if the S.League should have a recess during the World Cup period.

The argument is that with the "Greatest Show on Earth" grabbing the attention world-wide, the domestic league will be further deprived of attention and the crowds, as reported on the papers recently, are staying away.

However, in my opinion (as I already spelt it out during a discussion on this blog's FB page), we simply can't stop the league just because of the World Cup.

My reason being that it will cause a "piling up"of fixtures towards the end of the season.

Yes, for the fact that initially there was suppose to be a recess for the league during this period when there was a proposal for a joint-tournament between the S.League clubs and their Malaysian counterparts.

However, due to some technical difficulties, the whole proposal was scrapped off (anyway, I was told the Malaysians are not that keen to complete against the S.League clubs unless it's against SINGAPORE - talk about that "Malaysia Cup"sentiment).

Furthermore, with the YOG (Youth Olympics Games) to be held in August, the league will have its recess with the national team heading to Europe for a training tour in prepare for the Asean tournament at the end of the year.

Having a gap now for the sake of the World Cup, I'm not sure if it would break the momentum of some of the teams as a lengthy period without games with competitive nature might somehow jolt the form of these teams, especially of those who are "on the form".

For the sake of it, the show MUST GO ON...

(P.S: the match photos are of those of Prime League fixture between Gombak United and SAFFC at Jurong West Stadium and those of between Woodlands Wellington and Balestier Khalsa at Woodlands Stadium on the same day)

[Event] Nike Cup Singapore 2010 @ *SCAPE

2010-06-20T21:02:00.007+08:00

Good thing was that the flood that devastated the island shopping belt did no damage to the *SCAPE , the venue of the Nike Cup Singapore Tournament (pictured above).

Under the blazing sun, 120 teams from the "Central Zone" of Singapore comprised of sides of both "Junior" (between the age of 14 to 16) and "Senior" (17 to 19) categories were vie for a spot to among the top 50 teams (25 each from each category) to represent this zone to complete in the Grand Final after the tournament completed its “around-the-island” tour.

According to organizers, this tournament will be played in other “zones” (i.e.: East, West,North Zones), following the completion of the “Central Zone”.

On top of the Nike trophy and products, the winning team of the “Senior” category of this tournament will get a chance to head to Brazil on an all-expenses paid trip to train in Granja Comary where the Brazilian national teams conduct their training sessions.

While the winning team of the "Junior" category will get a chance to train with our very own Singapore National Team, on top of $8,000 worth of Nike products!

SOME OF THE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT
The emcee briefed the participants of the rules and regulations

The showing of the advertisement clip - "Write the Future" before the start of the games.

It was packed with high-intensity play as the teams squared off with one and other.

Every move and ball was played cautiously and diligently.

As everyone was focused and determined.

Because at the end of the day, there will be a winning team.

And someone will walk away in despair

But sportsmanship prevails - that's the most important thing we learnt.

Unfortunately, if a goal is being scored... someone must make way for the others....That's football.

THE SHORT CLIP OF ONE OF THE MATCHES

Shot a footage of one of the matches taken place, so you guys would roughly have an idea how the games were played, just like at the old school basketball courts or on any open space.

A NOTE FROM THE ORGANIZERS...
Registration for the Nike Cup remains open as teams from the East, West and North zones get set to compete for the remaining 150 slots in the Grand Finals. The top 50 senior and junior teams from each zone will battle it out in the Grand Finals on 4 July.

For more information and to register, please log on to http://www.nikefootball.com.sg/nikecup or call the Nike Cup hotline at +65 6323 2054.

Some worthless relic from the past....

2010-06-18T21:47:00.003+08:00

I must apologise for the recent lack of updating due to the fact that there are some tidy chores in my house for the upcoming repair works that's gonna take place in days to come.

As such, I might see myself being tied up for some packing and clearing up some stuff along the process. The last time round saw me unearthed the two precious TNP centerspread of the Malaysia Cup era and now here are some relic I discovered during my clearing out...

OLD MATCH TICKETS

I think match tickets are something just like a piece of stamp that reflected well on something that happened in the past. On and off, I would always get an email from a Belgian ticket collect asking for used ticket of the those Lions' matches.

Unfortunately, these used tickets below are not to be given away at any price for its significance.

(Pictured above) This ticket was the admission slip to the S.League Opening ceremony on 14 April, 1996 at the National Stadium where the Thai national team was in town to pit against a S.League All-Star Selection.

In the end, it was the guest that won the match and the ceremony was graced by the then Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong.

Noticed the SAFFC logo imprinted on the slip, this ticket was purchased at Jurong Stadium (the former home ground of the Warriors, with aid from an ITE classmate).

On 20 April 1996, the inaugural S.League season kicked off at various venues with Balestier Central took on Police FC at the Toa Payoh Stadium.

I was lucky enough to see the first ever S.League goal scored by Bosnia striker Esad Seijic (who incidentally scored the league's first ever hat-trick) against a Brazilian-fronted Police side, who eventually won the match 2-1.

If I'm not wrong, this match dated 14th June 1996 WAS NOT the match that recorded the highest-ever attendance in the league history, it was the returning fixture for the Rams-Eagles match at the National Stadium.

Despite purchased the "Gallery" tickets, I and a group of pals managed to sneak into the bench-section of the Grand Stand.

Think about it, it was only $12 then to catch an EPL side to play at Kallang (as compared to $88 to see Liverpool last year)!!

Fans got to see David Ginola (and we are STILL waiting for Etoile to fulfil their promise), Peter Beardsley of the Magpies, while a certain Alan Shearer was here as well (but the then manager Kevin Keegan wanted Shearer to be featured in his first game as a Newcastle player at Newcastle and let many Singapore fans disappointed).

9th November 1996 was a date to be remembered in the history of the Singapore football, as Fandi Ahmad climbed up to the podium to receive the brand new S.League trophy and declared Geylang United as the first ever S.League champions after beating SAFFC in the Championship match at Kallang.

FIXTURE CARDS

Here are some rather handy-size fixture cards for reference in the past.

I'm not sure if it's worth any effort to print them nowadays, since the fixtures frequently alter that I do really lost track at times.

Nonetheless, these cards made good souvenir and collectible items...

(From Top to Bottom) 1994's Singapore's fixtures in the Malaysian League, follow by the "Tiger Beer" Series and the "Pioneer" Series of the inaugural season and 1997 season saw the league starting off with 9 (instead of the supposedly 10) with the inclusion of Jurong FC.

The debut season modelled the J-League format for having a two-series format and a decider match to determine the Champions, unfortunately, after the highly-successful "Tiger Beer" series, the follow-up "Pioneer" Series was all but a disaster (as far as I concerned) with dwindling interest, probably because local fans were not accustomed of having such weird league format.

Therefore, the following season became a "single-series" format with the inclusion of Jurong FC and Landmark Marine Castle, however, days before the season started the latter pulled a shocker by abruptly withdrawn from the league.

Citing "no ready" as the primary reason, although weeks before that they allegedly tried to lure Egmar Goncalves from Police FC failed after the Dragons lodged a complaint against such dealing "behind the doors".

(Facts detailed above are based on my recollection and truth knowledge, please feel free to correct any factual mistake, thanks)

And the Winner is.....

2010-06-17T12:30:00.003+08:00

INTRODUCTION
We have come to the end of the "Spot-The-Grammar-Mistake" contest based on this entry titled "Noticed the "M" or "W" effect in recent matches??".

As the rules stipulated in the second round of the contest (which was made known to those involved) that since none of the "short-listed" respond to the request to indicate whether they intend to follow-up in the second round of the contest, it was therefore decreed that the winner of the BOCAP will be decided by a "LUCKY DRAW" format.

THE CONDUCTING OF THE LUCKY DRAW TO DECIDE THE WINNER OF "BOCAP"

Footage recorded with ONE take...

THE ANSWER....
"Tampines Rovers suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Young Lions last mid-week, before came back strongly to whack Beijing last night, and while completed their "last-of third-in-seven" when they squared off against Etoile in the mouth-watering match in JBS."

The mentioned paragraph was written on 7th June, whereas Tampines played Etoile on the 9th, so doesn't that mean "completed" should not be used in the paragraph?

My mistake
While completed their "last-of third-in-seven" ... Etoile in the mouth-watering match in JBS.

My answer
While 'to be completed' their "last-of third-in-seven" ... Etoile in the mouth-watering match in JBS.

The winner will be contacted shortly... Stay Tuned.

I would like to add that there may be some opinions on the FINAL answer, but please bear in mind that ALL DECISIONS are FINAL, and hope in the good spirit like in any competition - Please respect and accept whatever outcome. Thank you