BoLASEPaKO.com - a simple view on Singapore Soccer

"Matchpix" - January 2012

2012-01-31T23:59:00.016+08:00

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

SGFootball Friendly @ Padang - SCC 0-4 Hougang Utd (8/1/12))

The Cheetahs played their first match since resumed training three weeks ago and on the most expensive green on the island - The Padang against NFL side SCC.

The HOOLS made their presence felt and inspired Hougang United to the victory which drawn the praise from coach Nenad Bacina who felt it's a good thing to Singapore football by the kind of show of support by fans to the team.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

"Eastern Friendly" - Geylang Utd 1-2 Tampines Rovers 14/1/12

This match was initially slated on the previous Saturday before it was postponed till the mentioned date due to the condition of the field.

Apparently, the grass of the pitch seems a bit long for this "Eastern Friendly" that saw the visiting Stags walked away with a 2-1 win over their neighbours down the east coast stretch.

While Geylang were still in midst of finalize its squad with a few on trial, the defending league champions had more or less settled their team list.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

Friendly - Tanjong Pagar Utd vs Balestier Khalsa 21/1/12

Dark clouds loomed the sky over Clementi Stadium prior to the kick-off, which was delayed for around 10 minutes because of lightning.

Due to the flashes across the ground that the match was eventually called off and soon afterwards heavy downpour left many of those stranded in the stands, but we did manage to see the rainbow ...

Score 0-0... (replay was staged a few days later with the same scorelines)

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

[Media Information] Mr Johan Gouttefangeas steps down as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the S.League

2012-01-30T21:15:00.000+08:00

(This entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore)

"I'm stepping down" said Johan Gouttefangeas(facing front)

SINGAPORE, 30 JANUARY 2012 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced today that Mr Johan Gouttefangeas will step down as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the S.League.

“I am thankful that the FAS has completed its investigation into the recent allegation that I was a bankrupt and affirmed that I was not adjudged a bankrupt. While I am still confident that I will be able to add value and help bring the S.League to the next level, I have decided that under the current circumstances, it is in the best interests of the league and Singapore football that I relinquish my post,” said Mr Gouttefangeas.

“I am grateful to the management of FAS and S.League, as well as the stakeholders including the club chairmen, sponsors and fans, who continued to support me during this period. As I had mentioned earlier, FAS and the S.League did their due diligence checks on me prior to the appointment and found nothing amiss. It was an oversight on my part that I failed to disclose to FAS the fact that my companies in France were liquidated and that the court in France had imposed on me the prohibition to manage any sole proprietorship, artisanal or commercial. I had subsequently apologised to FAS President Zainudin Nordin. I have gained valuable lessons from the business failures in France and I’ve since become a stronger and wiser person.

“I sincerely urge all stakeholders, including club chairmen, fans and the media, to extend their support to S.League CEO Lim Chin and his team as they strive to raise the standards of the league in all aspects in 2012,” added Mr Gouttefangeas.

Mr Zainudin said: “FAS had decided to recruit Mr Gouttefangeas as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer because of his experience in football management and marketing, as well as a vast network of contacts in Europe. While we are disappointed that he did not disclose to FAS the status of his companies in France and of the prohibitions imposed on him by the court in France, we accepted his apology as we believe it was an oversight on his part.

“I do understand the concerns expressed by some football officials in recent days. I am also heartened to note that other officials and fans have asked that we give Mr Gouttefangeas an opportunity to prove his worth. Mr Gouttefangeas has however requested to step down from his position – a move he feels is in the best interest of Singapore football. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mr Gouttefangeas success in his future endeavours.”

Mr Zainudin added: “We are less than two weeks away from the kick-off of our 17th season, and with the new initiatives including the inclusion of Brunei DPMM FC and Harimau Muda, I am confident and excited that we will have a great season ahead.”

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
30 JAN 2012

Geylang Utd's not-exactly "U-TURN"

2012-01-30T19:19:00.001+08:00

2012 Geylang United HOME kit

Having heard the outcry over the decision to change the traditional green home strip to a maroon one, Geylang United decided to revert, although not entirely, the unpopular choice of colour.

Instead, the maroon kit will become the Eagles' away jersey with a mainly white-coloured based uniform (pictured above, depending your browser settings) be the choice of the home outfit for the new season.

In a media statement issued today, the club said:"After gathered response and feedback from the fans, the club management has decided to make the necessary changes in our jersey colour arrangement.

"With approval sought from FAS, the maroon kit will become the away outfit, while the white/green kit will be our 2012 home jersey choice of colour."

The Eagles added new home kit will be mainly white in colour, with a stripe of green across the chest to give the jersey a more 'eye-refreshing' look, as compared to previous years jerseys which were primary green-based in the same statement.

"The design is indeed refreshing as compared to last season's much simpler outlook." remarked Eagle fan Mr Aidil Jo, when told of this new revised home stripes.

"While it may look nice, but I think they (Geylang United) might have in mind in the first place to designate it as the away kit (pictured below).

2012 Geylang United AWAY kit

"And I think based on the fans' request for the home jersey to remain green, the only compromising move for the club management is to swap colours in between the home and away kit, whatever it is, it is still better than maroon." added Aidil on the revised choice of colour for the home kit.

On the same notion, Md Noor Hadi, who earlier voiced his disapproval over the choice of the maroon jersey, concurred that fans' opinions may have changed the mind of the club management over this "colour" issue.

"I believe the fans did well to let their feeling known to the club after they announced the maroon kit." said Hadi who although still prefer the green identity associated with his favourite club.

"It's equally important that the club acknowledge the fans' feedback. And for that, hats off to GUFC, especially their marketing guy. Clubs and FA in this country should start to respect the fans more." opined the web designer in an email interview with this blog.

(P.S: pictures of the jerseys came together with the media release provided by Geylang United Football Club)

[Media Information] Update on appointment of S.League Deputy CEO

2012-01-27T21:54:00.003+08:00

(The entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore).

File Picture

SINGAPORE, 27 JANUARY 2012 – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has completed its investigation into the allegations against S.League Deputy Chief Executive Officer Johan Gouttefangeas (pictured above).

Media reports had surfaced earlier last week that Mr Gouttefangeas was declared a bankrupt in France and would therefore be disqualified from being a key officer of FAS, which is registered as a charity. Section 27(1)(b) of the Charity Act states that a person shall be disqualified from being a key officer of a charity if “he has been adjudged bankrupt and has not been discharged”.

FAS President Zainudin Nordin said: “Prior to the appointment, FAS did our due diligence and ran checks which found nothing amiss. Nevertheless, we took a serious view of the allegations directed towards Mr Johan Gouttefangeas and we immediately embarked on a thorough investigation. We have since completed the investigation and we can affirm that Mr Johan Gouttefangeas is not a bankrupt.”

The court document in relation to the matter was received from Mr Gouttefangeas’ lawyer. The translated copies of the document of the Commercial Court of Lyon revealed that the court proceedings were in connection with or incidental to the "legal liquidation" of LNG Company of which Mr Johan Gouttefangeas was the Managing Director. In the said court document, the Representative of the Ministry of Public Affairs had argued for a "prohibition to manage for a period of 7 to 10 years". In his report to the Court, the Official Receiver also expressed himself in favour of a sanction towards Mr Johan Gouttefangeas.

Having heard the Representative of the Ministry of Public Affairs and Mr Johan Gouttefangeas’ lawyer, the Court adjudicated "against Mr Johan Gouttefangeas the prohibition to manage any sole proprietorship, artisanal or commercial and to manage any corporation for a period of five years". It is therefore clear that Mr Johan Gouttefangeas was never "adjudged bankrupt" by the court in France.

“We are now deliberating the next course of action, and will inform our stakeholders of our decision in due course,” said Mr Zainudin.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
27 JAN 2012

Uncle Ang says Goodbye to his beloved Eagles...

2012-01-27T21:49:00.001+08:00

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore)

Mr Ang had been the face of the club

In less than a week, perennial underachievers Geylang United are hit by another news when it was announced that their long-serving chairman Mr Patrick Ang (pictured left) will step down from his post on 1st February.

According to the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore, the long-time veteran in the local football scene will hand over the reins to former national skipper Leong Kok Fann.

"I am privileged to have served as the President and Chairman of Geylang International and Geylang United respectively and I am proud of our club's record in both the S.League and its predecessor league, the FAS Premier League." said Mr Ang in the statement issued in the late evening.

"While I am sad to leave the club, I do believe the time is now right for a fresh person to take the reins. I am confident that the club will be ably led by Mr Leong Kok Fann who has vast experience in the commercial sector and footballing fraternity." added the one-time general manager of the Singapore football team back in the 1990s.

The Singapore Cup in 2009 was Mr Ang's last major honour with the Eagles

Under the businessman, the team started out as International Contract Specialists in 1974 dominated the local football scene as Geylang International clinching six-time back-to-back league titles in the old "Premier League" from 1988 to 1993.

The founding of the S.League back in 1996 was also the result of the task force chaired by Mr Ang in 1995 and it was said that part of the $2 paid to register the "Singapore Professional Football League Pte Ltd" came from his pockets (citation needed).

Mr Ang said to pay the registration of the company that run the S.League

Paying tribute to his predecessor in the same release, the 16-time capped former international Leong said:"I am very humbled by this appointment as Geylang United has a commendable track record in domestic league and cup competitions since the mid-1970s. This legacy is due largely to Mr Patrick Ang's leadership, dedication and passion for the game."

"I look forward to working closely with the sponsors, club management & staff, players and volunteers to continue the good work in developing and providing opportunities for young talent to fulfil their career aspirations.

"With the new S.League initiatives aimed at raising the standard of Singapore football, I am hopeful the fans will continue their support for the club." added the 53 year-old Leong who is also a member of the FAS Council and serves as chairman of the FAS Captains' Advisory Panel.

Disappointed....

2012-01-26T22:51:00.001+08:00

DPM Teo Chee Hean (fifth from left at back row) graced the fixture draw in MBS (Picture credit: FAS)

I'm not mean to dampen the mood of everyone here, but I guess many of you out there must be disappointed by this time of the day when we are only made known of the opening round instead of the FULL fixture list of this season S.League.

I was actually staying up late waiting for the latest media release from the league authority to see if the full list would be made known before the end of the day, but only to realize it was only accompanied by the same list (i.e.: the opening round) posting on the official facebook page earlier when they sent out at 9.47pm.

The kept delaying of the release of the fixtures had long been the bone of contention for many for the past few seasons with this year staying that course again (and we are talking about the S.League Version 2.0).

Little surprise to see my fellow blogger Antony Sutton of "Jakarta Casual" blogged his thoughts on this issue with "Harry Potter" analogy..

Little surprise to see why it is not release in full details ( wonder if they need to check if the possibility of snowing in Singapore before the confirmation?)

(P.S: The picture featuring players from the participating teams with VVIPs - poor job by the photog in coordinating the shot, anyway)

Clash of Colours as Eagles and Jaguars go different way...

2012-01-25T21:05:00.006+08:00

New signing Jozef Kapláň (left) presented the new maroon outfit by coach Mike Wong (picture courtesy of Geylang United's official Facebook page)

Fans of Geylang United would have to take some time to get used to see their beloved Eagles trooped out Bedok tunnel in not their usual green outfit.

Instead of the colour that was long associated with the most successful team in the pre S.League days, the players will be donned in maroon top.

"We have always been green, why change our identity?" said web designer Md Noor Hadi, an Eagles supporter who was surprised with the club's decision that was made known recently.

He added:"It may be a small matter to many, but to people like me, who supported the club since early 90s (Geylang International days), it's just not right lah. Green is the club colour, not maroon."

Jozef Kapláň's (middle) only time in GREEN

Similar sentiment is not alone with a Geylang fan voiced his disapproval on the club's official facebook page when the new maroon home kit was first unveiled.

The unveiling of the unpopular colour came at a time when the club recently launched its latest club merchandise - a scarf with a colour combo of white and ironically, green.

Picture credit : Mr Md Noor Hadi

"It's weird to see fans with green scarves supporting team wearing maroon." exclaimed Hadi who recently got himself the new scarf at the club office (pictured above).

In the email response to the queries of the colour change, Geylang United said:"(The club) has always been associated with the colour green since its establishment in 1974.

"However, the club decided to have a different look for 2012 hence the decision to change the home kit to maroon which consultation being sought and agreed upon from both club management and the S.League."

In the same statement, the two-time league champions said they are well aware of the fans' reaction and added:"We really appreciate the fans' concern and had taken their suggestions and comments into consideration before concluded the decision."

While over at the other end of the island, Tanjong Pagar United, however, is reverting back to its roots when it announced the upcoming season will see the Jaguars parade in its traditional red-white horizontal stripes home kit (pictured below).

The primary design of Jaguars' home kit for 2012

"I feel delighted because I always felt that clubs should always wear their original colours they begin with." said long time Jaguars fan Gavin James Perreira in welcoming the club's decision to revert to its original colours.

He added:"The traditional red and white stripes are the ones I think most Jaguars' fans of the old and new generation can identify with as they are the starting colours when the S.League first started in 1996."

It was probably such a consensus among other supporters that the club had gathered from their various feedback channels that they decided to proceed with the plan of the colour switch when it was mooted in middle of last season.

"In mid-2011, we commenced planning for 2012, part of the plan was to bring the traditions of the Club, including the Red-and-White and Gold-and-Black stripes." explained the club in a statement on the come-about of the idea.

"We have also gathered feedback from some of the Club fans on the proposal, most of whom would like to see the team back in the traditional stripes.

"The reasons behind the switch to the traditional "Red-and-White" stripes are two-fold - for one is to re-emphasize the traditions of the Club and two, to lure the fans back to the Club, most of whom are able to associate themselves with the "Red-and-White" stripes." said the club in the same statement in respond to queries from this blog.

Tanjong Pagar Utd's Facebook page - where club and fans gather

As the result, the design of the 2012 home kits for the Clementi-based club was finalized by their apparel sponsors, THORB at the end of last season when it was unveiled officially at the Jaguars' last home match against Hougang United.

The club hopes that with the switch it will help to reconnect its traditional catchment area at Tanjong Pagar GRC, and at the meantime strengthen its presence in areas such as Clementi, West Coast, Ayer Rajah, Queenstown and Radin Mas being the regional sole professional football club.

Even Phil Lines can't do this now...

2012-01-22T14:52:00.001+08:00

Many folks will be forgiven if they thought the new season of the S.League is going to kick-off a year or so, instead of the official date given the league authority - 9th February 2012.

It's not a laughing matter and consider the fact the unveiling of the CEO of the League was only done weeks ago and on the same occasion the media were only made know in larger content what are to be expected in the much touted "S.League Version 2.0".

Sounded confident and well-aware of the tough task ahead, Mr Lim Chin, the newly appointed CEO opined that "everything is all in place to ensure the league get kick start." in his inaugural speech.

Which many hope that would be the case and share the same optimism of the former Chief of Artillery who has been visiting clubs around the island in part of his familiarization tour.

Yet, there are already grumblings on the grounds on the lack of awareness drive (except the announcement for the annual show opener - the Charity Shield on 5th February) with the league is just two weeks away to commence.

Anyone keen to apply?

However, what is more shocking is the fact that when I came across this job posting (pictured above) on "JobStreet.com.sg" that the league authority is looking for someone to fill up the post of that of a "Chief Marketing, S. League SBU".

The date of this job placing was dated 17th January 2012 and as mentioned, we are just less than TWO weeks away for season 2012.

My concern is being a chief marketing officer for the league, he or she must be given ample time to settle into a new environment and know the inside out of the scene in order to carry out the job well (unless we have someone called Phil Lines, whose feat was that he made EPL the most marketable league in the world or not?).

It's not simply like give him or her a brief outline and some files to refer in order to grasp the situation well.

Here we are trying to convince the skeptics out there that we are dead serious to move forward, but with the recent happenings of late, I begin wonder how I'm going to convince my peers we are heading the right way.

Anyway, there are few more openings for qualified candidates as listed here for the S.League SBU, but remember we are kicking off on 9th February 2012.

Happy Lunar New Year - 恭贺大家新年万事都如意。

[Media Information] FAS STATEMENT with regards to Mr Johan Gouttefangeas (18 January 2012)

2012-01-18T20:05:00.001+08:00

(This entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media information issued by the Football Association of Singapore)

File Picture from "SCREWED UP!!"

SINGAPORE, 17 JANUARY 2012 – The selection committee identified and interviewed a handful of candidates for the position of S.League CEO in the past few months. After all the interviews were done, Mr Johan Gouttefangeas was deemed to be the best man for the role of Deputy CEO. We did our due diligence and ran checks which found nothing amiss. As far as the FAS management is concerned, we were not aware of his personal issues back in France.

FAS takes a serious view of the allegations directed towards Mr Johan Gouttefangeas. We will be conducting an immediate review before deciding on the next course of action.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
17 JAN 2012

The following statement was issued by the Football Association of Singapore the following day (18th January 2012)

SINGAPORE, 18 JANUARY 2012 – The FAS and S.League Management have started our review as of yesterday. Once we complete our thorough review of this matter, we will inform our stakeholders on the next course of action.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
18 JAN 2012

French Ultras' spirit still lives on....

2012-01-17T00:17:00.002+08:00

"Etoile Ultras" with their distinctive banner on matchdays

"Etoile's sit out is not a surprise for me."

That was the first comment by Mr Pierre Foucaud, the group leader of "Etoile Ultras" - the independent Etoile FC's fan club on the 2010 S.League Champions' decision to sit out of the upcoming 2012 season.

A meteorologist by trade, the local-based Frenchman together with two other compatriots formed the "Ultras" back in 2010 to back the French side when they debut in the S.League and claimed the title in their inaugural season.

Something that never materialize (Picture credit: from sources)

Despite that feat, things did not appeared to be rosy on surface with allegation of reports on various unpleasant issues that surfaced along the way and eventually saw their former chairman Johan Gouttefangeas (pictured above left with French star Laurent Robert) left in the club in last June (Gouttefangeas was recently named as the S.League deputy CEO).

With the iron already cast on the decision to sit out by the French club, Pierre insisted that the involvement of the "Ultras" and the club will not cease.

"I have work closely with other members and established a partnership with Nicolas Possetti" said the bespectacled man with his trademark orange baseball cap at any Etoile match in the past seasons.

Nicolas Possetti was one-time assistant to Patrick Vallee, who won the title with the Stars in 2010, is now being the person in charge of the Etoile Football Academy.

"Bringing back Nicolas to run the Football Academy is a clear sign from Hicham (Moudden, the current Etoile chairman) to show he cares for Etoile and consider the youth education a top priority." added Pierre on the reaffirming the club's priority during the "sit-out" period.

"We are going to support the players from the Academy. We will meet them and share our passion for football and fans (with them).

"The history of ULTRAS is rich and can be shared with others. It is about friendship, dedication, fun, respect and die-hard support for a cause we believe in." concluded the self-proclaimed "Ultra" from leading French club Olympique de Marseille since 1988 in an email interview with this blog.

[Feature] Courts Young Lions register win over H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream team‏

2012-01-16T07:20:00.000+08:00

(This entry is formulated based on the transcript of the media release from the Football Association of Singapore)

Picture credit: FAS

SINGAPORE, 15 JANUARY 2012 – The Courts Young Lions emerged victorious over the H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream Team after a nerve-wrecking penalty shoot-out in a match that was played at Jalan Besar Stadium this evening.

With a charity element in place, a total of S$2,200 was raised for the Jamiyah Children’s Home from the goals scored by the H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream Team in open play and the media challenge that saw journalists take on former Lion, Lionel Lewis in a penalty shoot-out.

The match produced a few worthy goal mouth action moments in the first half but it was in the second half that the match took a turn for the better as the 1,256 fans present saw a total of four well taken goals, two from Courts Young Lions, Mohd Sahil Suhaimi and Safuwan Baharudin and another two from the H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream Team, Ignatius Ang and M.Arvin.

The teams had to go into the dreaded penalty shoot-out as 90 minutes were not enough to determine a winner.

Courts Young Lions then beat the H-TWO-O Ultimate Dream Team 8-7 in penalties.

[Feature] Great Eastern commits a million to S.League for another two years

2012-01-11T18:45:00.001+08:00

(This entry is formulated with the transcript of the media release by the Football Association of Singapore - FAS)

(L-R) FAS President Mr Zainudin Nordin. S.League CEO Mr Lim Chin, Great Eastern Singapore GM Dr Khoo Kah Siang, Great Eastern Singapore Chief Marketing Officer Mr Colin Chan

Reaffirm its commitment towards Singapore football since 2009, insurance giants Great Eastern (GE) has agreed to continue its sponsorship of the country sole sporting professional league - the S.League for another two-year.

Under the newly-inked agreement, GE will extend this partnership, which is valued at a total $1 million, till 2013.

"Football has always been one of the top sports in Singapore and our association with the league has helped to bring the Great Eastern brand closer to the community." said Dr Khoo Kah Siang, General Manager (Singapore), Great Eastern Life in the media statement released.

“One key initiative during this new sponsorship term will be an outreach programme to schools where we will be using football to promote life skills such as teamwork, perseverance, and character-building to the young," added Dr Khoo.

On the same event that was held at the Great Eastern Centre, it was announced that three leading S.League footballers namely Tampines Rover veteran striker Aleksandar Duric (pictured above left), Balestier Khalsa defender Paul Cunningham (pictured above right) and Home United 'keeper Lionel Lewis are named as brand ambassadors for insurance giants.

Mr Zainudin presents commemorative plaque to Dr Khoo

Expressed his gratitude to the confidence shown, newly appointed S.League CEO Lim Chin said:"Great Eastern Life Assurance Co Ltd has been a firm supporter of local football.

"And with this sponsorship renewal, they are reaffirming their conviction to continue promoting the beautiful game here in Singapore."

"With the many initiatives intended to reach out and target the community, I am sure this wonderful partnership between Great Eastern and the S.League will soar to greater heights.” added Mr Lim.

(Quotes were extracted from the media release and pictures credited to the FAS)

Welcome back an old friend...

2012-01-10T21:32:00.003+08:00

There he was sitting on a chair inside the venue hall almost unnoticed when I first arrived at the Singapore Sports School in Woodlands (which I nearly lost my way because of a misguided information of an apps on my phone).

You see Brunei DPMM coach Vjeran Simunic (pictured above or left depend on your browser setting) would normally tucked in his trademark attire entirely in black colour and top off with a black baseball cap embossed with the DPMM logo on match day.

Perhaps that was the reason I didn't notice him in the first place given that etched description in my mind.

Given an ad-hoc assignment upon receiving a phone call I got down to work immediately and had a chat with the Croatian coach who was decked in full business suit with coat and tie.

FAS advisor A/P Ho Peng Kee (centered-right) exchanges documents with Pg Haji Mohd Waslimin, DPMM club manager

During a short chat up while waiting for the arrival of the guests of honour, the 58 year-old shared with us what he was doing after the DPMM was forced to exit out of the S.League because of the FIFA ruling.

"I was coaching in Vietnam for this club called Ho Chi Minh FC, and because of the promise I had with the Crown Prince of Brunei (who is also the DPMM chairman) they (Ho Chi Minh FC) allowed me to exercise the release clause in my two-year contract with them." said coach Simunic who left Vietnam to return to Brunei months ago.

Fulfill a promise - as Coach Simunic greets HRH The Crown Prince of Brunei

Despite away from the region, the Croatian coach kept himself informed with the local happenings via the internet and through his contacts in this part of the world like ex SAFFC midfielder Ivan Jerkovic who had since re-signed for DPMM.

With the stagnancy as the result of the ban that was only lifted last May, coach Simunic knows that the tough challenges ahead for his squad to catch up with the rest, but he is "pleased with what he seen so far" and hope the hard works would eventually paid off.

Welcome back to S.League.. Coach Simunic.

Whether is he a "Birch" or "Low"?

2012-01-06T12:52:00.006+08:00

(Pictured above L-R): Lim Chin, Zainudin Nordin and Johan Gouttefangeas

It's not fair to tag him now with either one of the two colonial characters whom I opined the new S.League CEO would be and define the direction the league is heading to under his leadership.

The announcement of former ex-SAFFC chairman Lim Chin (pictured above left) came as no surprise with talks of the former Chief of Artillery being named as the man on the hot seat following several news reports of him suggested he would.

FAS president Zainudin Nordin (pictured above center) assured the media that smooth transition will be ahead for both Lim and his deputy, Johan Gouttefangeas (pictured above right) with him as the "hands-on" person to serve as guiding hand to the duo.

In the eagerly anticipated press conference at the league headquarters at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Mr Zainudin said his vision for the S.League Version 2.0 is simple that is to see the league be commercially viable with the league operations under the two newly-appointed heads.

One of the key points promised by the FAS chief is it will be a fixed league schedule for this season's two-rounded league competition "to allow things to be better organized and ample of rest time for the players" ("Unless it SNOWS!" chuckled Mr Zainudin).

In his inaugural address to the pack, the 50 year-old former military man said his first task in office is to form a new management team to run the S.League, which is now a separate business unit within the FAS umbrella answerable to a separate management committee.

"I think everything is all in place to ensure the league get kick start." concluded Mr Lim in his welcome speech.

Trio-levation hopes for the Tigers

2012-01-01T05:08:00.003+08:00

After weeks of speculation within the local football fraternity, former Gombak United coach Darren Stewart (file pictured right) is confirmed as Balestier Khalsa coach for the upcoming 2012 season.

A former Australian international himself, Stewart starred for the Tigers when they were still called Balestier Central in the S.League in the late nineties, following his recruitment from Malaysian club Johor FA.

Since hanging up his boots after his Tigers career, the former skipper took up assistant coaching post with the club that subsequently saw him at Geylang United in a similar position before turning out as the main man at Gombak in 2009.

Following Stewart to Toa Payoh is Kevin Wee, his assistant at Gombak, who will replace ex-Lion Nasaruddin Jalil as the Tigers' Prime League coach, on top of assisting Stewart in the S.League proper.

According to the club, coach Nasa will be redesignated as the club's COE U16 coach with ex-Clementi Khalsa defender and renowned TV pundit Paul Masefield (filed pictured above) joining the Tigers as its Director of Football for the coming season.

With the above-mentioned announcement, the Tigers are scheduled to begin their preparation for the new season within days of this coming week that also saw the inclusion of new Lion Patrick Paran joining them from Tanjong Pagar United days ago.

"Matchpix" - December 2011

2011-12-31T23:59:00.004+08:00

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

2012 Pre Season starts... Geylang United(26/12/11)

2012 Pre-season Training starts with Geylang on Boxing Day 2012.

With the field still under maintenance, the Eagles begun their preparation by focus on their conditioning on the tracks under the eyeful eyes of newly-recruited trainer Peter Jakobsen (pictured above left).

Due to his resemble to Dutch legendary striker Denis Bergkamp, it's not wonder that Jakobsen was often mistaken for making a comeback with the Eagles when his picture first surface.

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2012 Pre Season starts... Home United(27/12/11)

Home United also begun their pre-season training at the end of December at Ang Mo Kio Secondary School.

The school is one of the adopted schools by the Protectors in their outreach program.

Some ball drills were gone through as coach Paul Lee got his team in groove for the challenges ahead.

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"Uniform Friendly" on New Year's Eve (31/12/11)

Two of biggest names in Singapore football engaged in a friendly match for both coaches to gauge the strength of their teams with the Warriors walked away 2-0.

The challenge would always be the light setting as the sunset was approaching when the dark clouds were looming over JBS just now.

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"Uniform Friendly" on New Year's Eve...

2011-12-31T21:11:00.002+08:00

Honestly speaking this hastily-arranged fixture came as a surprise to me when I was told the "Uniform Duo" (SAFFC and Home United)be playing against each other at Jalan Besar on the New Year's eve.

John Wilkinson (left) skippered Protectors against his old club

After all, not all the teams have started their pre-season training and let alone if DPMM's status is officially confirmed despite the earlier report on Asean Football Federation website (AFF).

"I just want to know my new players' strength so I called (SAFFC coach) Richard Bok for this friendly match." said Home United coach Paul Lee after the match that saw his side lost 2-0 to its arch rivals.

"However, it's still to early to gauge my team's performance when players like (captain) Shi Jiayi and (Fred) Mendy are still not back in Singapore.

"I think for now result of this game is not important, as I need to check the condition of my players." added the Korean coach who just completed his Pro License coaching course in South Korea.

Almost ready...

Echoed his counterpart's sentiment, coach Bok sums up his assessment identically at his post-match press briefing.

"To me, getting the team into shape matter most than the result." he said.

"Also, we have five players not back into the team and the key is to get the team gel together as quickly as possible before the season starts.

Hassan Sunny joins SAFFC this season

"While I am glad that our new signings have given us more options in areas like midfield and goalkeeping" concluded coach Bok who saw the inclusion of quality players such as Shukor Zailan and Hassan Sunny from Tampines with Seiji Saito confirmed as the Warriors' fourth import.

Earlier on, the CCK-based powerhouse retained the service of last season's top scorer Mislav Karoglan and recruited Shimpei Sakurada and Tatsuro Inui from Albirex Niigata (Singapore).

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[Feature] Project Teamwork - GALAXY S II - Street Soccer in Brazil

2011-12-22T22:56:00.008+08:00

(This entry is sponsored by Samsung Mobile)

It's a common sight everywhere in Brazil to see the fun-loving natives get together spontaneously for a game of kick-about on any space they can find.

Be it that it could be an obscure back alley of any street, the famed Copacabana beaches or on those lush manicured pitches dotted around this football crazy nation, so long inches of space are made available you bound to see the Brazilians coming together to enjoy a game of street soccer.

Join host Sal Masekala of “Project Teamwork” in the following clips as he visits Florianópolis in south of Brazil, home of leading futsal (five-a-side soccer) club - ADC Florianopolis to meet up with team captain Denison Cabral and find out from him how the gospels of teamwork is spread to those players through the game of street soccer.

In these videos, Cabral and his colleagues at ADC Florianopolis, whom some Singaporeans may have seen them in action at Ngee Ann City in April, also show us how innovative products from Samsung mobile actually help the team to be the dominant force in world futsal scene.

The versatility of Android operated GALAXY S II is one such characteristic of the product that enable the team to plan their tactics on software that is made available on the gadget and little surprise that it helps the team in their recent success in this part of the world when they were crowned the “Tiger Street Football Champions”.

“Project Teamwork” is a joint collaboration by mobile communication giants Samsung Mobile with leading sports broadcaster ESPN's International Content Development group to educate people the value of teamwork through various sports.

Another round of Rams-Tigers exchange... [edited]

2011-12-22T03:29:00.002+08:00

I'm not sure if anyone of you out there notice this scenario since the early days of the S.League that there are these two clubs been "close trading partners".

It's not uncommon to see players of this particular club swapping jerseys for another particular side after a season or two that in recent years seems to have intensified.

As what I recalled that while there were some controversies surrounded the transfer of then Woodlands Wellington star striker Dalis Supait (pictured left in Balestier Central outfit) to Balestier Central (now known as Balestier Khalsa) in 1997 season, but that should also marked the beginning of such "close trading ties" between the two with English striker Paul Robinson heading the same route in 1999.

Following that some notable transfers between the two included the likes of Korean star winger Park Tae Won and Japanese midfielder Akihiro Nakamura.

When both these East Asian aces left the Toa Payoh outfit for a greener pasture of the Rams then, it was a contrasting ending for both Park and Nakamura.

Whilst Nakamura (pictured below) saw his career re-stabilized at Balestier after journeyed around the island and left the club on a high note to play for the Rams, it wasn't a really pleasure stay at Toa Payoh Stadium for Park after his transfer from the now defunct Jurong FC.

Aki Nakamura (left) stabilized his career during his Tigers day

Being the supposedly cornerstone of the "Koreanization" at Balestier under ex-Malaysia Cupper Jang Jung, pacey Park wasn't able to replicate his Cobras' form that was feared by many defenders in the league (I still vividly recalled the argument he had with the chairman after a game and saw stormed into the dressing room) and left for Woodlands after one season.

Since then, players like Anaz Hadee, Hafez Mawasi, Goh Swee Swee (pictured above), Han Yiguang, Ahmadulhaq Che Omar, Armanizam Dolah, etc. are some of the names that donned the stripes of the two in recent years.

Particularly for goalkeeper Ahmadulhaq who is reportedly heading back to Woodlands for a second spell after he was released by Balestier recently.

Interestingly enough, he will be joined by Daniel Hammond too, he is back with the northern side on a second spell as well following his move to Balestier in 2010 before heading to SAFFC and Geylang United this season.

To complete the cycle of the talk, former Balestier head coach Salim Moin (pictured above foreground) is also reportedly to take up the assistant coaching post with the Rams next year along another Tigers alumni R Balasubramaniam.

Pointless of Repeating .... [This is not an ANNUAL REVIEW]

2011-12-19T03:33:00.009+08:00

Picture Credit: 123RF.com

It has come to this part of the year when I would always pen my annual review to summarize my thoughts on what happened in the past twelve months in Singapore Football.

Having said that, I must admit that it's been quite a difficult year for the local football that has been struggling with myriad of procrastinating problems that remain lingering.

So much that I think it will be a daft idea to go on repeating those issues (i.e.: lack of crowds, lack of interest, etc.) then propose some "naive" solutions to these woes.

Instead, I decided to post up the links to the past "Annual Reviews" that were archived in this blog since the transition in 2005.

Annual Review 2005 -"FROM SITE TO BLOG"

Annual Review 2006 - "10 years old"

Annual Review 2007 - "DOUBLE ONE"

Annual Review 2007 - "The odd Dozen"

Annul Review - "13 deemed UNlucky"

Annual Review - "SCREWED UP!!!"

I know some of you might say these reviews can be easily access from the LABEL titled "Annual Review" on the side menu, but the whole point of doing this is to ask the readers to go through these entries to determine if things are still remain the same and see if anything has actually improved (a bit at least).

It's by not mean of being lazy, but as mentioned earlier that's not point of repeating the routine again and again.

And if I really have to think of something I really want to say about the scene this year, I think the picture at the TOP of page should be able to bring the message across.

Since the "Brush and Broom" comment appeared in late July, the league authority seems to have picked up some "manuals" along the way" and enticed the folks out there what to expect (although, the wait may have been just too long).

However, just in case there's a need to refresh what problems are facing the scene this entry is always here to serve as a reference if there's a need.

Lastly, not to forget to mention a group of fans along the way decided to "take things into their hands" by involving themselves in the local football fraternity via the social media platforms which has helped to gap the gap in certain ways between various stakeholders in the circle (you know who you are, just give yourself a pat at back).

While at the meantime, let me just stay focus and sort things out...

Feet Dragging (nothing new, but...) [edited]

2011-12-14T10:17:00.003+08:00

The feet-dragging on various issues pertaining the S.League is not doing any good if the league authority is keen to have the struggling competition back on its feet.

With mysteries of the identities of Winston Lee's replacement for the league's CEO, the 13th and 14th team still looming large, plus the near "black-out" on S.League coverage on the mainstream media in recent weeks have further inflicted more damages it can ill-afforded to.

Despite assurance from the top that this country's domestic league will not play second fiddle once January comes, but given things that happened of late with earlier mentioned, would be too late if those issues are to be left to the eleventh hour again (nothing usual in local football scene)?

The failure to allow the dust settled when February comes (when the S.League is scheduled to kick-off), would only see us walking through another "sand storm", unless the person who is going to drive us through knows the way when the road ahead of us is poorly-marked out.

If not, what's the point?

I decided to replace the "Skull" head with this comic strip that more or less related to the present situation now (at least to me now...)

[Feature] Adam Swandi won the "Raja Gelek" Award...

2011-12-12T22:28:00.001+08:00

(This feature is formulated from the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore from which picture and quotes were extracted, unless credited)

Adam (no 10) in action against Juventus in Canon LCC

His glittering performance in the 23rd Canon Lion City Cup is the testament why he is rated as one of the country's brightest footballing prospect.

His commanding presence as the skipper during that tournament eventually led the National Football Academy (NFA) U15 to the respectable third position in that youth tournament that also featured the boys from renowned club sides such as CR Flamengo and Juventus.

So little surprise came last Sunday when Adam Swandi emerged as the winner from the pool of five nominees in annual "Dollah Kassim Award", an initiative by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS),in partnership with The New Paper, Turkish Airlines and Singapore Pools.

This award is named after the late Singapore football legend who passed away last year with aim to aspire young talent with the wining player earning a training stint at a top football club overseas.

Adam (center) received the award in the NFA Graduation Ceremony (Picture Credit: FAS)

In the award present ceremony held at the Amara Hotel, Adam received the prizes that include a trophy from Mr Ezaad Abdullah (pictured above second from right), son of the late Mr Dollah Kassim.

“I am honoured with this win and I could not have done this without the support of my team and guidance from my coaches. I now look forward to my overseas training stint at a top club.” said Adam after the ceremony.

In conjunction of this ceremony, the NFA also held its 11th graduation ceremony where various NFA coaches such as U15's Coach Dejan Gulscevic, NFA U16's Takuma Koga gave an account of their team's performance to those presence

Just a Random Thought... (Is this BoLASEPaKO meant to you?)

2011-12-11T19:12:00.001+08:00

Just a random thought here as this only came to my mind while I was working just now.

As you guys may have noticed of late there's not update on this blog.

One reason is that now it's "off-season" and I thought it's a time to recharge, while also reflect and re-evaluate the direction this blog is heading to.

That's the purpose of "BlastFromThePast" to engage conversation with readers

On the blog Facebook page, I have been posting "BlastFromThePast" entries (as pictured above) to share with you all some of those past entries since 2005 (which I really hope you would appreciate those past efforts).

In a way, I do hope you, the readers, can decide for yourself if it has been a worthwhile experience to drop in a peek at this blog and also to see if there's any change in the local footballing landscape since you first watch Singapore football.

If I'm too bother about getting a higher hit-rate than provide value to the readers, then it's pointless

And not so much a surprise to see a dip in the hit-rate during this period (as pictured above), although I am encouraged by the fact that the viewership does maintain its consistency within my expectation that makes me conclude a thought.

Beside serving as a platform to share my thoughts, insight on the local game, while occasionally break some news on the blogsphere, it also how this blog can serve as an archive center for curious readers to find out more about Singapore football.

Which I certainly hope it does (based on statistic generated that shows some actually googled their way here).

Until then... Signing off :)

More to follow suit after this?

2011-12-04T22:31:00.003+08:00

Priority for Lionel is his family and his club, Home United

While many consider retiring from international football at the age of 29 is too young, especially for the case of goalkeeper.

After all, great custodians like Dino Zoff and Peter Shilton did maintain their presence between the posts for their countries past their forties.

But for the case of Lionel Lewis who decided to call his Lions career a day the tell-signs were already there in recent weeks.

Right after the loss to the Iraqis back in September, the Home United 'keeper revealed his intention to the waiting press at the mixed zone that night.

This came after Lionel just recovered from an adductor injury that sidelined him against the Malaysians in that crucial "Causeway Derby" in July.

On top of that coupled with other injuries that sustained since the start of his career, it's a matter of time for him to consider his options and so when the news broke out this morning, it hardly surprises me actually.

Consider the fact that I blogged some weeks back if it has become a liability for the national players to cope with both their Lions and club commitments simultaneously in such a stretched environment, and with the decision by Lionel it might tell us that more would follow suit if welfare of these guys are not looked into.

"Matchpix" - November 2011

2011-11-30T23:59:00.004+08:00

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

S.League - Gombak Utd 0-3 Etoile FC (5/11/11)

The last match before another adjournment saw Etoile FC beat Gombak Utd 3-0 at the JBS.

Two quick early goals set the precedence with some leakage on the flank allowed the goals from Kamel Chaaouane in the 4th minute and Jonathan Toto in the 5th.

Toto added on another on the 51st to seal all three points for the Stars who are aiming to finish third on the ladder...

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World Cup Qualifiers - Singapore vs China (15/11/11)

What could more heart-pain than see your team being thrashed convincingly by a better team on home ground when it always have a feel of being "away"?

A decent first half performance was punctured by a "slip-in" goal at the closing stages of the first half to deflate the team morale and the worst thing I can never imaging is to see a Singapore player being jeered whenever he touched the ball.

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2011 Singapore Cup Final(19/11/11)

A Cup Final is never a dull moment and always a tense affair for both teams.

Albirex Niigata (Singapore) may have the experience of going through that when they defeated Hougang United to win the League Cup earlier.

Unfortunately being the more determined side Home United persevered and triumphed 1-0 over the White Swans to clinch their fifth Singapore Cup in the club history.

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S.League - Tampines 1-0 Home Utd (23/11/11)

To describe the field as "Wet and Muddy" was an understatement for the condition of the field for this "epic" match.

A gem from Ahmad Latiff was enough to dislodge the Protectors from the top of the ladder to force the title down to the wire in front of crowd of approximately 2.800.

It was a pleasant sight to see a match as such well-attended.

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S.League - Home United FC 5-0 Geylang United FC (27/11/11)

This must be the bitterest victory for winning handsomely against your opponents and only to realize you didn't get the biggest prize offered.

Home United fall short and achieving the double after saw their closest rivals Tampines Rovers beat their neighbours across Braddell Road - Balestier Khalsa with the same score line.

Protectors Coach Paul Lee stop-short to access whether it had been a successful season for him, as he would rather let the rest to judge him instead of doing his own assessment.

The game also marked the exit of Lions like Isa Halim and Juma'at Jantan who will be joining the M-League bound "Singapore Lions" squad next year.

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Kari's double with Albirex's triple crowns

2011-11-30T01:06:00.008+08:00

The year's award night was held on the following evening after the last three games were completed on the previous night at Grand Copthorne with the usual gala setting for this annual get-together for the local football fraternity.

The night kicked off with the awarding of the "Young Player of the Year" to Albirex Niigata (S)'s Tatsuro Inui beating the likes of Lions stars Hariss Harun and Safuwan Baharudin.

This blog's entry titled "The Defining Moment from the Flank" (pictured above hold by the blogger) was among the nominees for the "Picture of the Year" that eventually went to TNP's Benjamin Seetor's "Tampines Trip Up" (P.S: Benjamin is standing behind the blogger on the left of the picture above).

Upstart Safuwan (pictured above) did eventually make up for the earlier disappointment by walked away with the "People Choice" award, a honour that was decided by online voting.

Having steered the White Swans to two successive Cup finals and clinched the League Cup along the way had set the mood right for Albirex's Koichi Sugiyama (pictured above center, with Tatsuro Inui on the left and skipper Shimpei Sakurada on right) claimed the "Coach of the Year" accolade.

Picture credit: FAS (from Great Eastern Yeo's S League's FB page)

Capping his relatively successful debut season for SAFFC, Croatian striker Miroslav Karoglan (pictured above) scored a double on the glittering evening with the "Player of the Year" on top of receiving his "Top Scorer of the Year" award in the same ballroom.

The bitterest victory ....

2011-11-27T23:46:00.003+08:00

To many at the game just now at Bishan Stadium, they jolly well knew that Home United's title fate was no longer in their hands after they lost to their closest rivals Tampines Rovers nights ago that saw they being dislodged from the top of the table.

Home United - 2011 League runners-up

Still to the recently crowned Singapore Cup winners, they remained focused with their task tonight and went on to beat a depleted Geylang United 5-0 before collecting the league runners-up cheque of $75,000 and medals from the guest of honour, Mr Sarjit Singh who is the honorary treasurer of the FAS at the end of the night.

Although, one can't help but feeling sorry for the visitors who were playing their first game after more than a month break due to the rescheduling of the league fixtures and resulted them fielding a number of fringe players after having to release three of their imports - Jeon Byung Euk, Daniel Hammond and Yuta Nakano following the fulfilment of their contractual obligation.

While the remaining foreigner - Kim Jae Hong (pictured above second from left) combined decently with national striker Hafiz Rahim upfront, they failed to prick through the brick-like defence of Valery Hiek, Kenji Arai, Rosman Sulaiman and relatively left Protectors' custodian Lionel Lewis alone for the large part of the game.

When asked after the game if this was a successful season for him personally, Home United coach Lee Lim Saeng felt others are in a better position to judge his performance rather than having himself to assess his record this year.

"It's a difficult for me at first when I first arrived in Singapore (last year), as it was a totally different environment from where I was." said coach Lee (pictured above) in the post match press conference held in the club office.

"And that's why I trying to change the mindset of my players to make them work harder, I'm happy some of them responded well and like the case of Firdaus Idros who was called up to the national team recently that I hope for more players to follow up as well." added the Korean coach who recently inked a renewal with the club for another two years.

The game tonight also signalled the end of the national midfielder Isa Halim's (pictured above) involvement with the Bishan-based club as he embarked to his next career move with the M-League bound Singapore Lions squad.

"It's a wonderful three years for me with this club that has been like a family to me and everybody in Home United is so close to each other.

"On a personal note, it's disappointing to lose the league title by one point in a season we had been performed consistently well, but I'm glad that we did won the Singapore Cup being the first title for the club in six years." said Isa.

The other match at Tampines Stadium saw Tampines Rovers beat Balestier Khalsa with the similar scoreline to clinch the League title.

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Hang on to your seat....

2011-11-24T00:05:00.002+08:00

Mr Teo Hock Seng, Tampines chairman hugged by his players
after the 1-0 victory over Home United on an atrocious field.

A decent turn out at the Tampines Stadium saw the epic clash between Tampines Rovers and league leaders Home United on a unplayable surface marred by the heavy downpour before the start.

The condition of the field was so bad that it had proven to be a nightmare for the laundry man after both sides had to change to a new set of jersey before the game resumed for the second half.

Did the soiled jersey brought Latiff the luck?

However, Ahmad Latiff's soiled jersey remained with him and probably that was the reason why (that must have brought him luck) his strike in the 62nd minute from outside the box had triggered wild celebration after it beaten Protectors' custodian Lionel Lewis.

This marked a crucial moment for the season title race as the champions would only be made known on this coming Sunday when both Stags and Protectors will be featured in a double-header at their home turf.

(Just like last year when the League Trophy had to decide its final venue at the dying moments)

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[Feature] Isa Halim strives for optimum fitness with H-TWO-O!‏

2011-11-21T17:08:00.003+08:00

(This entry is formulated with the transcript obtained from S.League title sponsor, H-TWO-O, via the Football Association of Singapore)

Isa and H-TWO-O - a perfect combination

Boasting a score of 13.3 in the pre-season beep test, Home United and Singapore national team midfielder Isa Halim is one of the best in the business.

After seven seasons in the S.League, Isa has proven year after year that he is one player who thrives on doing well in the beep test and he puts it down to H-TWO-O.

“The Beep Test is one of the toughest hurdles we have to go through prior to the start of each season."said the midfielder who started out his career with Woodlands Wellington.

"For that, I always ensure that I prepare well for it by constantly hydrating myself with H-TWO-O before, during and after each work out session in order to recharge and replenish my body with ample fluids and carbohydrates to take on the beep test." he added.

Isa in action for the national team against Iraq

Renowned for his tough-tackling and industrious play in the middle of the park, Isa has kept his standard as one of the top midfielders of the Lion City since he first started his career back in 2005.

"When I first started playing football professionally, I didn’t know how important it is to take care of my diet and hydration to ensure that I am in top form.

"Now as a seasoned footballer, I have learnt how crucial it is to prepare and recover correctly in order to have a successful career." as the boyish-looking star appreciate the well being factors of that of a good football player.

Isa helped Home United recently to win the Singapore Cup

Indeed, together with his Home United team-mate Lionel Lewis, Isa is also a proud endorser of H-TWO-O for the past three years and walk-the-talk the benefits of being well hydrated.

The isotonic giant has always been a frontrunner when it comes to hydration for athletes and for the past seven years, H-TWO-O has played a key role as title sponsor of the S.League to provide players with the proper hydration in training and matches.

Can Isa Halim keep up with the benchmark he set in 2011? With H-TWO-O in his corner, you can be sure that it will happen.

Back to HOME...

2011-11-20T01:01:00.004+08:00

HUFC's skipper Shi Jiayi hoisted the Cup

It was indeed a hard fought triumph for Home United who with the win over Albirex Niigata (Singapore) had claimed the accolade being the most successful Singapore Cup side with their fifth record win.

Cautious play from both sides dominated much of the play with Albirex stroking the ball around the park with possessive tactics that failed to shackle the rock solid defence line of Rosman Sulaiman, Kenji Arai and man-of-the-match, Valery Hiek.

Valery Hiek (no 13) - rock solid in the Protectors defence

However, their counterparts were equally up to the task to contain usually reliable strikeforce spearheaded with Fred Mendy and Sherif El-Masri who were frustrated countless time by the lack of luck during the match.

Did the officials spot this "infringement" to deny Mendy first?

Just as the thought of having the match to go into extra time loomed over the sky of Tyrwhitt Road, Mendy finally found his header at the back of the net that was only to be overruled due to an infringement (pictured above).

Again with the match being perceived to head into the cruelty of penalty shootout, the lanky Frenchman finished off from close range off a Hiek latch-on header from inside the box to send the Cup to Bishan Stadium.

Agony for Albirex's 'keeper Yoshito Matsushita (no 1) after the match

By the time everything is over at the Jalan Besar Stadium, moments after the night of glory, the title contenders didn't pop the champagne just yet.

Instead, it'll be back to the business the following day as the victorious Protectors will be at their Bishan base for their recovery session ahead of the ultimate clash against Tampines Rovers on coming Wednesday.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

[Not-So-Instant Reaction] after we won and packed up as well...

2011-11-17T22:42:00.000+08:00

Read a tweet from my timeline that goes like this before the Indonesia-Malaysia SEA Games match after the Cubs defeated the supposedly perennial powerhouses Thailand 2-0.

"This is e first (and probably will be e only) time a 2-0 win over Thailand feels like a defeat..."

Can't blame that sense of pessimistic when the Cubs initially failed in achieving the target that mammoth task of four goals against the Thais because the goal difference between them and the Malaysians, whom they defeated the hosts to progress to the semi-finals.

Anyway, will not comment on the game itself when I did not see the match in the first place (due to work again).

However, gathered from the timeline it was perceived that the Cubs were better up against their opponents with several offside decisions that went against them in the second half that one suggested it would have been 5-0.

At the end of the day when your fate is not in your hands, one just have to learn and accept the eventual outcome after a not-so-smooth-sailing preparation throughout the almost one whole year.

"It was a very good performance by the boys and I am pleased for them. You cannot fault their effort tonight and throughout the tournament, they followed the game plans we had and tried their very best." said coach Slobodan Pavkovic after match.

Added the concurrent FAS Technical Director:"When the draw was made, we knew we were up against very good opponents in Group A and worked towards preparing the team for the tournament."

"It has been a tough journey for us and I apologise on behalf of the team to the fans for the disappointment of not making it to the knockout stages." said team captain Hariss Harun.

"We tried our best to pull together despite all the issues we faced here in Jakarta and back home but we still fell short.

"Nevertheless, we will take the lessons learnt and come back stronger for the next SEA Games.” concluded the "Boy Wonder"

(Quotes extracted from media release issued by FAS after the match.)

"Tonight there seems to be more China supporters than the locals...."

2011-11-15T23:44:00.002+08:00

Picture tells a THOUSAND words....

Decent first half defensive display by the Lions until the sucker punch that came in the 42nd minute to see the well placed grounder by Yu Hai (pictured below foreground) to give the Chinese the headstart before end of the first period.

As what they always said in football that conceding a goal at this juncture of any game would have a psychological demoralizing effect on team that conceded that goal.

That is the kind of curse that seemed to haunt the Lions soon after the game restart when the Chinese skipper Li Weifeng's header sunk home in the 55th minute.

If only this shot by Duric didn't hit the beam in the 2nd Half

Despite having a man sent off that gave them numerical advantage, the Lions failed to capitalize and eventually allowed the visitors to tap in two more goals to seal the deal.

Despite the downside of the result, Home United's striker Firdaus Idros (pictured above on left) was singled out during the post match media conference by assistant coach V Sundramoorthy as one of those who performed well.

The former Singapore striker also added:"Tonight there seems to be more China supporters than the locals and I think we need to work very hard to bring them back to the stadium."

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[Instant Reaction] Left to fight for pride.... [edited]

2011-11-12T02:00:00.004+08:00

Screen-grab from the livestreaming

When asked after the loss to the Jordanians earlier in their first meeting of the qualifiers if we still stand a chance of making to the next round, assistant coach V Sundramoorthy said there's still "mathematical" chance of doing so if we could take "maximum points out of the remaining matches".

So when referee Ben Williams of Australia blew to signal the end of the match at Amman where the hosts beating the visiting Lions 2-0, it's clear that we are left to fight for our pride for the remaining matches against China and Iraq.

We were practically camped inside our own half since the start and the slip up on the left flank allow the Jordanians to score with an ease passed Lionel Lewis to see Jordan leading 1-0 at half time.

Just like their juniors in Jakarta match against the Indonesians in the SEA Games, a much adventurous display saw the Lions making forays into the Jordanians' half in the second period and being denied a legitimate goal via a Shi Jiayi's header in the six-yard.

Picture credit: FAS

Speaking at the post-match press conference, assistant coach V.Sundramoorthy (pictured above) said: “First of all, on behalf of the team I would like to congratulate Jordan for making it into the next round. As for the game itself, it was a tough game in this cold weather but the boys gave it their all only to lose to a better opponent. I wish Jordan the best of luck in the next round and with the team they have, I am sure they will do well.”

Tough Luck Lions and we once again lost to better side in Jordan...

(Quotes extracted from FAS media release after the match)

So they benefited from a "better head start" ?? [edited]

2011-11-11T21:37:00.002+08:00

Like mentioned, I did not get to see the match that Cubs lost to the Indonesians due to work.

However, here's the Youtube clip of the match via a Vietnamese broadcaster.

General thoughts of the game gathered online lauded the performance of the Singapore side for keeping the scoreline respectable especially with their performance in the second half, after conceding two goals and a player sent off (Nigel Vanu)in the first half.
While some may blasted the Filipino referee for his handling of the match (as told), a friend feedback via SMS thought otherwise as he opined...

"The ref from philippines was first rate and had to penalise indonesians repeatedly for diving etc nigel (Vanu) had to go ref spot on if you watch a game in a one eyed way you do not get a true picture i am certain the indo fans felt the ref was hard on them as he kept denying them free kicks as he could read their tricks and was eagle eyed picking up infringements"

Now we are left with a mountain to climb with Thailand up next, although an earlier report on Mediacorp's TODAY did suggest if the organizers' planning of the footballing fixtures had in a way given Indonesian the head start ahead the rest?

Following the match, the Cubs' team manager Ashiq Idris said:"Coming into this game with the objective of getting a win after two good performances would have put us in a position to beat the Indonesian defence.

"However, conceding an early goal and losing a player in the 22nd minute, we had to make changes to our tactics. We then also faced many challenges in the match. Having said that, we will shift our focus onto the next all-important match against Thailand." he added

(Quotes extracted from the media release issued by FAS after the match)

First LEGO block laid???

2011-11-10T21:38:00.000+08:00

(This entry is formulated from the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore)

Much had been said about the revitalizing of the local football scene with talks of plans, ideas, etc. that kept coming from the pipeline which finally saw the first LEGO block laid in the foundation for such rebuilding.

Expansion of the capacity will take place at this part of JBS

In a media release released by the Football Association of Singapore this evening, it was announced the much touted expansion of the Jalan Besar Stadium will go ahead with 2,000 additional seats will be built parallel to King George's Avenue, along with two corporate VIP boxes built at the Grandstand section of the stadium.

Sharing his thoughts following the announcement, Mr Zainudin Nordin., the FAS president said:"I believe that the expansion of the seating capacity at Jalan Besar Stadium by 30% will help us reach out to more football fans and enable them to watch both the thrilling 2012 M.League and S.League season matches ‘live’ at the stadium and enjoy the match day experience."

Better viewing experience for the fans ??

All expansion works are expected to be completed in time for the opening match for the Malaysia Super League in January 2012 when a team represent the Republic will be featured for the first time since 1994, according to the same release.

Concluding his thoughts, the former Mayor of Central Singapore CDC revealed that "more details pertaining to other key initiatives and programmes will be announced shortly".

SHALL wait and see what are in store for us then...

[Instant Reaction] Much spirited performance from the Cubs...

2011-11-09T22:25:00.001+08:00

Two contrasting emotions depicted in the picture snapped off the television after the game with a grim-looking Cambodian's Korean coach Lee Tae-Hoon (top half of the picture) pondering what could have gone wrong after two straight defeats in Jakarta.

While his counterpart Sloban Pavkovic (below half) breathe a sight of relieve having see the Cubs came back from a goal deficit to beat the Khmers 2-1 in the near-empty Senayan with headers from Khairul Nizam and Nigel Vanu.

Following the thumping loss against the Indonesia, the Khmers started off with a fluke goal in the first half that caught all by surprise, before having to see the game slipped away with the Cubs gaining more of the dominance in the second.

Already under fire from the press back in Cambodia over his recent handling of the team's affairs, Lee's future with the Khmers certainly look shaky that even before the start of the tournament my fellow blogger, Phnom Pehn based Andy Brouwer of Kingdom of Football blogged a bleak outlook before they arrive in Indonesia.

Nonetheless, a much better showing from the Cubs in their second group match in terms of being more adventurous upfront, although the concern back at home is still the lack of the clinical touches in front of goal and the number of yellow cards accumulated.

[Instant Reaction] I don't know man..... Singapore 0-0 Malaysia [edited]

2011-11-07T19:34:00.004+08:00

Screen-grab off TV after the game was over...

The just concluded match saw the Cubs walked away with a 0-0 draw against the defending SEA Games champions Malaysia at the Senanyan in Jakarta in this "Group of Death" opener.

Due to work, I could only watched the second half of the match and therefore I am not in the best position to give an all-round review of the match.

Based on the tweets I gathered while the first half was played it seemed that we had a good start until the Harimau Muda settled into the later stages of the first period to dominate the play with slight better percentage in holding the ball.

Yet, it was the Cubs that had the chance of the match when a tweet suggested the following: -

Fazli Ayob with the best chance of the day when he twisted and turned 3 Msia players before Khairul Fahmi saves his shot.

While another tweet looked into a more tactical side of the match when he added -

They should have a three man midfield with Hariss (Harun) anchor n (Firdaus Kasman) with (Shahdan Sulaiman) supporting the striker...

Since most of the matches to be played under scorching sun, a tweet cheekily opined that:-

I hope all those 5pm games pays off in this hot weather

apparently because the bulk of the Cubs played their home game at 5pm for the Games prep team in the S.League, so he might suggest the effort will pay off in this biennial tournament.

Nonetheless, the failure of hold on to the possession for large part of the second period may have caused the Cubs dearly as some poor passing plays led to some chances created that looked hard to make any opportunity counted.

However, what could be more worrying when coach Slobodan Pavković is the number of the yellow cards accumulated in the game, although commentator Mark Richmond remarked it should be a result he must be pleased.

Speaking after the goalless draw, Coach Pavkovic said, “This was a game against the defending champions who have been preparing for a long time for this SEA Games, so I think it is one point gained rather than two points lost.”

“I think the boys played well and executed our plan correctly. We had quite a number of chances in the game and we were in control of the game at different points. This is very positive and I am happy with my team’s performance in this match." added the Serbian who concurrently serves as the FAS Technical Director and is the main person behind the implementation of the "National Football Syllabus".

Well, I don't know man...

(Quotes of coach Pavkovic extracted from the FAS media release after the game)

[SEA Games] Finalized Finally .... [edited]

2011-11-02T22:28:00.001+08:00

Initially, when I gathered the news of the SEA Games squad being announced via some sources online I thought the nagging NS issue that had been bothering some of the boys had already settled at the nick of time.

It was only later when I opened my mailbox and saw the official release from the Football Association of Singapore regarding the squad list and realized the word "Provisional" in between the key words.

(Picture above right) Emmeric Ong, in white top, already enlisted
and not able to join the squad in Jakarta

So nothing is confirmed just yet and a number of the boys below are still keeping their fingers crossed as they are just a week away facing Malaysia at Jakarta.

Imaging just the night before leaving for Indonesia and the enlistment letter arrive in the letterbox ... Good Grief -___-

UPDATE...
Days later on 2nd November, FAS released an update of the new squad list with the inclusion of the Yasir Hanapi (pictured below left) from Home United to make it a 20-man squad with the word "Provisional" omitted from the subject title.

The Updated list squad List as follows...

20-man Singapore Men’s Football Squad List for 26th SEA Games

S/N	Full Name	Position	Club
1	Chan Yuhui (Jasper)	GK	CYL
2	Hariss S/O Harun	MF	CYL
3	Mohamad Izwan Bin Mahbud	GK	CYL
4	Mohammad Afiq Bin Yunos	DF	CYL
5	Muhammad Al-Qaasimy Bin Abdul Rahman	DF	CYL
6	Muhammad Faris Bin Ramli	MF	CYL
7	Muhammad Fazli Bin Ayob	FW	CYL
8	Muhammad Hafiz Bin Abu Sujad	MF	CYL
9	Muhammad Irwan Shah Bin Arismail	DF	CYL
10	Muhammad Khairul Nizam Bin Mohammad Kamal	FW	CYL
11	Muhammad Safuwan Bin Baharudin	DF	CYL
12	Muhammad Shahir Bin Hamzah	DF	CYL
13	Muhammad Zulfahmi Bin Mohd Arifin	MF	CYL
14	Navin Neil Vanu	FW	CYL
15	Quak Jun Yi (Gabriel)	MF	CYL
16	Safirul Bin Sulaiman	MF	CYL
17	Shahdan Bin Sulaiman	MF	CYL
18	Muhammad Yasir Bin Hanapi	MF	HUFC
19	Loo Zhan Quan Gary	MF	TPUFC
20	Mohammad Firdaus Bin Kasman	MF	TRFC

"Matchpix" - October 2011

2011-10-31T23:59:00.055+08:00

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

2011 Sultan of Selangor Cup - (Match Day and Balik Kampong)

Malay rock legend Amy Search (pictured above) wowed the 65,000 at the Shah Alam Stadium in this annual event initiated by the Sultan of Selangor with motive in fostering relationship between Singapore and Selangor whom both shared an unique rivalry in the Malayan football history.

The Selangor veterans retained their title for second time in running, while the Singapore selection (made up of the Lions) beat Selangor Selection 1-0 to keep the honour for the third successive time.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

S.League Match - Balestier Khalsa 1-0 Courts Young Lions(6/10/11)

The match was delayed for good 45 minutes or so before referee decided to go ahead on a water-logged pitch amid drizzling throughout the night.

I opt not to "sharpen" the shots as it will make them looked "grainier" and sticked to the default 1/320, f 5.6 ISO6400.

The compilation of the washed-out match at Toa Payoh Stadium saw Balestier Khalsa registered their first win in eight games over Courts Young Lions.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

International Friendly: Singapore 1-0 The Philippines 7/10/11

The normally subtle JBS turned into "Mini Manila" in early October when thousands from the Filipinos expat community turned out to see the Philippines national team in action against the Lions.

However, the Lions were not in charitable mood with their mind solely focused on their preparation for the then upcoming match World Cup Qualifiers against Jordan and beat the Azkals 2-0.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

World Cup Qualifiers - Singapore vs Jordan (11/10/11)

The fact is we lost to a much superior team that improved leaps and bounds since we beat them 2 years ago at Kallang.

The artificial field is not as scary as it was made out to be to scare the visiting teams as the two Middle-Easterners had proven that as a myth, despite the grumbles from their coaches.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

Uniform Derby - SAFFC 0-4 HUFC (16/10/11)

It was such an anti climax when three goals were conceded in such a short space of time that did not fit the billing of this highly-anticipated match.

An early goal (a perceived back pass resulted a free-kick at edge of six yard of SAFFC) was enough to destabilize the Warriors due to a controversial decision inside the box and eventually saw the Protectors grabbed two more before the end of the first half.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

S.League - HUFC 2-1 Etoile FC (20/10/11)

The reflective nature of the blades of the pitch at Bishan always bothers me as it tends to make the pictures look exposed if the pitch occupied large part of the composition of the picture.

Etoile coach Arena ferociously protested that his side was denied a penalty at the dying moments of their 2-1 defeat to Home Utd at Bishan Stadium.

Although, the irony was the Stars was actually leading the game for less than a minute after Kamel Chaaouane gave the lead in 48th minute before Fred Mendy levelled the scores in 49th minute with skipper Shi Jiayi netted home the winner in 57th minute.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

S'pore Pools FA Cup Semi-Final: Tampines PL 3-1 SAFFC PL 23/10/11

Tampines Rovers Prime League squad defeated their SAFFC counterparts 3-1 in the semi-final of the Singapore Pools FA Cup at Tampines Stadium.

It wasn't not hard to see how bad the condition of the playing surface that was used the day before for a S.League game.

The lightning condition was good until the last 15 minutes of the match when the sky darken (good thing that it didn't gone into extra time).

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

[Event] SINGA CUP - Unleashing the Future Today

2011-10-30T20:50:00.000+08:00

(This entry is formulated based on materials obtained via Singa Cup Official Website)

INTRODUCTION
Singa Cup is an international youth football tournament co-organized by Dynamique Konzepts Pte Ltd, an event management company with its partners Joji, a local based design and innovation consultancy.

The inaugural edition will kick off on 07th November 2011 in Singapore with the organizers confirmed this tournament is going to be an annual event to allow exciting raw talents from Asia and abroad a chance to pit against each other in a competitive environment.

CONCEIVING OF THE TOURNAMENT
"This is the first time we are deviating from our mainstream scope and breaking new grounds into sports with this international youth tournament – SingaCup." said Mr Ng Tiong Hian, Business Development Manager of Dynamique Konzepts, who drawn their clientele base mainly from the banking and aviation industries.

Taking a cue from renowned youth tournaments such as Goitha Cup, Danna Cup and Kanga Cup, Ng and his team decided that there's a lack of tournament of similar concept in the South East Asia region and so the conceiving of this tournament that had attracted teams from Australia, the Philippines, etc.

NO FRILLS BUT ENJOY FOOTBALL
"This is truly the place where you can see the hunger, passion and burning desire for the love of the game. No blings blings, no million dollar money draw – just one simple task – enjoy at what they do best – football." promised Ng, a self-proclaimed football fanatic since the age of seven.

All matches will be taking place at St Wilfrid Sports Complex and the tournament ends on 11th November with the crowning of the inaugural champions of both Under-18 and Under-14 teams.

For more information of the tournament, please log on to the following sites.

Official Website at http://www.singacup.com/
Official Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/SingaCup

The least I can do for him... (a tribute to "Russian Tank")

2011-10-29T15:17:00.000+08:00

It was only from my Facebook feed that I came to know today's significance.

Twelve years ago today, Singapore football mourned the loss of one of its best players - Borhan Abu Samah aka "Russian Tank".

Known for his tough and uncompromising tackles during his days, the former Lion, who once ply his professional trade with the great Pahang side in the Malaysian League that featured the likes of Fandi Ahmad, V Sundramoorthy, Dollah Salleh and Zainal Abidin Hassan, succumbed to liver cancer that ended his life at the age of 34.

Made his first debut for the Lions back in 1987 in the Olympics Qualifiers against Indonesia, Borhan scored his only international goal in a 4-1 win against Qatar in an international friendly in 1989.

In the least I can do for this great player is to pay my tribute to him for what he done for Singapore football through this blog entry...

RIP, Borhan

[Media Information] Singapore Pools FA Cup Final 2011‏

2011-10-28T00:08:00.000+08:00

(Media Information from the Football Association of Singapore)

Former Lion Rafi Ali (with cap) is instrumental behind the success of the junior Stags

SINGAPORE, 27 October 2011: Tampines Rover Prime League side overcame a resolute Singapore Recreation Club 8-7 on penalties to win their third Singapore Pools FA Cup.

In front of 1414 fans at the Jalan Besar stadium, the young Stags took the lead in the first half through captain Fazli Zailani but Blessing Ughojo equalised for SRC late into the second half to send the match into extra time.

Both teams were unable to break the deadlock in extra time and the match went into a penalty shootout where Young Stags goalkeeper, Fariq Ghani denied his opposite number, SRC goalkeeper, Shamsudin Hashim, to send the Young Stags supporters into raptures.

Tampines Rovers team manager, Zulkarnaen Zainal gave full credit to his opponents.

“SRC played really well and pushed us all the way. Full credit to them as they showed that they deserved to be in the final.”

-End-

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
27 OCT 2011

Firdaus earned his call-up FINALLY....

2011-10-25T23:32:00.001+08:00

Firdaus Idros being called up to Lions

In a media release announced just hours ago by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), national coach Raddy Avaramovic added two more uncapped players into the 21-men squad that are due to face Jordan (away) and China (home) next month in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

They are Home United's striker Firdaus Idros (who was once asked by a S.League coach why wasn't he being selected) and Tanjong Pagar Utd's Patrick Paran.

At the meantime, the list also saw some notable absentees such as Safuwan Baharudin, Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman and Izwan Mahbud who are being committed to the upcoming SEA Games in Indonesia.

However, the latest selection by coach Raddy did raise a few queries as why Qiu Li, who reported to be out of the season due to recurring injury, is still in the list and a perceived weaken goalkeeping department that is not strengthen with the departure of Izwan to the Cubs.

Probably, it could be the case of having a run out for the younger bloods, who knows?

The list as follows:

S/N	Name	Position	Club	Caps	Goals
1	Shahril Ishak	MF	~	89	5
2	Hamqaamal Shah	DF	GBFC	2	0
3	Ismail Yunos	DF	GBFC	15	0
4	Hafiz Rahim	FW	GUFC	4	0
5	Sevki Sha'ban	DF	GUFC	4	0
6	Juma'at Jantan	DF	HUFC	25	0
7	Lionel Lewis	GK	HUFC	71	0
8	Isa Halim	MF	HUFC	37	0
9	Firdaus Idros	MF	HUFC
10	Qiu Li	FW	HUFC	10	1
11	Shi Jiayi	MF	HUFC	55	7
12	Daniel Bennett	DF	SAFFC	103	6
13	Fazrul Nawaz	FW	SAFFC	49	4
14	Shaiful Esah	DF	SAFFC	16	1
15	Noh Rahman	DF	SAFFC	76	0
16	Delwinder Singh	DF	TPUFC	1	0
17	Ridhuan Barudin	GK	TPUFC
18	Patrick Paranjody	FW	TPUFC
19	Aleksandar Duric	FW	TRFC	39	20
20	Mustafic Fahrudin	MF	TRFC	59	7
21	Shukor Zailan	MF	TRFC	2	0

A test run online ...

2011-10-25T10:07:00.002+08:00

Good day to all,

Just having a test blog from this neat application here using "BlogPress" ...

Here is a shot of me with the legendary Zico ...

Countdown to Singapore Pools FA Cup Final 2011

2011-10-24T00:06:00.003+08:00

Long overshadowed by its more glamorous counterparts (i.e.: the S.League and the Singapore Cup), the FA Cup is the third major tournament organized by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) since 1995.

From 1999 onwards, the tournament had become a chance for a silverware for the NFL clubs after a decision was made that S.League clubs should not longer participate in this competition with Tanjong Pagar United being the last professional club to clinch the honour in 1998 after beating Sembawang Rangers at the demolished National Stadium.

However, the admission of Prime League squads of the S.League clubs in 2006 had end the monopoly of these NFL sides on this trophy with each year finalists since then having a side being the secondary squad of a professional setup with them walked away as winners on three occasions.

Picture obtained from the official Facebook page

Unfortunately, the last two editions of the Cup Final saw the part-timers triumphed over their much illustrious opponents with the two Padang-based clubs crowned as the winners of the tournament in 2009 (Singapore Cricket Club) and 2010 (Singapore Recreation Club, pictured above).

Tampines Rovers Prime League side set to avenge...

Come this coming Thursday at the Jalan Besar Stadium will see the reigning Cup holders SRC facing the challenge again from the Tampines Rovers Prime League team in the repeat of last year's final, would the young Stags able to avenge for their loss last year after defeated SAFFC? We know the answer this if you join us for the 7.30pm kick-off.

(P.S: Please click here to the match pictures of Tampines-SAFFC semi-final match)

PRIZES TO BE WON!!!
Not only fans will be treated with an exciting match lining up for the evening but also a chance to win some prizes (including an iPad2) for themselves.

More details of the upcoming match, please log on to the official facebook page of the tournament at http://www.facebook.com/SingaporePoolsFACup OR you may refer to attached poster for more details.

The official poster of the Singapore Pools FA Cup 2011

Rules and Regulations of the Lucky Draw and that of governing the usage of the tournament official Facebook group can be found here (courtesy of "LigaSingapura").

Stay Positive

2011-10-19T23:38:00.001+08:00

Those three emicons at the end of the tweet message (prt-screen above) was my initiate reaction when the news confirmed that the National Under 23 squad or the Cubs are drawn into the "Group of DEATH" of the biennial games to be held in Indonesian capital Jakarta.

After all, we are up against the defending champions Malaysia and regional powerhouses Thailand (whom we defeated just weeks ago in a friendly), host nation Indonesia and Cambodia.

The fact that a chunk of squad deemed unavailable due to National Service (NS) had saddled onto the mammoth task ahead, both players and officials seems undaunted by the mountain ahead of them in spite not having the ideal preparation in the run up to the most prestigious medal of the regional meet-up.

“Yes, we have gotten the information that we are in Group A but I would like to focus on my team first and get them ready for the tournament where we will be up against quality sides in the group.” said coach Slobodan Pavkovic of the Cubs upon received the news.

Concurring the thoughts of the concurrent FAS's Technical Director, 'keeper Izwan Mahbud (pictured above) added:“I know it is not the easiest of groups but we should be ready to face whichever team comes along. I feel that we should believe in our own team and prepare ourselves for the tournament. That is the most important thing of all.”

Some online feedback had chosen to take a positive stance on the tough battle lining up with one member of this blog's FB group, 'Noh Ran Haru' posted "The tougher it is, the stronger they should be. Hopefully." in a follow up to the posted "prt-screen" above.

Hopefully, too, that's the case.. Good Luck, Cubs

The Cubs' SEA Games Fixtures

Singapore vs Malaysia (9 November)
Singapore vs Cambodia (11 November)
Singapore vs Indonesia (13 November)
Singapore vs Thailand (17 November)

(Quotes of those of Pavkovic and Izwan extracted from the FAS media release.)

SEA Games - TEKONG or JAKARTA?

2011-10-17T22:13:00.001+08:00

How frustrated can it be again?

Despite all the hindrances facing the National Under-23 squad in their preparation for the upcoming SEA Games, the local game authority boldly set a "final" target for the Cubs.

Nothing wrong for being ambitious, as it departs from the usual modest target to settle for a "semi-final" in the biennial games even if we had our best squad in the past capable for the elusive gold.

Yet, the biggest bugbear facing the team to be led by FAS Technical Director Slobodan Pavkovic is the high number of players being enlisted for the mandatory National Service (NS).

Already several boys found themselves crippled by the ruling, notably being Hariss Harun (pictured above middle) and Safuwan Baharudin (pictured above right) - two of the star performers in the ongoing fading World Cup qualifiers.

As the result of the NS, Hariss was denied a chance to face China and Iraq, while Safuwan was reported having to use a chuck of his leave entitlement to play for the Lions.

All these after fruitless negotiating behind the scene between relevant parties to secure the release of the mentioned players.

While we know it's impossible to scrap the NS policy, yet it happened in a time when the government is talking about having a viable "sporting nation" concept for its people.

The lack of clear define direction to help any sportsman in this sticky mess would further raise more doubt on the whole concept, if relevant parties are committed to resolve this issue.

Just like a posting online by someone might be affected - "less than 20 days to go, TEKONG (NS) or JAKARTA (SEA Games)?" that sums up the prolonged waiting game for all.

Singapore's dream in tatters (and more than that)...

2011-10-11T23:20:00.005+08:00

Isa Halim after the final whistle was blown

Things just don't look that good when we conceded a goal within the first 15-minute slot that saw Abdallah Deeb scored to give the Jordanian the lead, when the Lions barely find the momentum upfront with some misguided balls that strayed away needlessly.

Safuwan's (extremely right in red) header almost levelled the scores

Few chances that came across following that setback with defender Safuwan Baharudin's "out-of-nowhere" header from close range nearly leveled the scores in the 35th minute or so, but the scores stayed that way at the end of the first 45 minutes.

Like their Iraqis counterparts, the Jordanians show no awkwardness on plastic surface, despite the earlier grouse by their coach Adnan Hamad over the surface like Zico did earlier.

Ahmad Ibrahim (extremely right in white) scored the third for Jordanians in 63rd minute

It is clear that the Middle-Easterners being the more dynamic side and undeniable deserved the win more than we do.

With two more goals that came in the second half as the result of swift attacking plays from the visitors, it all but over for the Singapore dream in their World Cup quest.

Skipper Shahril Ishak had his chance to draw level too in this attempt

Yet this defeat at home is more than just a loss of chance to make it to the greatest show on earth, but it is a huge gamble that backfired in the expenses when we are trying to pick up the pieces at our own backyard.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Assistant Coach V.Sundramoorthy (pictured above): “I think we did not take our chances and it is important at this level to convert chances when you have them. I think with time, with these young boys, we have a future. We have three games left and mathematically, if we get maximum points from the remaining games, we will still have a chance.”

Adding on, he said:“We are developing this team and they are a young team. We started the game positively and should have minimised our mistakes. The players fought till the end and they tried their best.”

Jordan’s Head Coach Hamad (pictured above) said: “I am very happy that the team played well and got a good result. And we are closer to the fourth round now. We respect the Singapore team and that’s why we played a good game. The players deserve the result.”

(Quotes extracted from the FAS media release shortly after the match)

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

Just like a "WESTLIFE" concert (Singapore 2-0 The Philippines)

2011-10-07T23:45:00.003+08:00

"MINI MANILA"
I'm not sure how that sentiment started in the first place, but judging by the posting plastered online and heard from the grapevine, it seems that JBS would turn out become a "mini Manila" for the friendly fixture between Singapore and The Philippines.

True enough that majority turned out for the game were the expat Filipinos.

Just like most of the matches played earlier that involving any foreign team in recent months, the Pinoys were all in unison rhythm and voice (most of the time) that rocked the normally subtle JBS.

THE MATCH
Honestly speaking from my perspective that both sides lacked the firepower upfront during the first half of the match.

Jason De Jong (21) in tussle with Hariss Harun (partially hidden)

While the Filipinos looked nippy at times on the flanks, but the combination of Daniel Bennett and Safuwan Baharudin did well to ward off the dangers, although the visitors did look one-dimensional in much of their offense (playing split defense passing that failed to unsettle the Lions backline).

Hariss (14): still has it despite away for NS obligation

However, much of credit much goes to Hariss Harun in adding that calmness in the middle in the park that was sorely missed in the last qualifiers against China and Iraq.

Duric and Isa Halim in a Lions' attacking play in second half.

The second half had the Lions kept status quo in remained as composed in quest of breaking the deadlock amid a resilient Azkal's defense that eventually came in the 51st minute when Shaiful Esah's deflected shot opened the account of the night.

Duric and skipper Shahril Ishak (left in red) celebrate the Lions' second goal.

Veteran striker Aleksandar Duric broke the hearts of the largely expat crowds when he outran his much younger marker to slot the ball past a hapless Neil Etheridge minutes later to seal the game for the hosts.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Lions' Coach Raddy Avramovic said: “I looked at this game as continuity from the two excellent matches against Malaysia, and I hoped that in this game, they will give us more confidence and belief in ourselves for the match against Jordan.’’

"In the first half, our attacks were cut from midfield and we couldn’t keep possession in the opponent’s half. And when you can’t do that, you cannot create chances, we then changed the positions of a few players during the break, and the team looked a lot better.” added the Serbian tactician

Shaiful Esah's (3) deflected effort opened the account of the evening

Azkals' coach Hans Weiss paid tribute his players who had to travel from Europe and other countries to play in this International Friendly. He added “They were tired and jet-lagged but they played well despite that fact. We were compact in the first half and played quite ok.”

“I warned my players of Singapore’s set pieces as they have a few variations and we were punished by Singapore’s No.3 Shaiful Esah. But we had a couple of chances in the second half but it was not enough.” said coach Weiss on thoughts of the first goal conceded by his team.

JUST LIKE 'WESTLIFE' CONCERT
Nonetheless, to the largely Filipinos crowds the result meant secondary when it was a chance to get up close to their sporting idols who flew in for this international friendly.

Resembled any scene of a pop concert, screams from adoring fans were deafening the moments of the Azkals made their way out of their dressing room to their waiting coach.

Just a friend who remarked,"Are we at a 'WESTLIFE' concert?"

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

(Quotes from the coaches extracted from the FAS media release issued after the game.)

Behind the Scene of the SOS Cup 2011

2011-10-03T00:29:00.000+08:00

DAY ONE - Arrival from Singapore

Courts Young Lions' Ruzaini Zainal (pictured above) could consider taking up a sideline as a beverage stall operator eh? This was taken while at a half-way stop in Negri Sembilan before heading up to Shah Alam.

The mystical iconic Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque or "Blue Mosque" (pictured above) as what it was seen as when the contingent arrived at the designated accommodation in the state capital of Selangor.

DAY TWO - Match Day

Datuk Santokh Singh (pictured above left), the legendary defender who sent shivers down the spines of many strikers back in the 1970s, greets the Sultan of Selangor, HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah before the Veterans match.

"Ok guys, listen up this is the final instruction...."

DAY THREE - Balik Singapura

Having our meal break at this half-way stop at Ayer Keroh, Melaka and found an A&W restaurant within the premises.

Wow!! really "Old School" feeling when I saw that way how these titbits are being arranged in this makeshift stall out of a pick-up at Simpang Renggam, Johor.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ALBUM OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE TRIP.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ALBUM OF THE MATCH & "BALIK KAMPONG".

Amy wowed the crowds!!!

2011-10-02T01:47:00.000+08:00

That's Amy for you!!!

I just could not recall when was the last time my hair actually STAND during a match, but when Malay rock legend Amy of Search fame wowed his audience of his classic - ISABELLA during the half time of the veterans match - it did!

Such an impact was that song that whole stadium actually sang it when it was performed by the legendary singer during the interval.

It's not just having such performance by those big name and whose who in the Malay entertainment scene, but the footballing atmosphere that is not often experienced back at home.

The Klang Valley supporters were out in full force!!

That's probably one of the reason why some of us are looking forward to the annual Sultan of Selangor Cup if it's being staged in Shah Alam.

You see, the only word to describe the whole atmosphere at Stadium Shah Alam was - ELECTRIFYING!

Just like once a senior figure in local football told me,"In REAL football, players cannot even hear among themselves, let alone the whistle blown by the referee!"

How true is it and it's only for one to come up and see for own self...

Selangor Veterans beat Singapore Veterans 3-1 to retain their title.
Singapore Selection beat Selangor Selection 1-0 to make this win three on a roll.

"Matchpix" - September 2011

2011-10-01T11:44:00.003+08:00

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

S.League Match - Hougang Utd 2-1 Etoile FC (4/9/11)

My setting at Hougang Stadium - 1/250, f5.6 (default), ISO3200 set another low in my S.League foto shoot -_-

Hougang Utd upstaged defending champions Etoile FC 2-1 at the Hougang Stadium.

In this rescheduled fixture, the Cheetahs took the lead through Vitor Borges in the first half before Selim Kaabi leveled in the half.

However, a well taken strike by Azhar Sairudin ended all hopes for the French as the hosts secured all three points.

The gallant display by the Cheetahs at home had prompted blogger Liga Singapura to laud their recent form in this entry of his.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

World Cup Qualifiers - Singapore vs Iraq (5-6/9/11)

The fact must be the Iraqi players must be less that worry as compared to their coach after those much critical comment on the playing surface by the one and only Zico that hogged the limelight in the run up to this showdown.

Young upstart Safuwan Baharudin gave himself another outstanding performance to captivate those at the ground and thousands of those watching at home, while the attacking front were blunt at large part of it and struggled further more when Qiu Li was replaced at half time.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

COE U16 match - Home Utd 3-0 Tanjong Pagar Utd (25/9/11)

I must admit I have not been giving much attention to COE football until that afternoon at the Old Police Academy.

Alerted by "Liga Singapura" that the title decider was going to be staged at the once Police training facilities, I decided to head down with my camera to snap some shots between Home United and Tanjong Pagar United, which I glad to snap the joy of the junior Protectors at the end of the day.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

2011 Sultan of Selangor Cup - Day One (Prep)

I thought I would want to have this album be placed under the "Oct" list but decided not to, after all this was shot on the LAST day of September.

The first day of the annual get-together of the indispensable part of Malayan football history with jam and wet weather along the way, however the highlight of the day was to see the Lions enjoyed a "warm"welcome to Shah Alam when their coach's air conditioning was faulty.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE PICTURES.

Purpose defeated after July's MOU?

2011-09-30T16:10:00.001+08:00

The mood is just so different this time as the Singapore contingent embarked for their annual trip to Shah Alam for the annual Sultan of Selangor Cup tournament.

The coaches carried the Singapore contingent to Shah Alam

This year's edition coincides with the reigning Sultan's 10th anniversary on the throne, which the organizers had promised to make a grand event that two former EPL stars Jason McAteer and Jesper Bloomqvist are being roped in for the Selangor Selection in the marquee match against the Singapore national team, who will be using this match for tuning up to their remaining World Cup qualifier matches.

More significantly, the meeting also marks the first meeting of both sides since the signing of the joint MOU between FAS and FAM.

At the R & R stop at Machap

After all, both Singapore and Selangor are two of the most celebrated sides in Malayan football history.

The joint declaration penned in July would be seen by many as the prelude to the revival of this unique footballing rivalry after Singapore decided to field a team in Malaysian domestic league as agreed under the terms of the joint MOU.

Wet weather greeted us as we turned into Shah Alam

Just as our coaches turned their way to into Shah Alam, one question came to my mind - would this tournament initiated by the ruler lose its gloss next year after the July's MOU?

Probably, only time will tell if the tournament that is use to foster better ties between both sides still have its purpose fulfill then.

Hello, Shah Alam.. I am back :)

"Live" Tweet-dating of the Sultan of Selangor Cup 2011

2011-09-30T03:13:00.016+08:00

I'm not sure how if this thing gonna work but at least I would like to give a try.

For those on twitter, you may want to share your thoughts on the event by tweet your say by include "#SOSCup2011", while at the meantime I am praying hard the bridge data roaming by my mobile provider will be working fine through the event.

Below is the widget of the tweets related to the event (your tweets should reflect on here as well if you use the mentioned # and please do feel free to send your message to those who are heading up, thanks.

THE TWEET WIDGET HAD BEEN PLACED UNDER THE TWITTER MENU ON THE RIGHT SIDE MENU, THANKS

Get ready for Shah Alam ...

2011-09-27T22:24:00.001+08:00

In a media release by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) this evening, national coach Raddy Avramovic had named the squad of 18 players to represent the Singapore Selection in their annual fixture against the Selangor Selection in the Sultan of Selangor Cup this coming Saturday at Shah Alam.

The Singapore Selection
The squad list as follows.

1	Izwan Mahbud	GK
2	Ruzaini Zainal	MF
3	Safuwan Baharudin	DF
4	Shahdan Sulaiman	MF
5	Hamqaamal Shah	DF
6	Ismail Yunos	DF
7	Hafiz Rahim	FW
8	Juma'at Jantan	DF
9	Lionel Lewis	GK
10	Isa Halim	MF
11	Shi Jiayi	MF
12	Daniel Bennett	DF
13	Fazrul Nawaz	FW
14	Shaiful Esah	DF
15	Noh Rahman	DF
16	Delwinder Singh	DF
17	Aleksandar Duric	FW
18	Shahril Ishak	MF

It's no secret that coach Raddy is grabbing any available opportunity at the present moment to get things tune up for their upcoming World Cup Qualifier match against Jordan next month.

Noh Rahman (in white jersey) is named in the 18-men list (picture credit: Gale Gan)

Besides the re-inclusion of Gombak's defender Ismail Yunos to the foray, another surprise was the recall of SAFFC's defender Noh Rahman into the training squad after he, alongside with other notable few, was not selected in the "revamped" squad when named in late May.

The Singapore Veterans
In the same release, the Singapore Veterans squad was also made available as follows:

1	Abdullah Noor	FW
2	Ahmad Sayuti	FW
3	D Tokijan	MF
4	Don Ang	FW
5	Ishak Sa'ad	DF
6	Kamaruzaman Zainal	MF
7	Leong Kok Fann	MF
8	Malek Awab	MF
9	Nahar Daud	FW
10	R Suria Murthi	MF
11	Razali Rashid	FW
12	Razali Saad	DF
13	Robert Sim	DF
14	Lim Tien Jit	DF
15	Shahri Rahim	GK
16	Steven Tan	MF
17	Syed Faruk	MF
18	Tay Peng Kee	FW
19	Yahya Madon	MF
20	Yusman Yusoff	DF/MF

The veterans will be fronted by former Lions skipper Samad Allapitchay with his former team mates Ho Kwang Hock and "Banana-Kick" specialist S Rajagopal as part of the coaching panel for these former Lions.

Ticketing Details
Tickets are on sale now till 30th Sept (Fri) at the South Gate of the Jalan Besar Stadium from 12.00 pm to 8.00 pm at $5 each.

Propel from obscurity - scribe on COE football

2011-09-25T23:13:00.006+08:00

I must admit I have not been giving much attention to COE football until this afternoon at the Old Police Academy.

Alerted by "Liga Singapura" that the title decider was going to be staged at the once Police training facilities, I decided to head down with my camera to snap some shots between Home United and Tanjong Pagar United.

Tanjong Pagar Utd's COE U16 team

Home Utd's COE U16 first eleven

The equation of the match was simple, all Home United needed to do was a draw with the junior Jaguars and the Centre Of Excellence (COE) U16 league title is theirs.

At the end of the day, not only the junior Protectors did not lose to the match, but also convincingly beat their opponents 3-0 to seal the title.

Despite long tucked in the obscurity from general football public, the standard of play has been "competitive" according to "Liga Singapura" who cater a separate blog - "Information on Singapore youth football" to focus on COE leagues.

"Some of the boys whom I have seen so far are good enough to feature in various national age-group teams." said the leading blogger who only started to cover the scene of youth football at start of the year and had since gained considerable rapport from the media-starved fraternity.

Beside the Old Police Academy, COE matches are being played on various venues such as St Wilfred, Singapore Sports School (SSS), Queenstown Stadium, etc.

For more information on various COE leagues football, please log on to "Information on Singapore youth football" at "http://sgyouthfootball.blogspot.com"

Congrats to Home Utd for clinching the COE U16 title at Old Police Academy

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

I should have QUIT!!!

2011-09-24T00:12:00.004+08:00

The beauty of the Cup competition lives on in the RHB Singapore Cup as the "Final Four" - Etoile FC, Home United, Albirex Niigata (Singapore) and Hougang United fought till the very end to see the emerging of the Protectors and the White Swans for the 19th November date at JBS.

Fred Mendy (pictured above right) scored against his old team to send HUFC to the final

In both first leg fixtures of the "Final Four" saw both the Stars and White Swans agonizingly forgo their lead in the dying moments of those matches to see their respective opponents - Home United and Hougang United crawled back to level terms to square off the encounter.

Incidentally, at one stage such a fightback was seen impossible until the dying moments of the match had distinguished the different approach of that of a knock-out cup tournament and round-robin league format fixtures.

Mendy propelled HU at expenses of old bosses
Yet, it wasn't really a nail-bitter when both Etoile and Home Utd met for their recurring fixture at Queenstown Stadium two days later with one tweet suggested it was a "boring" first half at Stirling Road.

Nonetheless, "Liga Singapura" offered a different perspective when he tweeted:"Its definitely far from a boring game, if you look at it from a tactical point of view. See this going 0-0 all the way and then PKs."

Things, however, did not go according to script as suggested by the leading blogger when last season's leading top scorer Frederic Mendy stabbed home the only goal in 55th minute to send Lee Lim Saeng's men to their first bid for the Cup in 6 years.

I should have QUIT to be at Hougang
I wouldn't mind give 24hrs notice to tender my quit notice in order to be at Hougang Stadium the following night.

Despite not being at the ground, I could still feel the heart pounding as I follow the #sgcup to keep track of the scores of the other tie between Hougang and Albirex.

What a game it was with Albirex beat the Cheetahs 5-4 agg to head to their 2nd Cup finals in weeks!!

After left his mark as a player, Hougang's coach Aide Iskandar has the potential to excel as a coach for what he done for the Cheetahs so far

Better marketing reckon in spite of F1
Sad to note that the timing of the semi-final matches collided with the Singapore Grand Prix that those keenly-contested battles were fought in front of disappointing crowds (hardly a pretty sight when these games were live-telecasted on cable).

Match snap of Hougang-Albirex's match courtesy of Gale Gan

Some may fault the lack of media coverage, although better marketing would have been done by organizers in hype up during the series.

After all, those at the four games were hardly disappointed by what they saw.

When honour become a liability

2011-09-17T20:29:00.024+08:00

Based on their line up in their league fixture against Albirex Niigata (Singapore) that featured the likes of Lionel Lewis, Shi Jiayi, Qiu Li and Juma'at Jantan, one question floated into my mind and made me wonder if these Home United's Lions (and the rest from other teams in the S.League) felt that national duty is become a liability for having to juggle their club commitments after such a hectic international duty?

Don't get me wrong, it's always a honour to play for national team but the welfare of these fatigued Lions must be taken care of avoid burnt out and getting themselves injured unnecessary in time like this when their club's priorities are equally important.

After all, out of those above-mentioned we already had a few of them reportedly having some physical "un-well being" like Lionel got himself injured (after just returned from an adductor injury) in the loss against Iraq (pictured above receiving treatment ) that prompted him to reconsider his international future after that game.

Saddest thing that would be no players see it an honour, but a liability to play for the national team if such scheduling remains "status quo" and things remain 'volatile' as it is, while the effort of those who fought for the country gone unappreciated.

[Instant Reaction] The musical chair game just continue ...

2011-09-15T07:26:00.000+08:00

The word "stability" is probably never exist in the dictionary of the league authority with the latest news that broke out this morning (screen-grab below) that suggested the possibility of 2009's League Cup winners DPMM of Brunei of rejoining the league.

I guess we shouldn't be too surprise of this latest development.

I am not referring to the application of the Brunians, but more of the fact that opaque selection criteria that seems to be flawed.

After all, that perceived "stringent" procedure did result the admission of those Chinese "clubs", Sporting Afrique, etc. with the fans scratching their heads over another round of "musical chairs" sequence.

"Radio Rosak" post

2011-09-11T12:08:00.001+08:00

Saw this tweet message (pictured above) awhile ago and would like to reiterate an earlier blog post that emphasized that months ago.

Honestly speaking, how many people (except for those in the scene) are aware about the excitement?

I think this is something my fellow blogger, Antony Sutton of "Jakarta Casual" has been pondering over several times on his blog why most Singaporeans football fans are inclined to English and European football and despise what they have at their own backyard.

People have been blaming the quality, which of course I don't deny the fact that it may not be anywhere we seen on cable.

Jovial scene after another Hougang United's victory at home

Yet there were some really good games I have seen this season particularly from Albirex Niigata (Singapore) and Hougang United (for those who follow the scene should understand where I came from).

Unfortunately, the sad fact is that when such good games were played, there were little much coverage of what well these games were, let alone any follow up and in-depth analysis afterwards.

I used to be naive to think through the means of alternative media on how the gospel of local football can improve its awareness among the masses (to extend some of which did and make people to sit up and stare at their monitors or mobile screens on some of those stuff unearthed from obscurity).

Yet the massive excitement whipped up by the mainstreamers over the recent joint FAS-FAM MOU had, again, made me realized it's still a long way to go for these 'alternate' to be on par on those 'establishment'.

Glad to see many opinions on Singapore football heard via social media

If you ask me how to remedy the situation, I just cannot provide any answer at this moment nor can I just simply impose my thoughts on those unwilling parties still refused to accept how decent the S.League it is.

It just simply frustrating that the League itself being constantly associated with those negativity and having to see those good stuff overshadowed by those juicier headline.

Unless the mindset of the sceptics can be tweaked into the same frequency like those optimist, it's not likely to see this generation to accept the fact.

(P.S: Sorry if you guys found the content rather repetitive and that's the reason I called 'Radio Rosak' posting...)

It's not kids' football after all for the Iraqis

2011-09-07T00:23:00.003+08:00

Apparently the Iraqis did not play like as what suggested by some being "kids' footballers" following the remark on the artificial surface of the Jalan Besar Stadium by their coach, Zico prior to the match.

In fact, the visiting side looked fairly comfortable on the plastic surface with much of the attacking play by them in the first half.

One of Safuwan's (no 2) heroics - foiled Nashat Akram from advance

Whereas the hosts - Singapore were confined largely in their defensive third to absorb those threats from the Middle-Easterners with young upstart Safuwan Baharudin gave another good account of himself to defray much of the threat in the first 45 minutes.

Not the same thing can be said about the attacking upfront though for the Lions.

Some flashes of brilliance were shown with Qiu Li making some inroads from the left flank to unsettle the Iraqis backline in the first half.

SAFFC's Fazrul Nawaz (no 10) replaced Qiu Li at start of second half

All these penetrating runs came to a standstill when some online feedback suggested the replacement of Qiu had dried up the supply upfront for evergreen Aleksandar Duric and skipper Shahril Ishak.

At the end of the day, the visitors proved to the more impressive side and gifted themselves with two goals (by Ala'a Abdulzehra in the 49th minute and skipper Younus Mahmood in the 86th minute) to anchor Singapore at the foot of the group after their second successive defeats.

It was a much relieved Arthur Antunes Coimbra, otherwise widely known as Zico, who greeted the media after the match.

Iraq's coach Zico addresses the media after the match.

"I'm very happy with the three points, as my players achieved what was expected from them." said the Brazilian coach whose moaning of the artificial surface had been hogging the headlines around the region.

"In this game, we created many opportunities and I'm also glad that we played well on this surface when in the place my players did not know how to play on it.

"As this was our second game in seven days and I know my players wanted to win this match, while at the meantime, I felt Singapore lacked the concentration tonight as compared to what I saw them against China on video."opined the Flamengo legend who is also a cult figure in Kashima region in Japan for his association with local J-League club Kashima Antler.

Due to the touchline ban meted out on him, Singapore coach Raddy Avramovic did not make his presence at the post-match press conference and nor did he stop for a word with media as he headed straight to the team coach waited outside at the ground after the game.

Aleksandar Duric speaks to the media at the "mixed zone"

"I think we let them had too much space that they had a few shots (against us) in the first half which I think it was a good for us to stay 0-0 for the first 45 minutes, but the second half we made one mistake that allowed them to punish us." said Duric who spoke to the waiting media in the designated "mixed zone" outside the stadium before heading to the team coach.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES.

"Artificial field meant for children" Zico

2011-09-05T15:48:00.006+08:00

The man they called the "White Pele" never failed to reiterate his opinion on having game to be played on artificial surface after made known to the media a day earlier.

"To me personally, I think good football should be played on natural grass and artificial surface shall be used by small children in training instead." said Brazilian legend Zico, the newly appointed Iraqi national coach at the pre-match press conference of the 2014 World Cup qualifier match between Singapore and Iraq.

(Pictured above) Iraq national coach Zico took over the post less than a month ago

Despite his unpleasantness over the choice of playing surface at Jalan Besar Stadium, coach Zico added he still respects the decision undertaken by both FIFA and AFC for this match.

Beside the pitch, coach Zico also voiced his concern over the scheduling and the grouping of the qualifiers fixtures.

Said the former Flamengo superstar:"Perhaps, the organizers should be looking into how they can group the teams based on their (approximately) region instead of the present format.

"The distance involved in the traveling from Iraq to Singapore had made some of my players tired, as it was 30 hours from there to here." added the man who last visited Jalan Besar in 2004 as the Japan national coach.

Yet the ultimate agenda for both coach Zico and his Singapore counterpart, Raddy Avramovic (pictured above) is to gain maximum points out from the match tomorrow.

Having both lost their opening fixtures last week, it is "do-and-die" battle for both Singapore and Iraq.

"My team lost many chances in the last game against Jordan, while they had two chances and they scored on both occasions.

"I believe it was because that was the first time after long period that the team played their home game in Iraq and the players felt the pressure to perform in front of the home crowds, but for the tomorrow's game the most important thing is to put the ball into the net." added the 58-year old.

Both coaches last meet competitively in 2004 when JBS was still naturally turfed.

Echoed his much illustrious counterpart's thought, coach Raddy (pictured above) agrees the significance of the second match of this group qualifiers especially after that heartbreaking defeat to China last Friday.

"It was very difficult for the team after that game against China, as emotionally the team got affected but we tried our best and we are looking forward to our next game against Iraq which I hope it will be good game tomorrow." said the Serbian coach during the press conference.

Coach Raddy also gives an update on the players' condition by revealed that both China-born duo of Qiu Li and Shi Jiayi still having diarrhoea since returned home from Kunming with 'keeper Izwan Mahbud will be ruled out for the match following his ankle injury sustained during the match against the Chinese.

[Instant Reaction] ROBBED!! [edited]

2011-09-02T22:12:00.003+08:00

Watched the match at "Botak Jones" near SPH instead

I think those who saw the match just now on TV would agree that bad decisions against us had cost us dearly at Kunming.

Already handicapped by the climate that bogged both sides, the controversial call by the referee (Andre El Haddad of Lebanon) in the second half on several decisions must had fumed a lot of folks back here with two dubious penalty decisions that eventually paved the way to an unglamorous win for the hosts.

But the defeat came with a heavy price with 'keeper Izwan Mahbud twisted his left ankle and several yellow card decisions accumulated in the process.

It's definitely not a good start to the campaign, but not at the expenses of having a biased official calling all the shots!

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Coach Raddy Avramovic said “I would like to thank all my players for putting in a great effort. We started and played well in the first half and could have scored more than one goal. In the 2nd half, China came back and managed to win by a one-goal margin.”

Goalkeeper Lionel Lewis, who came on in the second half for the injured Izwan, also shared his thoughts on the match: ”I tried my best and managed to save one of the penalties, but I feel that we should let this game pass and focus on our preparation for the next game.”

The Lions are scheduled to arrive home from Kunming on Saturday's night before getting themselves prepare for their next match against Iraq on this coming Tuesday night at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

(Quotes were extracted from the official FAS media information released shortly after the match)

"Matchpix" - August 2011

2011-08-31T23:51:00.001+08:00

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

S.League Match- Balestier Khalsa 0-1 Tampines Rovers (6/8/11)

Ahmad Latiff (pictured above in yellow jersey) delivered the sucker punch at the last kick of the game to help Tampines Rovers beat Balestier Khalsa 1-0 at Toa Payoh Stadium.

While the Tigers had a Mark McGough's goal disallowed which they claimed the Aussie's effort had crossed the goal line before Lions defender Fahrudin Mustafic cleared for safety in the first half.

The win closed the gap to two points between Stags and leaders Home Utd.

With the horrendous light condition at Toa Payoh, compromised at 1/320 and ISO6400 is a must when F5.6 is the main theme here.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

S.League Match - Woodlands Wellington 1-5 Albirex Niigata [S] (8/8/11)

"Woodlands had a 3 week break. trained twice daily for two weeks, led thru a 40sec goal and then crumbled and got trashed. and he (coach Bala) still say its ok" said a friend on "twitter" after he read what I quoted Woodlands coach R Subramaniam said after his team's 5-1 defeat to the League Cup holders.

"Despite the loss, I still see some positives out from this game and compared to our last game against them, we actually made them worked hard to score all the goals tonight.

And I felt it was due to the fasting month and being our first game during this period, I think my team will adjust to the condition by the time when we play our next game." was what said by Coach Bala after the game.

By this time, it was already a well-known fact among the fraternity that I must be the only photog making a hell of noise of the poor lightning at neighbourhood grounds when one of the Rams players asked me before the game if that would be the worrying factor when snapping them later... I think it was.. :P

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

Singapore Cup Quarter-Final (2nd-Leg) Etoile FC 3-1 Gombak United

Gombak Utd coach Darren Stewart took full responsibility for their 3-1 loss against Etoile FC that saw them knocked out of RHB Singapore Cup.

With that win Etoile will meet Home Utd in the semi final of the premier Cup competition of local football alongside with Albirex Niigata (S) and Hougang Utd to complete the FINAL FOUR setup.

It was raining pretty heavily prior to the start and I asked the water-logged pitch was possible for the game to start.

And glad it did and so was the rain that stopped in time to see the start of the match that went without going into extra-time unless those other's second-leg matches before this.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

[Feature] Aiding in the revival of the Lions' fortune...

2011-08-30T03:33:00.009+08:00

(The entry is formulated from the transcript obtained via Integrated Marketing Solutions Group -IMSG, the PR agency of Nike Singapore)

(P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.)

Their exploits on the field in recent weeks would not have been gone unnoticed and possible without Nike's Tiempo Legend IV Elite.

With this latest football boots launched by the global sporting giants that are being wore lately by the triumvirate of Singapore National Football Team captain Shahril Ishak (pictured above left), veteran goal ace Aleksandar Duric (pictured above right) and "boy wonder" Hariss Harun, they had helped to propel the much beleaguered Lions back to prominence included that crucial win over Malaysia in the "Causeway Derby" that qualified them for the Asian World Cup Group Qualifiers, where they are due to meet China in days to come.

Tiempo Legend IV Elite
Being the 12th model of the "Tiempo" series launched by Nike, the series had come a long way since 1994 when the game's biggest tournament was staged in the United States that saw its first model - "Tiempo Premier" wore by eight of the 22 players on field in the final match between Italy and eventual winners, Brazil.

Hariss Harun stays faithful to Tiempo since young

Soon after that, "Tiempo" was seen as a launchpad for Nike to catapult itself to be among the leading names of the game through its various innovative and top quality products over these years. Therefore, it was not unusual to see "Tiempo Legend IV Elite" being first crafted in a small Italian town of Montebellun, long reputed for its fine shoe-making craftsmanship, in part of that process to meet up to the stringent expectations on it.

"The new Tiempo offers a respect for the heritage of the boot, and what we wanted the Tiempo to represent. That is, a style of shoemaking, a snug fit, design that is understated not flamboyant.

It’s about refinement and simplicity; it’s about respect for the athlete, not flashy design or features. It’s a timeless piece of craftsmanship." Dave Daly, Nike's Global Footwear Director, Football

The end product of a masterpiece - Tiempo Legend IV Elite

Indeed with those words of Daly, the end product of this masterpiece is the result after a manufacturing process that involved 128 steps with a total of 80 different components plus 56.50 meters of Flywire technology thread (that helps to minimize weight and maximize support in Nike footwear) and 4,751 stitches go into each boot.

In short, the boots are designed to provide great fit and touch and is the lightest "Tiempo" model ever.

New Environmentally-Friendly Club Kits and Lifestyle Range for top European clubs sides
Equally essential in every footballer's gear is the jersey he is wearing.

Since last year, Nike improvised its "Dri-Fit" fabric that actively regulate the players' body temperatures on the pitch to keep them dry and cool at all times through use of this unique technology that draws sweat away from the player's body through the material where it can evaporate.

The current Singapore national team jersey is environmental friendly

This fabric also claimed another distinction for using recycled plastic water bottles in its fabrication process of these jerseys in effort to be more environmental friendly.

It is the same kind of material used in the Lions' current jersey which is also in those jerseys of that of Manchester United, Barcelona and Arsenal too.

Beside the match day kits, Nike has launched a unique line of training and lifestyle clothing (pictured above with Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand in a jacket) for both players and fans to wear on and off pitch.

T90 Seitiro ball
No Singaporean fan would forget that moment when Duric's flick header that set up that Shi Jiayi's equalizer against Malaysia and silenced majority of the 80,000 crowds at Bukit Jalil Stadium thus landed the Lions at where they are now.

The match ball that night was "T90 Seitiro".

Continuing to bring new innovations to football, the T90 Seitiro features NIKE RaDaR technology, which means Rapid Decision and Response. As a lab and field-tested standard of visual performance Nike RaDaR technology allows players to see the ball better and capitalize on split second scoring and passing opportunities.

Tested and validated on pitch by some of the world's best players including Wayne Rooney, Andrés Iniesta and Wesley Sneijder the T90 Seitiro ball's casing color, graphic design and contrast creates an optimal visual signal on the pitch, allowing for players to rapidly and intuitively spot the ball anywhere on the pitch.

The T90 Seitiro's touch, aerodynamic stability and Nike RaDaR technology make it the best ball on the planet.

Partners hand in hand
As the Lions are due to play their opening group qualifier match against China this coming Friday (2nd of September), it's without any doubt that Nike will continue in its role to help the revival of Singapore football.

[Instant Reaction] Thailand 0-0 Singapore - Hope no one is injury, please

2011-08-24T22:33:00.002+08:00

Screen-grab of the livestreaming of the match

As what Thailand's German coach Winfried Schaefer said before the game "Result doesn't matter" and so both his team and Singapore fought to a goal-less encounter in front a near empty gigantic Rajamangala Stadium.

Singapore coach Raddy Avramovic surprised many by naming just recovered Fahrudin Mustafic in the starting eleven for this Bangkok friendly.

Nonetheless, the Stags utility man was featured for the first 45 minutes before made way for Shukor Zailan before the start of the second half.

While skipper Shahril Ishak was unfortunately to have his effort judged offside in the 54th minute, the hosts were guilty for not making full use of their chances created in the second half and could only kick themselves for making life a bit easier for Lionel Lewis, who also came on in the second half, at goal.

The game looked pretty scrappy for large part of it, but the key now is avoid unnecessary injury and get things into the groove... Good Luck!

We need a "BIRCH" or "LOW" for our new CEO?

2011-08-24T08:42:00.007+08:00

I think it would be interesting to use the following as an example since we are presently on the look out for a new "S.League CEO".

I'm not sure if recent announcement by the league authority that they are on a look out for a new man in charge of the league did actually set a buzz in the local football community, which is of late swayed with number of things that taken place of late such as the joint FAS-FAM MOU and the Lions' making it to group stages qualifiers of the World Cup.

Nonetheless, I think as someone who is concerning about the future of Singapore football (even though, someone actually claimed I'm a 'killer' of it) I would like to share my thoughts here by using a case study not related to football from the past to the search for the new League boss.

With the title suggested "We need a "BIRCH" or "LOW" for our new CEO?" had therefore bring us to the main characters of this entry - JWW Birch and Hugh Low.

The two gentlemen in BOLD were instrumental in the British Residential System during the Colonial times in the 19th century.

JWW BIRCH

A skectch of JWW Birch (obtained via Resam Melayu )

Birch was first appointed as the "Resident" to the state of Perak in 1874 following the "Pangkor Treaty".

Despite being the administrative old hand for having served Ceylon prior to his appointment to his new role, Birch was portrayed as a "impatient man, insensitive to local cultures and wanted to have things changed quickly"

Which was because of his impatient and lack of tact over several issues that that eventually led to his assassination by a native chief in November 1875.

Sir Hugh Low

Portrait of Hugh Low (obtained via Wikipedia)

Hugh Low became the fourth "Resident" of Perak and is widely acknowledged as the first successful British colonial administrator in this part of the world.

Many factors attributed the success of Low, for one thing he was a tactful person and emphasised on the "consultative" way to work with the native chief and the ruler of the state which eventually won him the trust from them.

Therefore, during his term in office Low was eventually phrased out some of the old practices that were hogging the development of the state, and by the time he retired from office in 1889 he transformed Perak from a state of anarchy to a model to be emulated by the rest of Malay States under this "Residential System".

(P.S: I will not dwell on what was written above-mentioned, as it's not the objective of this entry and I will express no opinions on those incidents either and what written above are formulated based on what I read from sources available source1, sourece2, source3, source4, source5)

CONCLUSION
As we can see from the brief insights on both characters that Birch is seen as someone who was impatient and gung-ho man to impose his thoughts without taking consideration of those he worked with, whereas Low was more of an accommodating person and ready to listen and work out a solution to every problem he was facing.

Without going into further details of what are the problems we are facing nowadays which we are so familiar with, I would liken the present situation in local football that bears some resemblance of that faced by both Birch and Low in the late 19th century.

That's why I believe (and HOPE) with the wisdom of the selection panel, they would have taken into account all the factors that are deemed critical in getting the RIGHT person to run the show.

Would they want someone like Birch whose abrasive style of wanting to impose changes quickly to rid those nagging problems in a huff OR are we, the fans, willing to brace for another few more years before we see the harvesting of the crops if someone like Low is the patient cultivator?

Singapore Cup - Emerging of the "FINAL FOUR"

2011-08-21T00:13:00.000+08:00

Wasn't able to attend any of the Singapore Cup matches over the few days until today due to work commitments and ultimately saw the lack of update of the blog until this.

As the result of the concluding matches played over the past few days saw the emerging of the "FINAL FOUR" for one of the holy grails in Singapore football.

ALBIREX NIIGATA (SINGAPORE)
The reigning League Cup winners are the on the course of gunning their second title of the season after eliminated SAFFC on penalties after a 2-2 draw on aggregate at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

(Picture above) Koichi Sugiyama is the most successful coach to date of the White Swans since they joined the league in 2004

HOME UNITED
I was actually at the "next door" when the second leg of the Home United-Tampines Rovers quarter-finals took place at the Bishan Stadium.

Unfortunately, I was not able to have a clear view from where I was and had to depend on the "tweets" updating to keep my abreast on what going on and finally saw the Protectors triumphed over their fellow title-contenders on penalties as well on the same night like Albirex did.

Some coaches were asking why Home United's Firdaus Idros was not selected for the Lions

HOUGANG UNITED
The Cheetahs survived a scare at the Jalan Besar when they found themselves against a resilient Okkthar United who were keen to overcome that 3-0 deficit incurred in the first-leg at Hougang Stadium.

Just like at the Cheetahs' lair, the Burmese side was backed by a voracious fans' supporters that was not often seen in local league match that one "tweet" update remarked the Hougang Hools were drowned out by these expat supporters.

Hougang will face a rematch with Albirex in semi-finals

ETOILE FC
Gombak United coach Darren Stewart took full responsibility for their 3-1 second-leg loss against Etoile FC that saw them knocked out of RHB Singapore Cup which he felt that the game plan for this wet surface encounter against the defending champions were not executed.

With that win Etoile will meet Home Utd in the semi final of the premier Cup competition of local football alongside with Albirex Niigata (S) and Hougang Utd to complete the FINAL FOUR setup.

Although the French paid a price for having saw a few of their key players ruled out for the semi-final due to suspension, which coach Guglielmo Arena is confident that with the squad he has it's not an issue to dwell on.

Kevin Lefranc's 10th minute strike opened the account for the French.

Still pending for Hariss and Safuwan

2011-08-15T23:54:00.000+08:00

The fate of both Hariss Harun and Safuwan Baharudin (pictured below) to join the national team for the upcoming World Cup group stages qualifiers is still hung in a balance, despite having their names on the 24-men squad list released by the Football Association of Singapore this evening.

Would Sufawan having the last laugh?

"We are still hopeful that both Hariss and Safuwan would get the relevant clearance over their NS liability, which we will get a clearer picture in days to come." according to the FAS official this blog spoken to pertaining the duo's status.

Other than two youngsters that gave a good account of themselves in the recent "Causeway Derby", there aren't many changes made by coach Raddy Avramovic in his selection other than inclusion of Geylang United's Sevki Sha'ban and Hafiz Rahim.

Izwan Mahbud in action against the Malaysians

With Lionel Lewis back in action for Home United last night against Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Cup, it would pose another happy headache for coach Raddy on whom would be his starting custodian with Courts Young Lions's Izwan Mahbud's (pictured bove) credible performance at Bukit Jalil had gathered a few laurels from the pundits.

Daniel Bennett is set to join the "century" club

SAFFC's defender Daniel Bennett (pictured above) is set to be the next "centurion" as he will be joining the 25-men squad heading to Bangkok for a friendly match against Thailand on the 24th of August before proceed to Kunming to face China on the 2nd of September.

Apparently, some of the players were not aware of the news when being told like in the case of Gombak United's defender Hamqaamal Shah (pictured below), but is thrilled to be part of the contingent .

Hamqaamal Shah (white jersey number 4) in action for Gombak United

"When I get to know I'm in the team, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to represent my country again.

"While I did not play in the matches against the Malaysians, I will still work hard and earn for a place on the first team and I hope the team will qualify to the fourth round which I believe we can do it." said the twice-capped defender.

"With the team, coaches, officials and not forgetting our FANS we have for the team. We'll do very best for the country." promised the 25 year-old.

The squad list as follow:

Popular Name	Position	Club	Caps	Goals
Hariss Harun	MF	Courts Young Lions	19	0
Izwan Mahbud	GK	Courts Young Lions	3	0
Ruzaini Zainal	MF	Courts Young Lions	2	0
Afiq Yunos	DF	Courts Young Lions	2	0
Safuwan Baharudin	DF	Courts Young Lions	7	0
Zulfahmi Arifin	MF	Courts Young Lions
Shahdan Sulaiman	MF	Courts Young Lions	5	0
Hafiz Rahim	FW	Geylang United FC
Sevki Sha'ban	DF	Geylang United FC	4	0
Hamqaamal Shah	DF	Gombak United FC	2	0
Ismail Yunos	DF	Gombak United FC	15	0
Juma'at Jantan	DF	Home United FC	21	0
Lionel Lewis	GK	Home United FC	68	0
Isa Halim	MF	Home United FC	33	0
Qiu Li	FW	Home United FC	8	1
Shi Jiayi	MF	Home United FC	51	7
Shahril Ishak	MF	Medan Chiefs FC	85	5
Daniel Bennett	DF	SAF FC	99	6
Fazrul Nawaz	FW	SAF FC	46	4
Shaiful Esah	DF	SAF FC	12	0
Aleksandar Duric	FW	Tampines Rovers FC	35	18
Mustafic Fahrudin	MF	Tampines Rovers FC	57	7
Shukor Zailan	MF	Tampines Rovers FC	2	0
Delwinder Singh	DF	Tanjong Pagar United FC
Ridhuan Barudin	GK	Tanjong Pagar United FC

Should it be more apt to use 2004 clip than 1994 clip? [edited]

2011-08-14T22:14:00.005+08:00

I was watching the National Day rally that ended moments ago and thought would like to add my less-than-a-dime thought having saw a clip of the 1994 Malaysia Cup Final win over Pahang by the Singapore team.

The Prime Minister was quoting someone who shared with that moment as a 17 year-old by saying that "The most memorable moment during the whole Malaysia Cup, to me, was not the players, instead, the integrity of the fans, to come together as one, and only in this competition where we see strangers become good friends and buddies become families," (as mentioned on this report).

Okay, while it was a fact back then everything came to a standstill and everyone was gluing to the live telecasting on their television, but I thought the clip below would be a better choice to illustrate that point.

After all, that illustrated point took place right at home in 2004.

- Kallang Roar, Kallang Wave... how I miss you both...

Gathered some thoughts from the blog's FB page and my FB feedback follow the posting up of the entry last night.

"Everything that happened in 1994 was indeed sweet memory.. The whole season was magical. Matches after matches... We'd march down to the National Stadium to roar as a nation. 2004 was also memorable...but It was just a one off excitement isn't it.."

"as usual, too much coverage/exposure given to Malaysia Cup days over the 'more successful' years afterwards..."