[Instant Reaction] Wonder if Coach Stange is happy with the 3-3?

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The Singapore football team's hopes of staying behind after the official opening ceremony of the 17th Asian Games was given a minor boost after they scraped away with a 3-3 draw against a much superior Oman.

Knowing that another defeat after the loss to Tajikistan on Sunday would mean the Cubs will immediately have to pack their luggage home after the closing tie against Palestine.

I did not see the first three goals until the replay at half-time, although I thought it was a lapse in the defence that saw the Omanis headed home their third goal after the failure to close down on the flank to allow the ball to be floated for the routine rounding up from close range.

Safuwan saved the day (file picture)

Nonetheless, it was a great individual effort from winger Faris Ramli in the box to reduce the deficit before the interval and eventually saw Safuwan Baharudin saved the team from the skin of defeat with a header from nowhere to tie at three a piece.

Bravery and heroics aside, the fact cannot be hidden that if national coach Bernd Stange was there to see the match, I am wondering if he would be pleased to see the kind of game that was not what he has been preaching for?

On the contrary, it was the Middle-Easterners who were playing that kind of "passing-and-moving" type of football emphasized by the German and shown again how fragile the Singapore backline can be whenever they were being pressed against by the opponents who would try to thread a low grounder to unsettle the pack.

Coach Stange is on medical leave (file picture)

Furthermore, the lack of creativity upfront by the Cubs had barely troubled Oman with their static long passing game that was coupled with a number of possession lost during the process.

Rest Well, Guys and Coach Stange.