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| Rafi Ali close checked on "Macca" |
A trip down to the
Jalan Besar Stadium last evening sets apart from those previous ones.
It was because the showpiece last night, literally brought me back to my formative years when catching football action on television was a norm then (not much in these recent years).
Suddenly, the likes of Ian Rush, Steve McManaman, Fandi Ahmad, V Sundramoorthy whom I used to catch in action on television appeared right in front of me to showcase what they were during their heydays and for Robbie Fowler, himself, could sort of making up for his
non-appearance on the same arena when he first came to Singapore in 2009 with the now-defunct A-League side North Queensland Fury.
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| Liverpool legend Ian Rush (left) don an "Aleks T-shirt" |
The match was almost derailed before the scheduled kickoff time at 7pm due to the persistent rain and eventually went ahead in drizzling after the deactivation of the Light Warning System (LWS).
Another significant occasion was also celebrated as local hero Aleksandar Duric's testimonial match with players spotted donning warming kit that bears the 44-year-old's face in front.
While they may not longer packed the pace and intensity during their prime, but every move and pass made was greeted with applauds irregardless of which side.
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| Emile Heskey (middle) scored the opener |
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| Tong Hai cleared the aerial threat |
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| "Dazzler" V Sundramoorthy ready to launch a rocket |
Although the crowds did roar in approval while Emile Heskey opened the account in the ninth minute before the ghosts of the 1993's SEA Games came back to haunt defender Lim Tong Hai in the 17th minute to be at the wrong place and time to gift the visitors the second goal.
Finnish Jari Litmanen topped the tally with the Reds' third goal of the night shortly after the restart in this 80-minute fixture in the 46th minute before Rafi Ali's header in the 63rd minute salvaged some pride for the locals against an impressive Jerzy Dudek, a cult figure in the Anfield folklore for his heroics in the 2005 Champions League victory.
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| The thrill to snap your boyhood hero with your lenses |
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| "Pocket Dynamo" Malek Awab in action |
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| "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS" |
As the drizzle turned light at the end of the night, the Liverpool Masters walked away with a 3-1 win over the Singapore Masters with adoring fans patiently camping outside the stadium eager to grab a snapshot and autography from those who featured on the wet slippery surface.
I was told the match was shorten to a 70-minute fixture due to the delay caused by the rain and thought stricter security measures should be in place after witnessed a pitch invasion almost took place from the crowds at the KGS.
ReplyDeleteAs a foreign coach in Singapore, the thing that I truly don't understand is how so many people can cheer on an other club against legends from their own country... I an other coaches (not all ex pats) looked at each other and shook our head and Singaporeans cheered goals going in against their own countrymen. I personally feel that Singapore won't progress until this fundamental issue is addressed.
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