Month: June 2023
It was a week of reflection and rectification, this after Risto Vidaković witnessed his Lion City Sailors contrive to concede four goals in a single Singapore Premier League (SPL) match, but somehow still managed to escape with three points.
The Sailors are united behind their Head Coach – there will be no repeat of individual or the collective performance that saw the Sailors beat Balestier Khalsa 5-4 last Thursday (1 June) at the Bishan Stadium – especially not against league leaders Tampines Rovers, in what is the proverbial six-pointer in the chase for the SPL title.
“Our performance against Balestier wasn’t up to standard, even though we got the three points. And the key aspect of our game we’ve been working on in defence – we know we must improve on that and we have been hard at work this week trying to do exactly that,” said captain Hariss Harun.
“We know we got lucky then, and we must make sure we don’t leave things to chance again when we face Tampines this Wednesday (7 June).”
The Sailors are third in the nine-team SPL standings, on 26 points, three behind Gavin Lee’s Stags. Albirex Niigata (S) are second on 27 points, albeit having played a game less than their two closest rivals.
“We played Tampines in the first round, so we know what to expect from them – they are one of the strongest contenders for the title,” said Hariss. “They play a good brand of football and have strong individual players. One of their key strengths is their chemistry – they have terrific chemistry.”
It is this chemistry that has played a key role in the Stags’ rise to the summit of the league, on the back of four wins and a solitary loss in their last five SPL games.
The assignment is clear to all in the Sailors’ camp – win, and go level on points with Tampines. Despite the fact that Albirex can still steal a path to the top of the SPL with a win over Geylang International 24 hours before the game, victory will ensure that the Sailors are well in the hunt.
“Every game is important, especially those against Tampines and Albirex. But from now on, every single game is important to us – that is the approach we must take – and we must be very focused if we want to stay in the hunt for the title,” said Hariss, of the reality of the path that lies ahead of the Sailors.
Abdul Rasaq Akeem remains confident that his team has what it takes to rise to the challenge that lies immediately ahead.
“If we are able to follow Coach Risto’s plans and deliver to the levels that we know we are capable of, I’m certain that we can not only contain Tampines, but score the goals that will get us the three points,” said the rising forward.
Rasaq has already scored more goals this season – his tally of six league goals with the Sailors is already more than the five he amassed between 2019 to 2022. However, the 21-year-old is not looking at personal numbers, but instead at doing all he can for the team.
“Personally, I just want to give my best in every game, especially for this game against Tampines. Be it creating chances, scoring goals, or defending, I will do my best in every aspect of the game for the team to win,” said a confident Rasaq.
“Three points here will go a long way in repaying the faith of our fans who always make playing at Bishan something special.”
Our worst performance of the season: Risto
There were five high-quality goals scored, moments of scintillating attacking football, and three Singapore Premier League (SPL) points in the bag.
But despite the 5-4 victory over Bishan Stadium neighbours Balestier Khalsa on Thursday (1 June), Lion City Sailors Head Coach Risto Vidaković was bristling.
“It was a terrible game for us, and we definitely have things to think about and improve on. There are several lessons to take from this game, and we were lucky to maintain the lead and win the game,” said the 54-year-old.
The night did not get off to the smoothest of starts for the Sailors as Nur Adam Abdullah and Adam Swandi picked up yellow cards in the first 10 minutes.
But in the 19th minute, a sensational Shawal Anuar 40-yard lob that shot high into the Bishan sky before dipping sharply down, over the flailing Hairul Syirhan and into the Balestier net seemed to set Sailors properly back on track.
Despite a Fabian Kwok header levelling the scores just two minutes later, the Sailors looked to have taken the game by the scruff of the neck, with Maxime Lestienne (37th minute), Diego Lopes (39th) and Shawal (55th) giving the Sailors a 4-1 lead.
The Tigers pulled one back in the 66th minute, courtesy of Ryoya Taniguchi. But the dynamic threat of the Sailors’ frontline was just too much for the Tigers as Maxime comfortably slotted home his second in the 76th minute to make it 5-2.
With just 14 minutes and injury time to play, it should have been game, set, and match for the title-chasing Sailors.
It was anything but.
The dogged Balestier side upped the tempo, shook the Sailors and launched what would have seemed an impossible comeback.
The Tigers scored through Shuhei Hoshino in the 82nd minute, then earned a penalty just three minutes later, following an on-field VAR review. Taniguchi stepped up to score his second of the night with tensions running high in the immediate aftermath.
Despite the Sailors hanging on for a precious three points, it was clear to all that such a performance is unacceptable for a team with title aspirations.
“We made several errors during the game, and this caused us to concede four goals,” said Shawal after the game. “We need to be wary of our opponents’ counterattacks, and we must definitely have an improved performance next week.”
An irked Risto was much harsher with his post-match comments.
“Today was not a good day for us – in fact, this is our worst game this season,” bristled the Serbian. “Against Albirex Niigata (S) (a 3-2 win), we showed so much more passion and energy, and we need to replicate that for other games.”
The Serb found little consolation, even when asked about the continually improving relationship between the Sailors’ talismanic duo of Maxime and Diego. He said: “The two of them played well, but I think we failed today as a team. We have to play more like a team, and cannot just depend on a few players.”
The Sailors are third in the nine-team SPL standings on 26 points, three adrift of league leaders Tampines Rovers – a team they host next Wednesday (7 June). Albirex are second on 27 points, but with a game in hand on both Tampines and the Sailors.
