Month: December 2023
“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough”.
That famous quote attributed to Sir Matt Busby is an often used message to players that anyone can make a mark on the team, as long as they put their heart into everything they do on and off the pitch.
The Lion City Sailors Women Class of 2023 is a living breathing example of that.
The Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) champions, led by Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan, promoted seven academy players to the first team as the side showcased their dominance, going unbeaten throughout the 2023 season.
Three of them – Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran, Chloe Koh and Seri Ayu Natasha Naszri, all 16 – have shone, receiving scholarships from the national project Unleash The Roar! (UTR) and moved on to overseas opportunities, while the rest – Josephine Ang, 17, Cara Chang, 15, Tia Foong, 16 and Madelin Lock, 16 – have contributed significantly to the team, especially towards the tail end of the campaign.
Additionally, Josephine and Cara recently made their debuts for the national team, donning red for the first time in an international friendly against Bangladesh on 1 December.
Sheau Shyan revealed that promoting academy players has always been part of her plan to refresh the squad each year, but what she did not see coming was the number of such players featuring this season.
“When we started the women’s team, what’s already in our plans was that in years to come, when the academy players graduate, they’ll form the core of our WPL team,” said the league’s Coach of the Year.
“There’s also a general trend in women’s football that players are getting younger and eligible to play in the WPL. But I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly, largely due to our circumstances this year, including our injuries and foreign players leaving.”
And these seven were not there to make up numbers, they made real and significant contributions to the team cause.
“I’m very surprised. Initially I thought of letting them come in and develop themselves, but instead they showed me that they’ve been ready all along,” said Sheau Shyan.
One of the seven, Ardhra, is now finding her feet at the IMG Academy in the United States, and she still recalls the moment she made her WPL debut in a 1-0 win against rivals Tampines Rovers on 21 May.
“When I got called up to train with the WPL squad at the end of last year, I did not see it coming at all because I thought we were done for the year,” the lively winger said, during a phone call from Florida.
“It felt amazing because I was one of the first few from the academy, alongside Natasha, to make my debut for the team and to do it against not just any normal team, but Tampines, was a great experience overall.”
Her time in the WPL squad played a role in helping her obtain the UTR scholarship, she said.
“It’s given me the opportunity to play at a higher level and more regularly. To train with such high quality players, most of whom have also represented the national team, gave me a lot more exposure and experience,” Ardhra noted.
“I think I’ve grown tremendously as a player this season. At the start, I was terrified whenever I got the ball, I just didn’t feel comfortable with it but towards the end of my time at the Sailors, I could feel myself wanting the ball more and making more of an impact.”
Another player who has improved leaps and bounds since joining the WPL side is Josephine, who made her debut in a 3-0 victory over Still Aerion.
She admitted that the step up to the league was a daunting one, and to make matters worse, she was substituted 45 minutes into the match.
“I felt I had a lot of responsibility to carry, everything was on my shoulders and I was nervous. Even though coach Sheau Shyan told me I played well that day, I kept thinking I played badly,” the forward recalled.
She also opened up on the challenges she faced mentally as she attempted to acclimatise to different surroundings. Everything worked out for her eventually as she finished joint-third highest goal-scorer in the team with seven.
“At first, I struggled to keep up with the intensity and pace of play, and I kept overthinking and I had a negative mindset. But once I felt more settled, I became more positive and just wanted to play football. Everything seemed fun again,” said Josephine.
“This experience has definitely helped me grow as a player because now, I know what I want to do on the field and my role in the team. I want to set a very high standard for myself and keep improving every day.”
Just like Josephine, having a strong mentality was a key factor behind Madelin’s successful season.
The dynamic midfielder was struck by an injury in a match on 5 August that kept her out for the rest of the month. She eventually returned on 15 October and finished the season on a strong note, starting all of the remaining matches.
“I was training quite consistently with the team before that injury and coach Sheau Shyan told me it was my time to step up then. I had to sit out all four matches that month and I was disappointed about that,” she said.
Despite the setback, Madelin’s love for the sport is evident. Although the multi-talented athlete has to juggle not only her studies but also basketball training – she was part of the National Under-16 setup – football still has a special place in her heart.
“It’s quite a big commitment to be part of the WPL team, especially as we train four times a week. It’s hard for me to go to both football and basketball training sessions as it causes a lot of strain on my body,” she shared.
“It was very hard for me to commit to training with the Sailors, but it’s just about how much I wanted to do it. If I didn’t like this team, I wouldn’t sacrifice so much of my time for it.
“But this team has given me so much, I’ve grown so much and it’s always a pleasure to train and play with them. So I’ll always make sure I have time for training by setting aside time to do my school work.”
Besides pulling the strings from the middle of the park, Madelin has also added goals to her game in recent weeks. She finished the season on seven goals, including a hat-trick in the final game, this despite only scoring her first on 22 October.
“For some of the matches earlier this season, I played a more defensive role and didn’t want to take risks going forward. But once I started gaining goal-scoring momentum, it felt great to keep banging them in,” said Madelin.
Cara is another who has inspired on the goal-scoring front. The youngest debutant in the team this season has netted five times, while mesmerising fans – and opponents – with her tricky footwork.
She revealed that things were not exactly rosy in the early days of her WPL experience.
“At the start, I’d be worried for every training session because I wasn’t the best and couldn’t really keep up,” said the 15-year-old.
“I also thought that this would just be a new opportunity for me, but to score five goals, I feel like whatever I did was an accomplishment.”
Being the youngest in the team, nervousness would be a factor for Cara, but she chooses to look at it positively instead.
“On one hand, people may ask ‘who let this kid in?’ if I don’t perform well, but at the same time I look at it as the chance to learn and to take every opportunity as it comes,” she noted.
“Hopefully in a few years time, I get to try playing different positions and continue being at a high level.”
The contrast between playing in the academy and the WPL is stark, as all players agreed that the senior team is on a completely different level.
Madelin pointed to the physicality of players in the WPL as one of the biggest changes.
“The players here are much more physical than any I’ve ever faced. They are much stronger, and in the beginning, there were times where I did not go for challenges as I was scared I would be bumped off the ball,” she said.
Ardhra added: “At the academy level, no one really expects anything from you. In the WPL there’s more at stake, you’re expected to win every match especially at the Sailors, so I’d say composure is the biggest difference.”
Although the players have faced their own challenges since being promoted, one thing that stayed constant was the support they received from Sheau Shyan and their teammates.
“My teammates give me a lot of assurance and encourage me. They tell me to be open-minded and even just their words give me a boost,” said Josephine.
Added Cara: “We have a really great team atmosphere and I could feel comfortable with the team. The players were very welcoming from the start and always guided me.”
Sheau Shyan shared that the impact made by the seven players in any way cannot be underestimated as they have punched above their weights and showed what they were capable of.
“These players are technically stronger than some of our existing players, because they’ve started playing the sport from a much younger age,” she said.
“Their technical abilities and skills help us to play a more possession-based style of football, and also score more goals.
“And I’m certain they will only get better from here.”
Banking on Bishan and a battling approach
Conceding a late equaliser at Our Tampines Hub on Sunday (3 December) was undoubtedly a disappointment for the Lion City Sailors as a helter-skelter first leg of the 2023 Singapore Cup semi-final ended 3-3.
But a draw is hardly the worst result to bring back to Bishan Stadium as the Sailors play hosts to Tampines Rovers for the second leg on Wednesday (6 December) night.
In 13 home games across the Singapore Premier League and Singapore Cup competitions in 2023, the Sailors have won 11 and lost just one.
Midfield playmaker Adam Swandi firmly believes that the Bishan fortress will help his Sailors put a gritty Stags side to the sword.
“We’re always confident enough going out for every match but playing at Bishan gives us a sense of home and that something extra – and teams know we’re not easily defeated in this stadium. So, we have to use that to our advantage,” said the 27-year-old.
“We have an incredible set of fans in The Crew and they’re always behind us. With them behind us and pushing us from the stands, we’ll definitely go out with everything we’ve got and get the win for them.”
Full-back Harith Kanadi has only been with the Sailors for four months since joining in August but has already embraced the Sailors’ philosophy of demanding excellence and success.
“The fact that we’re all disappointed with the draw shows the hunger and desire in this team. Everyone here has set high goals for themselves and the team. So it’s no secret that all of us want to go to the final and win a trophy for this club and for our fans.”
To do so, the Sailors will need to be on top of their game against a quality Tampines side and require big performances from all – including Adam and Harith.
In his first start since September 16, Adam put up a purposeful shift in the fierce midfield battle against the Stags’ Kyoga Nakamura and Shah Shahiran, and he is prepared to do it all again to ensure the Sailors progress into the final.
“Everyone in the league knows Tampines is a good passing team which likes to play the ball around and capitalise down the middle. I thought I did okay to help the team defend and stop some attacks, but I definitely want to do better in the second leg,” said the Singapore international.
“As a team, we gave them a bit too much space to create chances in the first half although we did much better and rectified that issue in the second half. We have to be 100 percent focused and make sure they don’t find as much joy in attack.”
Harith acquitted himself well against Faris Ramli in his first-ever Sailors start, and he is hungry for more in the second leg on Wednesday.
“It was definitely a sweet moment for me because I’ve waited patiently for this opportunity for some time and it came in a huge game – a Cup semi-final. Honestly I was struggling a bit for match fitness, but playing with the likes of Bailey (Wright), Hariss (Harun) and Diego (Lopes) helped me to boost my confidence. They were very encouraging and helped me a lot throughout the game,” said the 23-year-old, whose last start came in late July when he was still with Young Lions.
“Of course there are areas in which I could have done better, but I’m satisfied with the runout that I had and the feedback I’ve got from the coaches has also been great. Now my job is to get fully prepared for this second leg and help the team get into the final on Saturday.
Twice, the Lion City Sailors took the lead against Tampines Rovers in the first-leg of their 2023 Singapore Cup semi-final on Sunday (3 Dec) evening.
Twice, however, the Sailors found themselves pegged back by a resilient Stags side, as both teams played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Our Tampines Hub (OTH).
It was a result that Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković was far from pleased with, although he admitted his players were not at their physical best, owing to fatigue from having played a gruelling midweek Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) tie away against Bangkok United.
“It was not a good result. I expected more, especially after we took the lead twice,” reflected the Serb. “We had to control the game and try to go for another goal. We were not as aggressive, but maybe it’s due to fatigue.
“The positive from this game is how some of the guys performed, like Shawal Anuar and our captain (Hariss Harun). They played really well, so that’s the example I think all the players should follow.”
Indeed, it was Tampines who flew out of the blocks and opened the scoring after just three minutes through Joel Chew, who rifled the ball into the back of the net from just inside the box after the Sailors failed to clear their lines from a short corner routine.
But the home side’s lead lasted all of three minutes, as Shah Shahiran was robbed in his own penalty box by Sailors midfielder M. Anumanthan, who then calmly slotted the ball past Tampines goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari to level the score.
Ranko’s charges then took the lead in the 13th minute when centre-back Bailey Wright, making his first start for the Sailors after returning from injury, jumped highest at the back post to head home from Maxime Lestienne’s corner.
Given the pulsating, back-and-forth nature of the game, it did not take long for another twist in the tale to occur – this time, it was former Sailors man Faris Ramli who bundled the ball into the net after a scramble in the box following a corner.
Faris’ joy, however, was short-lived, as the referee ruled out the goal following a VAR check which showed that Tampines striker Boris Kopitović had handled the ball in the build-up.
But Faris did eventually get his goal just 12 minutes later. A long shot from Joel was palmed away by Sailors custodian Izwan Mahbud, and Faris reacted quickest to get to the rebound before curling the ball into the bottom corner from a tight angle.
Now with momentum on their side, Tampines almost took the lead in first-half stoppage time via a clinical counter-attack that ended with Saifullah Akbar firing Faris’ cut-back just wide of Izwan’s goal.
Saifullah came close again barely three minutes later, as his shot from the edge of the box took a series of deflections that almost creeped into the bottom corner, but Izwan managed to react in the nick of time to palm it away onto the post, before Bailey recovered to clear it out for a corner.
With Tampines in the ascendancy at the end of the half, Ranko rang the changes at the break to try and regain control of the game, as both Harith Kanadi and Lionel Tan came off for Shawal Anuar and Chris van Huizen.
And the changes paid dividends just three minutes into the second half, with Shawal deftly taking down Maxime’s lobbed through pass and coolly taking the ball past Syazwan, before tapping it into an empty net.
That was the third straight Singapore Cup game in which the Singapore international had scored after coming on as a second-half substitute.
Though Tampines boasted much of the possession thereafter, Shawal’s pace and direct style continued to be a thorn in their side. And the 32-year-old very nearly doubled his goal tally in the 62nd minute, as he latched onto an Adam Swandi through pass and rounded Syazwan, but before he could pull the trigger, Tampines defender Shuya Yamashita slid in to poke the ball away for a corner.
The Sailors, however, noticeably faded as the half wore on, and this ultimately proved costly in the 82nd minute as Boris ghosted into the box to divert Faris’ low cross into the net.
Tampines continued to put pressure on the Sailors backline in search of a winner, and they came close to finding it in the second minute of stoppage time, but Boris’ free-kick from just outside the box was well saved by Izwan.
The game eventually ended 3-3, leaving things finely-poised ahead of the second leg of the semi-final at the Bishan Stadium on Wednesday (6 Dec) night.
Appreciating the significance of that match – the Singapore Cup is the last opportunity for the Sailors to win silverware this season – Ranko declared that his side would do all they can to come out top in the second leg.
He said: “We’re going to rest, recover, and we’ll start again tomorrow. Our objective is clear – we want to go through to the final, that’s the main goal, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure that happens.”
Bailey’s back and buzzing
A 1-0 away defeat to Bangkok United the last time out in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) was not a pleasant one for everyone associated to the Lion City Sailors, but for Bailey Wright – it represents a fresh opportunity to hit the reset button and put himself in the reckoning for selection for what is still an exciting end to the season.
Marking his return from injury by coming on as a late substitute, the Socceroos centre-back played out the final 11 minutes of the match (including injury time) and looked sprightly.
There will be four matches between now and 13 December, possibly including the club’s first-ever Singapore Cup final appearance on the cards.
Bailey missed a large chunk of the ACL 2023/24 campaign due to a spate of injuries, but he is now raring to go to make up for lost time – starting from the first leg of the Singapore Cup semi-final tie away against Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub on Sunday (3 December).
“When you come into any club, the way to establish yourself is on the football pitch and taking on the responsibility to produce great performances for the team. Injuries stopped me from doing that and there’s this sense of guilt that I couldn’t deliver more for the fans,” said the 31-year-old, who has scored two goals in six Sailors appearances so far.
“I must thank everybody who has helped me get back to fitness. I’m now feeling really good and hopefully the injuries are now behind me. I’m looking forward to helping the team as much as I can in this final stretch and play every minute possible if I can.”
After seeing their hopes of qualification for the ACL’s Round of 16 extinguished on Wednesday (29 November) night, the Sailors now turn their attention to a tough two-legged tie against Tampines – the second-highest ranked local side behind the Sailors in the 2023 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season.
Bailey urged his teammates to batten down the hatches for what is the Sailors’ last chance for silverware in 2023.
“It’s disappointing that we couldn’t progress further in the ACL but we have to keep our heads up. There are still important games ahead of us, a lot of pride at stake, a lot more that can be achieved and a trophy to play for, so that’s massive motivation for me and the team,” said the Australian, who played in the last encounter with the Stags at OTH in August with the Sailors coming away with a handsome 5-2 victory in the SPL.
“Tampines are a good footballing side and they are in the semi-finals for a reason, but we’re growing as a team and we’re high in confidence right now. First and foremost, we have to work hard and fight for the badge so that we can get into the final.”
Defender Christopher van Huizen sang from the same hymn book and has vowed to do everything to ensure the Sailors will play the final on the 9th.
“I couldn’t really sleep after the Bangkok game. I felt we really stuck to our game plan and did everything we could, but sometimes football is decided by such fine margins. Whatever it is, it’s in the past and we have to recover quickly for the Singapore Cup,” said the 31-year-old.
“I joined the club this season to win trophies and that target has not changed. If everyone stays physically and mentally concentrated, and continues to give 100 percent, we can win the Cup. From now on, every game is a final and we don’t want to let any other team get their hands on the cup so we have to shine.”
Backed by an ever-supportive Crew who brought the proper Sailors ruckus from local stadiums to arenas miles away in Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand over the past couple of months, the Sailors know they to repay the fans for their fervent and unwavering support across 2023.
“I’ve been amazed by the support and I didn’t expect that many people to come. Even in the second half when I was playing far away from the away end, I could hear their cheers and chants. I was feeling so down after the match, but they were all there cheering and encouraging us when we walked up to our bus,” said Chris of the match against Bangkok United.
“We’re really blessed that we have such tremendous fans, who are there for us win, lose or draw, and we definitely owe them something.”
Bailey agreed, saying, “That’s what you play football for, to feel the love from your supporters and we certainly felt their affection. You can see how much the team means to them and we want to show how massively appreciative we are of them as well – and that means delivering the Cup for them.”
He sat there in silence, ice-pack pressed onto his head, eyes lost in the ripple of a blank gaze that bounced back upon itself.
Kodai Tanaka had already ripped off his armour and rinsed off the sweat of battle, but there in the bowels of Pathum Thani’s Thammasat Stadium, wounds were still raw. That dull throbbing in his head – a result of a coming together of two opponents in the heat of competition – was not the source of the 23-year-old’s pain, at least not the cause of the sting at the core of his being.
The Lion City Sailors fell to a 1-0 away loss to Bangkok United on Wednesday (29 November) in Group F of the 2023/24 Asian Football Federation Champions League (ACL) campaign. It was a defeat that snuffed out their dreams of becoming the first Singapore side to qualify for the last 16 of Asia’s top tier club competition.
The difference between the teams was measured in small margins, and defeat was bitter – and stinging.
The long dark road
But just six months ago, Kodai would have given anything to look defeat in the eye – and take that dastardly devil’s best punch square in the mouth.
At the time, Kodai was trudging along the long road to recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that threatened to deny the 2022 Singapore Premier League Player of the Year any chance of competing on Singapore football pitches in the year he reigned as their best player.
“When I was injured, I really felt like my mind was a complete blank – I couldn’t think about anything.
And of course, I cried a lot – night after night,” said Kodai. “There were many times when I felt like breaking down, and many times when I wanted to quit.”
“I have now achieved my goal of playing in the Champions League, and I have so many people to thank for helping me get here, like the trainers around me, and of course my family and friends.”
Light – and tears – at the end of the tunnel
Kodai made his ACL debut in the Sailors’ famous 2-0 win over two-time ACL winners, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at the Jalan Besar Stadium, and he remembers every second of the experience, even the thoughts running through his head as he stood on the sidelines waiting to come on for Maxime Lestienne.
“It’s true, I was crying at the time. I felt like I was finally able to stand here, after all that I had to go through to work my way back from the injury,” he said.
“I could picture all kinds of people’s faces, and when I remembered them, it was very emotional.”
Tears would flow again – more freely so – after the final whistle.
Said a wistful Kodai: “I was trying not to cry, and I knew that if I shook Niels’ hand, I would definitely cry. So I wanted to just briefly shake his hand and quickly move along, but he caught me.”
Physiologist Niels van Sundert was an ever-present on Kodai’s recovery journey, and the Japanese forward was effusive with his praise for the Dutchman – and not only for his professionalism on the rehabilitation front.
“He was always there for me when I was good and bad, even when things were difficult and I was feeling down, he would very firmly tell me that I had to do this,” said Kodai. “Sometimes we even fought, and he would be angry with me.
“But he was always there for me, helping me in any way he could, sometimes that meant just being with me.”
And all those memories came flooding back when Kodai embraced Niels at the touchlines of Jalan Besar.
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“It wasn’t exactly what he said to me at the time. There were times in the past when he comforted me by hugging me when I was going through a really hard time, and I had flashbacks of that – I naturally started to cry,” recalled Kodai, his voice quivering.
“I’m really grateful for all that he’s done for me.”
The path ahead
The thought of lining up alongside his teammates to face Asia’s best in the ACL fuelled Kodai’s drive to get off the treatment table and back onto the pitch.
The Sailors still have one match to play in Group F, against Kitchee SC at Jalan Besar on 13 December despite already out of contention to qualify for the Round of 16.
And while Kodai is still raring to go, looking for his first ACL goal, he has already derived so much from his long hard road to recovery.
“When I returned to the pitch, I heard many fans and supporters calling my name “Kodai”, and I felt really happy,” he said, again recalling that Jeonbuk Jalan Besar night as a beaming smile flashed across his face.
“It felt fantastic to be back on the pitch as a professional footballer, and it made me want to work even harder in my career.
“I feel that I need to work harder to show my gratitude to the people who have helped me on my journey to recovery, and by showing that kind of attitude, I can give courage to people who have suffered the same injury or have been out of action for a long time.”
For now, Kodai has turned his focus to finishing the season strongly.
“I believe in my teammates, and of course the head coach and staff as well, and I know how hard everyone works, and I know how hard everyone works for the team, and that’s why we’ve won as a team,” said Kodai.
“I have unshakable confidence in the team, and that we will have a strong finish to 2023.”
