The Lion City Sailors’ hopes of an invincible Singapore Premier League (SPL) season came to an end as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Albirex Niigata (S) in their penultimate game of the campaign at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (10 May).
Goals from Shingo Nakano and a Toni Datković own goal meant the recently crowned champions fell short of becoming only the second side in league history to complete a season unbeaten. The Sailors had won 16 and drew three in 19 league matches prior to last night.
Reflecting on the setback, Head Coach Jesús Casas pointed to a lack of clinical edge in front of goal as the decisive factor.
“When you make a lot of changes to the lineup, it is normal for mistakes to happen. We played well in the first half, but they scored two goals from two moments in the second half and won the match,” said the Spaniard.
“We had a lot of opportunities in the second half, but they were the ones who scored more goals than us. All of the players in my squad deserve to play. We’ve already won the title, so it’s a good opportunity to experiment and test some aspects of the team.”
Jesús’s faith in his squad was evident in a local-heavy starting XI, with seven Singaporean players, including Lionel Tan, Akram Azman and Hafiz Nor, being handed starts.
In a classy gesture, the Albirex players formed a guard of honour for the champions as the Sailors walked out with their children.
However, a much-changed Sailors side took time to find their rhythm, with chances at a premium in the opening half. The best opportunity fell to Bart Ramselaar in the 26th minute, but his effort sailed over the bar.
Albirex threatened through Nakano in the 33rd minute after he carved out space in the box, but Ivan Sušak reacted sharply to tip the shot away from goal. Four minutes later, Ryang Hyon-ju had the ball in the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
The breakthrough eventually arrived five minutes into the second half, when Ryang delivered a precise cross for Nakano, who guided his header beyond Ivan.
Albirex then doubled their lead just two minutes later. After Ivan saved Ryang’s initial effort at the near post, Sailors loanee Zulqarnaen Suzliman reacted quickest, with the rebound deflecting off Toni and into the net.
Seeking a response, Jesús turned to his bench, introducing Lennart Thy, Kyoga Nakamura and Luka Adžić.
The changes immediately injected urgency into the Sailors’ play, with Luka making an immediate impact, as he surged down the flank in the 57th minute before picking out Lucas Agueiro, whose header was brilliantly repelled by Hassan Sunny.
Luka was involved again moments later, when he latched onto an inch-perfect pass from Kyoga but his effort from a tight angle was kept out by Hassan.
Lennart came closest to pulling one back for the Sailors, striking the post from close range in the 62nd minute before sending a header narrowly over shortly after.
At the other end, Nakano nearly extended Albirex’s lead in the 69th minute, but Ivan produced another fine save to keep the deficit at two.
The Sailors’ hopes of a late comeback were effectively ended when Toni was sent off late on for pulling back Nakano, reducing the hosts to 10 men.
Despite the setback, the result does not overshadow what has been a solid campaign for the champions, who will lift the league trophy after their final match against BG Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub this coming Sunday (17 May).
“As always, we will try to win every match,” said Jesús. “Our last game will be special because we want to say goodbye to the season and the fans with a win. The focus will be on training hard during the week so we can get all three points next week.”
