Author: Lion City Sailors
Coming off two huge wins over Balestier Khalsa and Tampines Rovers in their last two Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixtures, the Lion City Sailors are looking to carry the positive momentum forward and seal second spot in nine-team league standings when they face Hougang United on Sunday (13 August) evening at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
With two games left to play, the Sailors are second in the league with 48 points, eight adrift of leaders Albirex Niigata (S) – who are already confirmed as champions – but four ahead of third-placed Tampines Rovers. A win over the Cheetahs will guarantee a runners-up finish, and with that the right to represent Singapore in 2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club tournaments, courtesy of being the top local side.
Adam Swandi has been a driving force in the team’s recent good form, and against Hougang, his eyes are firmly fixed on that target.
“A win will secure us second spot – it’s as simple as that. We’ve been in good form of late and we’re going to carry the momentum into this one,” said the 27-year-old, who recorded two assists off the bench in the 5-2 win over Tampines.
“We’re all sad that we couldn’t attain the objective of winning the title, but all we can do now is to focus and at least finish second to secure us AFC qualification – and we’re going all out for this game.”
While the Sailors are in the driving seat to finish second and need just three points from their final two matches to do so, Adam is eager to get the job done against Hougang and avoid added pressure in their final league fixture against Geylang International scheduled for 16 September.
Hougang are also riding atop a high wave, having won their last four games on the trot. The run of form has propelled them to sixth spot and reignited hopes of a top-four finish – they are five points behind fourth-placed Balestier with both teams having three games left to play.
Adam asserts that Hougang will be a tough opponent to crack.
“Hougang have done well in recent seasons and they have quality players in the squad even though they’re not as high up as they should be in the table this year. With players like Gabriel Quak and Đorđe Maksimović, they will be a real threat to us.
“I’m sure they’re going to give their best against us and we definitely can’t underestimate them,” he said.
According to Adam, the game plan against Hougang is evidently a simple one: to stay compact and not allow the Cheetahs a fast start.
“We have to keep our defence tight and we cannot lose concentration when we are defending. But if our defence is compact and we work together in keeping our defence organised, we do not have to worry about getting the goals because we have crazy quality upfront,” he stressed.
The “crazy” quality Adam is referring to includes Richairo Živković, whose second-half brace against the Stags the last time out made it four goals in four starts for the Sailors since his mid-season arrival.
Now getting into his groove, the Curaçaoan forward is looking forward to plunder more goals in the Sailors blue and white and and is extending a heartfelt call to the fans to rally behind and support the team.
“I’m adapting very well to the team and how Coach Ranko (Aleksandar Ranković) wants us to set up. It’s also quite easy to settle in with the quality of attacking players we have,” said the 26-year-old. “Of course it feels great for me to be contributing to the goals, but I’m hungry to do even more for the team. I feel very happy here now and it’s great that we’ve such great support from the fans.
“It was amazing to see them being in full voice at an away ground (Our Tampines Hub) last week and that helped us to a huge win. We’re very motivated to do well as a team for them and I’m really looking forward to their brilliant support again when we go to Jalan Besar Stadium this Sunday.”
In a sensational display of attacking prowess, the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team secured an emphatic 10-0 victory against Tiong Bahru FC on Saturday (5 August) in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL). A young Sailors starting 11 dominated every aspect of the game at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, leaving their opponents struggling to cope with their relentless attacking pressure and cohesive gameplay.
The win – coming off the back of an early brace from Josephine Ang and a Nur Izzati Rosni hat-trick – saw the Sailors solidify their position at the top of the 10-team WPL standings, with 25 points from nine games. They are now five points ahead of second-place Albirex Niigata (S), who could close the gap when they face Tanjong Pagar United on Sunday (6 Aug).
Staying true to her pre-match words, Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan handed starts to a total of five Under-16 girls – including Cara Chang and Chloe Koh who were given their first starts of the season.
The floodgates opened in the 23rd minute through one from that quintet as Josephine converted the rebound from Chloe’s shot to find the back of the net for her first-ever WPL goal.
“We had possession from the start but that possession didn’t initially turn into goals, but we started switching the ball a little bit quicker and played more penetrative passes. And after Josephine scored, I think we just got into the flow,” said Sailors midfielder Ho Hui Xin.
“And when the next goal and next goal came in, we started to gain momentum.”
Just two minutes after Josephine’s opener, the Sailors doubled their lead with Miray Altun stroking the ball into the left side of the net to score for a fourth successive game after Madelin Lock played a beautiful pass that beat the entire Tiong Bahru backline.
Josephine was not done yet, finding the back of the net again in the 26th minute, this time off a precise Cara pass.
Izzati – who came on for the injured Madelin – wasted no time making her presence felt alongside Josephine. She scored the Sailors’ fourth goal of the night in the 38th minute after controlling a Josephine pass and beating the Tiong Bahru goalkeeper.
Emerging after the break, the Sailors picked up right where they left off.
Izzati, on fire, scored her second goal just two minutes into the second half, drilling the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. And Cara was the provider for this goal with her penetrating pass.
In the 60th minute, Izzati bagged her hat-trick with a powerful shot from some 25 yards out that nestled in the top left corner of the Tiong Bahru goal.
That brought the 24-year-old’s goal tally up to nine for the season as she closes in on Albirex’s league-leading scorer Kana Kitahara (12 goals).
Second-half substitute Lila Tan got in on the action soon after her introduction, weaving her way through the opposition defence before slotting the ball home from outside the penalty box in the 75th minute.
Nur Syazwani Ruzi (77th minute), Tia Foong (81st) and Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran (86th) all got their names on the scoresheet in the last 12 minutes of the game, adding to Tiong Bahru’s woes and bringing the final score to 10-0.
Tia’s maiden strike and Josephine’s goals also meant a total of 14 different players have scored for the Sailors in the WPL this season.
Despite the double-digit scoreline, Hui Xin believes her Sailors can continue to improve.
“Just the willingness to pick the ball forward a little bit more and just having the guts to bring it forward, instead of playing horizontally across, these are some areas we can improve on,” she said after the game.
Josephine, who scored her first two goals for the club on Saturday, was visibly delighted, but like her more experienced counterpart, Hui Xin, could see where she must improve.
“It was a bit shaky for me initially because this was only my second start and I was feeling a bit nervous. But after I scored my first goal, I felt like I got in flow, more confident and calm in front of the goal,” said the 16-year-old. “I’m glad that I got a second goal too, but this doesn’t stop here, I am eager for more.”
“I hope to play more in the upcoming games, and for that I know I have to train harder. I need to play the ball faster and improve on my decision making skills too.”
The Sailors’ next WPL assignment will be at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Sunday, 13 Aug, against fourth-placed Police Sports Association.
In an electrifying encounter at Our Tampines Hub on Friday (4 August), the Lion City Sailors turned in a dominant performance to secure a convincing 5-2 victory over Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
The result – coming off the back of a Maxime Lestienne first-half hat-trick and a quickfire second-half brace by Richairo Živković – saw the Sailors strengthen their grip on second spot in the nine-team SPL standings, and keep their faint title hopes alive with just two games left to play.
The Sailors have 48 points with Tampines on 44. League leaders Albirex Niigata (S) hold a five-point advantage over the Sailors and have a game in hand over both sides.
Speaking after the frenetic encounter, Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković was effusive in his praise.
“I think it was one of the best first halves that we have played, the only thing we missed in that first half was a fourth goal. I thought we deserved the win for our performance throughout the game,” said Ranko, of his charges’ complete domination of the first period that ended 3-0.
“I would rather have not conceded a goal but we conceded from two set pieces: a penalty and a corner. We were really very good at dealing with these in previous games, but now we have to get back to the drawing board.”
“Nevertheless, I am very proud of my side for this tough win.”
The match started with a flurry of action with the Sailors quick to impose their style of play, taking just 10 minutes to open the scoring.
In a Maxime inverted winger masterclass, the Belgian glided in from the right, cut inside, and curled the ball past Tampines custodian Syazwan Buhari from outside the box to make it 1-0.
Maxime would score his second goal of the night just nine minutes later. The 31-year-old intercepted a loose Shuya Yamashita pass in the Tampines half, and instinctively let fly with a 30-yard chip that drew another despairing dive from Syazwan who was caught in no man’s land.
Maxime would complete his hat-trick in the 36th minute as he slammed the rebound home after his initial lob over Syazwan came back off the post.
This was the former PSV Eindhoven man’s second hat-trick of the 2023 SPL season, and puts him atop the SPL goal-scorers chart with 23 goals, two ahead of Balestier Khalsa’s Ryoya Taniguchi.
The Stags emerged for the second half with all guns blazing, and hauled themselves back into the game with a 58th-minute goal courtesy of Miloš Zlatković’s header off a corner.
In the 74th minute, Tampines were awarded a penalty when Bailey Wright was adjudged to have blocked Yasir Hanapi’s shot with his arm. Boris Kopitović – who came on at half-time – scored the resulting spot-kick to reduce the deficit to just one goal.
But their joy was short-lived.
The Sailors halted Tampines growing momentum just three minutes later. Second-half substitute Adam Swandi delivered a perfectly timed ball over the top to Richairo, who raced into the box and slotted past the goalkeeper.
The former Ajax Amsterdam man pulled the rug out from under the Stags’ feet another three minutes later, tapping home from close range after Adam’s attempted shot fell kindly at his feet in the 80th minute.
“We did a big job today: getting the three points. This gives us some space to breathe in terms of securing second spot, but in this competition you cannot get fooled that you are going to win the games easily,” said Ranko.
“We have two games left to play and they are tough opponents too, so we just have to focus on ourselves, and get the job done.”
The Sailors will next face Hougang United away at Jalan Besar Stadium on 13 Aug, before closing their 2023 SPL season more than a month later against Geylang International at home on 16 September.
While the Sailors have a firm grip on second spot, Maxime refused to close the door on his faint hopes of a league title.
“Today was a very important game for us to be second in the league but the objective for the whole season was to be champions. That is very hard now, but we will give everything until the end,” he said.
“Honestly, I don’t care about being the top scorer, my objective is to help the team win games so we can win the title – and now to make sure we finish second.
“We have two more games and we will continue to give everything.”
After a resilient showing in which they scored late to down title rivals Hougang United 1-0 in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Sunday (30 July), the Lion City Sailors Women’s Team will be looking to finish Round 1 of the league strongly when they face Tiong Bahru FC on Saturday (5 August).
The Sailors Women are perched atop the pinnacle of the 10-team WPL table with 22 points from eight games, while Tiong Bahru occupy 9th position – second-from-bottom – with just three points to their name.
Sailors Head Coach Sheau Shyan revealed that there will be a somewhat different look to her lineup this weekend, but not because the Sailors are taking Tiong Bahru lightly.
“Our youth players, such as Cara Chang, Madelin Lock, Josephine Ang and Tia Foong will get to play more this Saturday. I want to help them get game time to progress and give these girls greater exposure,” said the 45-year-old.
“We are not complacent against Tiong Bahru at all, instead, we are just confident that our younger players can deliver the same results.”
There were also some external factors that nudged Sheau Shyan in this direction.
The Sailors are bidding farewell to three Under-16 players – Chloe Koh, Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran and Natasha Naszri – who have been granted prestigious overseas scholarships through the Unleash The Roar! (UTR) national project.
This will be Chloe’s and Ardhra’s last game with the team as they will leave Singapore next week to spend the next three years at IMG Academy’s programme in Florida, USA, while Natasha will be leaving in September to be enrolled in ESC LaLiga Academy in Madrid, Spain.
The Sailors have already bid adieu to Paula Druschke and Madison Telmer – key players in the 2022 WPL campaign that saw the women win the title as Invincibles – who left Singapore to further their educational aspirations, while they also lost key centre-back Fatin Aqillah for the rest of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
“In this game, I’d like to see how it would be without some of our crucial players and whether we can continue playing in the style that we want, but with a new set of young players coming in,” said Sheau Shyan.
“It does not matter if we are playing a stronger team or a weaker team, we will always try to impose our style of play on the game. Building an effective recognisable style of football remains important for us, and we will continue to do this even as we look to get results.”
Sailors’ leading goal scorer, Nur Izzati Rosni, shared similar views.
“We have several younger players coming up into the squad now, and I will try my best to guide them to play our style of football – in fact this is the mindset that us senior players have adopted because we will all have to do our part,” said the 24-year-old, who is also the WPL’s joint-second top scorer with six goals.
“We need to use these games to showcase what we have worked on on the training ground, and to continue to improve on our style of football in each game, we must be focused every time we step out onto the pitch.
“At the end of the day, we want to put on good performances for our fans who always come to the stadiums to support us, and become champions of the WPL again.”
The Singapore Premier League (SPL) is well into the business end of its 2023 season, and it has thrown up another high-stakes encounter this Friday (2 August): the Lion City Sailors are set to take on Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) in a head-to-head battle for second place – and that coveted spot to represent Singapore at Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions in 2024.
The Sailors hold a slight edge, their 45-point tally is one ahead of Gavin Lee’s Tampines in a match where victory could all but secure second spot in the nine-team SPL standings, and see the Sailors stay within mathematical reach of Albirex Niigata (S) who are on 50 points.
The pressure is real but central defender Lionel Tan has a plan.
“They have a squad that has been playing together for several years, and that familiarity is going to make it difficult for us in a high-pressure situation, and the only way to come out on top is to face the pressure and really embrace it,” said the Singapore international.
“If there’s no pressure in football, it’s not really football, is it?
“We failed to deliver in a couple of moments this year, but we’ve got another chance on Friday and we will grab it with both hands.”
It was a 1-1 draw the last time these two sides faced each other in June, with the Stags edging things 4-3 in the year’s first encounter in March.
The Sailors have lost two recent games – 3-1 defeats to Brunei DPMM and the White Swans in July – but Lionel believes the way to make things work is to turn focus inwards, towards facets that can be controlled.
“They have terrific chemistry and they have players that have played together for a number of years and they play a possession based style of football, and try to create things out of that. But at this stage, what is more important is that we focus on ourselves, how we want to play and what we really want to achieve,” he said.
“We have so much quality in our ranks that if we’re able to do that, I’m certain we can come out of the game with all three points.”
After his thunderous goal against Balestier Khalsa on Monday, a goal that saw the raucous crowd at Bishan Stadium jump to their feet, the Singapore international is eagerly looking forward to the Sailors fans’ bringing a similar energy to OTH.
“This is definitely one of the biggest fixtures in the league this year and I foresee a fantastic game ahead because both teams are still fighting hard for second spot,” said Lionel.
“We are playing away and that’s perhaps why it’s even more important that everyone heads to Tampines and spur us on in the same way that they do at Bishan – because there really is no doubt, the 12th man effect is real – and it’s wild.”
The Lion City Sailors dispatched Balestier Khalsa 5-2 at Bishan Stadium on Monday (31 July) night to go second in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), in a match that saw three penalties, moments of brilliance and an avalanche of goals.
The match was far from a one-sided affair though, as the Sailors had to hustle and overcome several challenges to secure a hard-fought win over Balestier – who played with one man less for most of the game following Madhu Mohana’s early red card.
While satisfied with the three points that put his charges in prime position to become Singapore’s representatives in Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions in 2024, Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković believes there is still much room for improvement.
“We won the game and scored five goals and some of the players that didn’t start as much previously (such as Zulqarnaen Suzliman, Abdul Rasaq Akeem and Christopher van Huizen) played today, and that is very positive. But we had an extra man from the ninth minute of the game, and we should have finished this game much earlier,” said the 44-year-old.
“But I am happy for the win.”
This result meant that the Sailors are second in the nine-team SPL standings on 45 points, one ahead of Tampines Rovers in the race to finish as the top local side. League leaders Albirex Niigata (S) are still the favourites for the title with a five-point advantage over the Sailors and a game in hand.
The game sprung into life early on when Balestier centre-back Madhu was given a straight red card following a VAR review, this after tugging Abdul Rasaq down in the penalty box.
However, Richairo Živković’s resulting penalty on 11 minutes was denied by Tigers goalkeeper Hairul Syirhan as the score remained level.
Six minutes later, it was Balestier’s turn to be denied from the spot as Sailors custodian Zharfan Rohaizad tipped Ryoya Taniguchi’s effort around the post after Bailey Wright was deemed to have fouled Daniel Goh in the area.
The Sailors went on to break the deadlock in the 24th minute, with Richairo at the right place at the right time to tap home after Maxime Lestienne’s shot was parried onto his path.
Balestier took just three minutes to draw level.
Taniguchi managed to convert a penalty on his second attempt after Masahiro Sugita was brought down in the area by Sailors captain Hariss Harun.
The Sailors retook the lead in the 35th minute. With the ball at his feet and a clear sight of the goal, Lionel Tan unleashed an audacious shot from nearly 30 yards out, the thunderous shot swerving in the air before bulging the Balestier net.
Ranko’s charges carried the momentum into the second half and went 3-1 up in the 47th minute with Bailey rising highest to head home his first goal for the club off Maxime’s corner.
Balestier halved the deficit through Hoshino’s unstoppable shot on 60 minutes, but the Sailors kept going and restored their two-goal advantage just a minute later with Shawal Anuar popping up in the box to convert Chris’s teasing inswinging cross.
The rout was completed in the 74th minute as substitute Diego Lopes struck a precise corner delivery to tee Bailey up for his second headed goal of the night.
It was the Australian’s first-ever career brace and he got the Man-of-the-Match for his efforts.
“It is a much better feeling for me than what it was in my debut for the Sailors and we showed good character today as a team. Even though we made some bad decisions, we got on with it and we got back in the game and I think we deserved to win,” said the 31-year-old, who was shown a straight red card on his Sailors debut – July’s 3-1 loss to Brunei DPMM.
“There are a lot of positives today such as scoring some really good goals and having some good play but it doesn’t matter what the result is, there is a lot that we can always improve on.”
But Bailey remained modest about his goal-scoring exploits.
“Scoring those two goals was nice but thinking about the goals can hide away the things I didn’t do so well. I want to get better and better and make sure I am at the top of my game week in week out and to do that, I need to have an honest opinion of my performance,” he shared.
“To be honest, I am a bit frustrated with my personal game tonight, like giving away a penalty and few other things because as a defender we do not want to concede any goals and be more solid.
“As a defender, I would rather keep a clean sheet and not concede, and I will look back at the game because there is a lot I want to improve on.”
The Sailors’ next SPL assignment comes around quickly as they travel to Our Tampines Hub to face Tampines on Friday (4 August) night.
Late winner sends Sailors to WPL summit
They huffed and they puffed, and after 85 long minutes at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Sunday (30 July) night, the Lion City Sailors finally broke through a resilient Hougang United defence to score what could well be a crucial goal in the race for the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title.
The 1-0 win saw the Sailors Women reclaim top spot in the 10-team WPL standings with 22 points, two ahead of second-placed Albirex Niigata FC (S), with Hougang still very much in the race, in third spot with 18 points.
“We knew that they were going to play the long ball, but it was not easy to suddenly deal with it, so the team took the first half to get used to their style,” said Sailors Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan. “In the second half, it is when we really started to play our football, which was good to see.”
“I have to give credit to Hougang, they really pressed us, chased every ball and made things difficult for us. That goal from Miray (Altun) really saved us,” added the 44-year-old.
In the 86th minute, Miray took down Ernie Sulastri Sontaril’s diagonal ball with delicate finesse and displayed a composure beyond her 18 years of age to put the ball into the back of the net to score her third goal of the season.
That goal meant Miray is now the Sailors’ joint-second highest scorer this season along with Madison Telmer and Chloe Koh, behind Nur Izzati Rosni who has six to her name.
The Sailors had several other opportunities to score much earlier in the game, but were thwarted by a resolute Cheetahs side.
The Sailors dominated possession early on, and within the first ten minutes, Miray peppered the Hougang penalty box with a couple of crosses that needed Hougang goalkeeper Azura Azlan to be alert.
In the 45th minute, Lila Tan weaved her way through the Hougang defence but her shot from just outside the penalty box went straight to Azura.
Even in the execution of their defensive game plan, the Cheetahs fashioned goal-scoring opportunities too.
Former Sailor, Nicole Lim, found herself in a promising one-on-one situation with Sailors custodian Beatrice Tan, but the latter stood tall to save the shot and keep the scores level.
In the 74th minute, 14-year-old Cara Chang came on for Ardhra Arul Ganeswaran for her Sailors Women debut and it was a substitution that injected fresh energy into the team.
Cara is the seventh player from the Sailors’ Girls Academy to make the step up to play for the club in the WPL this season.
“Our substitutes in the second half made a difference in terms of attacking and changing things up. Our build-up plays in the second half were good, and Cara’s aggressive pressing helped us a lot,” said Sheau Shyan.
Just two minutes after taking to the pitch, Cara smartly laid off the ball for Madelin Lock, who unleashed a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.
And the Sailors fashioned more opportunities after Miray found the back of the net in the 86th minute.
Lila came close to doubling the lead for the Sailors in stoppage time, her shot from a tight angle going just wide.
“We still need to put in a lot of work on the training ground,” said Sheau Shyan. “We need to improve on our own style of football and also how we handle our opponents on the pitch.”
The Sailors Women next take on second-from-bottom Tiong Bahru on Saturday (5 August).
After putting up a creditable display in a 5-1 loss to English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the Singapore Festival of Football’s Tiger Cup on Wednesday, the Lion City Sailors will return to Singapore Premier League (SPL) action next Monday (31 July) as they take on Balestier Khalsa at the Bishan Stadium.
The Sailors are currently third in the nine-team Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings with 42 points, nine points ahead of the fourth-placed Tigers.
Despite the gulf in points tally, midfielder M. Anumanthan called for laser-sharp focus, especially in matches like these in the business end of the season.
“Balestier is fast on the break and when we are attacking, they tend to leave three to four players – including Jumbo (Shuhei Hoshino) who can hold the ball well and Ryoya Taniguchi who can cause us problems – in front and if the ball gets to those guys, anything can happen,” warned the Singapore international, who skippered the Sailors in the 5-1 loss to Spurs.
The Tigers scored four goals against the Sailors the last time the two sides met in early June, in a match that was labelled the Sailors’ “worst performance of the season”. Trailing 5-2 with just 14 minutes left to play, Peter de Roo’s charges upped the tempo and launched an improbable comeback that fell just short.
The final whistle was blown with the Sailors running out 5-4 winners, despite an error-strewn showing that could have seen things go terribly wrong.
With only four games left to play in the SPL season, there can be no repeat.
Every single match is like a final for the Sailors, who are eight points behind SPL league leaders Albirex Niigata (S), and two adrift of Tampines Rovers with a game in hand over the Stags. The top local side will earn the right to be Singapore’s representatives in 2024/25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regional competitions.
Anu is firm in his belief that there is everything still to play for.
“We have to take it like we have four cup finals left to play, and we have to go out there each of those times and play like it is the last match of the season,” said the 29-year-old. “There is still a lot of work in front of us, but we are confident in the quality that we have and the work we have put in to say that we will be able to get the job done.”
Sailors’ custodian Zharfan Rohaizad shares similar concerns raised by Anu, and also the same resolve that his team has what it takes to get across the line in what is their seventh and final match in a hectic July.
“If we are able to contain their key players, get goals, and kill the game as early as possible, then we won’t have much to worry about,” said the 26-year-old, who is one of two Sailors players alongside Maxime Lestienne to have started all 20 SPL matches this season.
“Ultimately we need to overcome our individual weaknesses and fight it out on the pitch. So if we can win our own battles, I’m sure that getting the results is in our hands.”
“There will be challenges but I think we are more than capable of getting what we want.”
There is only a single point separating the Lion City Sailors and Hougang United at the top of Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) table, with both sides looking to take control of the title race this Sunday (31 July) night at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium, in a top-of-the-table clash that is poised to thrill.
The Sailors lead the 10-team WPL standings with 19 points, while Hougang are breathing down their necks with 18.
Coming up against a Hougang side known for its resolute defending will be a stern test of the Sailors’ ability to attack effectively, but Sailors captain Ernie Sulastri Sontaril believes there has been enough work put in on the training ground to get her Sailors across the line.
“Hougang are usually strong at the back and will look to exploit any chance to counter attack. Their playing style is contrasting to the possession-based football that we prefer, and it is going to be challenging for us,” said Ernie. “But Coach (Yeong) Sheau Shyan has organised our backline and our attack, and we have also been practising various ways of breaking through defence lines.”
“Right now it is all about us being able to bring this to the pitch and execute our plan. We are well-prepared, and I’m confident we’ll be able to get the job done.”
Despite her confidence in her team’s preparation, Ernie remains cautious of the threat that the Cheetahs – a team that has lost just once in seven games, conceding only two goals all season – present. She called for the Sailors to approach the match with focus and discipline.
“Hougang’s a team that’s tactically disciplined, has good fitness and has this never-give-up attitude. Even when they’re tired or cramping, they look like they are very determined to push through everything,” said Ernie.
“Their backline is stable and they have good attackers like Raudhah Kamis and Nicole Lim (joint-third highest WPL scorers with five goals each) who can pose problems in the transition. We need to be alert on that day and take our chances.”
While the Sailors will now have to navigate the rest of the season without midfield driving force Madison Telmer who has left for Canada to pursue a university education, Ernie remains optimistic about the Sailors’ playing style and their drive towards the WPL title.
Madison was a key player who started every WPL game and has three goals to her name in 2023.
“She is very daring and confident in her ability to beat players and take shots – not many players in Singapore have that kind of confidence – and that’s perhaps why she contributed a lot, especially to our attack,” said Ernie.
“But I’m confident we will be able to cope by relying on two things I believe are our greatest strengths – keeping the ball and beating the line, and our cohesive team work – to help us to move forward.”
It may not the tidiest of finishes, but it gave Shawal Anuar a goal he will never forget.
As Maxime Lestienne swung a trademark sublime cross from the right flank, Shawal escaped the attentions of Spanish international Pedro Porro, and instinctively stuck out a foot to divert the ball past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
It was 14 minutes into the Singapore Festival of Football’s Tiger Cup, and the scoreboard at the National Stadium read: Tottenham Hotspur 0 Lion City Sailors 1.
Aleksandar Ranković’s charges eventually fell 5-1 to the English Premier League (EPL) side.
However, Shawal made history by becoming the first Singaporean player to score against Spurs since Samawira Basri did so for the Singapore national team in 1995 – when the Lions drew 1-1 with the North London side before prevailing 4-2 on penalties.
Shawal is still coming to terms with how a training ground move was the platform that gave him a unique goal.
“Before the match, coach Ranko kept telling me ‘Shawal, I want you to make the runs into the box’. Max also told me ‘you just run inside and I will definitely give the ball to you’,” revealed the Singapore international. “I did and the ball just fell nicely for me to tap in.
“The crowd cheered so loud that I couldn’t hear myself, it was like my ears were blocked. This is definitely one of the best moments in my career to score against a team like Spurs. I’ve never thought something like this would happen,” said Shawal.
But the goal came as no surprise to its architect.
“I’m not surprised by this goal, honestly,” said Maxime. “I’ve just started playing with Shawal this season, but I already have a very good connection with him – I know where he wants the ball and how he makes the run.
“I’m very happy for him and he really deserved this because he is a top, top player for us.”
Many probably came to the National Stadium expecting a whitewash given that the Sailors are coming up against an esteemed opponent plays several rungs above in the widely-acclaimed English top-flight, but that goal gave Ranko’s men a solid foundation and the confidence to build on as they kept their more reputable opponents at bay for virtually all of the first half.
Setting up in a compact 5-4-1 formation in preparation for the upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) campaign, the Sailors were resolute in defence.
On the couple of occasions where Spurs got a clear sight of goal, there was either a decisive tackle from a Sailors defender or an alert Zharfan Rohaizad standing in the way.
The Sailors backline was eventually breached with the last kick of the half, with Ange Postecoglou’s men drawing level through a Harry Kane penalty.
As Ranko rang the changes with an eye on the Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against Balestier Khalsa next Monday (31 July), the Sailors lost a bit of momentum and eventually went down to a 5-1 defeat.
However, the resilience and battling display was one that filled Maxime with pride and optimism ahead of the Sailors’ second ACL voyage in September.
“Today we played as a team and stayed compact according to Coach Ranko’s instructions. The focus was really to go out to enjoy the game because ultimately there is no pressure on us,” said Maxime.
“And the belief within this team was very strong. We knew we were facing a big team, but football is still 11 versus 11 and anything can happen. We just must go into games with the right mindset and I believe we can do great things as a team.”
For the Sailors, the focus now shifts back to the Singapore Premier League as they look to at least finish as the top-ranked local side to ensure qualification into AFC club competitions in 2024.
Ranko’s charges are now two points off second-placed Tampines Rovers, with four games left to play.
“The way we move, the way we shift as a team is something that we should be doing in every match. We’re taking the positives from this match to push ahead and everyone is now looking forward to finishing the season strongly,” said Shawal.
“Our fans really turned up and showed us fantastic support tonight, and we don’t want to let them down. We’re going to push till the end and see where that takes us in the league.”
