Author: Lion City Sailors
Given that the Lion City Sailors scored nine and conceded none against the Young Lions over two games last season, many had expected last evening’s Singapore Premier League clash between the two sides to be a cakewalk for Aurelio Vidmar’s men.
But the Young Lions are a different entity this season. Organised, adventurous, and unafraid to go toe-to-toe with the big boys, Philippe Aw’s side have proven themselves to be a handful in each of their three previous games, drawing twice and losing just once.
And so, coach Aurelio’s message to the Sailors was simple: make sure you play to your very best.
It was a message that each and every Sailor on the pitch at the Jalan Besar Stadium took on board, putting in a professional and disciplined performance to record a 3-1 win over the Young Lions.
Midfielder Saifullah Akbar, who notched an assist in the game with a delightful through ball for Gabriel Quak to score in the 62nd minute, revealed that the entire team was fired-up to get the three points right from the get-go.
“The Young Lions have been a decent footballing team this season, so every one of us knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park,” said Saifullah. “The message was very clear. We had to compete, fight, and perform at our highest level individually and as a team in order to get the three points.
“It was especially important for us to get the win after our loss to Hougang (United) in the previous game. It would’ve put us in a very tough situation in the league if we did not get the three points, so I dare say today’s game was almost as crucial as a cup final.”
It took 27 minutes for the Sailors to break the deadlock through Gabriel Quak, before Stipe Plazibat doubled the advantage just seven minutes later.
Gabriel effectively made the game safe with another goal after the break, but the Sailors then went down to 10 men after Amirul Adli was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 76th minute. Two minutes later, Ilhan Fandi pulled one back for the Young Lions to make the final stages of the game a nervy one for the Sailors, but they held firm despite their numerical disadvantage to secure the win.
One noticeable aspect of the Sailors’ game was how much more measured they were in attacking the Young Lions, and Saifullah believes this ‘patient’ approach paid dividends at both ends of the pitch.
“We did well in terms of keeping possession for a longer period of time,” the 22-year-old mused. “For the previous three games, I felt even with the lead, we rushed to get forward to try and get three, four goals to kill the game. That caused us to concede a few goals during quick transitions, because our players weren’t close enough as a group to stop the opposition’s attacking play.
“Against the Young Lions, however, we were very patient and retained possession well even when we were leading. We made sure our shape was intact, kept playing, and eventually we were rewarded with the second and third goals.”
Last night’s game was also notable for the debut of new signing Jorge Fellipe. The 1.92m-tall centre-back was a calm and composed presence in the Sailors backline throughout, and even came close to opening his account with a first-half header that crashed off the crossbar.
Reflecting on how Jorge performed in his first outing with the Sailors, Saifullah had nothing but words of praise for his Brazilian teammate.
“Jorge brings a different kind of experience to the team. He’s a big asset for us not only at set pieces, but also in building up play from the back,” said Saifullah. “He did really well for us in his debut today – his positioning, covering and passes were all spot-on.”
With Hougang recording a surprising 5-1 win over Tampines Rovers in the night’s other SPL game, Saifullah knows there will still be more twists and turns in this year’s title race. As of Saturday night, the Sailors are currently second in the eight-team table on seven points after four games, just two points behind league leaders Hougang.
And ahead of the Sailors’ next match against Albirex Niigata (S) on Wednesday, 7.45pm at the Jalan Besar Stadium, last season’s SPL Young Player of the Year claims his side are eager to send a clear statement of intent with victory over the reigning SPL champions.
“Everyone knew this season was going to be an exciting one with every team making great signings,” said Saifullah. “And with the current standings and results, it looks like it’s going to be an open and unpredictable season, which is great for the league.
“For now, though, we’re focused on our upcoming game against Albirex. We lost twice against them last season despite playing really well and being on top of them for most part of both games. But we made errors and they punished us.
“But we’ve learnt from our mistakes and we won’t commit them again. I’m confident we will put up a good performance and get all three points against Albirex on Wednesday.”
It took all of five minutes for Nur Adam Abdullah to make an impact in his Singapore Premier League (SPL) debut for the Lion City Sailors.
Driving infield with the ball from his left-back position, Nur Adam split the Tampines Rovers defence with a neat slide-rule pass into the attacking third to Gabriel Quak.
Four touches later, the ball was in the back of the Tampines net, with Song Uiyoung tapping in Haiqal Pashia’s cross from close range.
The teamwork shown in the build-up to that first goal in a thrilling season opening 3-3 draw was impressive, but what really caught the eye was how willing and comfortable Nur Adam was in bringing the ball forward.
Nur Adam’s critical role in the goal perfectly encapsulated the talented youngster’s rapid rise to the big stage. The fact that he has played every minute for the Sailors so far is also testament to the trust that Coach Aurelio Vidmar has in him.
Reflecting on the goal, Nur Adam said: “I’m glad that I was able to contribute to the team in that game. It may not be an assist, but it was something which I created that ultimately led to the goal, so I’m quite happy with that.”
It would be fair to say the 19-year-old has taken to life with the Sailors like a fish takes to water, impressing local football observers with his all-action style of play and never-say-die attitude.
But Nur Adam knows he has only just begun. With competition for places in the starting XI as fierce as it is, he is fully aware that he has to keep working hard to build on the fine start to his Sailors career – starting with this weekend’s SPL clash against the Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
“Going forward, I want to improve my level of performance even more and add more numbers to my game,” Nur Adam declared. “I want to get goals and assists if I can, but the priority, of course, is we keep winning as a team.
“It’s amazing to be part of this squad. I felt very welcomed from day one – everyone’s so friendly and approachable at this club. There is this healthy environment which keeps the younger players like myself motivated, and I’m really glad I made the decision to come here.”
Despite standing at just 1.68m tall, Nur Adam does not shy away from facing off against bigger and stronger opponents. Instead, he relishes the challenge, and makes up for his lack of height with a tenacious playing style.
“My teammates and coaches used to call me a ‘bulldog’ who just rams through!” he recalled, chuckling. “I’ve adopted this fearless attitude since young, and I’ve always liked the physical side of the game. To me, size doesn’t matter on the pitch – it’s the heart.”
His promising displays for the Sailors have not gone unnoticed, and he was recently rewarded with a first call-up to the senior national team by coach Tatsuma Yoshida – a moment which he will always cherish.
“I’m honoured and thankful that I got to be part of the national team after a long journey,” said Nur Adam, who is now into his third and final year as a sports management student at Republic Polytechnic (RP).
“At first, I felt the pressure of training with the big boys, but I managed to settle down and enjoy the process because this is the level I want to be at as a professional footballer. The training was highly intense, and we had to keep running and pushing ourselves throughout. One lesson I learnt was not to give up so easily.”
After a week away with the Lions, Nur Adam now has to shift his focus back to club level where he will face his former side.
While the Young Lions have yet to win this season (two draws and a loss), Philippe Aw’s team has earned the admiration of many with their enterprising play. And so, Nur Adam knows that the Sailors cannot afford to take this game lightly.
“People always underestimate the Young Lions and say that they’re weak. But from my experience, I know that’s not the case,” he said. “They have a pretty strong squad this year, with the likes of Hami (Syahin) and Syahrul (Sazali). So, we will have to play our best to defeat them.”
Coach Aurelio echoed Nur Adam’s remarks, challenging the Sailors to make a return to winning ways after a mixed start to the season. The Sailors held fellow title challengers Tampines to a 3-3 draw, then thrashed Tanjong Pagar United 5-0 in the next game, before falling to a shock 1-3 defeat to Hougang United.
“The Young Lions are playing very well at the moment – they’re very aggressive and play a good brand of football,” said Aurelio. “Looking at the metrics, it was our mistakes that cost us (against Hougang). Now, we’ve to bounce back and do it in a big way.”
Singapore national team head coach Tatsuma Yoshida has called up nine members of the Lion City Sailors to be part of a series of training sessions this March.
This includes first time call-ups for three Sailors: Defenders Tajeli Salamat and Nur Adam Abdullah, as well as 2020 Singapore Premier League Young Player of the Year, Saifullah Akbar.
That two of the three new call-ups are in the U-23 category is a testament to the commitment to youth shown by Sailors coach Aurelio Vidmar.
“We are very proud of Nur Adam and Saifullah for getting a chance to be involved with the national set up, and have full confidence that they, along with the rest of the Sailors who have been called up, will do themselves and the club proud,” said Vidmar.
“It is proof of the hard work they have continually put in to be recognised with the call-up, and we hope they are the first of many younger players who progress from the Sailors to the national side.
“We as a club are fully committed to youth development, and will continue to expose our U-23 players to as much playing time in the first team as we can.”
Singapore Sailors
Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Nur Adam Abdullah, Tajeli Salamat, Shahdan Sulaiman, Saifullah Akbar, Hafiz Nor, Gabriel Quak, Faris Ramli
With a win, a draw and a loss in the first three games of the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, it would be fair to say that the Lion City Sailors have not had an ideal start to the campaign.
Having kicked off the year with a thrilling 3-3 draw against title rivals Tampines Rovers, Aurelio Vidmar’s side went on to thrash Tanjong Pagar United 5-0, before falling to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Hougang United.
Here, we highlight the major talking points from the Sailors’ opening three matches.
Song’s still influential
Given the high-profile signings the Sailors made during the off-season, it was no surprise that much of the spotlight was fixed on those players rather than on the team’s existing stars.
However, it was a stalwart of this Sailors squad, Song Uiyoung, who shone brightest in the first three games. Now into his 10th season in Singapore, the 27-year-old proved he remains one of the most important members of the squad, with three goals in as many fixtures.
It was he who opened the Sailors’ goalscoring account this year, in the 3-3 draw with Tampines. The South Korean made an intelligent run into the box to convert Haiqal Pashia’s low cross with the deftest of touches.
Song followed that up with two more goals against Tanjong Pagar three days later – his first, a superb cushioned volley on the turn, was soon followed by a well-timed header off Shahdan Sulaiman’s in-swinging cross.
Those two goals meant that Song had scored 12 in his last 12 outings for the Sailors – a run that stretches back to the team’s 4-0 win over Geylang International last October. Unfortunately for Song, he was unable to find the back of the net against a resolute Hougang side.
But Song – who is currently the Sailors’ joint-top scorer along with Stipe Plazibat – is more than just about goals. The midfielder’s overall link-up play in attacking areas has helped to connect the lines between the Sailors’ midfield and attack. And so, while multi-million signing Diego Lopes continues his integration into the team, Song will be expected to continue being the man to keep the Sailors ticking.
New signings making an impact
While it usually takes time for new signings to bed into the team, most of the Sailors’ off-season recruits have managed to hit the ground running.
And among the most impressive of the bunch is Nur Adam Abdullah. Turning 20 in April, the tenacious left-back plays with a maturity that belies his tender years. He has hardly put a foot wrong defensively, and has also been a constant threat in the final third with his overlapping runs. It is little wonder then that Nur Adam, who played the full 90 minutes in each of the Sailors’ first three games, earned a maiden call up to the Singapore National Team.
Meanwhile, fellow defender Amirul Adli has enjoyed a decent start to the season as well. While the Sailors have conceded six goals in three games, the 25-year-old has largely been on point with the timing of his tackles, while also showing strength and composure to bring the ball out of defence.
In attack, Faris Ramli has unsurprisingly been a bright spark for the Sailors. Coming off the bench in the Sailors’ first two outings, the 28-year-old made a positive impression in both matches – his delightful flick led to the Sailors’ third goal against Tampines, while against Tanjong Pagar, Faris first earned, then confidently dispatched a penalty to get off the mark for the season.
Star signing Lopes has also shown glimpses of his immense quality in the two substitute appearances he has made so far this season. His performance against the Jaguars was particularly eye-catching, with his presence and ability to control the tempo from the middle of the park proving crucial in breaking down a stubborn Tanjong Pagar side. It will still take more time before Lopes is fully integrated into the team, but with what we’ve seen of him so far, there is little doubt that he will add a different dimension to the Sailors’ football.
Cutting out the errors
Of course, we cannot shy away from talking about the mistakes at both ends of the pitch that have cost the Sailors precious points in these first three games.
In the games against Tampines and Hougang, the Sailors crafted out several gilt-edged opportunities to score, but were unable to capitalise on them.
And in the defensive third, the Sailors have made multiple errors – both individually and as a team – that have led to them conceding goals and ultimately, points.
This two-week international break perhaps comes at the right time for the Sailors who will seek to regroup and work to mend the chinks in the armour.
Nine players will be away on international duty with the Singapore national team for this week, but there is still the following week where Coach Aurelio can get his full team together for training again. This break will perhaps provide extra time for Fellipe to ramp up his fitness levels as he looks to make his much-awaited Sailors debut.
All is not doom and gloom for the Sailors. Such is the competitiveness of the SPL that no team in the league has a 100 percent record after three rounds. This is probably an indication that this season will be an open one, with ample time for the Sailors to get the ship in order, and back on course to meet the target of finishing the year as SPL champions.
The Lion City Sailors suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday, Mar 20, falling 1-3 to Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
The Cheetahs stunned the Sailors with quick-fire goals from Lionel Tan (19’) and Tomoyuki Doi (21’) in the first-half, before Doi added a third for the visitors 14 minutes after the break.
Stipe Plazibat pulled one back for the Sailors in the 85th minute, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal for Aurelio Vidmar’s men.
With the Sailors coming into the game off the back of a convincing 5-0 win over Tanjong Pagar the preceding Wednesday, many had expected them to carry on in their fine form and pick up all three points against Clement Teo’s side.
But Hougang came out firing on all cylinders right from the start, and coach Aurelio admitted that his side failed to match up to their opponents’ intensity on the day.
“Hougang were super organised, super aggressive in the first-half and we just didn’t match that,” said Aurelio. “We should have been aggressive from the very first minute, but instead, we were very reactive in the first-half. We were always second to the ball, and Hougang, to their credit, were very good.
“I thought we created enough chances in the second half to make the scoreline a little more respectable. But having said that, Hougang still thoroughly deserved to win on the day.”
The pain of this defeat was clearly etched on Sailors’ faces after the game, but Aurelio has backed his players to get over this setback and come back stronger.
He said: “It’s never easy when you lose a game. But we had a chat afterwards and spoke about being positive. It’s one loss and at some stage it would have happened during the course of the season. Good teams always find a way to bounce back, and that’s what we’ll be looking to do.
“This will be a tricky week because we lose several players to the National Team so we won’t have the majority of our players. But I have every faith in my team to be able to come back stronger from this.”
With one win, one draw and one loss after the first three games of the season, Aurelio has labelled his side’s start to the campaign as “mixed”.
But the Australian is not too fussed about the Sailors’ failure to record maximum points from the three games.
“We played well in our first two games,” Aurelio reflected. “We should have had the win against Tampines because we had very good one on one chances in that game. Obviously, the game against Tanjong Pagar was good as well.
“So yes, we’re a little bit short on the points that we wanted, but it’s a long season still to go. There’s a lot of football left to be played, and we just have to be better moving forward.”
The Sailors will be back in action again on April 3, when they take on the Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Goals, goals and more goals. These days, it seems that whenever Song Uiyoung plays, he is more than likely to hit the back of the net.
Song’s brace in the Lion City Sailors’ 5-0 thumping of Tanjong Pagar United on Wednesday night (Mar 17) puts him at the top of the club’s scoring charts this season, with three goals to his name so far.
More impressively, it also took his goal tally to 12 in his last 12 outings for the Sailors – a run that stretches back to the team’s 4-0 win over Geylang International last October. It is a remarkable feat, considering that the South Korean is not deployed as a forward for Aurelio Vidmar’s outfit.
And while plaudits might go to Song for getting his name on the scoresheet, he would much rather give the credit for the goals to his teammates.
“Yes, I feel good about this record (of scoring 12 in the last 12 games), but I really have to appreciate my teammates for giving me all the good passes,” said Song.
“Individually, it’s a good start to the season for me. Now I just need to keep scoring and do my best to keep the good momentum going for the team.”
Since arriving in Singapore with Home United in 2012, the 27-year-old has gradually evolved into one of the most accomplished midfielders in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
In the last couple of years, he has developed a knack for producing smart, first-time finishes in the box.
That was how he converted Haiqal Pashia’s low cross in the Sailors’ season-opening 3-3 draw with Tampines Rovers last weekend – a goal similar to the one he scored in the Sailors’ 3-0 win over Geylang towards the tail end of last season, when he calmly guided home Adam Swandi’s assist.
“Before matches, we always practice our attacking moves so that’s how the goals came about,” Song revealed. “It was the perfect assists from both my teammates – their crosses were so good that all I needed to do was make sure I was at the right place to score.”
Given his goal scoring prowess, it may come as a surprise to many that Song does not prioritise finishing during training sessions. Instead, his main focus still remains on being a creative outlet for the team.
“I’m a midfielder so I try to focus a lot on providing passes,” he explained. “Sometimes I will try to practice a bit of finishing. I never really put in extra work on it because it’s not a priority for the position I play in.”
Song’s best-scoring season was back in 2018, when he netted 20 goals across three competitions for Home United as they achieved a second-place finish in the league and became ASEAN zonal champions in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.
With the Sailors set to compete on three fronts – the SPL, the Singapore Cup and the AFC Cup – he hopes to surpass that tally this season.
“I’ve already scored three, so I have 17 more to go!” he quipped. “Of course, I want to try to improve my record from 2018, and I have every confidence in my ability to do so.
“But I’m not too stressed about it, because I know we have strikers who are capable of scoring goals. The most important thing is the team’s result.”
Having brought in a multi-million dollar signing in former Benfica midfielder Diego Lopes, while also assembling a squad full of current and up-and-coming Singapore internationals, the Sailors are understandably under pressure to deliver some form of silverware this year.
Nonetheless, Song is relishing the ‘positive’ pressure that comes with representing the club, even as he looks forward to pairing up with Lopes on the pitch. The latter is pushing for a first start after impressing as a second-half substitute in the win over the Jaguars.
“Everyone in the team knows the level of expectations on us. We just have to focus on our individual jobs and believe in what we can achieve as a whole,” he said.
“The attitude and team morale has been very good from day one. You can see everyone is really happy to come in and work with each other every day.
“Diego really helped the team a lot when he came in (against Tanjong Pagar)…he was controlling the tempo of the game and contributed a lot of passes. I feel we already have a good understanding on the pitch. He’s a top professional who can really bring the best out of the players around him.”
Next up for the Sailors is a huge clash against title hopefuls Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Cheetahs have reinforced their ranks after a disappointing 2020 season in which they finished sixth out of eight teams. The likes of Tomoyuki Doi, Khairul Nizam, Gilberto Fortunato, as well as Sailors old boys Shahril Ishak and Kaishu Yamazaki, all made the move to Hougang Stadium during the off-season.
And Song says he is looking forward to a reunion with his former teammates, as the Sailors seek a second straight win to close out the month of March before the two-week international break.
“Shahril and Kaishu are very nice people…we enjoyed a very good relationship with each other and I still catch up with them on social media sometimes,” he shared. “Now, I’m really looking forward to competing against them.
“Everyone in Singapore knows what a legendary player Shahril is. I learnt a lot from him when he was my teammate, so I’m sure he will be a key player for Hougang.
“Hougang are a much different team as compared to last season, but we just have to focus on how we play and stick to our game plan to get the three points.”
You can catch the Sailors taking on Hougang at the Jalan Besar Stadium this Saturday, 5.30pm, either on SPL’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.
For Faris Ramli, scoring the fifth goal in the Lion City Sailors’ 5-0 win over Tanjong Pagar United in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) last evening was more than just about getting off the mark for his new club.
After winning a penalty at the Jurong East Stadium in the 83rd minute, Faris – who joined the Sailors from Malaysian side Terengganu in the off-season – took the ball and placed it on the spot, determined to take the spot-kick himself.
The 28-year-old made no mistake, as he sent Tanjong Pagar goalkeeper Fashah Iskandar the wrong way and placed the ball into the bottom corner.
Nonetheless, there were eyebrows raised over Faris’ insistence on taking the penalty, especially with team-mates Song Uiyoung and Stipe Plazibat both on a hat-trick. New signing Diego Lopes, who came on as a substitute in the second half, was also seen speaking with Faris before the spot-kick was taken.
Faris, however, explained that he was especially keen to get on the scoresheet yesterday as he wanted to dedicate a goal to his late uncle.
“Getting a goal today was very crucial for me personally, as my uncle had just passed away last Monday. I really wanted to score so I could dedicate the goal to him and his family,” Faris revealed.
“Yes, Diego also wanted to take the penalty, but he gave it to me in the end because he understood that I wanted to take it for my late uncle. Overall, though, I’m happy to have got my first goal after coming back to play in the SPL.”
While the 5-0 scoreline might indicate a one-sided affair, it was anything but. The first-half, in particular, saw the Jaguars keeping things tight at the back, and both teams were unable to break the deadlock by half-time.
Faris believes the introduction of Diego at the break gave the Sailors added attacking impetus, but also pinpointed Stipe Plazibat’s 47th minute penalty – awarded after a Tanjong Pagar defender was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box – as the pivotal moment in which the game turned on its head.
“I believe the first goal was very important for us to open up their tactical defensive shape,” said Faris. “But each and every player also stepped up really well after the first goal, and that was a big reason behind our other goals on the night.
“As for Diego, he really performed well on his debut with us. He came in and immediately gave us more attacking options and creativity (in the final third).
“It feels great to be playing in this team because there is always a hunger and desire to go forward and win the game. Now, it’s just for us to ensure that our form will be consistent throughout the season.”
After two games, the Sailors currently find themselves second in the table on four points, two points behind league leaders and reigning SPL champions Albirex Niigata (S).
The Sailors will next take on Hougang United at the Jalan Besar Stadium this Saturday at 5.30pm. Faris knows that the Cheetahs, who beat Geylang International 4-1 on Wednesday (Mar 17), will not be easy opponents.
However, he is confident that with morale in the Sailors camp on a high, they will be able to get all three points against Hougang.
“Hougang will definitely be a difficult game for us,” Faris admitted. “But the morale of the team was already on a high when we came into this game (against Tanjong Pagar), and with the victory, we are now feeling even more confident for the game on Saturday. The boys all want to win the game so that we can head into the upcoming international break on a positive note.”
Last Saturday (Mar 13) was an evening filled with mixed emotions for Amirul Adli as he pulled on the Lion City Sailors (LCS) shirt for the first time.
Making his Sailors debut obviously gave him immense joy and pride, while the three goals conceded in a 3-3 thriller with former club Tampines Rovers in their Singapore Premier League (SPL) season opener gave the young centre-back valuable lessons to reflect on.
Looking back on that eventful game in which the Sailors let slip a two-goal lead in the second half, Adli knew he and the rest of the backline could do better.
“It was our first game together, so there is room for improvement in certain areas. In my opinion we conceded quite soft goals – we know we can definitely do better,” said the 25-year-old.
“It’s obviously best not to concede, but I’m taking those goals as a reminder for us defenders to be more vigilant in such situations. Nonetheless it was a good overall performance from the team and it’s a big honour for me to make my debut for LCS.”
Under the tutelage of coach Aurelio Vidmar, the Sailors have morphed into a side that plays an attractive brand of possession-based football, and that was a key reason why Adli was signed in the off-season. With his ability to carry the ball out of defence and make forward passes, he is able to complement the team where he can feed the array of attacking options available to the Sailors, including the likes of Song Ui-Young, Gabriel Quak and Faris Ramli.
Having seen the scintillating football that the attackers can produce, Adli is already loving life with his new team despite being just one game in.
“Coach Aurelio’s tactical approach for the team is something which I really admire. We really push forward and not sit back to play a normal possession game,” he elaborated. “The team’s way of playing really complements my style… It’s easier for me to bring the ball out from the back and pass it forward to the attackers.
“Of course, on paper we’ve the best attackers in the league. From the back, I can really see how we link up and it’s really enjoyable to see. I’m sure the attackers will be more clinical as the season goes on.”
While it is just a few months since he joined the Sailors, Adli said that he already feels pretty much settled in and that is down to the presence of international teammates like Hassan Sunny, Shahdan Sulaiman and ‘good friend’ Adam Swandi.
He is looking forward to the prospect of linking up with experienced Brazilian defender Jorge Fellipe, as well as star compatriot Diego Lopes.
“Both Diego and Jorge have played high-level football, especially Jorge who has played in Asia. He’s tall, strong and also fast… he’s a guy who will obviously take the level of our backline up another level and any defender in the Sailors will feel really secure playing beside him,” said Adli.
“His English is quite OK for now… He’s a cheerful and happy person who’s really easy to get along with, I don’t think it’s hard to link up with him. This off-the-field chemistry will surely translate onto the pitch and I’m looking forward to him making his debut.”
Adli also has his sights set on being a lynchpin of the Singapore national team under Tatsuma Yoshida and securing a spot in the year-end AFF Suzuki Cup squad.
But for now, his primary focus to play consistently well at club level and the next immediate task is to help the Sailors get their first win of the season when they face last season’s bottom side Tanjong Pagar United away at Jurong East Stadium on Wednesday (Mar 17).
While the new-look Jaguars outfit were edged out 2-1 in their first outing against Geylang International, the level of performance and presence of quality players like Blake Ricciuto, Reo Nishiguchi and Khairul Amri suggest that they could provide a serious threat to any team in the league.
“Of course, Tanjong Pagar is not a team to be taken lightly, given the new signings that they made,” said Adli. “Everyone in Singapore football knows how a prolific poacher Amri is, so we must do well to guard him as well the rest.
“They’ll obviously be hyped to meet us, but we’ll also be hungry to get our first win. It’ll definitely an interesting battle.”
On paper, last night’s 3-3 draw against fellow title contenders Tampines Rovers in the first match of the 2021 SIngapore Premier League (SPL) season was not a bad result for the Lion City Sailors.
However, the manner in which the draw was played out at the Jalan Besar Stadium would have left the Stags the happier of the two sides, and the Sailors rueing what might have been.
After all, the hosts found themselves in the driving seat for the majority of the game after taking an early two-goal lead through Song Ui-Young and Gabriel Quak.
Tampines defender Madhu Mohana pulled one back for his side in the 19th minute, before Gabriel restored the Sailors’ two-goal advantage 13 minutes after the break.
But two quick-fire goals from Tampines captain Yasir Hanapi midway through the second-half saw the visitors draw level. Both the Sailors and Tampines had golden opportunities late in the game to clinch all three points, but neither side was able to take them, and they ultimately had to settle for a point apiece.
While Gabriel acknowledged that Tampines deserved praise for fighting back to earn the draw, the 30-year-old admitted that it still felt like ‘two points dropped’ for the Sailors.
“It was very disappointing not to have gotten the three points to start the season,” said the reigning SPL Player of the Year.
“Credit to Tampines because it’s never easy to fight back from two goals down, but personally for us, I felt like it’s two points dropped because of the commanding position that we had found ourselves in.
“But both teams threw caution to the wind, and from a spectator standpoint, I think you can’t ask for a better game. Hopefully, this will excite fans and draw more interest to the league.”
When asked to pinpoint where he thought the Sailors got it wrong last night, Gabriel mused: “I felt at 3-1 up, our mistake was not slowing the game down. Instead, we tried to still go neck to neck with them, which ultimately played into their hands, since they were the ones who needed to chase the game.
“But our game has always been attacking based, so we weren’t going to sit back and park the bus. So overall, I think our performance can’t be faulted, especially when you consider that this is only the first game of the season and we’ve had only one pre-season friendly under our belt.”
On a personal level, however, Gabriel was pleased to have started this campaign where he left off last season – among the goals.
Gabriel, who recorded five goals and seven assists last season, said: “It definitely feels great for me to start the season with two goals. After last year’s achievement [of winning the Player of the Year award], I knew a lot was on my shoulders to deliver for the team.
“So, I’m just glad to open my account early in the season to get going, and also to repay the faith from the management. Nonetheless, it would have been much sweeter for me if we had also managed to get a win.”
The Sailors will next take on Tanjong Pagar United this Wednesday (March 17), 7.45pm, at the Jurong East Stadium.
Excitement is building in the air with the new Singapore Premier League (SPL) season set to kick off this weekend.
Last year, the Sailors enjoyed an encouraging first campaign as they displayed a swashbuckling style of football en route to finishing third in the league.
This year, Aurelio Vidmar’s men are looking to take a couple of steps forward as they target a first-ever SPL title.
The Sailors have made several notable signings in the off-season to bolster their squad, with former Benfica midfielder Diego Lopes being the star acquisition. His experienced Brazilian compatriot, Jorge Fellipe, also comes in to shore up a defence that only kept four clean sheets in 14 games last season.
While the duo only started training with the Sailors last month, Aurelio foresees them making a swift impact on the team.
“Both of them started training four to five weeks after the rest so of course they’ll be a bit behind,” said coach Aurelio. “But they’ve been doing conditioning work to get themselves ready and also learning a bit of English as well.
“They’re now getting a clearer understanding of our playing style and what the team requires of them, so I don’t see an issue with them fitting in with the team.”
The Sailors also recruited exciting young local talents in the form of Nur Adam Abdullah and Amirul Adli to strengthen the core of the team. And, from what he’s seen of them so far, Aurelio believes both players have what it takes to succeed with the Sailors this season.
“Nur Adam is an exciting young talent and he will fill our left-back position,” said the former Socceroos captain. “While he’s still young, he has got the mentality and attitude to go to a higher level. He always wants to learn and is taking things in on a daily basis, so I look forward to a great year from him.
“Adli – we obviously got him in to strengthen our backline. He’s still rather young, but already has a lot of playing experience so he will be an asset to the team.”
New signings aside, the Sailors have retained the bulk of their 2020 squad for the coming season. This includes the likes of captain Hassan Sunny, Gabriel Quak, Shahdan Sulaiman, and hotshot striker Stipe Plazibat.
After missing last season’s run-in due to injury, Plazibat is now raring to go to make up for lost time, and Aurelio is certain the Croatian will finish among the league’s top scorers again this year.
“He missed the last few games, but he still finished as the (club’s and league’s) leading goal scorer. Injury is part and parcel of football, so he has nothing to prove to anyone,” said coach Aurelio.
“He’s a proven goal scorer everywhere he goes. As long as he gets the required service from the team, I see him finishing as one of the leading scorers again.”
With Covid-19 restrictions still in place, the Sailors, along with the rest of the teams in the SPL, have had to tweak their pre-season preparations.
For example, the Sailors were only able to play one friendly match this pre-season. The match, played last weekend, saw the Sailors beat the Young Lions 3-1.
Nonetheless, Coach Aurelio has seen enough positives in training to feel confident that his team can live up to the tag of being ‘title favourites’.
“It’s the same for every team (to play only one friendly match) and we’ll need a couple of games to get into gear,” he explained. “But it’s an encouraging sign to see that the competition for places has been fierce. Everyone’s motivated and doing well, so it’s definitely a good headache.
“We as a team have to live up to this challenge (of being title favourites). Since the privatisation of the club last year, everyone is obviously going to talk about us so we can’t take a soft or lazy approach to go about our work. It’s important that we go through the processes and be ready to turn up every week to perform. If we do, then obviously we can be ahead of everyone else and have a successful year.”
The SPL fixture list has drawn up a mouth-watering opening game of the season for the Sailors, pitting them against last season’s league runners-up Tampines Rovers. The Sailors suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to the Stags in the early stages of last season, before attaining a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
While coach Aurelio acknowledges that his side will face a ‘big’ challenge for the SPL title from Gavin Lee’s men, he believes the rest of the chasing pack are also capable of usurping them to finish near the top.
“It’s always a difficult game against Tampines – they have a very good footballing style and a number of good players,” said coach Aurelio. “But then again, every game is difficult. Look at what the others like Tanjong Pagar (United) and Hougang (United) have done over the off-season – they have massively improved.
“No team is going to have a bad season and sit there not doing anything to change things. So, I expect a much tougher season than the last one.”
You catch the Sailors’ opening match of the season against Tampines Rovers tomorrow, 5.30pm, LIVE on the Singapore Premier League Facebook page.
