Category: News
With a swing of her left boot, midfielder Ho Hui Xin’s long-range effort beat the Still Aerion goalkeeper and bulged the net in stunning fashion.
It was her first goal for the Lion City Sailors Women and also capped off a comprehensive 4-0 victory to seal their first-ever Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title on 10 September.
“I honestly don’t remember the last time I scored… All I know it was my first goal for the Sailors,” the 30-year-old quipped.
“It was a good feeling when I struck the ball and saw it go in from the left. I was like ‘I did it!’ I remember the ball coming from Dorcas (Chu) who had done all the work, but I was glad to have scored in an important game like this.”
Next up for the Sailors, an encounter against Tiong Bahru in their penultimate WPL clash at Yishun Stadium on Saturday (25 September) evening.
A Danelle Tan brace settled a tight contest in the reverse fixture in July and Hui Xin is wary of the threat Tiong Bahru – who are fourth in the seven-team WPL standings – may pose.
“They are a relatively fit side who can give us a run for our money,” said Hui Xin, who is a full-time physical education teacher.
“They came at us in the first half when we last played and it took a while for us to break them down. Hopefully we can break them down and do better this time around.
“I know some of the longer-serving players there too, such as defenders Angie (Pang) and Deborah (Chin) during my time with Woodlands Wellington – the previous iteration of Tiong Bahru.”
Hui Xin believes the Sailors can do more and fulfil the expectations set for them from the get-go.
“We started the season with high expectations and knew that the pressure was going to be on us. On top of that, we want to play according to the style that (Head Coach) Yeong Sheau Shyan demands from the team,” said the Singapore international.
“While we have managed to do that, we have not done it very well. We have struggled against teams who sit back, as well as those who really come at us. We also need to learn how to make better use of the ball whenever we have possession.”
Despite the fact the WPL crown has been secured, Hui Xin insists there is no room for complacency.
“We might have clinched the title but there are still two games to go and we want to finish the season strongly,” she added.
“This is our first season and the feeling (of winning the title) hasn’t really sunk in yet. I think the feeling will really sink in when we lift the trophy after our final game against Tanjong Pagar United.”
Sailors’ match against Young Lions postponed
As a mark of respect following the passing of Football Association of Singapore (FAS) President Mr Lim Kia Tong, all Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixtures scheduled for this weekend have been postponed.
The Lion City Sailors match against Young Lions that was originally scheduled for Friday, 16 September, at the Jalan Besar Stadium will now be played on 22 October at the same venue.
The 15 October match against Tanjong Pagar United at the Jurong East Stadium will now take place a day earlier, on Friday, 14 Oct at the same venue, with kickoff scheduled for 7.45pm.
The Sailors are shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of a dedicated member of the Singapore football fraternity. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the late Mr Lim at this time of sorrow.
Nine Lion City Sailors players will help fly the Singapore flag as the Lions play Vietnam and India in a Tri-Nation series during the upcoming FIFA international window.
Lions’ captain Hariss Harun, along with eight others – Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Adam Swandi, Hafiz Nor, M. Anumanthan, Shahdan Sulaiman, Faris Ramli and Song Ui-young – have got the nod from national team head coach Takayuki Nishigaya in what is only his second Lions selection.
Anu has been handed his first national call-up under the 49-year-old Japanese as he returns to the Lions fold for the first time since featuring in the pandemic-delayed AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 last December.
The 28-year-old defensive midfielder has made 20 appearances for the Sailors since signing for the club in the off-season, with one goal to his name.
The 23-strong squad will travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam where they will play the 97th-ranked hosts on 21 September. The Lions will then play world no. 104 India – 55 places above them in the FIFA rankings – three days later.
The two matches serve as preparations for the year-end ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, in which Singapore will line up in Group B against Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Laos.
The Lions leave for Ho Chi Minh City on Monday (19 September).
Sailors’ Lions representatives for September’s Tri-Nation series against Vietnam and India:
Hassan Sunny, Amirul Adli, Adam Swandi, Hafiz Nor, Hariss Harun, M. Anumanthan, Shahdan Sulaiman, Faris Ramli, Song Ui-young
There was a contender for goal of the season, robust challenges and a spirited battle till the final whistle. But all that was still not enough for the Lion City Sailors who fell 2-1 to Tampines Rovers on Saturday (10 September).
The Singapore Premier League (SPL) match at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) was the Sailors’ second loss on the trot – following the previous week’s 3-1 defeat to Geylang International – overshadowing what was a fantastic August for the Sailors.
The Sailors scored 30 goals en route to four wins last month, but last night’s loss saw interim Head Coach Luka Lalić call for his charges to take a long hard look in the mirror.
“Similar to the loss to Geylang, we made easy, silly mistakes, lost the ball and let them score twice. If we make such mistakes, and also when you miss opportunities of your own, you cannot expect to win,” he said.
The result saw Albirex Niigata (S) knock the Sailors off the top of the eight-team SPL standings after the Japanese side overcame an early scare to come from behind and beat Young Lions 2-1 on the same night.
Albirex are on 54 points – three ahead of the second-placed Sailors – with just four games left to play, including a crucial six-pointer between the two title-chasing sides at the Jalan Besar Stadium on 7 October.
“I asked the boys to take two days off for self-reflection, and we go back to work on Tuesday.”
It was an unfamiliar Sailors lineup that walked out at OTH. Captain Hariss Harun and Hafiz Nor were suspended, and with Pedro Henrique and Kim Shin-wook out injured, the Sailors were forced to improvise.
Midfielder M Anumanthan and left-back Nur Adam Abdullah were deployed as part of a three-man central defence alongside vice-captain Amirul Adli.
Tampines took the lead in the 55th minute of play, with Taufik Suparno nicking the ball off Anu in the Sailors’ box and laying it on a plate for Boris Kopitovic to prod home.
The lead lasted for just one minute, with substitute Maxime Lestienne scoring a goal that drew gasps from the OTH stands. The Belgian swung his left foot as Adam Swandi’s pass reached him at the top of the Tampines box, and as if tapped by a magic wand, the ball swerved in the Tampines sky, pinged the crossbar then kissed the post before nestling in the bottom of Syazwan Buhari’s goal.
Zehrudin Mehmedovic capped off a frenetic four minutes at OTH with a curling freekick that went in off the bar in the 58th minute, to help Tampines regain a lead they held onto despite the Sailors throwing everything at the Stags in the remainder of the match.
“The pressure has been on us for some time, and now it will switch to Albirex, and it is up to us to chase them,” said Luka, whose charges will face Young Lions, Balestier Khalsa, Albirex then Tanjong Pagar United in their final four SPL fixtures.
“The title race is not over – for me that match against Albirex will decide where the title goes.”
As the final whistle sounded, players on the bench ran onto the pitch to celebrate with their teammates while fans on the stands broke out in chants of “Campeones”.
Water from the mineral water bottles was doused over heads, with head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan and team manager Shuhadah Sinwan amongst those not spared as the entire team, including the coaches and officials, were drenched by the time the lights were turned off at the Yishun Stadium.
These jubilant post-match scenes on Saturday (10 September) night came after the Lion City Sailors Women swept Still Aerion FC aside 4-0 to seal their first-ever Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title with two games to spare.
Specially-designed “Champions” T-shirts were also donned as the team and the fans celebrated in unison on a stellar achievement by the club.
Madison Telmer struck the opener on the stroke of half time, before second-half goals from Paula Druschke, Dorcas Chu and Ho Hui Xin wrapped up the victory – which meant they moved eight points clear at the top and would not be caught by second-placed Tanjong Pagar United.
With that, the Sailors became the 14th different winner of the WPL in 21 seasons, ending the four-year reign of Warriors FC between 2016 to 2019. The WPL was not played in the Covid-19 pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
Sheau Shyan was pleased with how her charges recovered from a sluggish first-half display to turn on the style after the break and officially confirm their status as 2022 WPL champions.
“In the first half, we didn’t execute the game plan the way we wanted to. There was a gap between the backline and the frontline – the connection wasn’t there and we resorted to a lot of long balls, which isn’t our style,” analysed the 44-year-old.
“I felt our defence wasn’t taking it seriously enough and our opponents could have scored a couple of goals on the breakaway. I had to tell them off a bit and remind them not to be complacent at the back, so I’m definitely happy that the second-half performance was way better than the first.”
With the team having only one training session together in the lead-up to this match due to the FIFA international window, the Sailors looked a pale shadow of their usual selves in the beginning and were unable to produce their usual slick passing football.
It was only until the latter stages of the first half with a band of Sailors fans started streaming in – they travelled from Our Tampines Hub where the Singapore Premier League game was played – when the women started to get their act together, as Madison surged through the middle to fire the Sailors into the lead.
“It was as if we waited for the fans to come in with the cheers to pick up our performance,” chuckled Sheau Shyan. “But I’ve to say the support from them helped to bring us to a different level and they are really our 12th player.”
Things started to flow in the second half, with Paula whipping a stupendous free kick into the top left corner on 54 minutes to double the Sailors’ advantage.
The substitutes then stole the show towards the end, with Dorcas heading home Paula’s outswinging corner in the 79th minute before Hui Xin netted a gorgeous strike from range to complete the rout.
Reflecting on the title triumph, Sailors captain Ernie Sulastri paid tribute to the dedication and hard work put in by the team.
“This team deserves to win the title because we put 100 percent into every training. It’s not easy for most of us who have been managing both club and international duties, but everyone has been willing to sacrifice time for the cause.
“Credit also goes to the coaches and officials, who have been very patient with us and trying to get everyone to gel. For us it’s not just about winning the title, it’s about how we got together as a team to execute the coach’s game plan,” elaborated the 33-year-old.
The Sailors’ final two matches are against Tiong Bahru on 24 September and Tanjong Pagar on 2 October, with Coach Sheau Shyan already looking forward to the latter game to correct some previous wrongs.
“We didn’t get a goal against Tanjong Pagar the last time (in a 0-0 draw which was the only occasion that the Sailors dropped points this season) so we definitely want to get that win,” she said.
“As a team, we still have things to work on including trying to break the low block. Once the season is finished, then we can properly celebrate as a team.”
Singing from the same hymn book, Ernie said, “We cannot stay stagnant and be comfortable even if we’ve already won the league. We need to work hard to further improve our team chemistry and see how we progress as a team.
“It’s not just about scoring goals; we want to be more composed on the ball, know how to release the ball quicker, circulate the ball and most importantly play beautiful football for our fans to enjoy.”
After a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Geylang International the last time out, the Lion City Sailors will be looking to rebound when they go on the road to face another Eastern side, Tampines Rovers, at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Saturday (10 September) evening.
Spearheaded by 28-goal league-leading scorer Boris Kopitović, third-placed Stags have been in good form of late – winning five out of their last six matches. Acutely aware of the challenge against Gavin Lee’s men, goalkeeper Hassan Sunny has urged his side to put in a much-improved display to return to winning ways.
“Tampines are obviously a quality team and they’ll be playing with the backing of their fans at OTH. So it’ll be tough for sure, but we have quality players in our ranks especially in our attacking front who can hurt anyone.
“First things first, we have to play as a unit and everyone has to turn up in order for us to get the victory,” said the 38-year-old.
Not one to mince his words, Hassan acknowledged the team didn’t “turn up” against the Eagles last Sunday as they fell to their first defeat in four matches under interim Head Coach Luka Lalić.
“We have to admit Geylang wanted it more than us and they fully deserved the win. We were punished rightly for our poor performance. Having said that, we’ve been hard at work this week trying to get everything right for this upcoming match.”
The Sailors can take confidence from winning all three encounters against Tampines in 2022, but will have to cope without the suspended duo of Hariss Harun and Hafiz Nor, while Brazilian centre-back Pedro Henrique is unlikely to be fit due to injury.
Hassan believes this is where the squad depth and players’ versatility comes in to play a crucial part for the team.
“This is not something new – we have had players out before and had to rely on some of us playing in unaccustomed positions. So we definitely have the depth as well as the flexibility to cope,” said the veteran custodian.
The title race is now finely poised going into the final five matches of the season, with the Sailors level on 51 points with Albirex Niigata (S) but holding the advantage courtesy of a better goal difference by +10.
In a situation not dissimilar to last season when the Sailors held their nerve to win their first-ever SPL title on the final day, Hassan is calling for calm heads to see the team through and eventually retain their domestic crown.
“Last year we also had players missing and a change of coach, but we pulled through so I don’t see why it won’t happen this year. Yes, there is pressure for sure, but only with pressure will you be able to see the difference between good and average players,” said Hassan, who was also part of the Warriors FC side that clinched the title on the final day of the season back in 2014.
“These last five games won’t be easy and even Young Lions will try to make it difficult for us in our following match. But we’ve been in this situation before so it’s not new to us.
“The coaches and backroom staff have done their part to prepare us, now it’s up to us players to perform on the pitch and do justice to their efforts.”
With three games left in the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL), the unbeaten Lion City Sailors Women have the chance to seal the title by beating Still Aerion FC at Yishun Stadium on Saturday (10 September) night.
Currently five points clear of nearest challengers Tanjong Pagar United with a game in hand, a win is all the table-topping Sailors need to ensure they will not be caught by any other teams.
The Sailors women beat Still Aerion 4-0 in July, and even as they look odds-on to claim their maiden WPL crown, captain Ernie Sulastri has vowed that there will be no letting up.
“We may be one win away (from the title), but we have to stay level-headed,” said the 33-year-old defender.
“We need to be focused and cannot allow complacency to creep in. We will go into this match like how we approach any other game and everyone in the team has a role to play.”
Ernie is acutely aware of the threat Aerion can pose, but she wants the team to focus on playing attractive football as a reward for their fans.
“The scoreline is not the most important thing to us,” she added. “Instead, it is how we play beautiful football and make sure our fans enjoy the match.
”It will be an interesting match for the neutrals. We are aware that Aerion have got speedy and aggressive players who can cause damage and it will not be an easy game for us.”
While preparations have not been the most ideal with the majority of the team away on international duty with Singapore the past week, Ernie is unperturbed.
“Off the pitch, we believe that the players have the discipline to do training and analysis for our next game on their own,” said Ernie, who is also skipper of the Lionesses.
“In addition, coach (Yeong) Sheau Shyan typically prepares for games a few days prior and lets us know what she expects. We just have to trust the process and believe that we can execute the game plan well to get the three points.”
Looking back at the WPL campaign so far, Ernie is glad for the support received from the fans and everyone at the club.
“I’m not forgetting my teammates who have pushed one another during the course of the season. They have made this season a memorable one,” said Ernie, pointing to the likes of Danelle Tan, Sara Merican and Summer Chong who have left Singapore for education or work pursuits.
“We are always learning to be better players and contributing to the team. At the end of the day, I believe in the motto: “We play as a team, win as a team” and we are all raring to go against Aerion.”
An off-colour, error-ridden display saw the Lion City Sailors go down 3-1 to Geylang International at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (4 September) evening, in what was their first defeat under interim Head Coach Luka Lalić.
Despite taking an early lead through Maxime Lestienne, the champions allowed Geylang to net three in a remarkable turnaround as the Eagles saw out the result to maintain their impressive run of form – Noor Ali’s side have now won eight and lost just once out of their last 12 Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches.
“It wasn’t really about what Geylang were able to do, it’s about what we allowed them to do. We made several errors at the individual and team level, they utilised it perfectly for a couple of goals and that’s the reality,” lamented Luka.
“But credit goes to Geylang, they wanted it more than us today and they fully deserved this win against us.”
Having kept nine out of the 11 players that started the 9-4 victory over Hougang United a week ago – Diego Lopes and Adam Swandi were not fully fit – the Sailors got off to a smashing start and broke the deadlock after just eight minutes.
Released by an excellent Faris Ramli ball over the top, Kim Shin-wook had the presence of mind to tee Maxime up for an emphatic finish that gave the Belgian his 11th league goal of the season.
It looked like the Sailors were on their way to a fourth win in as many games under Luka, but Geylang showed spirit to draw level just four minutes later with Vincent Bezecourt sweeping home after some untidy defending in the box.
The Frenchman, who used to play for New York Red Bulls in USA’s Major League Soccer, repeated the trick in the 36th minute as he darted into the six-yard box to convert Ilhan Noor’s deflected cross to put the Eagles 2-1 up.
The visitors then scored a third on 43 minutes, with Hazzuwan Halim – who was on the pitch for just four minutes after replacing the injured Šime Žužul – benefitting from yet another deflected ball, this time from Bezecourt, to flick past a stranded Hassan Sunny in the Sailors goal.
The Sailors rallied in the second half, but there was no way past a resolute Geylang backline led by captain and goalkeeper Zaiful Nizam.
The two best chances fell to Shin-wook, but he was first denied by a sprawling save in the 57th minute before Zaiful got the slightest of touches to tip his goal-bound header onto the bar on 83 minutes.
Eventually going down to a deserved fourth defeat of the season, the Sailors are now level on points with Albirex heading into the final five matches but remain top courtesy of a superior goal difference.
Luka is determined to take the lessons from this loss and backed his charges to bounce back as they visit Tampines Rovers at Our Tampines Hub next in the SPL this coming Saturday (10 September).
“We need to take a close look in the mirror, analyse what we did wrong in the game, and fix these issues as soon as possible. This result does us no favours in the title run-in and we’ve made things harder for ourselves.
“But we’re going to dig in, work harder and I’m confident these boys can get back to their usual selves in the next game,” he said.
“I hope our fans will continue to stand behind us and we’ll make sure we get things right in the coming weeks.”
After celebrating his 30th birthday with a long-awaited brace in a record-breaking 9-4 win over Hougang United, Faris Ramli is chomping at the bit to build on that as the Lion City Sailors host an in-form Geylang International side at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (4 September) evening.
Having come off the bench to make assists in three straight Singapore Premier League (SPL) games, the Sailors attacker took advantage of his first start in a month against the Cheetahs to net his first brace since September 2020 when he was playing for Terengganu in the Malaysia Super League.
“I was making an impact off the bench, but it always feels better to start, get on the scoresheet and help the team win games,” said Faris. “It was my birthday two days before the game (against Hougang) and everyone wanted me to score, so I have to thank them for helping me get the goals.
“It hasn’t been an easy year, but now I’m slowly getting back into shape and into the flow of what I’m capable of. There was a lot of hard work and patience involved to get back to full fitness, which is slowly paying off. Now I just want to keep going in this manner, do even better and help the team achieve our goal of retaining our SPL title and be Singapore Cup champions.”
It could well be a tricky task against the Eagles, who are in great form – winning seven and losing just once out of their last 11 matches. The impressive streak has propelled them into the top four with six games remaining, this after languishing in the bottom two for large parts of the season.
Noor Ali’s men have also proven to be stubborn opponents for the Sailors in 2022, they beat Hariss Harun and company 1-0 at Our Tampines Hub – the first of the Sailors’ two defeats this season, with the other coming against Albirex Niigata (S) – then held the defending champions 1-1 at the same venue in July.
The Sailors secured a narrow 1-0 win over Geylang at Jalan Besar in May, but Faris is not taking anything for granted.
Even so, he believes the team’s growing confidence – on the back of 26 goals scored in three straight wins under interim Head Coach Luka Lalić – can power them to another victory.
“Geylang is not just solid at the back with Zaiful Nizam keeping the most clean sheets (eight) in the league, but they also have quality attackers. We cannot afford to let our guard down for sure,” said the 2019 SPL Player of the Year.
“But we’re focusing on ourselves and how we can improve further. It’s our fourth week with Coach Luka and all I can say is training’s been very intense – which some of us required some adjusting to – but everyone is putting in a lot of effort.
“The best part is that we’re all pushing each other and wanting to do better as a team. We’ve been adapting well to Coach Luka’s style of play and we’re going all out to deliver another three points for the fans.”
In a rejuvenated Faris, the Sailors have an invaluable weapon in their arsenal going into the business end of the season and the man is determined to drive even harder towards the finish line.
“There were chronic issues that bothered me earlier this season, but now I’m feeling really good after a lot of rehab work with our strength and conditioning staff.
“I knew I had to fight for my position especially with the quality players we have, so it’s great to have Coach Rodri who has been working with me and the other attackers like Maxime (Lestienne), Diego (Lopes), Song (Ui-young) and (Kim) Shin-wook to practice finishing and he has been very detailed,” said Faris, in reference to Rodrigo Costa, Head of Technical Training at the Sailors’ Academy, who has been brought in to bolster the first-team setup.
In what has been an enthralling title race, the Sailors now lead the eight-team SPL standings by three points but Albirex could go level if they beat Balestier Khalsa on Friday (2 September).
Faris called for his team to focus on their own tasks going into this final stretch, because he believes that single-mindedness will make a big difference.
“It doesn’t matter which club plays first or second on a matchweek, that doesn’t affect us. We as a club – players and officials – have agreed on one thing, to focus on ourselves.
“It may sound like a cliché, but it’s really about taking each game as it comes. Our aim is to win these last six games and we’re firmly driving towards that target.”
The Lion City Sailors were ruthless and single-minded, thumping Hougang United 6-0 at the Yishun Stadium on Saturday (27 August) night to go within touching distance of clinching the 2022 Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title.
A terrific Madison Telmer hat-trick and a goal apiece from Nur Izzati Rosni, Miray Hokotate Altan and Sara Merican – all inside the first 45 minutes – meant they easily swept aside the bottom-placed Cheetahs.
Five points ahead of nearest challengers Tanjong Pagar United and with a game in hand, the Sailors Women could seal the title with two games to go if they defeat Still Aerion FC in their next fixture on 10 September.
Head Coach Yeong Sheau Shyan was pleased with the professional display from her charges despite them not being able to find further goals in the second half.
“It’s good in terms of our objectives and how we followed the game plan in the beginning, we’re happy to get the six goals. Second half, it would naturally get harder because Hougang don’t want to concede more goals. They sat deeper and deeper, so it was difficult to lure them out,” said the 44-year-old.
“We did well as a team. Madison has been playing really well but her goal tally doesn’t quite match up – so it’s good for her confidence to get a hat-trick.”
On a rain-soaked evening, top scorer Izzati put the Sailors ahead with her 10th strike of the season just five minutes in before Miray doubled their advantage in the 10th minute.
Canadian teenager Madison then struck two minutes later to make it 3-0, before further strikes in the 32nd and 39th minute helped her to a memorable first WPL hat-trick.
Sara rounded off the scoring two minutes before half time and in turn, rounded off her WPL campaign with her first-ever league goal.
The 26-year-old will fly off to the UK in September to pursue a one-year Master’s Degree in Film and Screen Studies at the University of Cambridge, and will miss the Sailors’ final three games of the season.
“Finally, the weight is off my shoulders,” said a relieved Sara. “I felt a bit of pressure to have to score because I’m playing in a forward role. I came close a few times before and was disappointed not to convert.
“It feels good to finally score, but I feel the whole process was equally as important. I’m glad that we managed to play some nice and exciting football as a team. No matter who our opponents were, we tried to play according to Coach Sheau Shyan’s philosophy and that’s a positive,” added Sara.
“To develop and adapt to different tactics was great for me as a player. I’ll be going away, but rest assured I’ll be back soon!”
And there will be a guaranteed spectator from afar, should the Sailors go on to lift the trophy.
“I was asking everyone when we could mathematically win the title and it happens to be the next game. It’ll be sad that I won’t be able to celebrate with the team in person, but I’ll be cheering all of them from overseas and hopefully be able to catch the live stream from where I’ll be at.”
