Category: News
She had vowed to do all she can to help the Lion City Sailors Women’s team in their quest for the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) title this season, despite only being able to feature in a handful of games this season.
And last evening at the Yishun Stadium, Danelle Tan made good on that promise, scoring twice to lead the Sailors to a 2-1 victory over Tiong Bahru FC.
It was the second game in a row that Danelle had netted a brace, with the 17-year-old repeating her two-goal heroics from the previous week in the 4-0 win over Still Aerion FC.
This time, however, the sprightly forward’s goals proved to be even more important. They ended up being the difference in what was a tightly-contested encounter.
Reflecting on her match-winning display, Danelle said: “I’m obviously very happy to be able to score and help the team to a win! Tiong Bahru proved a strong side, and kept a very low and tight block in the first half, so we found it really hard to break through.
“In the second half, I dropped into a deeper role. This gave me more space to create chances for my teammates and myself. It was a tough three points earned today, but it’s nice that we’re back at the top of the table.”
The win ensured that the Sailors’ perfect record this season was kept intact. Crucially, it also propelled them to the top of the WPL – level on 12 points with Tanjong Pagar United, but with a superior goal difference, and game in hand.
That it was Danelle who scored the goals to secure the victory and came as no surprise to head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan, who remains confident that Danelle has what it takes to become one of the best players that Singapore has ever produced.
“She is not just talented. The amount of work she puts into improving herself is unmatched. In Singapore, very few others have the kind of support system she has, which allows her to train so wholeheartedly,” said Sheau Shyan, pointing to the phenomenal family support Danelle has to pursue her football dreams.
“We have other girls who are just as passionate and talented, but the problem is we don’t have the infrastructure and support for them to help pursue their dreams.
“Danelle definitely has a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see how far she’ll go internationally.”
While the Sailors were able to get all three points this time around, Sheau Shyan knows that her side will have to quickly find a way to overcome teams that defend in low blocks if they are to continue their winning streak.
“We’ve expected this to be the case with most of our opponents, but we haven’t had much time to work on it,” said Sheau Shyan. “There are still many areas we need to improve on. Being patient in the build up, playing quick combinations, switching play – we don’t have the tools to be efficient against compact blocks yet.”
Sheau Shyan, however, credited her players for their unwavering persistence in trying to break down the resolute Tiong Bahru defence.
“We don’t have a huge squad, but we have the quality and fitness needed to keep playing the match at a high intensity. Just as it was difficult for us to break through, it was equally hard for our opponents to maintain the block for long periods. We kept poking at them until they were worn down in the second half,” Sheau Shyan mused.
“We don’t intentionally try to leave it to the second half (to score)…that’s just how long we needed to physically break them down today.”
After dropping points for a second match in a row in a frustrating 1-1 draw against Geylang International and having their lead at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) cut down to five, the Lion City Sailors are hell-bent on a return to winning ways against Tampines Rovers at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday (24 July) evening.
The Sailors have triumphed in both SPL encounters this season – a 1-0 win at JBS in March and a 4-0 thumping at Our Tampines Hub in May – but captain Hariss Harun knows they will have to bring their A-game to defeat the Stags for a third time in 2022.
“Tampines have good players that can cause us trouble. In the first game they were the better team, but we got the result. In the second game, we were not that good in the first half before coming into life in the second,” recalled the 31-year-old.
“For sure, we cannot underestimate them. But at the same time, we’re focusing on what we can do better than what we managed in our last game. On the whole, we’ve done well coming into Round 3 of the SPL, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.”
The Sailors went away from the last couple of outings – against Hougang United then Geylang – with visible disappointment as they failed to win in successive league matches for the first time since August 2021, in Kim Do-hoon’s first two games at the helm.
While admitting their recent form is “not ideal”, Hariss is firm in his belief that the defending SPL champions have what it takes to pull themselves out of this rut.
“I know people expect us to win every game because of the quality we have in our squad and the money that the club has spent, but it’s virtually impossible to have a perfect season.
“To take two points from two games is not enough for us and we accept that. But it’s normal to go through a blip, or whatever you call it, like ours. The onus is on us to stick together and come through this as a team,” he added.
“We just have to put the last two results behind us, but at the same time not to forget the experience and how we felt – because that’s how we learn. The beauty of football is that there’s usually an opportunity coming up very quickly for us to correct our mistakes and for us, that comes this Sunday.”
The key for the Sailors, according to Hariss, is to regain the attacking fluidity that the team had previously shown – which saw the Sailors score at least four goals in seven out of the 10 matches prior to this run.
“It just seemed like we were quite laboured in our play in those two draws, while in other games everything flowed very nicely. We know other teams are always going to make it hard for us, so it’s down to us to find the solutions and try to adapt to the situation of the game.
“Instead of pointing fingers at each other, we need to solve this issue collectively. Now it’s about how we stand strong and keep going as a team, instead of backing down in difficult times,” stressed the Lions captain.
This home match against Tampines also takes extra significance, with the Sailors partnering the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) to promote awareness and raise funds for the cause. All the ticket proceeds will go to DAS, in support of their efforts to empower children with dyslexia.
Hariss called for football fans to throw their weight behind this charitable initiative.
“While we’re hustling and working hard in our chosen professions, we must not forget people in the community and we must be as inclusive as possible,” said Hariss.
“Football is one great way to show how this can be done, so I urge and encourage the fans to come down to the stadium and give these kids the biggest encouragement we can.”
Danelle determined to drive WPL title charge
Two minutes. That was all it took for Danelle Tan to make a significant mark for the Lion City Sailors Women in her long-awaited debut for the team.
Having come on at half-time for the Sailors in last Saturday’s (16 July) Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) clash against Still Aerion FC, Danelle wasted no time in announcing herself in the best possible way – with a well taken goal in the 47th minute. She went on to double her tally 14 minutes later to seal a 4-0 win for her team.
Danelle’s opening goal came at a crucial time for the Sailors, who, despite holding a 1-0 lead then, had struggled against a stubborn Aerion side in the first-half. The 17-year-old’s strike was later highlighted by head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan as the catalyst for a much-improved Sailors performance in the second-half.
And Danelle, who missed the Sailors’ first two WPL games as she was in the United Kingdom (UK) for her studies, was pleased with the positive impact she had on the team.
“It was really nice to be able to get on the scoresheet and help the team to a win, especially on your debut. Scoring within two minutes of coming on is always a great way to announce that I’m back!” she exclaimed.
However, fans hoping to see more of Danelle in action will have limited opportunities to do so, as the Singapore international will be returning to the UK early next month.
This means that she will likely only be able to feature for the Sailors another two more times, at most.
Nonetheless, Danelle is determined to make the most of her short spell with the team.
“I know I won’t be playing many games because I’ll be heading back to the UK soon, so it’s more of me just trying to help the team in any way I can,” mused Danelle. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to add a few more goals to my Sailors tally in the next few games.”
While she might not be able to see out the entire season with the Sailors – who are currently second in the WPL with three wins out of three – Danelle is confident that the team has what it takes to achieve their target of becoming league champions.
Indeed, the forward even believes the Sailors should aim to finish the season with a perfect record.
“With the personnel we have in the team, we are very rightly gunning to be champions,” Danelle declared. “I think in the past few games, we have set the standard and dominated. There are definitely areas we can improve on, but I think the team has come out with very strong performances so far.
“We should definitely set a high bar for ourselves. This Sailors team is filled with quality and we will strive towards keeping our perfect record for the entire season.”
That perfect record, however, could come under serious threat when the Sailors take on Tiong Bahru on Saturday (23 July) evening at the Yishun Stadium.
Tiong Bahru are currently hot on the heels of the Sailors, third in the WPL, having won twice, drawn once, and lost once so far.
And Danelle is well aware that the Sailors will have to prepare themselves for yet another tough encounter, as she said: “Tiong Bahru will be a challenging side. Winette Lim, whom I used to play with at Home United, has a powerful left foot and could prove a threat.
“However, I think we are well equipped to deal with anything they throw at us. We will try to play beautiful football and be clinical in front of goal. As always, we will aim to get the three points, and I believe that we are definitely capable of doing so.”
As part of the club’s ongoing drive to do its part for the community it lives in and serves, the Lion City Sailors have joined hands with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) to dedicate an entire matchday to promote awareness of the cause.
The Sailors have pledged all ticket proceeds from their next Singapore Premier League (SPL) home match against Tampines Rovers on Sunday, 24 July to the DAS Bursary Fund to support more children with dyslexia from low-income families to gain access to the specialist intervention that they require.
This special matchday that comes as DAS celebrates its 30th anniversary will also see selected DAS students escorting the Sailors players out onto the pitch at Jalan Besar Stadium and serving as ushers at the venue as well.
Fans who attend the match to show their support for the cause can enjoy fringe activities including display stations featuring art pieces created by DAS students, games and other merchandise booths curated by DAS to amplify fundraising and promote awareness of dyslexia.
Individuals with dyslexia will have difficulty with reading, writing and spelling due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words. Dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language, however, it does not mean they cannot learn. Individuals with dyslexia just learn differently.
Renowned personalities such as F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton, physicist Albert Einstein as well as Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew are known to have dyslexia.
Today an estimated 23,000 local students from pre-schools to secondary schools in Singapore have dyslexia severe enough to warrant intervention.
Studies have shown half of these children also face co-occurring challenges such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Asperger’s Syndrome. As such, DAS needs to raise over S$2 million each year to provide bursaries for its lower-income students to gain access to the specialist support they need to be successful in learning.
Funds raised by the Sailors will be channelled to the broader DAS efforts as part of its 30th Anniversary celebrations that will culminate in its 2022 Charity Gala Dinner to be held on 7 September 2022 that will be graced by President Halimah Yacob – who will attend as the event’s guest-of-honour.
Delighted to be partnering DAS to help raise awareness on dyslexia and do their part for a greater cause, Sailors CEO Chew Chun-Liang said: “We’re grateful for DAS’ trust as we work together to do our bit for what is a learning difference that can be a cause for real life-long struggles for individuals and their families.
“This is DAS’ 30th anniversary, and we’re honoured to be a part of their efforts to commemorate all those decades of good work helping Singaporeans with dyslexia achieve more despite this learning difference.”
Sailors captain Hariss Harun was honoured for the Sailors to be able to lend their weight to what is a worthy cause.
He said: “It’s important for Singapore to have an inclusive society. We all must do our part and help the less privileged in our community.
“Kids with dyslexia have certain struggles and need all our help, so we’re absolutely delighted to be able to support this great initiative.”
DAS’ Assistant Director of Publicity and Publications, Deborah Hewes, is someone who can speak from personal experience. She grew up with dyslexia and all three of her children have similar learning differences.
“Learning with dyslexia is challenging and school can be really tough, but with perseverance and hard work learning becomes easier over time – just like playing sport, putting in the training and practice makes for a winning team! All students benefit from inspired teachers and coaches, and with the right support they can have the confidence to be successful in their life endeavours.
“Our DAS students can shine in many areas and sports can help to level the playing field where they can shine. Supported by their team and coaches, sports is a great way for a child to experience success,” she said.
Grateful for the support that the Sailors are giving to DAS students, she added: “The excitement of being on the pitch with some of their sporting idols and being part of this special event helps to raise awareness that learning differently is a challenge to embrace.”
Through the commitment of an entire matchday to the DAS cause, the Sailors hope to help raise funds for those affected by dyslexia and also foster greater understanding in the community through the Beautiful Game.
“Football can be a fantastic vehicle for worthy causes, and at the Sailors, we are firmly committed to doing our part for the communities that we live in and serve,” said Chun-Liang.
“We want to take this chance to rally the Sailors fans and the football fraternity to get behind the cause – come down, enjoy the game and perhaps learn something that also affected our founding Prime Minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.”
Tickets to the Sailors vs Tampines match are available on SISTIC. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jalan Besar Stadium’s ticketing counter at the North Gate on matchday.
See you Sailors fans on matchday as we look to come together and Score for Dyslexia!
Three games, three wins, 14 goals scored, and just a solitary goal conceded.
It has been close to a perfect start to the season for the Lion City Sailors’ Women team, who find themselves top of the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) following their 4-0 win over Still Aerion FC on Saturday night (16 July).
Laser-focused on their target of winning the WPL this season, the Sailors have thus far gone about their business in ruthless fashion, and have arguably established themselves as the team to beat in the league.
However, head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan is keenly aware that the season is still young, and that her team has not achieved anything yet. As such, she was quick to emphasise the need for them to focus on their long-term targets, and to focus on the process rather than the results.
“People may see us as the favourites because we carry the Sailors name, but they probably don’t know how hard the team is working to try and get to where we want to be,” said Sheau Shyan.
“I just hope the fans and football lovers will judge us by the football we are trying to play, and not just the result at the end.
“If we can keep our squad together and stay focused on our long-term targets, I’m confident we should be able to reach our goals.”
Indeed, despite the comprehensive margin of victory over Aerion, Sheau Shyan admitted that the scoreline did not fully reflect how challenging the match actually was.
The first-half, in particular, proved to be a cagey affair, although in-form midfielder Nur Izzati Rosni opened the scoring for the Sailors in the 29th minute.
But it was only after the break, when forward Danelle Tan struck in the 47th minute, that the Sailors really began to take control of the game.
Both Izzati and Danelle then scored in quick succession in the 60th and 61st minute respectively to seal all three points for the Sailors.
Reflecting on the victory, Sheau Shyan said: “It was a very tight match in the first half. Aerion pressed us well and denied us space and time to play our usual style. We came back in the second half with some tactical changes and got the goals early.
“That helped with our confidence, and we were then able to put into play the things that we’ve been working on. Overall, I was very pleased that the team stuck to our game plan and met our training objectives.”
But there remain issues that require improvement.
“We are not defending as a team the way we want to. That’s what we will have to improve before the next fixture,” she said.
Sheau Shyan’s insistence on continuous improvement stems from her belief that the second round of WPL fixtures will likely pose new challenges for the Sailors women, with the rest of the teams set to bolster their squads.
“The transfer window will open soon, and some clubs will add to their squad. Albirex Niigata (S), for example, have already done so,” explained Sheau Shyan, pointing to the White Swans’ signing of former Japan international Kana Kitahara.
“It will be different in the second round of fixtures, especially now that all the clubs are back training and playing regularly, so we have to improve and be ready.”
Sailors stifled in frustrating Geylang draw
The Lion City Sailors faced frustration in their bid to retain their Singapore Premier League (SPL) crown on Saturday (16 July) evening, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Geylang International at Our Tampines Hub (OTH).
The Sailors’ lead at the top of the SPL standings has now whittled down to five points, with second-placed Albirex Niigata (S) closing the gap, winning 4-1 against Balestier Khalsa in a concurrent game on the night.
Šime Žužul’s penalty opener for the Eagles was quickly cancelled out by Shahdan Sulaiman’s long-range strike, but the Sailors could not find the breakthrough in the second half at OTH and were forced to settle for a point.
While acknowledging his disappointment with recent results, Sailors Head Coach Kim Do-hoon asserted that he retains confidence in his players and believes this run is more a blip than anything else.
“The boys performed okay today, they did what we prepared for in training, but we perhaps didn’t do well enough on this artificial pitch and didn’t help ourselves by conceding first,” said the 51-year-old.
“We’re not happy with the result, but it’s probably one of those moments in the season (where a team struggles a bit for form). I’m sure we can shake it off and pick things up again in the next game.”
Coming into this on the back of a three-match winning run, Geylang were brimming with confidence and kept the Sailors largely at bay until the 27th minute when Diego Lopes somehow nodded wide from close range after Song Ui-young had flicked on Shahdan’s corner.
The hosts thought they had opened the scoring nine minutes later when Hazzuwan Halim prodded in after Khairul Hairie’s deflected ball floated into his path, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Noor Ali’s charges did eventually break the deadlock on 43 minutes, with Žužul converting from the spot after Hazzuwan was adjudged to have been tripped in the area by Zulqarnaen Suzliman.
However, the Sailors rallied and equalised three minutes into first-half injury time, with Hafiz Nor teeing Shahdan up for a 25-yard shot that took a touch off Abdil Qaiyyim before deceiving Zaiful Nizam in the Geylang goal.
Kim’s men carried that momentum into the second half, but front man Kim Shin-wook failed to find the target with a couple of headers, while Song drew a sprawling save from Zaiful with a fierce left-footed strike.
At the other end, Sailors custodian Hassan Sunny had to stand up strong to deny Hazzuwan in a one-on-one opportunity in the 68th minute to keep the score level.
With Haiqal Pashia and Gabriel Quak introduced into the fray to add attacking impetus, the Sailors threatened to score in the final 10 minutes but were thwarted by a combination of poor finishing and solid last-ditch defending by Geylang.
The draw was perhaps a fair reflection of the game as the Sailors look to reflect and regroup, before entertaining Tampines Rovers at Jalan Besar Stadium next Sunday (24 July).
“I don’t want to point fingers at individuals. All I can say is we just have to get back to playing the LCS way,” said Coach Kim.
“In the next game, we’re going to fight for the win while playing the style of football that we aspire to play.”
A defender by trade, Nur Syazwani Ruzi is usually more concerned about preventing goals, rather than scoring them.
But the 20-year-old may have just had a change of heart.
This comes after the Lion City Sailors star found herself on the scoresheet for the Singapore National Women’s Team on Tuesday (July 12), as her opportunistic strike in added time helped the Lionesses seal a momentous 2-0 win over Indonesia in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Championship.
It was a strike that was celebrated raucously by a relieved Singapore side, which had spent the best part of 45 minutes defending a one-goal lead that Sailors midfielder Nur Izzati Rosni had given them.
More importantly, it cemented the Lionesses’ first win at the tournament in 18 years.
Inspired by the high of scoring such a crucial goal, Syazwani is now determined to get on the scoresheet on a more regular basis, with the Sailors standing to benefit from her new-found thirst for goals.
“It was a surreal, indescribable feeling to have scored my first international goal,” Syazwani gushed. “I still can’t believe that it really happened, but it has definitely motivated me to hopefully score a few more goals for the Sailors in the season ahead.”
The first team that will have to deal with Syazwani’s resolve to score are Still Aerion FC, the Sailors’ opponent in Saturday night’s (16 July) Deloitte Women’s Premier League fixture.
While the 12 Sailors who were called up for the AFF Women’s Championship only returned to Singapore on Wednesday night (13 July), head coach Yeong Sheau Shyan is not worried about her players suffering from fatigue, despite having taken part in a gruelling international tournament this past month.
“The players were present at yesterday’s training session and the atmosphere was lively, everyone was ready to play,” Sheau Shyan declared.
“Player sharpness may be a bit off, but there are a few days for them to rest up before the game against Aerion. The real challenge is to get them to adapt from a no-nonsense defensive mode to playing possession-based attacking football.
“It’s moving from one extreme to the other, and we only have the benefit of one session to help them make that transition.”
Syazwani believes that the unity of the team, as well as the professionalism of each player, will help tide the Sailors past Aerion.
“I don’t think player fatigue will be an issue, as each and every one of us takes care of our individual rest and recovery,” Syazwani explained.
“I think the team spirit is there, and with the help of the technical team, we will be ready for Aerion.
“We do need to have more ideas in attack, like getting the right combinations in the final third. Our chemistry is there, but not 100% yet. But I’m confident that our chemistry and understanding will come sooner rather than later.”
Nonetheless, Sheau Shyan is wary of underestimating Aerion, who have won twice and lost once so far this season.
“Aerion are a very resilient team,” said Sheau Shyan. “It’s not easy to break down a team like that. They have speedy attackers who can cause problems. Stephanie, Farhanah, Afiqah can all do damage if we’re not careful.”
Agreeing, Syazwani added: “They (Aerion) will surely go hard because they will be determined to get the three points.
“But we will fight hard for it too, as we want to win every game and get to the top of the table.”
After an enthralling 1-1 draw with Hougang United that saw them extend their lead at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings to seven points, the Lion City Sailors face Geylang International next in a tough away game at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Saturday (16 July) evening.
The Eagles have been in imperious form of late, winning their last three matches without conceding a single goal to lift themselves out of the bottom two.
Noor Ali’s side posed some serious questions to the Sailors this season, and are one of only two teams – along with Albirex Niigata (S) – to claim a win over the defending champions. Geylang ran out 1-0 winners at OTH earlier this year in March and were perhaps unlucky not to claim a point in a 1-0 defeat at Jalan Besar two months later.
Acutely aware of the challenge ahead, Sailors winger Haiqal Pashia stressed the importance of imposing themselves and the club’s philosophy from the get-go.
“Geylang has been in fantastic form and everyone can see that. But I guess it’s time for us to break that run of theirs. It’s not easy playing them at their home ground and they’ll try to limit the space in our attacking third, so we’ll need to capitalise on our chances and score early to get the three points,” said the 23-year-old.
Making a great impact off the bench to set up Song Ui-young’s equaliser against the Cheetahs gave Pashia much satisfaction on a personal level, despite the fact that the result did not.
“It felt great to make an assist just four minutes after coming on and that’s what I always aim for – to make a tangible impact whenever I’m on the field. But we’re a team that wants to win every game, so in that sense we are not happy with the result,” he said.
“There are lessons we drew from that game, and we’ve been training hard this week to set things right and put in a better display against Geylang,” he shared.
With Coach Kim Do-hoon previously describing him as one of the most improved players in the Sailors’ camp, Pashia is not taking that praise for granted as he looks to grow even more.
“It’s fantastic for me that Coach Kim has so much belief in my abilities, but that only means I must do even more to show that I deserve his praise,” said Pashia who dreams of getting a first senior international call-up to join the Lions.
“I’m slowly progressing to become the player I want to be and it helps that we have a player like Maxime (Lestienne) as our teammate. He’s been guiding me, advising me how to make off-the-ball runs, how to take on players – giving me tips here and there. So, it’s great just to learn from a player who has played in top European leagues before,” he said.
And Pashia is determined to prove himself a worthy first-team member of the Sailors.
“I’m pushing really hard every day in training and in games. Everyone knows how fierce the competition for places in our team is, but I’m up for the challenge,” he said.
“Whenever Coach Kim puts me on the pitch, that is my time to impress and display the qualities I have. Hopefully I get more minutes against Geylang and help the team to get the result we want.”
Sailors held by resolute Hougang
The Lion City Sailors were held to a 1-1 draw by a resolute Hougang United in an enthralling Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening (9 July).
The draw sees the Sailors extend their lead at the top of the SPL standings to seven points, but it could have been nine points instead.
The Cheetahs did an excellent job of nullifying the Sailors’ threats – taking the lead through Kristijan Krajček before Song Ui-young came off the bench to net an equaliser – and claimed a well-deserved point off the defending champions.
While visibly disappointed at not being able to capitalise on nearest challengers Albirex Niigata (S)’s slip-up – a 2-1 loss to Tanjong Pagar United the previous night – Sailors Head Coach Kim Do-hoon gave credit to the way his charges kept plugging away until the final whistle.
“We’re a team that should never be happy if it’s less than three points. From that perspective, the feeling is disappointment. But the boys ran and never stopped trying until the game finished, so I’m happy with the commitment I saw tonight,” said the 51-year-old.
The Sailors started off well and could have taken the lead on 13 minutes, but Kim Shin-wook’s header off Maxime Lestienne’s left-wing cross crashed off the Hougang crossbar.
Resolute in defence, the Cheetahs made it difficult for the Sailors to break through. The home side’s next clear opportunity came just before half-time, with Shin-wook nodding another Maxime cross straight at Hougang custodian, Mukundan Maran.
The Cheetahs came out for the second half with much more attacking vigour and went close to opening the scoring on 52 minutes, but Hassan Sunny excellently thwarted Shawal Anuar in a one-on-one situation.
Zulqarnaen Suzliman was brought on in the 55th minute for his first Sailors appearance since returning to the club during the mid-season transfer window, slotting in at right-back to good effect. But Hougang managed to break the deadlock in the 66th minute, with Krajček slotting a Shawal right-wing cross in off the post.
Haiqal Pashia and Song were then introduced from the bench, with the substitutes combining to devastating effect. Song produced a velvet touch off Pashia’s low cross in the 71st minute to restore parity for the Sailors.
Coach Kim was delighted that his coaching team’s substitutions worked out well.
“Those were changes which our coaching team pondered over during the game, and we’re happy that our decisions turned out to be good.
“Even Mamat (Zulqarnaen) played phenomenally well and played exactly how we wanted him to play. He hasn’t had much training with the team, but the way he played seemed like he had been with us for the whole year. We’re excited about what more he can bring to us.
“We’re happy that every one of the boys have shown that they are ready and on their feet to help the team whenever they are called upon,” said Kim.
Song’s goal set up a grandstand finish to the match, with both teams going out in search of the winner.
The Sailors went agonisingly close on a couple of occasions, but had Hassan to thank for keeping them in the game. The 38-year-old pulled off two excellent stops to deny Krajček and Pedro Bortoluzo in injury time to preserve the point for the leaders.
The draw was not an ideal result for the Sailors.
Coach Kim pointed to ‘game management’ as a key area to work on before his team’s next outing – an away game against an in-form Geylang International next Saturday (16 July).
“Football’s not just a high-tempo game – it’s about knowing how to slow down, how to control the tempo and how to breathe with the ball.
“We will analyse this game and see how we can do better for the next one.”
Gabriel back on song and eyeing even more
The Lion City Sailors thumped Tanjong Pagar 6-0 last Sunday (3 July) and remained six points clear at the top of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) standings, but with Albirex Niigata (S) hot on their heels and having a game in hand, the defending champions can ill-afford to rest on their laurels in their pursuit of a second straight SPL title.
Next up for Kim Do-hoon’s men is a home clash against Hougang United at Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday evening (9 July).
Sailors attacker Gabriel Quak stressed the importance of putting in another solid team display to overpower the Cheetahs.
Hougang are a side that acquitted themselves well in the recent Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup with two wins in three matches, and won handsomely in a 4-0 trouncing of Young Lions on their return to domestic football on Tuesday (5 July).
“Hougang did well in the AFC Cup – they’re scoring plenty of goals at the moment and have some fine passing movements in their play. So, we’ll need to settle down really quickly and play to our strengths against them,” said Gabriel.
“I’ve some really good friends there like Zul (Zulfahmi Arifin), Shahfiq (Ghani) and Sahil (Suhaimi) – there are many familiar faces. They’ll surely be going for the win, and likewise for us – so it should be a really good and open game for the fans.”
Gabriel and his Sailors are looking to continue in the same relentless vein that brought the resounding victory over Tanjong Pagar.
“What’s pleasing was not just witnessing how we executed everything that we practised on the training ground, but also our approach and the desire to go for more goals even after being a few goals up.
“It could have been easy to rest on our laurels after going 3-0 up, but it’s important that we respect the game, the opponents and our fans. They paid to come and watch us, and football is all about scoring goals and providing entertainment, so we knew we needed to play and give everything until the final whistle,” said the 31-year-old.
The win at Jurong East also gave Gabriel joy on a personal level. He scored his first brace of the season and is now the joint-top local scorer with Albirex’s Ilhan Fandi on five goals.
It has been a challenging 2022 for the effervescent attacker, who missed the start of the season due to a shoulder operation and had to be patient for regular playing time in a squad that oozes quality in attacking areas.
“It’s always tough to come back from a long injury, but I knew what I wanted – to come back quickly and contribute to the team. It’s not easy for sure, there are so many options in our team and I’m sure Coach Kim has a selection headache,” said Gabriel.
“For me, I always believe in focusing on what is within my control. Whether I play or not is not in my hands, but when given the opportunity to play, be it five or 10 or 90 minutes, I go all out and give 100 percent to the cause. I’m happy with Sunday’s showing, but now I’m definitely looking to do more.”
