Category: News
Standing in the centre circle at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Kim Do-hoon stood still, hands on hips and eyes fixed on the players in front of him. With a shrill burst of the whistle, he barked instructions and stepped in to demonstrate to his Lion City Sailors exactly what he wanted.
The South Korean was leaving no stones unturned as the Sailors prepared for what is poised to be a titanic battle on Friday night (18 March) – a final challenge in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) before the international break next week.
The Sailors will face Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jurong East Stadium in a battle between last season’s top two sides. In 2021, both teams were neck and neck in a tight title race, going into the final day level on points before Kim’s men held their nerve to be crowned SPL champions for the first time.
Rivalries were renewed in the 2022 season curtain-raiser, with the Sailors coming from behind to triumph 2-1 in the AIA Community Shield in February. Some four weeks after that encounter, both sides will meet again – this time with three points at stake.
Kazuaki Yoshinaga’s White Swans have been in imperious form since losing 2-0 to Tanjong Pagar United on opening day, plundering 11 goals without reply as they thrashed Balestier Khalsa 6-0 and Young Lions 5-0 respectively to come into this clash level on six points with the Sailors after three matches.
Both sides have their eyes set on the summit which is currently occupied by Tanjong Pagar (seven points), and Kim is under no illusions on the magnitude of this game.
“We have confidence – after beating them in the Community Shield – but this will be a whole new challenge. They’ll want to avenge that defeat, and especially since they’re playing at home, I’m sure they will give something more for their fans,” said the 51-year-old.
“We just have to stay humble, and focused on our task: on the pitch, the players have to be prepared to run that extra step for each other. We’ll have to put on an improved performance to get the result that will put smiles on our fans’ faces.”
The Sailors fell to identical 3-2 defeats in 2020, before holding the White Swans on all three occasions in 2021.
Indeed, an improved performance – a more cohesive display specifically in areas of defensive organisation and offensive rhythm – will be required if the Sailors are to get what will be a first-ever league victory over Albirex.
“It’s understandable that our fans are quite disappointed with our first four matches (Shield and three league games). There are reasons why we’ve not been able to produce our best football yet, but we’re not providing excuses,” said Kim, who first took charge in July 2021.
“With a few new players, it definitely takes time for the squad to come together, and we’re still a work in progress. (Kim) Shin-wook has been training very hard since he’s here and he has the capability to contribute more than just goals for the team. We’re working on the offensive rhythm and the attacking combinations definitely need to be more precise, but that will come with more understanding and more matches.
“I always emphasise team defensive solidarity – because it’s not just about individuals. The last game (1-0 win over Tampines Rovers) proved that if we don’t concede, we can nick a goal at the other end and win the match. Without conceding, we need not be pressured by the scoreline and take extra effort to get back into the game.”
While the 2022 season is still in its infancy, it is setting up to be an intriguing one with the likes of Tanjong Pagar and Geylang International showing they have what it takes to be amongst the top few local sides.
Kim wants his Sailors to embrace the challenge from other teams and go above what they produced in the previous campaign.
“We know coming into this season that opponents will be more aggressive to challenge us even more. But that’s something that will help my boys to stay more focused in training and matches,” he said.
“We have to take up this challenge to constantly improve ourselves and lift this team to the next level. We have to go out in every game with the right mindset and play with our philosophy.
“One thing’s for sure: the attitude and spirit in the team have been superb. Everyone is putting their head down to do what we need to do, and that’s what gives me the confidence that we can get better after a slow start.”
Jalan Besar to welcome up to 3,000 fans
The Lion City Sailors will line up against Albirex Niigata on Friday evening (18 March) in a tough Singapore Premier League (SPL) fixture away at the Jurong East Stadium. The Sailors expect to be tested in front of an away crowd that will be backing the White Swans to the hilt.
But the SPL’s defending champions could well have the full force of Sailors fans – The Crew – backing their title defence the next time the Sailors line up at their Jalan Besar Stadium home on 1 April, after the FIFA international window.
Jalan Besar will be able to open its doors to 3,000 fans on matchday, three times the current numbers.
This comes after the FAS announcement that spectator limits at SPL stadiums will be raised to 50 percent of each stadium’s capacity starting tomorrow (18 Mar), in line with the government directive of simplification of safe management measures that went into effect earlier this week.
“Our fans have been brilliant for us so far this season, and I’m excited to see the impact from the stands when we are able to welcome more of our fans into Jalan Besar,” said Sailors’ Chief Executive, Chew Chun-Liang.
Backed by a raucous crowd, the Sailors have a 100 percent record at Jalan Besar in 2022, beating Hougang United 3-1 (4 Mar), before edging out Tampines Rovers 1-0 last Sunday (13 Mar). This after beating Albirex for the first time in the club’s two-year history when the Sailors triumphed 2-1 to win the league’s curtain raiser, the AIA Community Shield.
“We’ve seen healthy demand for tickets for the two home games that we’ve hosted so far, and this easing of measures will be helpful in deepening our engagement with local football fans,” said Chun-Liang.
“We’ve already implemented online ticketing in partnership with SISTIC, and I’m confident that we will be able to provide fans with a smooth matchday experience, and entertain them both on and off the pitch.”
While safe distancing will no longer be mandatory in stadiums, mask-wearing will continue to be mandatory at all times and spectators are required to be fully vaccinated in order to gain entry.
Chun-Liang is already looking forward to 1 April, when the Sailors host Balestier Khalsa.
He said: “It’ll be fantastic to see a bigger crowd in the stadium, and just how much more the team will be boosted by our fans.”
Defensive solidity, an audacious Kim Shin-wook Panenka penalty – and perhaps a dash of luck – were what it took for the Lion City Sailors to defeat Tampines Rovers in a hard-fought 1-0 victory at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Sunday night (13 March) and return to winning ways in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
In a week that saw the team hard at work to sort out issues that resulted in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Geylang International on 4 Mar, Head Coach Kim Do-hoon did not have the luxury of a full squad with a number of players not in condition to train, and others out through injuries.
The South Korean went with seven changes to the Sailors’ lineup and the much-changed side repaid his confidence with a clean sheet – and the three points – to deny a solid Tampines side that carved out several promising opportunities.
This was only the Sailors’ second clean sheet in 14 outings, including the AIA Community Shield, since Kim took over in July 2021, and he acknowledged that his team should be coming away with clean sheets with regularity.
“I’ve always said that playing better football and dominating the game starts from being solid in defence, and that’s what the boys showed today. This is our first clean sheet this year and that was the most satisfying thing from this match,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“It’s not an excuse, but this was a difficult week with the conditions that we had. I put out the players in the best shape to play in the match, and every one of them did their part tonight. They played for their teammates who were not with us this week.
“I just want to thank the boys who played for making such an effort to get the result, and it’s clear that everyone needs to be ready to play – there’s no so-called best eleven for us – when the opportunity comes, you have to take it. And this also ensures healthy competition within our team,” he added.
Kim restored stalwarts Hassan Sunny, Shahdan Sulaiman and Shin-wook to the starting eleven, while others like Diego Lopes, Haiqal Pashia and Naqiuddin Eunos were handed their first starts of the campaign. In the absence of the suspended Pedro Henrique, Amirul Adli also came in to partner Hariss Harun at the heart of defence.
The rejigged Sailors faced issues against a fluid Tampines side, especially in the first half, but held the fort. Hassan was his usual excellent self in goal, tipping Boris Kopitović’s shot onto the post before denying Taufik Suparno with two point-blank saves all within the first 10 minutes. When the 37-year-old was finally beaten in the 21st minute, Adli was alert and positioned himself well to clear Yasir Hanapi’s goal-bound shot off the line.
With Gavin Lee’s men constantly working their way into dangerous areas, the Sailors stood firm with Diego – on his first start since September 2021 – also putting in a solid defensive shift, dropping back into his area to block off another promising Tampines chance.
The Sailors’ only meaningful opportunity was a 14th minute Shin-wook header off a Diego cross, but that did not hit the target.
Half-time provided the opportunity for Kim to change things around – with Hafiz Nor coming on to play in an unfamiliar right-back role in place of Naqiuddin, while Adam Swandi replaced Saifullah Akbar as Shahdan’s midfield partner.
The changes appeared to bring more balance to the team, and the Sailors began to show more desire and aggression to press higher up the pitch – with Diego hassling Kyoga Nakamura to win the ball before seeing his curling shot tipped around the post two minutes into the second half.
The match-deciding moment came in the 55th-minute after Pashia was adjudged to be brought down by Christopher van Huizen in the area. Shin-wook duly stepped up from the spot and had the audacity – as well as execution – to pull off a Panenka effort that bamboozled Tampines goalkeeper Syazwan Buhari.
A combination of some dogged defending and Lady Luck thereafter ensured the Sailors held out for the victory. First, left-back Iqram Rifqi produced a goal-saving challenge on Zehrudin Mehmedović when the Serbian was through on goal on 66 minutes.
Then Tampines saw two goals ruled out – with substitute Firdaus Kasman’s opportunistic 68th minute shot disallowed with Yasir adjudged to be interfering with play from an offside position, before Mehmedović was deemed marginally ahead of the Sailors’ last defender when he fired home an overhead kick in the area six minutes later.
In what was a welcome sight, Gabriel Quak then came on for the final five minutes for his first appearance since sustaining a shoulder injury during last December’s AFF Suzuki Cup as the Sailors collected their second win of the season to remain level on six points with Albirex Niigata (S) – and one behind leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
While Kim readily admitted it was not the most fluent of performances, the three points was ultimately most important as they gear up for an important away clash against Albirex this coming Friday (18 Mar).
“It was a well-deserved victory, the boys did exactly what we asked of them at half-time and changed the game for us, but we won’t get too carried away with this win,” said the 51-year-old.
“We know we need to show huge improvement in our football. We need to start to play our football from the first minute, we need to do better in timing our press, and also our positioning.
“(For Tampines’ disallowed goals) Luck is part of this Beautiful Game and it’s the referee who makes the decisions. For us, we will definitely look back on those images – not to see and decide whether it’s a goal – but to work on how we can defend better as a team.”
As the Lion City Sailors trudged back into the dressing room after another gruelling training session at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Song Ui-young was still out on the pitch firing one ball after another at goal.
The Singaporean midfielder was stung by last week’s 1-0 defeat to Geylang International that saw the Sailors fall to the club’s first defeat in 20 Singapore Premier League (SPL) matches, and he is determined to do everything he can to ensure there is no repeat as the Sailors host Tampines Rovers this Sunday (13 March).
“We were very disappointed that we couldn’t take the three points. We were one man down (after Pedro Henrique’s sending-off) which made our task more difficult, but there are no excuses for the loss,” said the 28-year-old.
“That game is already history, so we’ve been focusing on training hard to bounce back in our next game. No matter whether we win or lose, it’s always the same aim for us – to keep improving and get better in every area that we should.
“We have a very strong bond within the team, so the belief and motivation is always very high – we’re ready to take the three points this time.”
It is exactly this drive that Sailors’ Head Coach Kim Do-hoon believes will put his team in good stead.
“I’ve said before the SPL kicked off that I’ve been delighted with the spirit that everyone in the team brings to training sessions – and that drive has got stronger this past week,” said Kim.
“We are determined to bounce back from last week’s loss, and we are soldiering on.”
The Sailors were undefeated against Tampines in 2021, with a 3-3 season-opening draw followed by emphatic 4-1 and 6-1 victories en route to winning their first-ever SPL title. But Song is not bothered by past statistics and prefers to focus on the development of the team in a season where other teams are also vastly improving.
Kim Do-hoon’s men lie third in the table with three points after two matches, behind Albirex Niigata (S) on goal difference, and a point behind surprise leaders Tanjong Pagar United.
“It’s important how we play, not who we play against. We have to focus on ourselves rather than thinking too much about our opponents,” stressed Song, who has played in the SPL since 2012.
“This year, my role on the pitch is a bit different from where I usually play but it doesn’t matter. Whatever role the coaches want me to play, I do my best and make sure I support my teammates in the best way I can.”
Kim is counting on the spirit and team ethic to help the Sailors to power through what has been a challenging week.
“We don’t expect any easy games in the SPL, and it is clear from results that we’ve seen so far in the league that it is going to be very competitive this year. Tampines are a good side with quality players who play with a clear structure, and we expect a very tough game,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai man.
“The Geylang loss hurt us, and a big part of that was the awful feeling that we let our fans down last week. It is us who have a point to prove in this game against Tampines – we must bounce back from the defeat, and to do that we must win the internal mental battle.
“And from what I’ve seen from the team this past week, we are going into the game ready to give everything we’ve got.”
Sailors must learn from Geylang defeat
As the final whistle sounded at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Friday night (4 March), shoulders slumped and heads hung low amongst the Lion City Sailors.
On the other half of the OTH pitch, jubilant fists were thrown into the Tampines sky, as confetti rained down as Geylang International celebrated what will go down as a famous 1-0 victory over the defending Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions.
The Eagles scored an early goal, then put in a stubborn defensive performance to hand the Sailors their first defeat in 21 matches in all competitions. It was Kim Do-hoon’s first loss in 13 outings as Sailors coach since he took over in July 2021.
The former Ulsan Hyundai man made no excuses for the Sailors’ off-colour display.
“Geylang prepared well, so credit to them for that. In football, you have to score to win and we didn’t do that today. So we’ll have to go back and take a look at the game again, keep our chins up, work harder to prepare better and bounce back – I’m confident we will bounce back,” said the 51-year-old.
Playing in front of a boisterous 978-strong crowd at OTH, with the majority turning out to root for Geylang in what was their first game of the 2022 season, a rejigged Sailors side had issues finding their rhythm in the first half.
An aggressive Geylang side pressed high up the field before the visitors could settle, forcing the Sailors to concede possession near their own penalty area in the ninth minute of play – and that proved fatal. Eagles’ French midfielder Vincent Bezecourt picked up possession and lashed in a low rasping drive past Izwan Mahbud.
Izwan’s debut game for the Sailors saw three other changes to the Sailors’ lineup, along with Adam Swandi, Faris Ramli and Amiruldin Asraf who led the Sailors’ attack.
Amiruldin toiled hard upfront, with the Sailors going close midway through the first half with Faris firing wide from the edge of the box.
The Sailors’ bid for a come-from-behind victory was hamstrung by the dismissal of Pedro Henrique in the 34th minute, with the Brazilian centre-back shown a straight red for what was deemed a professional foul on Eagles’ Croatian forward Šime Žužul.
“The red card obviously had an impact on the game – it’s not easy to play against any opponent when you are one man down – but Pedro was trying his best for the team,” said Kim.
Despite being a man down for the majority of the game, Kim continued to push his Sailors forward in search of goals, introducing added attacking impetus at half time with Diego Lopes and Kim Shin-wook both coming on as part of a triple change, before Maxime Lestienne joined the fray soon after.
Shin-wook’s presence upfront created a few problems for the Eagles’ backline and the former Shanghai Shenhua man almost poked home on the hour mark after Amirul Adli had knocked on Adam’s inswinging corner.
The Sailors’ best chance of the night came on 66 minutes with Maxime and Diego combining to great effect down the left, with the latter looking set to slot into the bottom right corner before a stunning fingertip save by Geylang custodian Zaiful Nizam.
Hafiz Nor was the last throw of the dice as the Sailors threw bodies forward in the final 15 minutes, but could not find a way past a resolute Eagles backline led by Rio Sakuma.
A couple of late set-piece opportunities bore no fruit as the Sailors fell to their first defeat of the season. This was the first time the Sailors had failed to score in 35 matches – they last drew a blank in a 4-0 defeat to Tampines Rovers in March 2020.
Kim and his Sailors will host Tampines at the Jalan Besar Stadium the following Sunday (13 Mar) and he called for reflection and improvement.
“We learn from every game, and we’ll learn more from games that we lose,” said a resolute Kim.
“It’s only the second game of the season for us, so we’ll go back, analyse what happened, and we’ll learn – we’ll learn and bounce back.”
The Lion City Sailors have had a perfect start to the 2022 domestic season with two wins in two outings, but no one is getting carried away – Sailors’ Head Coach Kim Do-hoon is having none of that.
The Sailors were forced to come from behind to win on both occasions – in the season-opening 2-1 AIA Community Shield victory over Albirex Niigata (S) and the 3-1 win over Hougang United in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) – and there remains much work to be done for the reigning SPL champions to defend their crown.
“Coach Kim has said this a couple of times already – that we must keep our feet on the ground and stay humble. We can celebrate after the game, but we have to switch our focus to the next match immediately, the day after,” said goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.
“It has been a tale of two halves for both the matches we played. We struggled to get our momentum going in the first half, but Coach Kim identified the problems that we were facing and we got going well in the second half. It’s early days and it’s good that problems are coming now rather than later (in the season), so we have time to work on them.”
Joint-leaders alongside Tanjong Pagar United after the SPL’s first Matchweek, the Sailors will face Geylang International next at Our Tampines Hub (OTH) on Friday (4 March).
While Kim’s charges have won all five encounters since their 2020 inception, the new-look Geylang could prove to be a tougher proposition. The Eagles have signed former Major League Soccer (MLS) midfielder Vincent Bezecourt and the 2021 SPL’s joint-third highest scorer, Šime Žužul.
Noor Ali’s side have an excellent record in season-opening fixtures at their OTH home, beating Albirex 1-0 in 2019 and edging out Tanjong Pagar 2-1 in 2021.
Ahead of the game, Hassan called for his team to secure a second successive win and continue to set the pace.
“The first game of the season is always difficult but I think our game management is now better, and that showed against Hougang. We just have to fix some issues and hopefully we get a good win, and a clean sheet this time, to continue our momentum,” said the 37-year-old.
The Geylang fixture will have extra significance for Sailors’ defender, Iqram Rifqi, who spent 2021 on loan with the Eagles, enduring a mixed spell there.
After five substitute appearances in the first half of the season, the 26-year-old tore his hamstring in a friendly match and was out for almost five months before returning to start the final two matches of 2021 for the Eagles.
“It’s going to be a memorable game for me. I had a bunch of nice teammates, the fans (Ultras Eagles) were very welcoming to me, and the club really treated me very well,” he reflected.
“I’m thankful that they gave me a chance to get some playing time and I only wish I was able to contribute more to the team.”
It has been a long road back for Iqram – he only played one game in the Sailors’ inaugural season in 2020 before missing the rest of the campaign due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury – who has started 2022 on a strong note.
Starting both games at left-back, Iqram acquitted himself well, even scoring his first Sailors goal in the win over Hougang with a memorable strike.
After getting a taste of playing in the Sailors’ first team, the effervescent wide player is determined to feature regularly – and the first step to that, is to stay fighting fit.
“It was so frustrating, but when injuries strike, you can’t do anything but focus on rehab. I really wanted to go back to being the player I was before,” he shared. “When I came back to the Sailors this season, I knew it’s going to be hard to get back into the team, but I told myself I just have to work hard.
“I’ve been working a lot on not just my fitness, but also my crosses, one-vs-one defending and overall reading of the game. The club’s medical department has also done a lot for me to ensure my condition is good going into games. I’m just glad now my career is going back on the right track and touch wood, I hope I won’t get injured again,” added Iqram, who is looking forward to building on what has been a good 2022.
Hassan is similarly looking to continue his solid start to the season at OTH.
“When you don’t play well at my age, people will start to say that your career is over, so it definitely feels good when people are saying good things about you when you have played well,” said Hassan.
“But I’m not getting carried away. I just have to focus on the physical and mental aspects, especially recovery, so I’m ready for matches.”
Fight, flexibility and a fiery desire to win
Just like in the AIA Community Shield victory over Albirex Niigata (S) on 19 February, the Lion City Sailors fell behind to an early goal in their 2022 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season-opener against Hougang United on Sunday (27 Feb).
But the defending SPL champions showed spirit and resolve to come through a difficult game at the Jalan Besar Stadium to prevail 3-1, and that Sailors’ fire out on the pitch was what brought on a big smile to the face of Head Coach Kim Do-hoon.
“From Hassan Sunny at the back all the way up to our forwards, the boys gave more than 100 percent. By conceding the first goal, we made it difficult for ourselves and it clearly took more effort to come from behind against a quality team like Hougang. But what impressed me about my boys was that they stayed cool and continued to play our brand of football, instead of feeling nervous or rushing things because of the score line,” said the 51-year-old.
This victory is another milestone in the Sailors’ history books – this was the first time they began a league season with three points after unsuccessful attempts in 2020 and 2021.
But things did not look too good at the start of the game.
Trailing just seven minutes into the game, with Cheetahs debutant Pedro Bortoluzo finding space just outside the box to drill home an accurate shot, the Sailors were stung into action and carved out a few opportunities before restoring parity in the 24th minute.
Shahdan Sulaiman picked out Kim Shin-wook with a pinpoint free kick and the latter did the rest with a precise close-range header for his third goal in two Sailors matches.
Hougang were determined not to concede a second goal, slowing the game down and refusing to allow the Sailors to dictate the tempo – a key facet that Coach Kim had called for in the build-up to this game.
The Sailors had to rejig to find new solutions to unlock the Cheetahs backline. Hafiz Nor and Diego Lopes came on for Hami Syahin – who suffered a hand injury – and Saifullah Akbar on either side of the break. And it was the pair of substitutes who combined to great effect for the Sailors’ second goal.
Released by Diego’s crafty outside-of-the-foot pass, Hafiz looked set to square it across the six-yard box but surprised everyone by cutting it back for Iqram Rifqi to slam a first-time effort beyond Ridhuan Barudin to put the Sailors ahead on 67 minutes.
“The players were tactically flexible and that’s something we needed when we made changes from the bench. They knew how to press, where to press and reacted immediately to what we asked of them,” he explained.
“Now we have different options on the football we want to play and we have to keep developing in this way.”
Kim made a triple change in the dying stages of the game, including throwing on Maxime Lestienne whose warm-up routine stirred the Jalan Besar crowd. The former PSV Eindhoven winger came on to sensational effect, chalking up an assist within six minutes of his Sailors debut. He squared the ball across goal for Diego to finish off a devastating counter-attack and round up a 3-1 win.
But the explosive Belgian talent believes he will only get better as the season goes on, when he gets into prime physical shape.
“I definitely need more games because I’ve gone one and a half months without a match before this. I felt good out there to be able to play my first minutes of Singapore football, and I could have gotten two assists and maybe even one goal, but what’s most important is that the team gets the victory,” said the 29-year-old.
“It’s good to win our first game, but tomorrow is another day and we’ll have to go again.”
While admitting the Sailors class of 2022 is still a work in progress, Kim believes the team’s burning desire for excellence will drive the Sailors forward as the season progresses.
“You can clearly see, from the physicality and attitude of the players, how much they want to win every game – they just don’t give up. Hassan’s energy at the back seeps through to the whole team and we also have senior players like Hariss Harun and Shahdan to keep the team together in difficult situations like the first half (on Sunday),” said the former Ulsan Hyundai coach.
“We’re on the right track, but there’s still big room for improvement. We’ve to be more precise and aggressive in our attacking patterns and combinations to score more goals.
“It’s early in the season, and I believe the title race will be wide open this year, so we have to keep improving.”
Hungry Sailors on the hunt for more
Kim Do-hoon was not happy with his Lion City Sailors after last Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Albirex Niigata (S) in the AIA Community Shield. He gathered the Sailors before the trophy presentation last Saturday (19 Feb), and told them exactly what he expected of them at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
But they did not deliver.
“One message I threw to the boys before celebrations was that I want to see them enjoy more, because they deserved to enjoy that night. But maybe it was to show more respect for our opponent, or maybe it’s the hunger from this very positive group of players,” said the Sailors’ Head Coach.
The Sailors had given their all to get up to speed in the lead-up to the 2022 season of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) and just seen off a stiff challenge from Kazuaki Yoshinaga’s new-look White Swans, but after the confetti drifted down and customary celebratory photos were taken, the Sailors trod off into the dressing room to cool down, receive medical treatment and wash up.
There was no wild afterparty.
“I didn’t see even one player who got carried away after we won the SPL title last season, and that attitude has been the same this (past) week. No one in this team walks onto the pitch thinking we’re the champions. In training their attitude has been amazing, and there’s this wonderful team spirit.
“It’s clear that the team is still hungry,” said Kim, who will lead the Sailors out against Hougang United at Jalan Besar this Sunday (27 Feb), the first match in defence of their SPL title.
“The boys have empty stomachs and we’ve to continue to fill it with more trophies – and we will get more trophies with this attitude.”
Hougang finished third last season to equal their best-ever finish and the Cheetahs recruited well with signings like former Crystal Palace midfielder André Moritz and 2021 second-highest local scorer Amy Recha.
The Cheetahs are certainly no easy fodder. They were the only team to beat the Sailors in 2021, taking a total of four points off the Sailors across three games.
Kim is adamant that his side must dominate Sunday’s match to get all three points.
“We don’t want to be playing football at the pace that Hougang wants to play – we have to take control and manage the game at our pace. We want to play offensive football – not just build up to keep possession in our own half, but build up to score,” he emphasised.
“Hougang have really strengthened their squad and they now know how we play our football based on the Community Shield fixture. We just have to concentrate on getting better at how we want to play and fix our weaknesses on the pitch to bring home the three points for the fans.”
The Shield win not only gave the Sailors a good foundation to build on, but also provided specific indicators on areas which Kim is looking to improve – the speed in offensive and defensive transitions – ahead of a gruelling four-round SPL season.
“We’ve had a team meeting and went over the Albirex match to figure out what we did well and didn’t. It wasn’t the best football that we could play, so there’s plenty of room for improvement,” said the former Ulsan Hyundai coach.
“There are always questions before the start of a season – not just amongst coaches, but also players. The 90 minutes last Saturday did give us more confidence and showed us that we’re on the right track.
“But we have to stay grounded and humble because that was only just one game, even though it came with a trophy.”
Local sporting headlines were stolen by Kim Shin-wook after his two-goal salvo against Albirex. While the 1.98m giant is widely expected to take the bulk of the goalscoring responsibilities, Coach Kim is keen to stress that the Sailors have other weapons in their arsenal.
“Shin-wook creates a lot of synergy within the team and he gives us a different option too, but we’re not just a Shin-wook team. It’s not just about passing him the ball to score,” he said.
“We have a squad that is all working hard and we’ve been preparing different tactics; different ways of attacking and different offensive patterns.”
The Sailors are unbeaten in 11 games since Kim took the helm last July, and they have set their sights on defending the Singapore football crown, with the 51-year-old optimistic about the challenges that lie in wait.
“The Sailors’ history book is still being written, and we want to keep writing memorable stories,” he said.
“This is the start of a new season, and the start of a new beginning for us.”
Lion City Sailors have partnered SISTIC to leverage best in class ticketing tech solutions for football fans in Singapore, as the club embarks on the 2022 domestic football season as defending champions of the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
Football fans came out in force to back the Sailors’ drive to the SPL title last season, with queues seen snaking around the Jalan Besar Stadium. In a bid to improve the fan experience the Sailors continue to improve off-the-pitch aspects of the club, in tandem with progress already witnessed in Head Coach Kim Do-hoon’s team.
It is a drive for progress shared by SISTIC.
SISTIC has in the past year pivoted to a technology company, having introduced new Covid-ready features with a slew of new key initiatives and products slated for launch this year.
Through this new partnership, SISTIC will provide state-of-the-art ticketing software and technology – focusing on delivering innovation while streamlining and enhancing the experience across the season for Sailors’ fans and deliver a reliable, consistent journey from sale to seat for every single game.
SISTIC will also offer the Sailors expanded marketing services, including season-wide fan insights designed to strengthen digital marketing efforts and engage fans on both a national and global level. In addition, the partnership with SISTIC also allows the Sailors to tap into SISTIC’s extensive global network of API partners to connect with both local and regional fans.
Sailors’ Chief Executive Officer, Chew Chun-Liang said: “We look forward to delivering a fan-friendly ticketing experience and providing our fans with a trusted place to buy tickets and merchandise. We are confident this partnership will be successful for both organisations and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”
Joe Ow, Chief Executive Officer, SISTIC, added, “We are committed to support the region’s sporting scene through technology and are delighted to partner the Sailors for their upcoming 2022 season with insights and technology that allows them to better serve their fans. The Lion City Sailors have been a positive force for the football scene and we are looking forward to supporting their vision in taking Singapore football to the next level.”
It was just one clean swing of his right boot, but in that technique, timing, and temerity, Kim Shin-wook has started to demonstrate why he is worth all the hype surrounding his high-profile arrival at the Lion City Sailors.
The score was locked at 1-1 and with just three minutes left on the clock, the 2022 AIA Community Shield between the Sailors and Albirex Niigata (S) on 19 February looked poised for a penalty shootout.
But “Wookie” was having none of that.
As the ball hung in the Jalan Besar air after an excellent Diego Lopes cross, the South Korean – who had scored over 100 goals in K League 1 – spotted the opportunity and moved into position, a predator poised to strike. He connected with a sweet acrobatic volley with an athleticism not often associated with a 1.98m giant, and sent the ball flying past Takahiro Koga to make it 2-1 and win the Sailors the Shield – the club’s second trophy after being crowned SPL champions last October.
It was an incredible strike which probably will be replayed over and over again in the season ahead – a strike that clearly signalled Wookie’s arrival in the Singapore Premier League (SPL).
Earlier that evening, Shin-wook had already introduced himself to the local public by showcasing his trademark aerial prowess to get in between the Albirex centre-backs and nod home Tajeli Salamat’s teasing right-wing cross for the equaliser.
It was all in an evening’s work for the 33-year-old, his clinical brace helping to overturn an early deficit against the White Swans, who had drawn first blood through Tadanari Lee’s penalty conversion.
Shin-wook was undoubtedly the star of the show, but he was happy to stay out of the limelight in the ensuing trophy celebrations as he stood with a face of calmness in the back row. As the Sailors’ players and staff lifted the Shield, he clapped briefly for a few seconds before exiting the podium first to do some stretching on his own.
There was a whiff of the dedication that fuels Shin-wook’s winning mentality – one that perhaps showed that the two-time Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) winner has his eye set to achieve even more with the Sailors.
When asked about how he rated his performance, he laughed as he said: “I felt that the team had one man less in the first half because I didn’t do too well. In the second half, it was better, but I cannot do it alone of course. I need my teammates to give me good balls and I’m happy I’m at the end of two brilliant assists.
“I would give myself a 7/10.”
On a sweltering Saturday afternoon, the Sailors did not have it all their way in the season’s curtain-raiser. Albirex – back under two-time league winner Kazuaki Yoshinaga – proved to be a real handful with their swift and neat passing.
Lee made the most of a soft foul from Shahdan Sulaiman in the penalty area to put the White Swans ahead from the spot on 14 minutes, before centre-back Keito Hariya saw his header denied by the woodwork six minutes later.
Shin-wook’s equaliser four minutes before half-time altered the momentum of the game as the Sailors began to play with more verve and intensity in the second half.
Debutant Pedro Henrique showed his class at the heart of defence alongside new skipper Hariss Harun, with the former Vitoria Guimaraes captain showing poise on the ball and aggression in winning it back to limit the Albirex attackers.
Behind him was the evergreen Hassan Sunny who pulled off two superb saves – one of those a superb reaction save to deny Lee from point-blank range – to keep the score level.
Coach Kim Do-hoon drew on the strength of his bench, with M. Anumanthan coming on at half-time to inject steel in midfield on his Sailors bow, before calling upon Hafiz Nor and Diego for more attacking impetus in the final stages of the game.
In the end, it was the latter two who combined to great effect down the right leading up to Shin-wook’s brilliant late winner as the Sailors began a big 2022 season on a positive note – a first win over Albirex in six competitive meetings and another piece of silverware for the trophy cabinet.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kim expressed his pleasure of seeing his Sailors turn the tide to win a game in which they were admittedly not at their fluent best.
“Football is a 90-minute game, not 45. Our transitions – both defensive and offensive – didn’t quite work for us in the first half,” said the 51-year-old. “Of course there was some pressure in the dressing room coming into this important match against a strong opponent.
“And what impressed me was the boys’ will and spirit to give everything on the pitch and bring the Shield back home. If we can keep up the quality football and pressing that we showed in the second half, I believe they can bring many more good matches for the fans to enjoy.
“I’m happy we’ve finally managed to beat Albirex and this will help to give us a good start to the league.”
The Sailors will begin their SPL defence with a home match against last season’s second runners-up Hougang United next Sunday (27 Feb).
