Category: News
The look on the faces of our Lion City Sailors players when the final whistle blew at the Bishan Stadium last evening (Nov 22) to confirm their 2-3 loss to Albirex Niigata (S) in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) said it all.
This defeat hurt. Badly.
After all, each and every of our Sailors had given their all on the pitch, and had probably done more than enough to secure all three points against Albirex.
Twice Albirex took the lead last night – first, through Tomoyuki Doi (13’), then through Fairoz Hasan (34’) – but each time, our Sailors fought back to level the score, with both Song Ui-Young (22’) and Tajeli Salamat (45’) getting on the scoresheet.
But the visitors took the lead for the third time in the 77th minute courtesy of Yasuhiro Hanada’s strike. And that, unfortunately, proved just a bridge too far for our Sailors – who had arguably played the better football on the night. Not that we did not try, with the likes of the impressive Saifullah Akbar and Song Ui-Young both coming close to drawing us level in the final stages of the game.
Speaking after the match, head coach Aurelio Vidmar said he was still pleased with the commitment shown by his charges despite the defeat.
“I thought we had a very good first-half, and certainly in the first 15 minutes of that second half, we had a lot of control, and played some really good football,” Aurelio reflected. “But conceding too easily put us on the back foot, so we had to chase (for the win). We’ve chased a couple of times already this year, and we’ve shown that we can do that, but it makes it harder.
“What I saw from the players was their courage and belief. Yes, the result didn’t go our way today, but they showed a lot of commitment, as they always do. We played some nice little combinations in the midfield, and we continued to play our style. It’s just one of those games today.
“Now, we just have to review the game and see where we can continue to work on our weaknesses and strengths. But it’s very hard when the next game is in three days’ time.”
More than the defeat itself, the result was particularly galling because it saw the Sailors’ SPL title hopes dwindle further – we are currently six points behind league leaders Albirex with just four more games to go this season, and while we are mathematically still able to win the SPL, our fate in the title race is no longer in our hands.
While Aurelio was just as upset with the defeat as any, he wants his players to recover from this disappointment quickly, and instead focus on ending the season on a high.
“They’d have to pick themselves up… and as hard as that pill is to swallow tonight, it is one of those things we’ll have to do,” said Aurelio. “This result makes it difficult for (us to win the title) in the last four games, but I still believe there’s a lot to play for, you never know what could happen.
“We can’t all of a sudden think about throwing the towel in, just because of this defeat. We’ve done so many good things over the last couple of months, so we need to be fired up for the last four games and finish (the season) strongly.”
Our Sailors will be in action again in the SPL this Wednesday (Nov 25), 7.45pm, when they take on Geylang International at Our Tampines Hub.
It was in the 56th minute of the Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) match at Hougang United last Wednesday (Nov 17), when Gabriel Quak received a loose ball just outside the penalty area.
Almost instinctively, Aqhari Abdullah raced into the box from the right in anticipation of a through pass from Gabriel, who did not disappoint with an inch-perfect ball for the Sailors right-back.
Aqhari knew exactly what he had to do once the ball reached his feet – whip in a dangerous first-time cross across the six-yard box, where he was confident one of his team-mates would pop up to divert the ball towards goal.
As it turns out, that team-mate was Hafiz Nor, who simply tapped the ball into the back of the net for his first goal of the season – his team’s second goal of the night – as the Sailors went on to win the match 3-1.
That assist by Aqhari was an exact replica of what he did to set up Shahril Ishak for the final goal in the Sailors’ 4-0 victory over Geylang International a month ago.
Those two moments encapsulated the evolution of Aqhari into a modern-day full-back who is not just strong defensively, but also adept in the attacking third.
While widely regarded as one of the most committed right-backs in the league over the past few years, the 29-year-old’s attacking qualities have never been as evident as this season under Coach Aurelio Vidmar.
In fact, Aqhari has already equaled his 2019 tally of two assists. And with five more matches to go, there is every chance that he will be able to add to that count before the season ends.
“My role in this team is a bit different (as compared to last time) – defending is still my priority, but I’m now expected to contribute a lot more in attacking,” explained Aqhari. “For this, I really have to thank Coach Aurelio because he has taught me how to attack from another perspective, and how to see the game from another angle.
“My game has changed a lot and I’ve improved immensely under him. Hopefully I can continue to develop further and get more assists to help the team.”
This year has been quite the ride for Aqhari, who reclaimed his spot in the starting-11 through sheer hard work after not being selected in the squad for the Sailors’ first two outings back in March. He has since started in six of the seven matches since the SPL restarted in mid-October, missing only the 5-0 win over the Young Lions as he was rested on the bench.
“It’s normal for any player who is not selected amongst the matchday 18 to be disappointed – and the same goes for me,” he admitted. “The (COVID-19) pandemic then came and everyone was unsure whether the league is going to restart, but I just kept myself positive.
“I had a chat with Coach and he told me I really have to work hard to get my position back. So, I did just that once training resumed (in mid-June) to convince him – whatever he wants me to execute, I’ll do it. And once I got the position in the first-team back, I just played my best in every game, and gave my 100 per cent without holding back.”
Aqhari’s professionalism and unwavering commitment are attributes which the club clearly values. It explains why he has stayed on at the Bishan Stadium since joining the club – then known as Home United – in 2016. From the current group of players, only Abdil Qaiyyim, who signed for the club a year earlier, has stayed on longer.
Having been an integral part of the Home United teams that reached the AFC Cup zonal final in 2017 and 2018, he is now seen as a senior figure in the Lion City Sailors – a role which he clearly relishes.
“It has been an enjoyable five seasons, four with Home United and this year in this new journey with the Sailors,” said Aqhari, who has made 73 league appearances (114 in all competitions) with the club across both entities. “The management takes care of me on and off the field, and as a professional player, I make sure I don’t give them any problems.
“Now that I’m one of the older players in the team, it’s important for me to share my knowledge and experience to help the younger players – especially when they come to me personally for advice.”
After an uncertain start to the campaign, the Sailors appear to be finally hitting top gear, having recorded three straight victories – while scoring an impressive 16 goals in total – over the past two weeks.
“It’s been enjoyable to see this team showing the progress that we’ve made,” commented Aqhari. “The team has gelled together really well because we worked really hard in training and we tried everything that Coach wants us to do in every game.”
The Sailors’ recent results set them up nicely for a rematch against current league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) on Sunday (Nov 22) in a crucial six-pointer that could potentially decide the winners of the SPL title. Aurelio’s side are now just three points off the White Swans and Tampines Rovers in the table.
The Sailors went down to a contentious 3-2 defeat when both sides met at Jurong East nearly a month ago, with Albirex’s 94th-minute winner allowed to stand despite a handball in the build-up.
“That was quite a tough one to take because from what I saw, it was a definite handball,” Aqhari lamented.
“If that game had ended in a draw, that one point would have meant a lot to us (in the title challenge). But it’s over now and we just have to focus on each game as it comes. Now that we’re chasing Albirex, it’s good that we get to play them, because then we can do something about it.”
Albirex are in similarly good form, having also won three matches in a row, with Aqhari emphasising that the Sailors will likely have to toil to claim the three points on Sunday.
“They’re technically very good, disciplined and work very hard. So, the key is to work harder than them and overpower them,” he said.
“Usually the game is lost from our own errors, so we have to cut down on as many mistakes as we can and try to capitalise with the experienced players on our side.”
Just two weeks ago at the Bishan Stadium, the Lion City Sailors were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) by a resolute Hougang United side.
But the Sailors made amends for that last evening (Nov 17), overcoming the Cheetahs 3-1 in a battling display at the Hougang Stadium.
Similar to the reverse fixture at Bishan, the Sailors were once again the dominant team in possession yesterday, while Hougang set themselves up in a deep block and looked to hit back on the break.
This time, though, we were able to take the lead early, with Gabriel Quak breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute with a sublime free-kick.
Speedy winger Hafiz Nor then doubled our lead in the 57th minute with his first goal of the season, before Shahdan Sulaiman put the result beyond any doubt four minutes from time with our third goal of the night.
Hougang scored a consolation in the third minute of added time through a Charlie Machell penalty, but that did little to mar an otherwise splendid performance and win for the Sailors.
Indeed, head coach Aurelio Vidmar was effusive in his praise for the players after the game, as he labelled the victory as one of the ‘most impressive’ since he took over the club earlier this year.
“I thought it was a super performance tonight, we showed a lot of toughness and character in difficult circumstances – I think this was one of our most impressive wins of the season,” gushed Aurelio.
“We didn’t do much differently from the previous game. We played very similar, as they did, but I think we executed our shots on target a lot better than we did previously. We’ve been building on that (aspect) the last couple of weeks.”
The only downside from last evening’s game was an injury to our in-form Croatian striker Stipe Plazibat, who had to come off the pitch in the 40th minute due to a hamstring problem.
While the extent of Stipe’s injury is still unknown, the prospect of losing him at this crucial stage of the season – with just five more SPL games to go – would be a huge blow.
Nonetheless, Aurelio is confident that the rest of his players, including a refreshed and recharged Shahril Ishak, has the ability to fill in capably for Stipe if needed.
“It’s going to be a loss if he (Stipe) doesn’t play,” Aurelio admitted. “But I think we showed tonight that we’ve got some flexibility in that (striker) position as well. We have Shahril back…Gabriel’s played there as well, we can put Adam or Hafiz there too, so we have a number of options.
“But let’s just wait and see because it’s still too early to say (how long Stipe could be out for). He’ll see a physio, get a scan and we’ll assess it from there.”
The Sailors’ win over Hougang means we have now won three consecutive SPL games, and are unbeaten in our last five overall. This good run of form has seen us jump up to third in the table, just three points behind joint-league leaders Albirex Niigata (S) and Tampines Rovers.
Up next for the Sailors will arguably be one of our toughest and most important matches of the season – a potential title-deciding clash against Albirex on Sunday (Nov 22), 5.30pm, at the Bishan Stadium.
And although Albirex were able to beat the Sailors 3-2 somewhat controversially the last time we met them at the Jurong East Stadium, Aurelio is confident that the momentum generated from the past few games will help see the team through this time around.
“Obviously, there’s a big game on Sunday…Albirex have been very consistent and very strong this year, it’s certainly a defining moment in the season for both clubs,” said Aurelio. “But the boys have been fantastic the last few weeks, and have really worked extremely hard to get the results that they have.
“I’m very happy with the three wins on the trot, so let’s see (what happens on Sunday). I can’t think too much ahead because we’re just coming off the win tonight, so we’ll just enjoy that now, because the players deserve that,” added Aurelio.
“We’ll take the next couple of days to recover and relax, and then get ourselves prepared for Albirex.”
The Lion City Sailors are stepping into gear in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), following up on their 7-1 victory over Balestier Khalsa on Nov 7, with another high-scoring 6-1 win over Tanjong Pagar United on Friday (Nov 13).
The Sailors looked like they were scoring for fun at the Bishan Stadium, racing to a 4-0 half-time lead with a brace from Stipe Plazibat and a goal each from Kaishu Yamazaki and Song Ui-Young.
In a tighter second half, Tanjong Pagar’s Suhairi Sabri scored with a well-taken shot in the 52nd minute, but any hope of a comeback was quashed by substitute Adam Swandi, who found the back of the net twice in the final seven minutes of the match.
Aurelio Vidmar’s charges are now third in the eight-team standings on 14 points, just three adrift of both Albirex Niigata and Tampines Rovers.
The Sailors are playing flowing football and scoring with exhilarating regularity, and while both performances and results have brought a smile to his face, Aurelio is taking nothing for granted.
“The team is progressing well – there’s a vast difference from where we first started to where we are now, and everyone’s understanding one another better. I was really pleased with the first half performance: we played some great football, and scored some really nice goals,” said the former Australia captain, who also noted his team’s ability to switch gears.
He said: “We had to be a bit more patient and accelerate our tempo when we got closer to the front third of the pitch. But at 4-0 up at half-time, sometimes you take your foot off the pedal and that’s probably what we did. In saying that, we reacted much better in the second part of the second half.
“But I think we still have a lot of improvement to make, and in time we’ll get there.”
Sailors’ skipper Izzdin Shafiq was pleased with how well the team has progressed over the course of this season – something that he puts down to work on the training ground.
“We always try to improve after every game, and the team looks more positive now than we were at the restart of the league,” said the midfielder. “There really isn’t any secret behind all that. If there is a secret, it’s the hard work, discipline and commitment from every single Sailor.”
Izzdin is under no illusions as to the size of the task ahead of his team, if they are to push for the SPL title, but he is confident in the ability of his team to step up to the plate.
“There will be tough matches ahead of us, but if we want to win the title, we must put in similar performances and show the same fighting spirit,” said Izzdin.
The Sailors’ ruthless efficiency in front of goal and patience in the face of a resolute Tanjong Pagar defence augurs well for their next fixture – against Hougang United on Tuesday (17 Nov) at the Hougang Stadium.
The last time these two teams locked horns, the Sailors struggled to break down a compact Cheetahs’ side in a 1-1 draw at the Bishan Stadium in early November.
“We know what a tough nut they were to break down, and this match will potentially be very similar to that (1-1 draw) – it’s going to be a challenge for us,” said Aurelio, who was acutely aware that Hougang are not the only obstacle his team needs to overcome.
“We’ve got a game every three and a half days, so there’s not a lot of training we can do. We must focus on recovery and getting the players fresh for upcoming games,” said Aurelio.
“It’s freshness, freshness, freshness.”
Footballing women, we want you!
The return of the Singapore Premier League has generated much excitement in the football fraternity here, and while we’re enjoying the quality football that coach Aurelio Vidmar and his charges are putting on show, the club is not resting on its laurels.
In preparation for the much-anticipated return of football beyond the SPL, the club is implementing a plan for our Women’s team, and we’d like you to come on board!
The club is moving to implement a broad plan to boost the level of our Women’s team, including revamping our game model and putting in place the Sailors’ style of football that we are already starting to be familiar with.
Open Trials
The Women’s team is opening our doors to women players across the country as we look to expand our playing roster to form two competitive squads of up to 25 players each.
Open trials for all interested female players born before January 2004 (aged 16 and above), including Permanent Residents and foreigners, will be held on 22nd November between 3pm – 4.45pm, at 8 Mattar Road.
Fitness levels, individual technical ability and tactical knowledge are some key aspects that coaches will look for in trialists.
Safety Measures at trials
Safety measures in accordance with the Football of Singapore (FAS) policies and Sport Singapore (SportSG) directives will be implemented at these trials, including strict adherence to separated grids on the pitch, keeping to groups of five, and no intermingling between groups.
These measures will also be implemented in the closed trials that the club will conduct for existing players as we look to put in place squads with an ideal player composition within the squads in the club.
Closed Selection for all current LCS women’s team players will be held on 15th November from 3pm – 4.30pm, at 8 Mattar Road.
To facilitate the strict organisation of what is an unusual trial modality, we request that all interested trialists fill up this form (https://forms.gle/r1aoqpTkACSPArYo9) to secure trial time slots as we seek to implement the required measures to keep Singapore safe.
Come and join the Sailors!
Trial details
- Open trials
- 22nd November, 3pm – 4.45pm
- 8 Mattar Road
- For women players born before January 2004 (aged 16 and above), including PRs and foreigners
- Closed selection
- 15th November, 3pm – 4.30pm
- 8 Mattar Road
Many had expected the Lion City Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) clash against an in-form Balestier Khalsa side, who were unbeaten in their last five matches, to be a closely fought encounter.
The Sailors had other ideas, as they turned on the style at the Bishan Stadium yesterday evening (Nov 7) and romped to a convincing 7-1 victory over the Tigers.
Indeed, such was the Sailors’ dominance yesterday that the match was effectively over by half-time, with Aurelio Vidmar’s men holding a 5-0 lead at the break courtesy of a Stipe Plazibat hat-trick as well as goals from Song Ui-Young and Saifullah Akbar.
Defender Tajeli Salamat and substitute Adam Swandi completed the rout for the Sailors in the second half, with Balestier scoring their consolation goal through Croatian striker Kristijan Krajcek.
The result represents the biggest win in the SPL this season, and caps off a tiring but encouraging week for the Sailors who bagged seven points out of the nine points on offer.
While pleased with the victory and the performance that went along with it, Sailors midfielder and captain for the night, Shahdan Sulaiman, insists the team will not read too much into the scoreline as they keep their sights simply on winning the next game.
“This result definitely gives the team a huge confidence boost, but at the same time, we know we need to take it one game at a time,” said Shahdan, who ended the match with two assists.
“Due to the early goal we had today, the match opened up, played to our advantage, and we were clinical enough to turn our chances into goals. We are also getting more familiar with how coach (Aurelio) wants us to play, and hopefully we will keep improving from here on out.”
Coach Aurelio also agreed that it was important for the Sailors to take it “one match at a time”.
He explained: “I just focus on the process, and the process is of trying to play a particular brand of football. We’re trying to get everyone up to speed to do that, and I know that when that’s done well, then the results will come.
“I’m not too fussed with what’s happening right now. We’ve won, but generally I don’t look forward too much…we’ve only got a couple of rounds (this season), so we need to focus on one match at a time, and that’s what we’ve done over these (last) seven days.”
Ominously for the rest of the teams in the league, coach Aurelio believes that this is still not the best the Sailors are capable of playing.
“We’re getting better. As I said last week, we need to keep doing the things that we’re doing, and continue to do that better and for longer periods,” Aurelio explained. “And I think we saw that as well tonight, there was some great football played in the first-half, some great goals, and it’s just the start because I think we’ve still got so much upside.
“I think there’s still a lot of improvement to go, not just on the type of football that we play, but in terms of our physical conditioning, as well as tactically and technically. Whether we’re going to get that this year, I’m not sure, but we’re taking it step by step.”
One of the things that has set the Sailors apart this season is their strength in depth, and Aurelio praised his players for rising to the challenge whenever they were called upon.
“What’s been more pleasing is that when we’re missing players – like Song on Wednesday (Nov 4) – players come in and do a great job for us. Tonight, we lost Hassan (to a finger injury), but Rudy came in and did a magnificent job,”he said.
“That’s a sign of a good team – a team that’s confident, a team that understands what’s happening, and with everyone believing in each other.”
With current league leaders Tampines Rovers dropping points following their 1-1 draw with Geylang International in Saturday’s (Nov 7) Eastern derby, the Sailors are now just five points behind the Stags at the halfway mark of the season.
While acknowledging that this was good news for the Sailors in their chase for the SPL title, Shahdan claims that the team are firmly focused on their own results.
“Of course, the leaders dropping points is good, not only for us but the rest of the league,” said the 32-year-old. “But we need to take a match at a time – first be consistent with our own results and not look too far ahead.”
Hafiz Nor enjoyed his most productive season in 2019, recording nine goals and two assists in all competitions with Home United. That form earned him a recall into the Singapore national team, and he went on to score a memorable winning goal in the Lions’ surprise 2-1 away win against Yemen last November.
Starting the new campaign with the Lion City Sailors, Hafiz was looking to carry on where he left off, but saw his momentum disrupted as the Singapore Premier League (SPL) was halted for nearly seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, the nippy winger has toiled hard in all six of the Sailors’ SPL games this season, and has impressed with his work rate and tireless running down the flanks.
The only thing missing from his game at the moment? Goals.
But the lack of output in the final third has done little to dampen Hafiz’s confidence, and he is determined to rediscover his best form sooner rather than later.
“I know I’ve not been very consistent in the past few games and there’s definitely room for improvement,” said Hafiz, who has made five starts and one substitute appearance for the Sailors this year.
“I have to work it out with the midfielders and be more successful in my penetrative runs to contribute more to the team. But I’m not panicking because that’ll only affect my performances even more. I’m taking it one game at a time; I’ve faith that I will get momentum if I keep trying to make things happen.”
At 32 years of age, Hafiz is one of the most experienced Sailors in the squad alongside the likes of Shahril Ishak, Hassan Sunny and Shahdan Sulaiman. And he is relishing the role of playing mentor to the team’s young wingers in Haiqal Pashia and Arshad Shamim – because he believes they will both go on to carve out great footballing careers.
“They are players with great potential and it’s a pleasure for me to see them progressing well with each training session,” he said. “Haiqal is great with both feet and Arshad’s a bit similar to me with his speed.
“They just need more exposure at this level and I’m happy to share some bits of advice based on my experience for them to improve in certain areas. I’m sure in years to come, we’ll see them called up to the national team.”
So far, it has been a mixed bag of results for the Sailors since the league restarted three weeks ago, with two wins, one draw and one defeat under their belt. Aurelio Vidmar’s charges are now seven points adrift of pacesetters Tampines Rovers, but Hafiz is adamant that the title is still within their grasp.
“There’s still more than half of the season to go, and several points up for grabs,” said the veteran who is now into his 10th professional season after making his league bow with Tanjong Pagar United in 2011.
“Of course, it’s not easy because every team that plays against us treats it like a final. They really want to beat us because we’re one of the top teams in Singapore. But we just have to give our 100 percent, follow Coach Aurelio’s game plan, and I’m sure we’ll string together a good run of results to challenge for the title.”
Up next for the Sailors is a tricky game against a high-flying Balestier Khalsa side on Saturday evening (Nov 7), which sets up an interesting duel between Hafiz and his cousin Zaiful Nizam, Balestier’s goalkeeper and captain. Marko Kraljevic’s side are currently third in the table after achieving two straight wins since the restart.
Previously as Home United, the team won just one of their last seven encounters against Balestier in all competitions. That came in a 4-2 comeback win last May, in which Hafiz played an integral role with two goals and an assist.
“That was a really memorable game for us and for me personally,” he recalled. “If we play with that kind of never-say-die attitude, we will surely be able to beat them on Saturday.
“Balestier is a team which tends to be more on the aggressive side and that is perhaps why they’re pretty tough to beat. But Coach Aurelio has a game plan – we just have to go out there to execute it and get the three points to climb up the table.”
The Singapore Premier League’s (SPL) statistics told the whole story – 22 shots, six on target, but just a solitary goal to show for it.
And, at the end of the day, the Lion City Sailors were only able to claim one point against Hougang United on Wednesday evening (Nov 4), as the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw at the Bishan Stadium.
The Cheetahs, who sat deep and looked to hit the Sailors on the break, took the lead in the 34th minute through striker Shawal Anuar.
Despite dominating the visitors in almost every area of the pitch, the Sailors struggled to break down a resolute Hougang defence, and it took a spectacular Shahdan Sulaiman strike from nearly 30 metres out on the hour mark to draw the home side level.
While the Sailors threw everything at the Hougang goal in the last 30 minutes in search of a winner, they were unable to find a way past Cheetahs goalkeeper Ridhuan Barudin. Faizal Roslan came the closest in the dying minutes of the game with an effort that was cleared off the line by Anders Aplin.
The result, coupled with league leaders Tampines Rovers’ 1-0 victory over the Young Lions, means the Sailors are now seven points behind the Stags with just eight more games to play in this truncated season.
Nonetheless, Sailors head coach Aurelio Vidmar still believes his team can win the SPL, and is determined to push Tampines all the way in the race for the title.
“It’s not over, if you’re talking about the title challenge,” Aurelio declared. “Yes, seven points seems like a lot, but we still have a lot of games coming. This is a very unusual league season, with only a couple of rounds, and we’ll be playing 10 games in about 34 or 35 days. It’s not an easy task, but so far I think we’re handling it quite well.”
Aurelio, however, acknowledged that it was a shame the Sailors were unable to capitalise on their dominance to secure all three points against Hougang, who had previously beaten Tampines 2-1 with a similarly defensive display.
“We controlled the game and had a ridiculous amount of time in the back third of the pitch,” Aurelio reflected. “But it’s just very hard to penetrate when you’re facing a wall of players, with 10 players behind the ball. We had quite a few good moments and opportunities, but we either didn’t take our chances or the ball didn’t fall our way.
“We probably could have taken a little bit more responsibility in terms of having a lot more shots at goals from outside the box, but they (Hougang) made it difficult for us overall. Sometimes you need that little bit of luck…we were the dominant team, but unfortunately didn’t get the full points today.”
Result aside, Aurelio insists he was pleased with how his team played in general, especially in the absence of Song Ui-Young, who was rested as a precautionary measure over a tight hamstring.
“In terms of positives, we played the type of game we wanted to play today,” said Aurelio. “We kept pushing and pressing and trying to unlock the door. The fact that the majority of our goals are coming in the second half is also a fantastic sign that we’re very fit, so when other teams are slowing down, we’re continually pushing even in the 90th minute.
“Of course, Song’s a loss, but we’ve got enough quality in the players sitting there waiting for an opportunity to perform. Shahdan came back in, Gabriel played a little bit differently tonight in his role (of attacking centre midfielder) and Saifullah was doing a good job for us as one of the young boys in the squad. So, we might be one player out, but we have enough quality players capable of coming in and doing just as good a job.”
The Sailors will next take on Balestier Khalsa at the Bishan Stadium this Saturday (Nov 7) at 5.30pm.
Back in August, Croatian striker Stipe Plazibat was still a Hougang United player.
However, the fast-changing and unpredictable nature of football is such that barely two months later, the 31-year-old now finds himself a mainstay in the Lion City Sailors first-team, and is set to play against Hougang – instead of for them – this Wednesday evening (Nov 4).
But as far as Stipe is concerned, the Hougang chapter of his football career is firmly behind him, as he gears up for the Sailors’ crunch match against the Cheetahs.
“For sure, playing your former team is always a bit emotional. But as a professional player, I put those feelings aside because it’s now my job to give my best for my new team – just like how I gave my all when I was playing for Hougang,” said Stipe, who crossed the Hougang-Bishan divide for the second time back in September.
“I had a great time with Hougang, and they’ll always have a special place in my heart because they’re my first club in Singapore. Of course, it’ll be nice to see them (the former teammates and coaches) again. But now, my focus is to help the Sailors do well and achieve the ambitions that are set out for the club.”
This is not the first time that Stipe will be facing the Cheetahs. Back in 2017, when he was with Home United, he played five times against Hougang, and even scored in each of the first four matches.
The Croatian hotshot, however, believes his decent goalscoring record against Hougang is down to more than just having internal knowledge of his former teammates.
“Knowledge might be a factor, but I don’t really think that’s everything. I tend to play well in most matches, not just against Hougang, because I make sure I prepare properly for the game,” he shared.
“Apart from the video analysis done by the club, I will also personally watch videos of the defenders I’m coming up against. From there, I do a lot of mental preparations by visualising some situations that I might find myself in.”
Stipe had previously experienced a mixed reception from his former supporters in the Hougang HOOLS (Hougang’s unofficial supporters’ club) when he came up against the Cheetahs, but he believes it will be a different scenario this time round – not least because no fans are allowed in the stadium.
In addition, Stipe took the initiative to inform the HOOLS about his impending move to the Sailors before it was officially announced.
“I remember the reception for the first few matches was good, but that wasn’t really the case for the last couple of matches. But this time round, I believe there will only be positives because they understand a bit better about my move,” he said.
Stipe had a pleasant experience playing against a former club when he was playing in Japan’s J2 League in 2014. Just 19 days after leaving FC Gifu in the mid-season transfer window, Stipe went on to play them in the colours of V-Varen Nagasaki. While Stipe ended up on the losing side that day, the positive reception he received from the Gifu fans remains etched in his mind.
“The reception from the Gifu fans was fantastic. They really respected me and they showed their appreciation towards me for one more time during that game,” he recalled.
So far, it has been a solid start to Stipe’s Sailors career, with his brace in last week’s 5-0 win over Young Lions making it four goals in three matches. However, as someone who demands high standards from himself, the Spilt native is determined to do even better in the coming weeks.
“I’m happy with my contributions so far, but I’m very rarely satisfied with current numbers. I’m always looking to improve further and that’s just my nature,” he emphasised.
“To be honest, I’m still not at my best yet and I believe I can do even more in the upcoming matches.”
Going up against a Hougang side which has shored up their defence, and who understands perfectly well how Stipe plays, will not be easy. That is why Stipe believes the Sailors will have to ‘do everything’ in order to get the crucial three points as they seek to chase down league pacesetters Tampines Rovers in the title race.
“From what I saw from their last two matches (a 2-1 win over Tampines Rovers and a 0-0 draw against Tanjong Pagar United), they’ve been playing very defensively. So, we need to be very patient and disciplined in order to get the win,” he said.
“Hopefully we can improve from our last game, and it’s important that we score from our first real chance.”
The sluggish start to Sunday evening’s Singapore Premier League match against the Young Lions saw Aurelio Vidmar’s charges pepper the opposition goal with 11 shots, but still fail to find the back of the net.
But a goal within 30 seconds of the second half saw the Sailors romp to a 5-0 victory at the Bishan Stadium, in a result that has set the tone for what will be a sprint to end of the shortened SPL season.
“I was frustrated because I missed a chance in the first half, and we didn’t play our best football. But we came out of the locker room determined to make up for that terrible first half, and luckily, we scored very fast – that goal changed the momentum,” said frontman Stipe Plazibat.
It was the unfortunate Young Lions skipper Jacob Mahler who bundled a Gabriel Quak cut back into his own net in the 46th minute. But even if the excellent Mahler had not touched the ball, Stipe was lurking at the far post for what would have been an easy tap in.
Stipe did get on the score sheet later – twice. The first came in the 76th minute, an improvised volley to finish off a good cross from substitute Adam Swandi; and the second was a clinical penalty in the 82nd minute, after Adam was adjudged to have been fouled.
Stipe’s goals were sandwiched by a 70th minute Adam diving header and a 92nd minute Gabriel goal – both of which were created by the Croat.
“Gabriel deserved a goal in this match, and after I took the penalty, I told him that I wanted him to score. Passing him that ball was a good opportunity for me to pay him back for his assist for me in the 4-0 win over Geylang International,” said the 31-year-old Stipe.
It was this unity and ability to bounce back from a poor first half that brought a smile to Aurelio’s face – especially with the challenging month ahead of the Sailors.
“We couldn’t get on the pitch (the night before the Young Lions match) to train because the lightning alarm was on for several hours, maybe that had some sort of an effect in the first half. But we grew in the second half,” said Aurelio.
A Lightning Warning System is in force at sporting facilities across the country. Once activated, activity will only be allowed after it has been established that the threat of lightning activity has subsided.
“I was pleased with the result, 5-0 is a good win and we’ve got a difficult month coming up – nine games in 34 days – that’s going to be extremely difficult,” said the former Australia skipper.
The Sailors face Hougang United on Wednesday, and will play six more matches in November. They will end their SPL season in early December, after facing Tampines Rovers (2 Dec) and Balestier Khalsa (5 Dec).
The Sailors are now fifth in the eight-team standings, on seven points, five behind league leaders Tampines. Their next opponents, Hougang, are in the fourth spot with eight points.
Added Aurelio: “By the middle of November, I’m not going to be too fussed about how we’re doing things. It’s really about getting everyone fresh, and trying to get a result in every game now.”
