As the final whistle blew at the Jalan Besar Stadium last Thursday (19 September), confirming the Lion City Sailors’ 2-0 victory over China’s Zhejiang Professional in their AFC Champions League (ACL) Two debut, Christopher van Huizen was overcome with emotion and began to tear up.
For the full-back, the victory was a vindication of both the team’s and his hard work, especially during what he described as a ‘rough patch’ in his personal life.
“The past two months haven’t been great for me. It’s something personal and I don’t really want to go further into that… let’s just say that in general, things haven’t really been going my way,” shared the 31-year-old.
“My issues off the pitch, combined with the team’s results in August, made it a tough time for me. I’ve been trying my best to focus on myself – spending time with family and friends, and finding joy with my teammates at the club. As a team, we were turning things around after beating Tanjong Pagar the week before, and we really want to keep this winning momentum going.
“When Coach (Aleksandar Ranković) told me I was going to start against Zhejiang, I knew I had to set everything aside and stay focused, while still trying to express myself on the pitch. It’s so satisfying to see both myself and the team starting to perform well again. When the game ended, I couldn’t control my emotions – I just had to let it all out. I know it’s not pretty when someone cries, but those were happy tears.”
Just three days after the win over Zhejiang, Chris scored his first goal of the season to help the Sailors secure a crucial 3-1 Singapore Premier League (SPL) win over Balestier Khalsa.
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Ranko’s men will now turn their attention to the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, as they look to bounce back from a loss to Indonesia’s Borneo FC Samarinda on Matchday 1.
The Sailors are set to face 2023 V.League 1 champions Công An Hà Nội FC away at the Hàng Đẫy Stadium on Thursday night, and Chris is backing his side to pick up their first points of the campaign.
“Our result against Zhejiang has given us a lot of belief; we have a good energy within the team now, and we want to keep this momentum going,” declared the Singapore international, who was part of the Lions team that held Vietnam to a 0-0 draw in the 2022 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
“Vietnamese teams are technically very gifted and have good structures, but we know we have what it takes to match them. If we perform like we did against Zhejiang and play our cards right, we have a strong chance of coming away with a good result.”
Amid a hectic schedule, with the Sailors set to face BG Tampines Rovers in the SPL on Sunday (29 September) before travelling to Thailand for an ACL Two clash against Port FC the following Thursday (3 October), Chris has urged his side to adopt the tried-and-true approach of ‘taking it one game at a time.’
“It’s really about focusing on each game as it comes, even if it sounds boring to some,” Chris, who has started 17 out of the Sailors’ 18 matches across all competitions this season, said.
“We can’t pick and choose when to give our best – that’s the wrong mindset. It’s always about being fully present and giving our all for the club in every match or competition.
“We’ve already had the experience of balancing continental commitments with the SPL last season, so there are no excuses. We just need to strategise as a team and support one another to keep delivering strong results.
