The Lion City Sailors tasted a domestic defeat for the first time in over a year, as they were beaten 5-0 by BG Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) at the Bishan Stadium on Thursday (18 July) night.
This loss ended the Sailors’ impressive 19-game unbeaten run in all domestic competitions and saw them relinquish top spot in the SPL to the Stags.
Backed by a raucous home crowd, the Sailors started the first-half brightly, but were soon pegged back by a spirited BG Tampines side, as the game soon devolved into a cagey affair between two evenly-matched teams.
Nonetheless, the Sailors nearly opened the scoring in the 36th minute when forward Lennart Thy unleashed a shot that narrowly missed the target, skimming just wide of the post.
But that was as good as it got for the Sailors, as Gavin Lee’s side seized control of the game with two quickfire goals just before the break.
In-form Tampines striker Boris Kopitović broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time, latching onto a through pass from Irfan Najeeb before calmly slotting the ball past Sailors goalkeeper Zharfan Rohaizad.
The Sailors barely had time to react before the visitors added a second just minutes later, as Glenn Kweh pounced on a loose ball in the box to tap home from close range.
The double blow seemed to leave the Sailors deflated as they headed down the tunnel for half-time.
“Our body language surprised me; it’s not what I expected from my players,” said Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković. “Whenever we face a setback, this team usually has the strength to bounce back.”
Any hopes for a Sailors comeback in the second half were dashed within 10 minutes of the restart, with Boris, Faris Ramli, and Irfan all getting on the scoresheet to give BG Tampines an unassailable 5-0 lead.
“At the end of the first half, we let in two easy goals, and we started the second half conceding two goals in the same fashion again,” a visibly disappointed Ranko said. “The third and fourth goals came so quickly that it was clear from the bench they mentally broke my players down. By that point, it felt like the game was already over.
“It’s a well-deserved win for BG Tampines… they scored five goals against us and punished our mistakes. The only positive thing from today was that nobody got injured or carded for the wrong reasons.”
Sailors defender Bailey Wright believes that the defeat can ultimately benefit the team if they use it as a learning opportunity.
“A loss like that shouldn’t happen, but they do – It’s part of football,” Bailey mused. “We weren’t anywhere near our best today, and we hold ourselves accountable for the result. The most important thing now is to reflect on what went wrong, identify what we could have done better, and correct our mistakes in the next game. We need to pick ourselves up, and with hard work, dedication, and commitment, we’ll get back on track.”
For now, Ranko is focused on helping his players move past this disappointment, as they shift their attention to their upcoming match against the Young Lions on Monday night (22 July).
Ranko said, “It’s obviously a tough defeat to take, but I’m fully focused on the next game, which is just around the corner. Perhaps having a quick turnaround is beneficial, as it forces us to step up and show some character. It’s only the start of the season — we have to keep pushing forward.”