It was a disappointing return to Singapore Premier League (SPL) action for the Lion City Sailors on Sunday (25 August) evening, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of defending champions Albirex Niigata (S) at the Jurong East Stadium.
All four goals came in the second half, with Arya Igami’s opener and Shingo Nakano’s brace rendering Lennart Thy’s strike a mere consolation for the Sailors.
Back in action just three days after their 3-0 away defeat by Indonesian side Borneo FC Samarinda in the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup, Sailors Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković made three changes, with the likes of captain Hariss Harun and Shawal Anuar returning to the starting lineup while Obren Kljajić started for the first time since picking a muscular injury in mid-July.
Despite the changes, Ranko acknowledged that Albirex took full advantage of his team’s fatigue from their continental exertions over the past week.
“I think they were smart, they were waiting for us to burn out. Congratulations, it’s a very good win for them,” he said.
The Sailors did have their moments and could have taken the lead after only three minutes when Albirex goalkeeper Hassan Sunny, who recently announced his retirement from international football, gave the ball straight to Maxime Lestienne but the Belgian failed to hit the target from close range.
Bart Ramselaar then came close to breaking the deadlock shortly before half-time, only for his goal-bound effort to be cleared off the line by Albirex centre-back Koki Kawachi.
The Sailors continued to create the better chances after the break, and it was only a smart save by Hassan that kept Lennart’s goal-bound effort out midway through the second half. Barely two minutes later, Albirex took the lead through Igami.
Lennart levelled the score just four minutes later with a deft header from Maxime’s corner, but the Sailors were unable to build on the equaliser.
Instead, it was the home side that regained the lead after Hami Syahin’s late challenge on Nakano resulted in referee Muhammad Taqi pointing to the penalty spot after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check.
Nakano stepped up to fire past Izwan Mahbud from 12 yards out, before he sealed a 3-1 victory for Albirex two minutes from the end with a powerful run and finish.
Ranko later admitted that his troops should have made more of the opportunities that came their way on the night.
“I think we missed a little bit of energy; you see that in the small details like the chances we had,” he said. “In these kinds of games, we have to score.
“And of course, as the game goes on and especially when you’re 1-0 down, it’s difficult to chase the game with heavy legs.”
The Serb was also left sweating on the fitness of Toni Datković, who went off with an injury after around an hour.
“Honestly, we still don’t know what it is,” Ranko said. “I have to wait till tomorrow and then we will know.
“But we cannot miss a lot of players because my squad is pretty small for so many competitions and it’s going to be tough.”
Sunday’s defeat was the Sailors’ second in the league this season, and left them two points adrift of BG Tampines Rovers at the top of the table.
They will return to league action on Friday (30 August) when they host third-placed Geylang International at the Bishan Stadium.
