The second quarter of Year 2015 started pretty well for the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League as the teams slowly geared up to the beat. Some teams fought hard and achieved the results while some fell along the course.
Beside the domestic league which gradually moved into the thick of action, the month of June has also been spiced up by the SEA Games football where all football fans were thrilled by the superior performance displayed by the Thais who were eventually crowned the champion. Before we go into the Asian tiki-taka Thai football, let’s have a quick recap on Singapore football prior to the golden month of June.
Top Teams Taste Defeats
Prior to every season, Brunei DPMM has always been rated as one of the favorites to create a storm in the S.League. The 3-times Singapore League Cup winner started the campaign strongly by accumulating 15 points, losing only 2 points to a draw against Home United in March, in their first 6 matches. Just when we started questioning ourselves would this Brunei outfit be the unbeatable, the news of them losing 2-1 at home to Singapore’s AFC Cup representative, Balestier Khalsa came.
The Toa Payoh-based club traveled to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium on a high morale after only losing narrowly 2-1 to HongKong Premier League Champion, Kitchee in the AFC Cup. The gutsy display by the Tigers was encouraging and the experience gathered from their virgin run, playing at one of the highest levels in Asia, has shown and enhanced their play this season.
In fact, not only Brunei DPMM took a tumble, Albirex Niigata Sinapore also registered an unbelievable result – a shocking 4-0 defeat to Warriors in the same month.
Warriors Top S.League Table
Warriors’ late signing, Farzul Nawaz fired up the team by netting 8 goals, pushing Warriors to the top of the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League table. Warriors are currently leading the pack with 24 points from 11 matches. Following closely behind in second place is Albirex Niigata Singapore with 23 points from 12 matches.
Brunei DPMM in the 3rd position with 19 points while both Balestierl Khalsa and Tampines Rovers are with 14 points. However, Brunei DPMM has only played 9 matches this season. If that’s not enough to give you the threat, their Brazilian import, Rafael Zamazotti is currently leading the Top Scorer list with 11 goals!
On the wrong side of the list, SEA Games’ starlet, Balestier Khalsa’s defender, Ho Wai Loon, topped the list for the Disciplinary Record as he accumulated 2 Red and 1 Yellow Cards, excluding the Red which he received against Indonesia in the SEA Games.
Great Easter Yeo’s S.League Table (as of 30 June)
LionsXII’s FA Cup Triumph
As most of the top teams underwent a rough times in the domestic league in the month of May, LionsXII continued with their fine form in the Malaysia FA Cup journey. The Singapore team stormed through to the Final and defeat Kelantan to lift its first ever Malaysia FA Cup on 23 May 2015.
After defeating Johor Darul Ta’zim II (JDT II) and Terengganu in the Quarter-final and Semi-final respectively, LionsXII went on to face off with Kelantan in the Final at the 87,000-seater Bukit Jalil Stadium. Winger, Faris Ramli stunned the crowd with his pace and drew the first blood as early as the 7th minute. Although Kelantan cancelled out Singapore’s lead with a second-half equalizer, substitute Sahil Suhaimi scored a brace in the 81st and 90th minute to seal the victory for the team!
This triumph is also LionsXII’s second silverware after capturing the Malaysia Super League title in Year 2013.
Malaysia FA Cup Match Highlights, Click Here.
AFC Top Post Appointment
Winston Lee, General Secretary of Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has been appointed Vice-President of ASEAN zone in Asian Football Confederation (AFC). This appointment should be able to give Southeast Asian football, or probably for Singapore to have a louder voice in the International football scene. Perhaps, that also means more opportunities and more professional approaches for Singapore’s football coming soon. We really hope so.
Celebrate the Extraordinary SEA Games
Undoubtedly, Thailand played a par above the rest of the Southeast Asian teams to collect their sixth football gold medal at the 28th SEA Games which concluded recently in Singapore.
Thailand also successfully defended their title by winning all 7 matches which they have played, scoring an average of 3.4 goals per match and conceding only 1 (to Vietnam) throughout the exciting tournament.
It was a slightly different mood in Singapore’s camp. Despite the grow of pressure from the playing at the home ground increased daily as the team moved on in the tournament, the team took on every match in combat style and impressed all Singapore football fans with their hardwork. Then again, hardwork alone was not sufficient for Singapore to avoid crashing out from the Group stage.
Registering a minor 1-0 victory against Philippines in the opening match, reality check took place place in the second match as Myanmar stormed past Singapore 2-1 three days later. Hope of progressing from the Group Stage stayed alive after Singapore beat Cambodia 3-1 but the constant poor finishing in front of goal and the lack of attacking idea in the attacking third-half cost dearly for the home team – Singapore went 1-0 down to Indonesia in the final crucial group match and waved goodbye to the Semi-final spot for the fifth times since the tournament was changed to an U-23 format in Year 2001.
Well-Maintained Football Pitch to Stay
By the way, the pitch condition at Bishan Stadium looked extremely good and “green” during the tournament. Can all the pitches in the S,League Stadiums enjoy that kind of maintenance too? Let us make ourselves clear, we do not need those additional tier-seating at Bishan Stadium which most of the times are empty anyway, but we would love to see Our S.League, Our Football to be played on those more greener and well-maintained football pitches. That’s the basic for a good football to take place, isn’t it.
28th SEA Games Singapore U-23 Matches Highlights
Singapore vs Philippines, Click Here.
Singapore vs Myanmar, Click Here.
Singapore vs Cambodia Click Here.
Singapore vs Indonesia, Click Here.
Match Photos of 28th SEA Games Football, Click Here.
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