S-League title race down to the wire

Football: S-League title race down to the wire

When referee Yazeen Buhari stopped proceedings at the Hougang Stadium on Wednesday night, the DPMM players shot their arms in the air and danced off the pitch as if they had won the championship, dousing their coach Vjeran Simunic in iced water as he addressed the media.

By beating Hougang United 3-1 on Wednesday night, DPMM ensured the two-horse Great Eastern-Yeo's S-League title race will go down the wire.

The win saw the Bruneians climb to second on 48 points, just one behind league leaders Tampines Rovers, with one game remaining.

DPMM will face Balestier Khalsa on Nov 2 in Brunei Darussalam, but Tampines can seal their second straight title if they beat Malaysia's Harimau Muda at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

But in Simunic's eyes, his players have already won. He said: "In my view, we are already team of the year ... (this result means) we are placed in front of expensively assembled teams like Home United and SAFFC, and good teams like Balestier Khalsa. Our first target was to challenge these teams, and now we are very proud to challenge Tampines who are title holders."

Jordan Webb's 10th-minute strike gave Hougang the lead, but a show-stopping free-kick from Azwan Salleh after 24 minutes drew DPMM level, before Patrick Da Silva (51st) and Ampuan Nurul Azami (60th) ensured all three points for the visitors.

"I don't think the team will need a coach when we play Balestier, there will be 30,000 people (at the stadium) who can win with all our players," said Simunic.

"If Harimau Muda play (against Tampines) as they can play, with all their best players, they can beat any team."

~News courtesy of Today~

Sundram to stay with LionsXII?

Football: Sundram to stay with LionsXII?

It looks like V Sundramoorthy is likely to remain in charge of the LionsXII next year.

Two Malaysian state teams - Perak and Terengganu - who were reportedly trying to lure the former Singapore international, are expected to unveil Negeri Sembilan's Azraai Khor Abdullah and Felda United's E Elavarasan as their new head coaches respectively, thereby ending any talk linking them with Sundram.

At the same time, Sundram has told TODAY that he remains keen to continue helming the LionsXII.

"I am honoured that the Terengganu FA had wanted me to take charge of the team for next season and I was ready to hear them out," said the 47-year-old.

"So did Perak. It shows that my work is being recognised and, in a way, Singapore football should be proud too.

"But at the end of the day, staying put in Singapore also means that I can continue serving my country, that is, if the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) still needs my service."

Sundram, who led the LionsXII to runner-up and semi-final finishes in this season's Malaysian Super League (MSL) and Malaysia Cup respectively, was thought to be close to a move to Perak.

The MSL side were reportedly prepared to offer him a deal worth up to US$15,000 (S$18,000) a month, believed to be about twice what he is currently earning.

Terengganu also approached Sundram after parting ways with Englishman Peter Butler last month, but a Terengganu FA spokesman said they could not agree terms with the Singaporean.

The north-eastern side were also keen on LionsXII assistant coach Kadir Yahaya, but the Singapore full-back wants to remain with the LionsXII.

- TODAY

LionsXII crash out of Malaysia Cup

LionsXII crash out of Malaysia Cup

Singapore is out of the Malaysia Cup, after the LionsXII lost their nail-biting semi-final tie on Thursday.

The team lost to ATM FA 4-5 on penalties in their semi-final second-leg tie in Kuala Lumpur.

The match had ended at 1-1 (2-2 on aggregate) after extra time.

It was all square after the first tie in Singapore ended 1-1. And the LionsXII were on their way to victory in the return tie at the Selayang Stadium when Agu Casmir scored in the 27th minute.

But in the dying seconds of normal time, Marlon James equalised for ATM to send the match into extra time.

The match was still deadlocked after 30 minutes of extra time, before it went into penalty shootout.

Singapore was last in the Malaysia Cup in 1994 when it went on to lift the trophy.

This year's final will be on 20 October at the Shah Alam Stadium.

- CNA/ir

Sundram calls for grit and gumption

Sundram calls for grit and gumption

V. Sundramoorthy's LionsXII stared elimination in the face, and turned in a ferocious performance - worthy of their name - to beat Pahang and advance to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Cup.

Now, Sundram has called for his charges to show the same grit and gumption when they face Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) in the second leg semi-final fixture in Selayang on Thursday night.

The LionsXII only managed a 1-1 draw with ATM in the first leg played at Jalan Besar, giving the champions of the second-tier Malaysian Premier League the advantage on the away goals rule, but Sundram is confident his charges can rise to the challenge again.

"The boys have done well in away games in the MSL (Malaysian Super League) and they showed that they can fight against Pahang. They all understand their roles and responsibilities, and what I want them to show is fighting spirit," said the 47-year-old.

In the past year, the LionsXII have assembled an impressive away record.

They have defeated defending Malaysia Cup champions Negeri Sembilan and title chasers Terengganu on their travels, along with Sabah, Perak, Sarawak, Johor FC and Felda United, winning seven games, losing three times, with three draws.

"It's important that we start the game well, and show hunger. We've got players who can fight, we know what the likes of Isa (Halim), Hariss (Harun) and Baihakki (Khaizan) are capable of," said Sundram.

"Even Shahril (Ishak), who may appear quiet, can spring up and give us a goal."

The LionsXII will be without the defensive trio of Sevki Sha'ban (knee injury), Safuwan Baharudin and Irwan Shah (both suspended), but Sundram has faith in their replacements. Juma'at Jantan is set to reclaim his right-back position from Irwan, while 23-year-old Abdil Qaiyyim will deputise for Safuwan.

Abdil, a 1.82m-tall no-nonsense defender who rose from the National Football Academy under-18 side to join the Courts Young Lions in the S-League, may prove to be the LionsXII ace in the pack - with his knack of scoring from set-pieces.

Sundram, who knows the player well having coached both sides before, said: "Abdil will do well, and I know that with our boys we can get the job done."

- TODAY

SingTel secures BPL rights for 3 more seasons

SingTel secures BPL broadcasts rights for 3 more seasons

SingTel on Wednesday announced that it has secured the broadcast rights to all 380 Barclays Premier League (BPL) matches for the next three seasons commencing August next year.

These rights were acquired on a non-exclusive basis, meaning that SingTel is not obliged to share the content with their competitors.

Mr Allen Lew, SingTel's country chief officer (Singapore) and CEO of Group Digital L!fe, said: "We are delighted to bring all the BPL matches 'live' to Singapore for another three seasons.

"Along with our recent acquisition of the rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, Serie A, Ligue 1 and other prominent football tournaments, fans can be assured of SingTel's strong commitment to deliver the most comprehensive football experience on mio TV, the home of football."

The matches will continue to be available online on miostadium.com and on mobile via SingTel's BPL application.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "mio Stadium has provided Singapore fans with great local programming and coverage of the Barclays Premier League action in a comprehensive and innovative manner. We are pleased to be continuing our partnership with SingTel for another three seasons."

In response to SingTel's announcement, StarHub issued a statement saying: "We are surprised that FA Premier League (FAPL) did not conduct a tender for Singapore, departing from all past practice. We will be seeking clarification from FAPL before deciding on our next course of action. We will be keen to acquire the BPL only if the price is right."

- TODAY

New format for S-League next year

New format for S-League next year

The Great Eastern-Yeo's S-League will kick off on Feb 12 next year with a familiar feel provided by the same 13 teams that competed in this year's edition of the tournament. However, it will have an unconventional twist near the end.

After all the teams face one another other home and away, the league will be split into two competitions.

One of them will feature the top seven sides who will face off in a mini-league to determine the S-League champions. The other mini-league will see the bottom six sides jostling among themselves for final standing.

S-League chief executive Lim Chin confirmed the amendments to the format after speaking at a two-hour S-League club chairmen's meeting on Monday night.

He said: "S-League 2013 is starting to take shape, the league format has been decided … and the fitness test is also more or less decided.

"We will be making formal announcements in two weeks when we get final approval for subsidies for clubs to sign marquee players next year. But there is some good news: The funding (request) is already being processed."

Details on the marquee player scheme, however, were still unavailable. Nor was the S-League able to confirm the fact that it will allow clubs to sign five other foreign players up from the current four.

However, Lim has confirmed that, in place of the mandatory Beep Test, footballers will now have to pass a 2.4km running test to be able to play in the league.

TODAY understands that there will be various passing grades for outfield S-League players (10 minutes 15 seconds), Prime League players (10:45) and goalkeepers (12:00), Lim revealed that there will be a monetary incentive offered to those who surpass expectations but declined to give more details.

The S-League has seen crowd numbers dwindle in recent years.

Average attendance also hit an all-time low of 932 at the half-way mark of the season this year. These changes are aimed at breathing life back into the 17-year-old league.

The format modifications will see clubs now play either 28 or 29 games in the S-League season, up from 24 this year. And while the longer season is a change welcomed by many club officials TODAY spoke to, there were some who took issue with the unconventional league format.

A club official, who declined to be named, summed up reservations about the changes when he said: "Part of the beauty of football is having the possibility of smaller teams beating the bigger teams who are gunning for the title. This format removes that part of the excitement in the run-in to the title. Also, who would want to go watch the bottom few teams play against one another in their own mini-league?"

While some feel the marquee player scheme could help to draw the fans, TODAY understands that the football authorities are discussing the possibility of bringing in younger players - those who have fallen out of the top leagues, for example - instead of bigger names who are past their prime, in a bid to ensure higher quality football and, with that, bigger crowds at S-League stadiums. - TODAY

Lions to face Jordan again in Asian Cup

Lions to face Jordan again in Asian Cup qualifiers

Almost three years ago, Singapore's dream of qualifying for the Asian Cup was snuffed out by a 2-1 loss to Jordan at the King Abdullah Stadium. Come February, the Lions will begin their qualifying campaign for Asia's top football tournament against the same opponents.

The draw for the qualifying tournament for the 2015 Asian Cup was held in Melbourne on Tuesday, with Singapore thrown into Group A alongside Jordan, Syria and Oman. The Republic will kick off their qualification quest on Feb 6.

The tournament proper will be hosted by Australia in 2015.

"It's a tough group and we mustn't forget that the national team is going through a transition period now, with a lot of senior players having left the team," said Lions midfielder Hariss Harun, who was the youngest player in Radojko Avramovic's Lions side at 19 when he took to the pitch in Amman on that fateful day.

A draw would've seen the Lions qualify for the Asian Cup.

Singapore are easing into their preparations for the year-end Suzuki Cup and will face India next Tuesday in a friendly match. After a fiery encounter - and a post-match altercation - at the National Stadium in January 2009 that Singapore won 2-1, the Jordanians promised a hostile reception in Amman. While Hariss remembers the intimidation, he believes it is all water under the bridge.

"That was almost three years ago and Jordan managed to progress into the Asian Cup proper last year. I'm sure qualification will be foremost on their minds this time round - and ours too," he said.

Jordan did not just make up the numbers at the 2011 Doha tournament. They went as far as the quarter-finals, where they fell 2-1 to Uzbekistan.

In contrast, Singapore has never qualified for Asia's top football tournament. The Republic did play in the 1984 edition because they hosted the competition but crashed out at the group stage. - TODAY

LionsXII prepare to face ATM

LionsXII prepare to face ATM

Singapore's LionsXII face a make-or-break match in the second leg of the Malaysia Cup semi-finals on Thursday, 8.45pm.

They are level one all against Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) FA after the first leg.

And the decider will be played at Selangor's Selayang Stadium.

Singapore's LionsXII coach V Sundramoorthy is facing problems with his defence.

Safuwan Baharudin and Irwan Shah are both suspended.

Sundramoorthy explained why the Lions won't be training in Kuala Lumpur ahead of the match.

He said: "The whole season we've been training at Singapore before we depart to a match, especially an away game. So I don't want to change anything. I want to train at home and go away. And we have our travelling constraints with the boys in National Service."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~