Football: Malaysia's Soh Chin Aun can't wait for 'glamour' clash
Soh Chin Aun, one of Malaysia's greatest footballers, refused to give a prediction.
Current national coach K. Rajagobal would not let himself be drawn into talking too much about the fixture.
Ismail Ibrahim, coach of Malaysia's Young Tigers, felt it was too close to call.
Perhaps they all didn't want to talk about a Malaysia-Singapore clash because the ASEAN champions still have to overcome Chinese Taipei in the first round of the Asian Zone World Cup qualifiers.
The Lions, handed a bye by FIFA because of their higher ranking at the time of the draw in March, lie in wait in the second round.
Malaysia's pedigree suggests they should handle their first-round opponents easily, to set up a mouth-watering Causeway derby with their arch-rivals, and Soh knows very well the atmosphere that envelopes such matches.
Speaking to MediaCorp over the weekend, Soh, famously nicknamed the "Towkay" during his playing days, said: "Whenever the two teams meet, tension is always high and no one wants to lose, neither the players or the fans.
"And it's not only when the national teams meet, even when Malaysian states played Singapore in the Malaysia Cup, the stadiums were packed and the atmosphere would be very different.
"It has always been a very glamorous moment in a player's career either in Singapore or Malaysia, and I expect it will be the same this time."
Malaysia will play their first round double-header on June 29 (home) and July 3 (away). The second round tussle with Singapore will be on July 23 (Jalan Besar Stadium) and 28 (in Kuala Lumpur).
The stakes are high for Singapore. After a shock first-round exit at last December's AFF Suzuki Cup, coach Radojko Avramovic named seven uncapped players along with 11 others that used to be on the fringe of previous national squads in his provisional 33-man roster.
But Rajagobal, who steered Malaysia to victory in the tournament - their first ASEAN crown - does not expect a different Singapore side.
"They say Singapore is rebuilding, but the core players are still there, including Daniel Bennett and Shi Jiayi, and they come with a wealth of experience," he said.
"Anyway, I want my players to stay focused on our first game against Chinese Taipei, and to respect our opponents.
"The important thing is to get that job done, and then we'll have enough time to think about Singapore."
Singapore and Thailand share the record of three ASEAN titles each, but Malaysian football is on a high.
Twenty years after their last triumph, Malaysia's men won SEA Games gold again, at the 2009 tournament in Laos.
Then came their Suzuki Cup triumph 12 months later.
But Young Tigers' coach Ismail, a former Malaysian international, felt the form book will not matter, if the two arch-rivals do meet.
He said: "Past titles are in the past. The games will be decided on the day by the players on the pitch. We are traditional rivals and there's pride at stake."
The clash at Bukit Jalil Stadium on July 28 will be Soh's 61st birthday, which may well be a good omen for Malaysia.
Rajagobal hopes so, as he admitted his men will be under pressure to deliver the goods.
He said: "There is a lot of history in Singapore-Malaysia games, and there is definitely pressure on my team. Once you win (any title), you're expected to perform at a higher level."
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
2011年6月15日星期三
Under-23s go down in Sydney
Football: Avramovic angry as under-23s go down in Sydney
The Republic's under-23 football team were blitzed 6-0 by the Australian Olympic side in a friendly match in Sydney on Tuesday.
The match took place 48 hours later than initially scheduled due to a waterlogged pitch.
Singapore national coach Radojko Avramovic was angry after the game, and not because of the scoreline.
The young Lions were outplayed in every department by their bigger and more skilful opponents, who led 2-0 at half-time.
Speaking to MediaCorp via telephone, Avramovic gave his men a rating of five out of 10, and said: "Yes, they were physically stronger and they just came from a training camp in Europe preparing for their Olympic qualifier against Yemen, but our players have to ignore that and just go out and play.
"It's no problem to lose a game if you give 100 per cent and you try to play, but it upsets me to see them not trying."
Singapore's under-23 team have been set the target of reaching the final at November's SEA Games in Indonesia, and skipper Hariss Harun felt the game would be a good lesson.
"We could have done better but we made mistakes by not being calm and lacking experience," said Hariss. "Our team is still a work in progress. I'd love to play more teams of this calibre as we need the exposure and opportunities to gain more experience."
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
The Republic's under-23 football team were blitzed 6-0 by the Australian Olympic side in a friendly match in Sydney on Tuesday.
The match took place 48 hours later than initially scheduled due to a waterlogged pitch.
Singapore national coach Radojko Avramovic was angry after the game, and not because of the scoreline.
The young Lions were outplayed in every department by their bigger and more skilful opponents, who led 2-0 at half-time.
Speaking to MediaCorp via telephone, Avramovic gave his men a rating of five out of 10, and said: "Yes, they were physically stronger and they just came from a training camp in Europe preparing for their Olympic qualifier against Yemen, but our players have to ignore that and just go out and play.
"It's no problem to lose a game if you give 100 per cent and you try to play, but it upsets me to see them not trying."
Singapore's under-23 team have been set the target of reaching the final at November's SEA Games in Indonesia, and skipper Hariss Harun felt the game would be a good lesson.
"We could have done better but we made mistakes by not being calm and lacking experience," said Hariss. "Our team is still a work in progress. I'd love to play more teams of this calibre as we need the exposure and opportunities to gain more experience."
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
2011年6月8日星期三
Qiu sparks rout as Singapore beat Maldives
Football: Qiu sparks rout as Singapore beat Maldives
There were no long balls punted hopefully into the box, no defensive lapses, no toothlessness in front of a goal.
Indeed, there was no need for the Lions to even get out of second gear at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday night, where they beat the Maldives 4-0.
This was the first international fixture for Singapore since December's ill-fated AFF Suzuki Cup campaign that prompted a revamp of Radojko Avramovic's squad. And despite the gulf in standards between the sides last night, the signs were promising.
Led by Qiu Li, Shahdan Sulaiman and Shi Jiayi, the Lions got their pass-and-move groove on, at least in the first half, which saw three goals before Avramovic rung the changes.
Qiu (13th minute penalty, 19th), Shi (30th) and the evergreen Aleksandar Duric (48th) found the net for Singapore, but there were good showings all over the park.
Skipper Hariss Harun, who normally plays in midfield, was sturdy in central defence, Isa Halim and Ismail Yunos turned in assured performances, while the nine substitutes sent on gave decent accounts of themselves.
Said a pleased Avramovic after the game: "We have tried to play like this for a long time... but sometimes players forget what we want to do when we go on the field. This is the first game after six months and you can't expect everything, but I was happy with the first half performance. We saw many of the good football elements that we are trying to build in this team, there was good passing, good movement and a lot of chances created that way."
Avramovic singled out Shi and Shahdan for their inventive attacking play, along with the 30-year-old Qiu, whom the coach said can turn a game with a moment of brilliance.
Maldives coach Diego Andres Cruciani shared the Serb's sentiments, saying: "(Qiu) is a fantastic player… he can be a playmaker, striker and even played very well without the ball. It's not easy to find a player like him."
It could be easy to get carried away with such a victory, but Avramovic is aware that the Lions are still a work in progress, especially with the likes of Khairul Amri and Shahril Ishak still missing from the lineup, and about a month away from July's second round World Cup qualifiers.
"At the moment we need to build our team, our way of playing, if you have a tougher opponent, they won't give you the opportunity to try to do what you are preparing to do. Gradually when players are more familiar with their duties, you will look for quality opponents to improve your way of playing," said Avramovic.
The Lions' second half performance, which allowed the Maldives to attack significantly more than in the first period, illustrated the fact that they are indeed a work in progress.
But on Tuesday, the revamp was not only seen on the Jalan Besar green. The stands saw only 2,166 fans, with a group of about 20 diehards attempting to change the way they supported their team.
Jumping up and down, they started singing 20 minutes before kickoff and did not stop.
Equipped with chants, taunts and songs for their team, the fans won the hearts of the Lions.
Said 20-year-old Hariss: "It's very nice, gives a full feeling for a player. Even though (the stadium) was not full, I think it's the beginning of something new."
Avramovic was also full of praise for the fans, saying: "It's the first time I'm seeing people trying to cheer and help the team - it's a good sign."
The players and the football they played was also a good sign for the Serb.
"This group of players can play for a long period of time for the national team. I just hope we have enough time to sort out a few things before the World Cup qualifiers," he said.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
There were no long balls punted hopefully into the box, no defensive lapses, no toothlessness in front of a goal.
Indeed, there was no need for the Lions to even get out of second gear at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday night, where they beat the Maldives 4-0.
This was the first international fixture for Singapore since December's ill-fated AFF Suzuki Cup campaign that prompted a revamp of Radojko Avramovic's squad. And despite the gulf in standards between the sides last night, the signs were promising.
Led by Qiu Li, Shahdan Sulaiman and Shi Jiayi, the Lions got their pass-and-move groove on, at least in the first half, which saw three goals before Avramovic rung the changes.
Qiu (13th minute penalty, 19th), Shi (30th) and the evergreen Aleksandar Duric (48th) found the net for Singapore, but there were good showings all over the park.
Skipper Hariss Harun, who normally plays in midfield, was sturdy in central defence, Isa Halim and Ismail Yunos turned in assured performances, while the nine substitutes sent on gave decent accounts of themselves.
Said a pleased Avramovic after the game: "We have tried to play like this for a long time... but sometimes players forget what we want to do when we go on the field. This is the first game after six months and you can't expect everything, but I was happy with the first half performance. We saw many of the good football elements that we are trying to build in this team, there was good passing, good movement and a lot of chances created that way."
Avramovic singled out Shi and Shahdan for their inventive attacking play, along with the 30-year-old Qiu, whom the coach said can turn a game with a moment of brilliance.
Maldives coach Diego Andres Cruciani shared the Serb's sentiments, saying: "(Qiu) is a fantastic player… he can be a playmaker, striker and even played very well without the ball. It's not easy to find a player like him."
It could be easy to get carried away with such a victory, but Avramovic is aware that the Lions are still a work in progress, especially with the likes of Khairul Amri and Shahril Ishak still missing from the lineup, and about a month away from July's second round World Cup qualifiers.
"At the moment we need to build our team, our way of playing, if you have a tougher opponent, they won't give you the opportunity to try to do what you are preparing to do. Gradually when players are more familiar with their duties, you will look for quality opponents to improve your way of playing," said Avramovic.
The Lions' second half performance, which allowed the Maldives to attack significantly more than in the first period, illustrated the fact that they are indeed a work in progress.
But on Tuesday, the revamp was not only seen on the Jalan Besar green. The stands saw only 2,166 fans, with a group of about 20 diehards attempting to change the way they supported their team.
Jumping up and down, they started singing 20 minutes before kickoff and did not stop.
Equipped with chants, taunts and songs for their team, the fans won the hearts of the Lions.
Said 20-year-old Hariss: "It's very nice, gives a full feeling for a player. Even though (the stadium) was not full, I think it's the beginning of something new."
Avramovic was also full of praise for the fans, saying: "It's the first time I'm seeing people trying to cheer and help the team - it's a good sign."
The players and the football they played was also a good sign for the Serb.
"This group of players can play for a long period of time for the national team. I just hope we have enough time to sort out a few things before the World Cup qualifiers," he said.
~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~
2011年6月7日星期二
Hougang, Etoile cleared to play in Sg Cup
Hougang, Etoile cleared to play in Singapore Cup
SINGAPORE: The investigations are still ongoing, the verdict has not yet been reached, but the two teams involved in the pre-match fracas at the Hougang Stadium on May 23, Hougang United and Etoile FC, will be back in action soon.
The Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) disciplinary committee will reconvene for the third time on June 16 to hear the case but both clubs have had their indefinite suspensions lifted so they can play in their respective RHB Singapore Cup fixtures.
Hougang will face Malaysia's Young Tigers this Friday, while defending S-League champions Etoile take on Tanjong Pagar United next Wednesday.
But the individual players facing charges - Hougang's Fathi Yunos, Shariff Samat and assistant coach Hasrin Jailani; and Etoile's Serge Souchon and Hadama Bathily - will not be allowed to play.
"That's a wise decision, you can't punish the fans, the club and the other players for the mistakes of just a few individuals," said Etoile chairman Johan Gouttefangeas.
Hougang officials could not be contacted on Tuesday.
The pre-match brawl - a first in the 16-year history of the S-League - prompted officials to call off the teams' league fixtures pending the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings.
~News courtesy of Today~
SINGAPORE: The investigations are still ongoing, the verdict has not yet been reached, but the two teams involved in the pre-match fracas at the Hougang Stadium on May 23, Hougang United and Etoile FC, will be back in action soon.
The Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) disciplinary committee will reconvene for the third time on June 16 to hear the case but both clubs have had their indefinite suspensions lifted so they can play in their respective RHB Singapore Cup fixtures.
Hougang will face Malaysia's Young Tigers this Friday, while defending S-League champions Etoile take on Tanjong Pagar United next Wednesday.
But the individual players facing charges - Hougang's Fathi Yunos, Shariff Samat and assistant coach Hasrin Jailani; and Etoile's Serge Souchon and Hadama Bathily - will not be allowed to play.
"That's a wise decision, you can't punish the fans, the club and the other players for the mistakes of just a few individuals," said Etoile chairman Johan Gouttefangeas.
Hougang officials could not be contacted on Tuesday.
The pre-match brawl - a first in the 16-year history of the S-League - prompted officials to call off the teams' league fixtures pending the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings.
~News courtesy of Today~
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