BoLASEPaKO.COM - A Blog on Singapore Football

Marko Kraljevic taking charge at Toa Payoh

New Balestier Khalsa coach Marko Kraljevic appeared to be unperturbed for being late with their pre-season friendly schedule, as compared to other clubs, in preparation for the upcoming S.League season

Speaking to this blogger after the delayed friendly match against Harimau Muda, the well-travelled Croatian said:"I'm not worried for just only played my first friendly match today,"

Rain in Singapore after almost a month

Paul Cunningham (right) - Tigers mainstay

Scheduled to kick off at 5pm at the Toa Payoh Stadium, the match was delayed due to the activation of the Lightning Warning System (LWS) before the go-ahead was given to proceed the game at approximately 7pm that saw Balestier defeated their Malaysian visitors 1-0 with a strike from new Croatian signing Goran Ljubojevic in the 25th minute.

"It's because of the late arrival of our foreign players and we need some time to settle them in but I believe we are ready for the new S. League season." added coach Kraljevic who is back to the club for a second spell as a coach following earlier stints with the Tigers as their COE Under-16 coach in 2007 before moving on taking charge the Prime League squad a year later.

Ljubojevic nets the winner

Thrilling in the box in the second half

When asked where would he want to see the Tigers finish in this year's campaign, the 48-year-old replied no specific target had been set for the club who won last season's League Cup - their first major trophy since the league inception back in 1996.

Said Coach Kraljevic:"I have not set any target for my team this season, but definitely we have to be better than last year so as to raise the bar."

ITIMI NOT ON TRIAL WITH THE TIGERS
Meanwhile, former Singapore international Itimi Dickson was spotted coming out of the Tigers' tunnel before the match and it was earlier reported that Nigerian-born winger was on trial with the club, a notion that was rejected by the club.

Itimi Dickson just training only (file picture)

"Itimi is not on trial with the club." clarified Coach Kraljevic on the status of the 30-year-old who last played in Singapore for Geylang United back in 2010.

Citing the example like David Beckham and Thierry Henry for training with Arsenal to maintain their match fitness in the past, the joining of Itimi in the club training is of a similar nature like the two luminaries.

TIGERS FILLED UP THE IMPORT QUOTA FOR S.LEAGUE
Besides Ljubojevic, the club had confirmed their S.League foreign quota by retaining skipper Paul Cunningham, the Korean duo of Park Kang Jin and Kim Min Ho with another new signing in Serbian Lotinac Emir to complete the list.

Balestier Khalsa will begin their season with a visit away to take on Courts Young Lions on the 23rd of February.

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Albirex Niigata (S) held their introductory at JBS

"Football is played with eleven players a side and we have been here since 2004, thus it marks our eleventh year in Singapore football that we have set our target this season to win the S.League title in order to repay the faith of our supporters." declared Albirex Niigata (Singapore)'s chairman and CEO Mr Daisuke Korenaga at the team's introductory party held at the Jalan Besar Stadium this evening.

That title ambition echoed that of Korenga's Balestier Khalsa counterpart S Thavaneson who made the same declaration days earlier in the same building.

Korenga (left) set the title target this year

The new season will be kicking off this coming Friday with the Charity Shield match between reigning league champions Tampines Rovers and defending Singapore Cup winners Home United, this pre-season introductory gathering by the White Swans is one of the remaining scheduled for the next coming days.

Gracing the occasion is the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) adviser, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, who believes the Japanese side's capability in breaking new grounds for the upcoming season.

Said the former Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs:"After finishing 4-3-3 (in reference to the team's final league position in 2011, 2012, 2013), I believe this year is a deserving one for the team's quest for the title and I hope they finish well this season,

"Also, I appreciate the efforts made by Albirex Niigata (Singapore) both on and off the field for the show of their professionalism that helps to build the bridge between Japanese and Singaporean youth." added Assoc Prof Ho.

Group photo at the end of the session

That sentiment is shared by Mr Kensaku Konishi, the President and CEO of Canon South East Asia and South Asia, the club's main sponsor.

"I believe Albirex Niigata (Singapore) is important as from here, there are Japanese players who went on to play in other Asian countries and it's like exporting the brand name of Japan through Singapore and I believe with the completion of the Sports Hub we will see more big name teams playing here but at the same time we must also keep improving what we are doing."

The occasion also saw the formal introduction of Tatsuyuki Okuyama as the new head coach of the 2011 League Cup winners for the new campaign alongside with the rest of the squad at the VIP Lounge.

Player cards handed by during the event

However, Coach Okuyama is not a stranger to the league for having served as his predecessor Koiichi Sugiyama's assistant last year.

For having taken over the reins from the man who steered the team to their "golden era" in recent years, the 38-year-old Niigata native appears to be an optimist in facing the title challenge laid down by Korenga.

Speaking to this blogger on the sideline, the JFA 'A' License holder said:"I'm not surprise with the Chairman's (Korenga) declaration and since he has faith in me in doing so, I will have to repay that faith,"

"Of course, every team wants to be the champions, but on top of that, we want to build on the good work (by Sugiyama) by playing attacking, entertaining football because I believe in doing that it will bring in more fans to our games that will help to motivate the players on the field in our title bid."

Albirex Niigata (Singapore) will mark the start of their season when they face Brunei DPMM at their Jurong East base on 22nd of February.

Duric (left):"What's wrong with us?"

Tampines Rovers got off from a worst possible start with this 5-0 thrashing to Kitchee SC of Hong Kong in their AFC Cup opener at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The reigning S.League champions found themselves featuring in the second-tier Asian club tournament following their exit from the elite Asian Champions League (ACL) where they lost to another Hong Kong side, South China AA in the playoff weeks ago.

However, it does not mean the Stags have it easy either in this tournament, which used to be a breeze for them in the group stages in the past.

Impressive Jordi (18) tormented Stags

In fact, the ripping apart from the Blue Wave on the team laden with experience on the continent front would suggest the widening of the gap between the two former British colonies in footballing terms.

The dominating of possession right from the start enabled Kitchee to dictate the rhythm of the game with their usual style of swift passing on and off the ball the crowds had witnessed in recent years left behind by their former coach Josep Gombau that left the hosts barely able to touch the ball, letting alone on making any foray into the Hong Kongers' territory.

Ang Zhiwei (right) debuts on Asian level

Despite that domination, the visitors only took the lead in the 40th minute through their Spaniard import Jordi before added on to his tally before the end of the first half to make it 2-0 and that signalled the opening of the floodgates in the 47th minute with a strike from midfielder Chan Man Fai.

Substitute Xu Deshuai made it 4-0 in the 56th minute before the Hong Kong FA Cup holders answered the call from their small band of travelling supporters to hammer the fifth nail onto the coffin by another Spanish import Juan Carlos Belencoso who benefited from a defensive blunder at the Stags' box in the 90th minute.

Stags strikeforce lacking support upfront

When asked about his thoughts on having led a Singapore club side to their heaviest defeat since the start of the tournament, Tampines coach Salim Moin felt that it was a learning experience for him.

Said the former Woodlands Wellington coach:"It's a baptist of fire for me and an eye-opener for me which I hope not just myself, but also the players can learn from this game,"

"We have lost to a better team today and I hope the team will get back to their momentum soon that we will see the difference after four, five matches."

Jamil Ali making forays to Kitchee's box

Citing the conditioning of both teams could also be one factor for the lopsided scored is another reason Coach Salim offered in his post-match assessment with the media.

"It's a factor that when you have one team already into half of their season, whereas we are at the beginning of ours thus it still takes time to get settled down." suggested the former national midfielder.

It used to be the other way

Meanwhile, Kitchee's coach Alex Chu opined that he was not surprised with the result during his post-match media briefing.

"I am not surprised with the result, as we saw Tampines Rovers played against South China (in ACL playoff) recently that we were able to analysis the way they played, I also felt that our possessing of the ball was very good in keeping 60 to 75% of the ball and that's why we won the game." said the former defender.

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The match ended 1-1 (picture source)

Balestier Khalsa's coach Marko Kraljevic did not hide his disappointment for not having his playmaker Park Kang Jin on the field earlier.

"I'm not happy because I missed my playmaker (Park)," said Coach Kraljevic in his post match media briefing.

"He suffered some knocks in our last game against (Courts) Young Lions, we did try to get him ready for tonight and he had taken painkillers yesterday, but he is still not fit which I think he should ok for the next two, three days." updated the Croatian coach on the 25-year-old's condition.

The absence of the Korean midfielder was clearly in evidence in the Tigers' one-all draw with Woodlands Wellington at the Jalan Besar Stadium with their marquee signing Goran Ljubojevic left largely isolated upfront unable to get the much-needed service to work his wonder in the box.

Hanafi still has a long way to go (file picture)

By deploying former Youth Olympics (YOG) midfielder Hanafi Akbar in place of Park didn't reap any result and had the 19-year-old youngster replaced with another Prime League player Ahmad Syahir midway through the match.

"I tried Hanafi today, obviously he's not ready for the role," assessed Coach Kraljevic on the teenage prodigy's performance, "We need someone who can pass and split the defence and tonight we were lacking someone with the creativity and I felt we should have done better in the attacking third."

"Nonetheless, I am happy with the hard work shown by the team and I think it's fair result." he added.

With the missing creativity on the field, the match was largely a scrappy affair with tough plays dominated much of the limelight that referee Sukhbir Singh had to reach for his pocket to keep things under control on several occasions.

Goran Ljubojevic (file picture)

The deadlock was finally broken in the second half when Woodlands' custodian Yazid Yazin was guilty for the misjudgment at the near post and allowed the ball off a deflected clearance landed on the path of Ljubojevic to see the Croatian tap into the empty net in the 67th minute.

"I will never criticize him (Yazid) or anyone for that (goal by Ljubojevic)," said Woodland's coach Darren Stewart after the match on the misjudgment by the veteran goalkeeper.

"Goalkeepers do make mistakes and we can see after that goal, he came out three, four times to pluck those corners." added the former Australian international in lauding the quick recovery of nerves by the 34-year-old stalwart.

The designated hosts did not wait for long to equalize the scores and when they did, it was another goal worthy for a nomination for the "Goal of the Year" award.

Balestier's Coach Kraljevic shares his thought after match

A curler from the edge of the box on the left by the former Balestier player Chang Jo Yoon in the 73rd minute left Tigers' keeper Zaiful Nizam no chance but to pick the ball out of the net to restart the match.

Sharing the same thoughts with his counterpart, the Rams' tactician felt it was a fair result for both.

Said Coach Stewart:"It was a fair result and I am pleased that we played well by keeping the ball on the ground with good attacking football,"

"We did well defensively by keeping the Balestier's big boy at the bay and although we are beginning to click as a team, I felt our passing in the final third was a bit off and giving away too many free kicks around the box."

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Friendly - Geylang Int'l 1-0 Tampines Rovers 25/1/14

Alex Duric (left) doubled-up as a stretcher man

First compilation of the year with the hosting Eagles beat the defending #sleague champions 1-0 at Bedok Stadium with a Leonel Felice strike from the spot in the dying minutes.

Another challenge task as I had constantly battle with the changing light conditions amid the evening sunset.

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ACL Playoff - Tampines Rovers 1-2 South China AA 2/2/2014

The Stags did not have a good competitive start to the year with a 2-1 loss to 南华 of Hong Kong and will them back in the AFC Cup for the third time in running.

The loss of the reigning S.League champions meant Balestier Khalsa will not be competing in the second-tier continental club tournament.

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Asian Cup Qualifiers - Singapore 1-3 Jordan 4/2/201414

ordan proved to our football nemesis whether it comes to a crucial juncture for a qualification for a major tournament.

Perhaps, we should use them as the benchmark to gauge our improvement and instead of the MOU signed years ago amid much controversies since.

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Friendly - Balestier Khalsa 1-0 Harimau Muda 8/2/2014

Sparring match against Harimau Muda was the first friendly played by Balestier Khalsa Football Club under new head coach Marko Kraljevic and won the match a goal to nil with new signing Goran Ljubojevic scoring in the 25th minute.

But the match delayed for an almost good two hours following the activation of the LWS at the stadium after the rain.

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AFC Cup Tampines Rovers 0-5 Kitchee SC 26/2/14

The result must be served as a wake-up call not just for the Stags but also for the whole Singapore football fraternity to stop the slide from going further down and also to ditch the "shiok sendiri" mindset that has been plagued in the scene.

To be frank, Kitchee SC should not be seen as a stranger to Singapore football in recent years for having come to play at the JBS on several occasions and would have more or less be prepared for this match to avoid such a margin.

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National Stadium is one of ASL's venues?

”This, I hope will be a spill over to Our S.League. Rather than taking away another 25 players, technical and medical team from the league.” said a friend, in a text conversation, to me not that long ago.

The "spill over" he referred was not the one the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) projected in the first place from the Lions XlI's participation in the Malaysian Super League (MSL) to the S.League.

Rather, this friend, who is an official of a S.League club, suggested to have the proposed Asean Super League (ASL) to be participated by national teams instead of the suggested franchise basis.

"Eight to ten countries, rather than franchise teams, will attract capacity crowds rather than re-create another following." argued this friend of mine on the downside of filling up teams in ASL with zero background.

Hong Kong (white) vs Singapore - a common fixture

He added:"FAs are finding it tough to find quality opponents for its own national team, often facing criticism on playing the likes of Laos, Philippines, Maldives and Hong Kong in meaningless 45-minute per player to gain a cap in one-off friendlies to meet their KPIs."

He went further in depth to justify his visions on how the national team-based tournament would benefit those up and coming national teams in this region.

"Playing Suzuki (note: being just an example here, if the Japanese car makers are the title sponsors) Super League is also preparations for the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers," said my friend, "It is also development of countries likes Laos, Myanmar, Brunei in terms of hosting and their national teams with an Under-21 team from these countries being featured in an AFF Suzuki B League. Get them ready for the elusive Sea Games Gold, why not?"

More opportunities for S.League players in my friend's plan?

Having a regular competitive tournament for these national teams would also mean the wages of those national coaches "will be justified", since now they will have to be on the look out constantly to check on their domestic clubs to call up players for the national cause.

Not just on the field, the mileage off of it would also benefit those potential sponsors and broadcasters too, as spelt out in the later stages of our conversation.

"Imagine seeing Suzuki (Bill)Boards at all countries from February to November. instead of seeing them only in Nov(ember)/Dec(ember) every alternate year,

"Even if asked to pump in additional 1m (million), Suzuki will see it worth their thought." singled out by my friend on the potential cash cow spinning off from his format.

"Eight to ten countries, rather than franchise teams, will attract capacity crowds rather than re-create another following." argued this friend of mine on the downside of filling up teams in ASL with zero background.

In which, that could also allow TV companies to justify their charges by providing quality contents to their viewers.

"(Terrestrial provider) Mediacorp FOC (Free-Of-Charge), (cable operators) StarHub can justify its football subscription plan,

"TV commentators will be more sought after. Imagine four-five matches playing at the same time." concluded his thoughts at the end of the day.

The "high-cut" Magista by Nike

The first impression of the new Magista Football boot from Nike would instantly bought many fans back to the early days of the game when the "high-cut" design of any football boot was the conventional design then.

Thus, in a move to revolutionize the look and feel of its latest product, the sporting giants decided to go along with that retro yet "radical" look to "redefines the concept of how football boots look and perform", according to the media release issued.

Born from four years of R&D in the Nike Sport Research Lab and with feedback from some of the world’s best attacking laymakers, including Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta and German forward Mario Gotze, the Magista is designed to enable devastating creativity in a game where space is at a premium.

Another new technology being used in the design of Magista is the integration of "Nike Flyknit technology".

NIKE FLYKNIT TECHNOLOGY
Nike Flyknit – which was first used in Nike running shoes in 2012 and most recently in the KOBE 9 Elite basketball shoe – defies conventional shoe manufacturing processes by creating an engineered upper woven from special yarns.

Utilizing a custom Nike last and Nike Flyknit construction, Magista offers a snug fit at the arch, heel and forefoot, and the added element of a Dynamic Fit collar hugs players in, locking them down in the boot.

NIKESKIN

For consistent contact and increased control, the Magista features a 3D-knit textured upper. The Magista player needs a more aggressive texture to create friction on the ball for accurate dribbling and striking.

To protect the foot from water and cold, Nike’s design team developed a special application of NIKESKIN placed over top the Flyknit. The skin is less than 0.1 mm thick — thinner than a sheet of paper — and melts onto the knit to help protect from water that provide protection.

Pebax®-and-nylon plate
The Magista player stops, decelerates and moves in multiple directions while controlling the ball. For this player, Nike added 360° rotational traction through conical studs and a Pebax®-and-nylon plate to improve traction.

Compressed nylon offers a highly responsive plate that delivers strength while remaining incredibly light. Combined with Pebax, the structure allows for flex and increased movement with the foot while eliminating mechanical flex (an area where the boot always flexes in the same spot).

Nylon extends to the big toe and acts as a chassis to help players plant and then spring off the ground for more explosive speed. Nike also removed the insole board to place the player closer to the ground for a better center of gravity and
enhanced traction. Finally, the entirely conical stud configuration is unique to the Magista, enabling 360° rotation.

The Magista will be available in stores from 22 May 2014 at a retail price of SGD 399.

Yasir Hanapi (with ball) scored in the 26th minute

While the 1-1 draw against Indonesian side Persipura Jayapura that might have dented their chance of advancing forward to the next round, it was an improved performance by an S.League club in this round of the AFC Cup group stages with Home United restored the much-needed pride for the Singapore clubs in the second-tier continental club tournament.

The result came after the forgettable 5-0 washout by Hong Kong's Kitchee SC over Tampines Rovers in late February in another group stages match that cast a doubt if any of the Singapore representatives would able to make it to the round of 16 of the competition.

Lee Kwan Woo (13) tussled with Im Junsik

As a team representing the Singapore professional football league, Home United's Korean coach Lee Lim Saeng emphasized his will to do well in the tournament, which he last led the reigning Singapore Cup holders to the octo-finals back in 2012, in spite of the thin squad he is having at his disposal.

Speaking to the media at post-match press conference, the former Korean international said:"Being a representative for the S. League, we are hoping to do well in the AFC Cup,"

"However, I only have 13 players who are fit and that's why I hope there will be no further injuries to my team." added Coach Lee, who had to take out marquee player Lee Kwan Woo in the second half while having to see right-back Ismail Yunos came out a few times to receive treatment on a suspected twisted ankle after using up his substitutes.

Juma'at Jantan (4) rose above to defuse the danger

Eye on the ball in the middle of the park

Under the hazy condition at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the designated hosts started the match on the upper hand by dominating much of the play in the first half, which Persipura's Brazilian coach Jacksen Tiago felt it was the best performance to date by the Protectors in this tournament.

Said the former Geylang United striker:"My team gave too much room to the Home United's midfield and it was difficult for us to catch them in the first half, which I think was their best performance in the AFC Cup so far after watching them on videos."

"But Home United struggled in the second half with both teams got tired and one point from tonight's (last evening) game is good enough for us, although I believe we are still not in our best form that I hope we can play much better next time."

Claiming the possession

Ismail Yunos (8) got ahead of his opponent

The commitment to show improvement after tonight's match was echoed by Coach Lee too.

However, coupled with injuries sustained by several of his key players amid a tight schedule ahead for the Bishan-based club, the 2013's "Coach of The Year" recipient revealed that he may have to tweak his tactics along the way to fit his plan as his team is due to face Brunei DPMM on coming Friday before heading on the road again next week for another AFC Cup match against Churchill Brothers in India.

Persipura Jayapura's coach Jacksen Tiago

Said Coach Lee:"I need to change my game tactics with the tight schedule we have in the S.League and the AFC Cup, but before doing that I need to check on the players individually to decide what the next course of action."

For the record, Home United took the lead in the 26th minute through Yasir Hanapi that was cancelled out in the 74th minute from a strike from Ferinando Pahabol who came on for Ian Kabes in the 57th minute.

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore, images depicted in this blog entry are issued alongside with the same media release.)

Group Photo for the Launch (credit: FAS)

In a move to give footballers a head start to a viable coaching career path, a collaboration between the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and the Republic Polytechnic (RP) had launched recently to provide opportunity for players who are keen to make that progression.

Under the new program, the pilot batch of the 22 selected students from the RP’s Diploma in Sports Coaching course will be awarded the AFC (Asia Football Confederation) ‘C’ Coaching Certification, accredited by the game's continental governing body, upon successful completion of their course.

On top of that, these students will also be awarded the National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) Level One Certificate, a coaching certification accredited by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), as revealed in a media release issued by FAS on this new initiative.

Some of the students from the pilot batch (FAS)

“We are privileged to be the first institute of higher learning to partner FAS in offering this customisedprogramme. This collaboration will value add to our sports coaching diploma’s curriculum, and allow our students to deepen both their theoretical knowledge and practical coaching skills as they strive to become the next generation of football coaches.” said Mr Seto Lok Yin, Deputy Principal (Industry Services), Republic Polytechnic on the objective of this new collaboration in the said release.

Sharing his thoughts on this new course, Lions XII midfielder Ignatius Ang believe that he will benefit from the course.

Said the second-year student of RP:“Possessing an AFC “C” Licence will certainly help me both on and off the pitch. It will set the technical foundations for me as a player to see through the eyes of a coach. It will also give me an option to pursue coaching as a career in future. I’m delighted to be in the pioneer batch of RP students to be given this opportunity.”

Concurring the same sentiments is Nabilah Abdul Latiff of the Women’s National Team, she said:“Although I am still playing competitive football, getting my coaching certifications early helps me prepare for a post-playing career in coaching. It is also good because while doing so, I also get the NCAP certification, which is recognised at the national level. In addition to the coaching certifications, we also get our academic diplomas so it is a triple bonus for us students.”

Mr Lim Kia Tong addresses the audience (FAS)

Gracing the occasion over the last weekend that announced the launch of the program at the Polytechnic's premises, FAS's vice-president, Mr Lim Kia Tong said:"The launch of and the injection of the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate Course as a module of the Republic Polytechnic’s Diploma in Sports Coaching Course is a brilliant idea emanating from Republic Polytechnic. The implementation of the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate Course for students of Republic Polytechnic is very important milestone and chapter in the history of the Republic Polytechnic and the Football Association of Singapore (“FAS”). For the first time in the long history of the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate Course, we see the youngest cohort of participants of the ages between 18 and 22 years.

“It is very beneficial to see people being trained to be coaches from a young age as the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate is the first step towards the AFC Pro Diploma coaching licence, which is the qualification required to coach at the elite level. It would be very interesting if all the students in this cohort obtain the AFC ‘C’ Coaching Certificate at these ages. They will have many years to polish up their coaching skills as they journey towards getting the AFC Pro Diploma Coaching Licence." he added.

Scholes (center, facing the camera)

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes wooed the crowds this morning at Courts Megastore in Tampines where he made his appearance at the invitation by the leading IT and furniture retailer.

As part of their 40th anniversary celebration, Courts decided that the presence of the former England midfielder dovetailed the occasion with Scholes, himself, will be celebrating his 40th birthday this coming November.

A day before this morning, the ex-England international was at the Jalan Besar Stadium where a special coaching session was held between him and the players from Courts Young Lions, the S.League team that is being sponsored by Courts.

For having played his entire career for the Red Devils, it was no surprise to have the most questions on them fielded by the media in a roundtable session.

Scholes snapping some shots

Sharing his thoughts on the result of the Champions League draw last night, where the beleaguered powerhouses are slated to face Bayern Munich, the "Ginger Prince" felt that despite the difficult times, the team are still capable of doing well.

Said Scholes:"I think we are still capable to beat Bayern Munich (in the Champions League), as we are having quality players in the team."

The soft-spoken legend revealed that he will be starting his coaching courses in coming June and is hoping for "something to come along the way", while spending quality time with his family since hanging up his boots last May.

"Media Roundtable" at the Courts Megastore

In the meantime, drawing his experience of starting out from the junior ranks of the Red Devils, Scholes appreciated the journey for playing alongside with some of the best in the business.

"It was an incredible experience for playing with some of these established players who were always there to give advice when needed,"

In having said that, the retired midfielder believes the importance of youth development in football.

Scholes shares his thoughts on various topic

Youth (development) is a must, as they are the future of the game and from what I saw yesterday, the players are willing to learn and desperate to be at the top, that should be the way to be and there's no guarantee to success."

Inspiring a younger generation of footballers with players like Scholes to share their vast experience is the reason why Courts have been actively inviting others like Robbie Fowler, Dietmar Hamann in the past.

Group CEO of Courts Asia - Mr Terry O'Connor

Reaffirmed that commitment at the roundtable session is Group CEO of Courts Asia, Mr Terry O'Connor.

"It's always interesting to bring top iconic players to be role models for the young players to inspire from," opined the 46-year-old Englishman.

"Being part of our community engagement, what we hope to achieve is to give a different platform in our ongoing engagement with the FAS and the S.League, it's something not on short-term basis but it's going in the right direction."

View from the top of the match

Tanjong Pagar United put their recent slide to a halt with a scrappy 3-2 win over Courts Young Lions at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

By any account, it wasn't the best display of football shown by the Jaguars, but having snapped the recent poor run of form had relieved some pressure off their French coach Patrick Vallee.

Speaking to the media after the game, the 2010 title-winning coach lauded the performance shown by his depleted side.

"I'm very happy and proud of my players today for not giving up," said the Frenchman, "It was a good effort shown and especially by (Monsef) Zerka for putting up a very good performance."

For the record, the Moroccan marquee signing of the last season's Cup losing finalists netted a hat-trick to see him broke his scoring duck for the campaign after a barren spell that lasted for four matches.

Capitalized on opportunities as the result of some defensive slip-ups by the hosts, the former Moroccan international opened his account by levelling the scores in the 36th minute by slotted home the ball into the unguarded goal before gifted the visitors the lead in the 48th minute with a header off a corner.

The winning goal of the match was a master class effort by the 33-year-old by finishing off with ease after lobbing the ball over the onrushing Young Lions' custodian Syazwan Buhari on the edge of the box in the 53rd minute.

Putting those aside, the same would not say on the Jaguars backline that is besieged by the absence of key players due to injuries with the likes of Anthony Aymard and Zahid Ahmad sitting out for the match.

Should decisiveness be in place in the 18th minute, Tanjong Pagar would not have found themselves trailing by a goal when Hanafi Salleh failure to clear the ball from close range and eventually had former Geylang United striker Amy Recha triggered the scoreboard the 18th minute.

While Coach Vallee may not be too pleased with the manner how the above mentioned goal was conceded, he was pleased with the effort shown by his defence this evening.

Coach Vallee (left) shares his thoughts

Said the ex-Etoile coach:"I'm not happy with how the first goal was conceded, but overall I am happy with the effort shown by the defence with everyone from the team came to help."

Despite being the better-shaped of the two, the national developmental side could only find themselves accepted their losing fate once again after they ran out of ammunition following the short-lived equalizer by Muhaymin Salim in the 50th minute.

"We could have done better with the chances we created after the two goals that we could have equalized towards the end of the game." lamented Young Lions coach Aide Iskandar in the post-match media session.

"I am also not happy with our defence that we must learn not to repeat the same mistakes and we will continue work hard to stop conceded goals like those tonight."

Indra Sahdan (no.19) scored the winner

Save for the own goal resulted by Precious Emuejeraye's touch in the 26th minute that led to the equalizer for the visiting Churchill Brothers, it was, otherwise, a dominant performance by Home United in this returning AFC Cup Group E fixture at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The Goa side beat the reigning Singapore Cup holders 3-1 in their earlier meeting and with defending S.League champions Tampines Rovers defeated another Indian side Pune FC a day earlier in another group match, it was without any doubt that the Protectors were determined to duplicate the same outcome.

Fazrul (right) can't stop scoring since his return

Izzdin Shafiq (right) tussle with Balwant Singh

All hard works eventually paid off when 35-year-old striker Indra Sahdan Daud, who came on as a replacement for Emuejeraye in the second half, scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute to signal his comeback to the scene after long lay off since last September when he broke his leg in a friendly match against Hong Kong.

"I feel good and happy to score (the winning goal) but the important thing is the team win tonight, as we have not been getting the results we want." said former national skipper on scoring the goal that gifted his side their season's first continental win after the match.

Timely tackle by Ismail Yunos (no.8) in second half

Camara rose to clear the danger

Indeed, the recent weeks had been a grueling period for the Bishan-based club for having a number of key players not available due to injuries and saw they relied heavily on a largely skeletal squad in all competitions.

Nonetheless, Coach Lee Lim Saeng is able to catch a breather of late when stalwarts like Fazrul Nawaz and import Bruno Castanheira are making their return to the starting lineup to beef up their attack up front with the former on a scoring spree since returning to the action last month by triggered the strike the 25th minute.

Bruno (no.7) adds flair to HU's attack

However, the former Korea national defender is not ready to rest on the laurels with those cautions he sounded at the post-match press conference.

Speaking to the media after the 2-1 win, Coach Lee said:"I'm happy with the result and thank my players, but we are not finished yet。"

"My main concern is my players' fitness, we are playing seven games this month with our next game against Balestier (on this coming Saturday)and we need to show more improvement in collecting the ball, better support between our defence and attack."

Despite the win that favourably placed the Protectors on verge of repeating the same feat they did in 2012 by making to the knock-out phrase of the continent second-tier tournament, the Incheon native maintained:"It's too early to see if we can make it to next round, we need to see the next game."

(P.S: If you access this site via "come.to/matchpix", please click the "Facebook" icon after you click "HERE" when you want to view the album as that will redirect you to the album, thank you)

AFC Cup Home Utd 1-1 Persipura Jayapura 11/3/14

Eye on the ball on a hazy night

This was the first time I wore a mask to shoot the match, as it was so hazy and choking that evening.

Much better display from a S.League side with Home United drew 1-1 with Persipura Jayapura in this fixture, but the Protectors paid the heavy price for having a thin squad for this campaign and made things look very difficult for them at this stage.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

Paul Scholes at Court Megastore

Paul was looking at me ...

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes was at Court Megastore on the invitation by the IT and furniture retailing giants.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE PICTURES

S.League - Home Utd 2-2 Hougang Utd 28/3/14

Fazrul Nawaz (no 17) on song since his return

Everything started well until the haze struck again and should brought along my mask.. "Cough.. Cough".

Anyway, it was a fair result for the outcome that the visiting Cheetahs failed to capitalize on the numerical advantage after Home's Lee Kwan Woo was sent off early in second half.

It was good to see Fazrul Nawaz stabbed home from close range to level the match at the skin of the teeth after his comeback from a lengthy rehab period.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by the Football Association of Singapore)

Home Utd are the reigning Cup holders (file)

Despite their heart breaking exit from the AFC Cup tournament weeks ago, Home United found on a new battleground surrounded by another legion of foreign teams.

As the reigning Cup holders, the Protectors will now have to fight their way out of the Pool B of this season's RHB Singapore Cup tournament to be assured of another chance to represent the island republic in the continental front.

In a draw that was held this morning at the Jalan Besar Stadium, the Bishan-based club were drawn into the group that features fellow S.League sides like Albirex Niigata (Singapore) FC and Brunei DPMM with the returning of Filipino sides Global FC and Loyola Meralco Sparks.

The remaining three slots in Pool B went to the newcomers of the tournament - Nagacorp FC and Svay Rieng FC of Cambodia with Laotian side Champasak filling up the roster.

EXTENSION OF SPONSORSHIP BY RHB BANK
The same ceremony also witnessed the renewal for the sponsorship of the local premium Cup tournament by the Malaysian banking giants for another three years starting from 2014.

The renewal of sponsorship by RHB Bank (credit: FAS)

As part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, RHB Bank Berhad is working closely with the S.League to enhance and strengthen ongoing efforts to make the RHB Singapore Cup even more exciting and also to venture out to the region to promote this tournament which includes the donation of footballs to needy children in Cambodia, as revealed in a statement issued by the tournament organizers following the draw.

Said RHB Bank Singapore Country Head, Mr Jason Wong:“The RHB Singapore Cup has a very pronounced presence in South East Asian football. Due to the regional presence of this competition, there is natural synergy between FAS and RHB to work together as the Bank expands our operations in ASEAN. Through the sponsorship of the RHB Singapore Cup, RHB Bank is proud and heartened to be part of the ongoing process of football development and the laying of a strong footballing foundation in Singapore. The participation of foreign clubs heightens the competitiveness of the tournament and being a knock out tournament and with big prize money at stake it has proven to be most exciting year after year.”

LM Sparks' Phil Younghusband will be again (file)

Showing his appreciation for the extension of the sponsorship that is now into the tenth year, FAS president Mr Zainudin Nordin said:“We are heartened and also humbled by RHB Bank Berhad’s unstinting support of the RHB Singapore Cup. This sponsorship renewal is another milestone for the S.League, as this would be our third major sponsor re-signing in two years, including YEO’s and Great Eastern, our co-title sponsors for the S.League. This is further testament that big corporations like our partners believe strongly in the S.League branding and they are very confident of the commercial value the league brings to their businesses."

At the meantime, the Pool A comprises of the following teams - Harimau Muda, Tampines Rovers, Woodlands Wellington, Geylang International, Tanjong Pagar United, Hougang United, Warriors FC, Balestier Khalsa.

The schedule of the Preliminary Round of the tournament will be made known on a later date with the draw as follows:-

Pool A:
Harimau Muda vs Tampines Rovers FC
Woodlands Wellington FC vs Geylang International FC
Tanjong Pagar United FC vs Hougang United FC
Warriors FC vs Balestier Khalsa FC

Pool B:
Svay Rieng FC (Cambodia) vs Albirex Niigata (S) FC
Home United FC vs Nagacorp FC (Cambodia)
Global FC (Philippines) vs Brunei DPMM FC
Loyola Meralco Sparks FC (Philippines) vs SHB Champasak FC (Laos)

Harimau Muda (yellow, blue top) are struggling (file)

The recent poor run of form by Harimau Muda in our own S.League had prompted one commentary to question if their presence in the setup has actually degraded the standard of play in which the league authority has always stressed the need of foreign teams is to expose local clubs and players to various styles of football.

Merely days ago, came another bombshell when it was reported that Johor FA president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim announced the plan to uproot Johor Darul Takzim II (JDT II) from Malaysian Premier League, the country's second-tier league to play in the S.League for developmental purpose.

Lions' skipper Shahril Ishak plays for JDT II

At this present moment, we don't have any idea if the plan for JDT II is to field as a new team in the republic's professional league or taking over the role of that of Harimau Muda under the MOU signed in 2011.

But the undesirable taste of having seen our own league being used as nurturing ground for others' benefits has made me wonder if the "exposing to different styles of play" argument is still valid?

DPMM rejoined S.League in 2012 (file)

Bear it in mind that the presence of having foreign teams in the league all those years may not have necessarily seen the standard of football risen up, given the dismal showing by our clubs in the continental front in recent years.

While some may think it's a bit far fledge to link S.League sides' poor AFC Cup performance with the presence of these foreign sides in the league, but again if these are the teams supposed to uplift the play of the game then shouldn't the gap be narrowed instead of widening?

Of course, we cannot place all the shortcomings of local football on these guest sides, but the thoughts of some merely using OUR league for their own nurturing agenda at our own expense is something absolutely uncalled for.

We are not doing well in AFC Cup, why? (file)

After all, it's professional football we are trying to convince the largely disinterested fans out there and not seen as a farm league for others' grooming purposes.

Why are we taking care of others' need when we should be fixing the loose ends of ours?

Time to Wake Up Lah!

(P.S:I am actually having a hard time in putting down my thoughts in this entry with the magnitude of the disappointments I have on local football of late.

It has been just far too many of them which I felt some of those issues I already blogged and shall not dwell on those.)

(This entry is made possible by the arrangement of Zeno Asia, the PR agency for the event)

The main hall of the exhibition

When ten players in the Brazilian national team wore Nike football boots back in 1994 that eventually saw them went on to win the World Cup back then, people would think the American sporting giants' association with the world's most popular game only begun that year.

In actual fact, Nike's involvement with football traced its roots back in 1971 when they launched their first model (named "The Nike") that featured the Swoosh and were sold by Blue Ribbon Sports before material defects caused the discontinuing of the production shortly after the launch.

Following the staging of the World Cup on American soils in 1994, Nike decided that it was the right opportunity to make their presence felt in football through their cutting edge innovations and they never looked back since.

Thus, the "Hypersense: The Art and Science of Modern Football" exhibition in the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands showcases the evolution of the footballing products by Nike following that year.

The Brazil team jersey for the World Cup

In this exhibition, visitors are given an insight on how Nike's incorporation of both arts and their various innovations into their products like boots and football jerseys.

With a number of teams going to be outfitted by them in the coming World Cup in June, the designs of the jerseys also included elements to reflect the cultural characteristics of each team.

"For example, the "Y" neckline of the Brazil team jersey is to reflect the Brazilians' laid back, easygoing nature and their life revolvment around football." explained Aryn, the "Ekin" (product specialist) from Nike who gave a guided tour of this event to this blogger.

The concept of Nike FC

Part of the tour also led to the introduction of the "Nike FC" concept that was introduced in 1994 that counts some of the biggest names of the game as part of this club from the early days like Luís Figo, Fabio Cannavaro to the recent inclusion of Neymar Jr., Jack Wilshere and Dani Osvaldo.

The concept of "Nike FC" is to enforce the thoughts of having the "style, daring to do whatever it took to bring victory to their teams and nations. To honor the all-or-nothing approach of these athletes," with a series of lifestyle products to compliment that belief (such as shoes, jackets, etc.).

Visitors at the exhibition are also given the opportunity to try out the latest football boots from Nike - "Mercurial Superfly" and "Magista Obra".

"Magista Obra" (lime) with "Mercurial Superfly" (red)

The former is due to make its debut on the field by Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo when he and Real Madrid are set to take on their crosstown rivals Atlético Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Final later this month, while the latter model is conceptualized with inputs from Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta.

The event is still ongoing till this coming Sunday (18th May) from 10am to 7pm daily at the Level Four of the ArtScience Museum with the admission is free.

(This entry is formulated with some information provided via media release from the event organizers - Desso Sports System and Singapore Sports Hub)

The new 55,000-seater National Stadium

I was part of the media contingent who were invited to have a feel and look of the new turf surface that is to be the centrepiece of the new 55,000-seater National Stadium within the premises of the iconic Singapore Sports Hub.

Scheduled to be completed by next month when the new arena will be staging their very first event - The Rugby World Club 10s on 21st and 22nd of June, the pitch will be turfed using Desso GrassMaster system which is developed by Desso Sports System, a leading specialists in global sports field technology.

Kudos to these guys for their work

A moth inspecting the blades of the grass

Prior to the stadium tour, the contingent were given a presentation by the event organizers on why Desso GrassMaster was chosen ahead of the other two alternate methods (namely the "Lay and Play" and "Artificial Surface") to lay the playing surface in a process that took 19 months.

Having the target of staging up to 90 events a year, it's essential to have a surface can be used for both sporting and non-sporting events that requires versatility and durability.

For that being the reasons why the "Lay and Play" (for the lack of reinforcement to hold the grass to the surface and risk of having players being injured) and "Artificial Surface" (while providing shorter maintenance period, it doesn't meet the requirements of the athletics world governing body - IAAF's approval and other credibility issues) are ruled out.

(L-R) DTZ's Senior Director Gregory Gillin and Desso's CEO
Alexander Collot d'Escury with grass sample of the field

Besides providing better stability and reinforcement of the grass to the playing surface, Desso GrassMaster earned the nod for having the lowest operational costs among the three surfaces that helps to maximize the return of the investments by those stadium operators who installed them, according to Desso.

It is understood that National Stadium in the Sports Hub will be the first Asian stadium to install this new surface that was already laid in place in stadiums like Manchester United's Old Trafford and the Wembley Stadium.

The stadium is seven-storey high

On top of that, a brief introduction before the pitch presentation also revealed that the seven-storey arena with its retractable roof comes with a "comfort cooling system" to provide athletes, spectators with a "unique and comfortable" environment and would downsize the capacity to 52,000 if a cricket match is being scheduled by having those movable-tiered seating "retracted" in a "48-hour process".

Days after I posted the entry titled "Hello! #sleague is NOT a FARM LEAGUE!", I received a mail from Mr Foo Mao Chian and with his permission, I reproduced the content of this said mail.

I share your frustration with the direction FAS is taking Singapore football and the way the S.League is being run.

S.League kicked off in 1996

The league started out in 1996 as a competition between clubs representing regions in Singapore (with the exceptions of Police and SAFFC). Fans were encouraged to identify and support the clubs representing their kampung.

Somehow along the way, we seemed to have lost our way.

Foreign teams, who Singaporeans have no sense of affinity with, joined the league. To make matters worse, these foreign clubs were generally badly run, players ill-disciplined and some were even corrupted and playing standards have overall been poor.

And then FAS started the CYL (Courts Young Lions) initiative, which deprived the clubs of the young talents that they nurtured.

I have tried to understand the rationales behind FAS' decisions on foreign teams and CYL initiative. For former, I suppose it is to inject a greater sense of partisanship and increase the number of matches clubs play in a season. For the CYL project, it is a platform for potential national players to hone their craft together.

Come and Go after a year.

However, there are certainly other ways to address these issues that FAS should have looked at more intently, e.g., encourage the majority ethnic group to take up pro football to increase the talent pool rather than wholesale bringing in of foreign teams.

Instead of the CYL, S.League could limit number of foreign players per club and mandate that each club field x number of under-23 players in a match as a way to expose promising youngsters to top-level football.

Balestier's Poh Yifeng's brief Lions stint in 2012

They then took further steps to rob S.League clubs of talents by drawing the core of the national team to form the LionsXII to participate in the Malaysian league and cup competitions. Up next: extracting more top local talent to form a franchise team to play in the ASEAN Super League.

If the FAS has achieved anything at all through these, it is not in raising Singapore’s football standards or world ranking. Rather, they have succeeded in turning the S.League into a multinational league that has no clear identity and nurture no rapport with most local soccer fans.

It is time to hit the reset button. Are we on the right track or has the project has been hijacked along the way for other agendas, to serve as a nursery league that benefits foreign teams and a cultivating ground for unearthing talent for the glory of the LionsXII and the future ASL team?

Views expressed may not necessarily be that of the blog owner
Courts Young Lions were known as Young Lions before Courts acquired the naming rights in 2011.

Another SHUTOUT again...

The seven goals conceded by the Filipino powerhouses Global FC to S.League table toppers, DPMM FC in last evening's RHB Singapore Cup totalled up to 15 goals, in which eight were let in two other invited sides days earlier (i.e.: five by Nagacorp to Home Utd on Friday, three were scored by Albirex Niigata (S) against Svay Rieng on Wednesday).

Not a pretty statistics to justify their presence in the tournament after another shutout on one of these guest sides playing in local premier Cup competition and somehow made a mockery out of one of those comments to have them in the first place.

"The RHB Singapore Cup has grown to be a big regional tournament. I am very pleased to have the top clubs from the region to participate annually in the RHB Singapore Cup and every year the level of competition is being raised. ..." as mentioned in one of those words (extracted from the FAS media release issued on 23/5/14).

However, results don't lie and the outcome of those matches involved those invited sides of late had protruded the wide gap of standard between them and their opponents.

And having seen one of the most one-sided matches in my life hours earlier at the Jalan Besar Stadium, it can only affirm the notion that it isn't any value added to spice up the competition but adding further embarrassment to whoever is involved.

A dreadful first half of football was on display that saw no difference between Global and DPMM before the Brunei's only professional football team (as what one of their papers always kept emphasizing) pulled the trigger in the 58th minute to open the floodgates with Rodrigo Tosi headed home the first goal of the night.

Barely a minute later Irishman Roy O'Donovan doubled the tally on a one-on-one amid the frail defense.

Not long after which both O'Donovan and Tosi hit a rampage with the former went on to claim his hat trick while the Brazilian headed home his second in the 71st minute, further two more goals were scored by substitutes Azwan Saleh (80th minute) and Shahrazen Said (93rd minute).

Summing up his thoughts during the post-match press conference, Global FC's coach Leigh Manson said:"In the second half, we were our own worst enemy, after we had tried everything we have done in the training.

"But we must be fair to Brunei (DPMM) for their finishing being those in the high calibre and we played against a good side that got us punished." concluded the Scotsman who took the reins of the UFL side earlier this year.

(This entry is formulated based on the media release issued by CROWD Pte Ltd, the PR agency for Nike Singapore)

(P.S: The copyrights of the images depicted in this blog entry belong to Nike, unless stated on the images itself.)

In conjunction with the game's biggest show - The World Cup, that will kick off on the 12th of June. American sporting giants, Nike, have rolled out two innovative products to allow players to have maximum comfort in order to excel on the greatest show on earth.

Nike Pro Combat Recovery Hypertight

Effective recovery between games will be of paramount importance, and the precious few days teams have between kick-offs are a period of active recovery, carefully managed by highly- skilled support staff and tailored to each player’s needs. Part of this recovery regimen includes decreasing lower limb swelling. To aid this recovery regimen, teams can utilize the Nike Pro Combat Recovery Hypertight.

The Nike Pro Combat Recovery Hypertight is designed to be worn away from competition, during active recovery' — while the body is moving, but not competing or engaged in intense exercise. The graduated compression provided by its advanced design targets specific zones of the leg, aiding recovery.

“Our research led us to conclude that graduated compression can help impact recovery,” said Nike Innovation Design Director Eddy Harber, who focuses on apparel. “Our new Nike Recovery Hypertight has been developed and tested with some of the top athletes and teams around the world, across multiple sports.”

Top athletes across multiple sports, including footballer Zlatan Ibrahimvic and basketball star LeBron James, were involved in the testing and development of the Nike Recovery Hypertight, providing crucial feedback.

Nike’s National Team Kit

Football played in Brasil this June and July could see temperatures around 25°C (77°F), with at least 10 matches pushing 30°C (86°F). For athletes playing 90-minute matches in these conditions, keeping cool is crucial to performance. Nike’s 2014 national team kits have been designed with optimal cooling solutions to give athletes a leg up in these conditions and help them stay cool under pressure on the world stage.

Key cooling elements in Nike’s National Team Kit system of dress include:

Sweat-wicking Nike Dri-FIT fabrication
Dual-knit construction moves sweat away from skin to the outside of the kit where it can evaporate more quickly
Dual-knit construction features a fabrication that is cooler and softer against skin
Burn-out mesh at the back of the national team kits and Nike Pro baselayer reduces weight by removing fabric in key heat zones for added breathability
Laser-cut ventilation increases airflow over the skin
Nike Pro baselayer options are 16 percent lighter than their predecessors with added cooling and ventilation
Increased abrasion protection in the Pro baselayer Slider Short match athletes’ sliding patterns with increased breathability and decreased weight.

Kraljevic unperturbed for late start of the Tigers friendly schedule

Albirex's turn to declare their #sleague title bid

[AFC Cup] Clueless Stags ripped apart by the impressive Blue Wave from Hong Kong

Tigers missing the spark from Park

"Matchpix" - January / February 2014

ASL as a National Team League Competition, instead?

[Feature] NIKE CHANGES FOOTBALL BOOTS FOREVER WITH NEW MAGISTA

[AFC Cup] Wafered Home salvaged the pride amid hazy haze...

New Initiative to give a Head Start to a viable coaching career path

Inspirational Scholes reaffirm Courts' commitment to local football

Scrappy win by Jaguars at the expenses of the Young Lions

[AFC Cup] Indra marked his return with the winner and Fazrul is unstoppable!

"Matchpix" - March 2014 (sorry for the delay...)

[RHB Singapore Cup] Protectors to begin their defending in "foreign" land

Hello! #sleague is NOT a FARM LEAGUE!

[Feature] "Hypersense: The Art and Science of Modern Football" by Nike

Desso the way to field the pitch at Kallang

[Guest Column] Somehow along the way, we seemed to have lost our way

[Singapore Cup] Devaluation SHUTOUT...

[Feature] Recovery and Cooling Measures by Nike in the Summer Heat