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#sleague title race is now wide open

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HUFC's coach Lee Lim Saeng after 3-1 win
With Brunei DPMM losing to defending champions Tampines 2-1 at Clementi that corresponded with Home United's 3-1 win at their Bishan base over the cellar-dwellers Harimau Muda last night, the S.League title threw wide open with merely one to two points separating the four teams at the summit.

These came after third-placed Warriors FC hit the kerb on last Sunday when they lost to Hougang United 3-2 that thwarted their chance to dethrone the Bruneians from the top of the standings and interestingly included fifth-placed Cheetahs in the title bid with only six points apart from the leaders.

HOME UNITED 3-1 HARIMAU MUDA
The Protectors' second victory in five days (after they beat league leaders DPMM last Friday at Berakas) elevated them to the second spot of the standings that had them levelled on points but a superior goal difference ahead of their uniformed rivals.

This marked a stark contrast for Home United Coach Lee Lim Saeng who was able to have the luxury of placing regulars like Juma'at Jantan and French defender Sirina Camara on the bench, as compared to the overstretched period he endured during the start of the campaign.

However, given the tight fixtures ahead that careful planning is required for the Protectors to maximize their potential on a scaled-down basis, they catered for themselves, such getting the act together as soon as possible in the game, which they did.

Barely five minutes into the match, Qiu Li's close-range header off a corner immediately put the home side on a pole position before Japanese winger Bruno Castanheira double the tally eight minutes later via a shot that driven low past Harimau Muda's custodian Ahmad Solehin Mamat.

It wasn't that long before Home United consolidated their hold of the match when Fazrul Nawaz's tap-in to finish off a ball laid to him by ex-Lions' skipper Indra Sahdan Daud from the right in the box.

Nonetheless, the 27th goal by Ramzi Sufian for the Malaysian developmental squad momentarily lifted the spirit of the team, but it wasn't good enough to see their hosts seal the all important three points in the bag.

RAZIP: "TOO MUCH RESPECT TO HOME UNITED"
Speaking to the media after their thirteenth loss of the season, Harimau Muda coach Razip Ismail cited the lack of experience and showing too much respect to Home United being some of the factors behind the defeat.

Said the former Malaysian international:"I think first half we made our mistakes and allowed the two goals scored by Home United whom I think my boys are showing too much respect to them,

"It was a much better second half for us that we just couldn't score, but this is the kind of tournament my team need to play against top opponents in order to improve, since development is an ongoing thing."

FATIGUE IS A CONCERN TO LEE
Having narrowed the gap at the top of league table did not have Coach Razip's counterpart resting on his laurels, as Coach Lee stayed cautious and focused on the days ahead this win.

"After we scored three goals in the first half, our intention was to keep the ball in the second half." shared the former Korean international of his tactics after the match.

"We will be facing Hougang United this coming Friday that means we only have two days to recover from the fatigue, especially after we played in Brunei last Friday and that's why I asked my players to score the goals early in the match, keeping the possession while conserving our energies for the next game."

[Event] JUVENTUS THRILLED TO PLAY FIRST MAJOR FOOTBALL MATCH IN SINGAPORE’S NEW NATIONAL STADIUM

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(This entry is formulated based on the press release issued by Ketchum ICON, the PR agency of the said event with images and video clip depicted came together with the mentioned release)

The new National Stadium will play host to Juventus in August
Singapore, 10 June 2014: Serie A champions Juventus Football Club, one of the greatest sides in world football, are excited at the prospect of playing the first major football match at the new National Stadium at Singapore Sports Hub on Saturday 16 August - with club representatives currently visiting Singapore singing the praises of the venue.

“Everyone connected with the club is excited at the prospect of playing in Singapore – and it’s extra special that it will be the first major football match at the country’s brand new National Stadium,” said Francesco Calvo, Commercial Director of Juventus Football Club at a media event held in the Lion City today.

“It is a wonderful facility and one which the people of Singapore can be justifiably proud. Club representatives have had a guided tour of Sports Hub and everything about it is world class.”

In messages filmed for today’s press meet before the players joined up with the Italy National Team squad for the World Cup, some of the Juventus stars also expressed their delight at coming to Singapore.

STARS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MATCH
Italy and Juventus captain, legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said “Juventus is a special team, made up of exceptional players, and we're ready to roar in the Lion City.”

Creative midfielder Andrea Pirlo said “I know that there's a great deal of passion for our football in Singapore. We hope to repay your affection by putting on a great show on the pitch.”

The "Serie A" trophy won by the "Bianconeri"
Fans eager to witness history in the making have been snapping up tickets for the match in which the famed “Bianconeri” will meet a Singapore Selection side to christen the 55,000-seater stadium.

Tickets - priced from S$45 to S$180 for adults and S$30 to S$45 for children – are on sale at Sports Hub Tix (www.sportshubtix.sg) and there are big incentives for early birds as well as for teams of football fans who buy tickets together.

Underlining the huge interest in the clash, three match sponsors have been lined up - Platinum sponsor EPSON and official partners OCBC and Jack Daniels.

“I am happy to welcome EPSON, OCBC and Jack Daniels on board for this ground-breaking match,” said Malcolm Thorpe, Vice President, Sports Development & Events of event promoter World Sport Group. “Juventus is one of the greatest football teams in the world and sponsors are naturally excited at the prospect of them playing in Singapore against a Selection side made up of the Lions and foreign stars from the S.League.”

Juventus enjoyed a record-breaking season on their way to a third consecutive Serie A title. They won 33 games, including all 19 at home, and set a new league record of 102 points.


Six players who were central to the campaign - Buffon, Pirlo, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio - have been included in the Italy squad for the FIFA World Cup.

Midfielders Paul Pogba of France and Ghana’s Kwadwo Asamoah are other Juventus players who are World Cup-bound while football supporters in Singapore are well aware of the striking ability of Carlos Tevez, scorer of 19 goals in Serie A last season.

TICKETING DETAILS
See below for more information on early bird promotions. Tickets for this match can be purchased via Sports Hub Tix at www.sportshubtix.sg, box office at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, all SingPost Outlets or by calling +65 6333 5000 / +65 3158 7888.

Early birds will receive a 10% discount on tickets – but this offer will only last for as long as Italy remains in the running for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July. There is also an offer for ”teams” of fans who will have the chance to win exclusive access to a Juventus training session by purchasing 11 tickets at one time.

[EXCLUSIVE LOBANG] GET 10% OFF FROM #ADIDAS WORLD CUP MERCHANDISE DURING A WORLD CUP MATCH

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With the FIFA World Cup which is currently ongoing in Brazil that is gripping the global attention, this humble little blog is honoured to have an exclusive tie-up with the tournament official match ball supplier - Adidas, by offering discounts and promotions on World Cup and football merchandise on the Adidas e-commerce store during the event.

Please note that this exclusive offer is only valid during the match duration of selected matchesto be played during the World Cup.

The selected match for this offer is the GROUP G match between GERMANY and PORTUGAL.

ENJOY 10% OFF ON ANY LISTED GERMANY MERCHANDISE DURING THEIR OPENER VS PORTUGAL

Germany kick off their tournament against Portugal on 16th June (0000hrs on 17th June 2014, Singapore time). Buy any Germany merchandise before the final whistle and get 10% off.

To enjoy this limited time period offer, please kindly take note of the instructions in order to enjoy this deal.

INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW (SCREENGRAB FOR ILLUSTRATING PURPOSE)
  • For example, you selected the "Germany Tee" (below) and then "Add to Bag" (the light blue button on bottom right of the screengrab) before you being prompted to "CheckOut".

  • Upon "CheckOut" from the earlier page, you will be led to the page below where you are required to key the promotion code: GERMANY10 inside the "Promotional Code" box (shown at the foot of the screengrab below) before you hit "Checkout" blue button to complete the process or continue your shopping.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please note that the promotional code: GERMANY10 is exclusively meant for the Group G match between Germany and Portugal and not for other matches. This offer will expire at the end of the mentioned match.

2014 Starhub League Cup Schedules

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

SRC's John Tan at the draw (credit: FAS)
The annual mid-year tournament - the Starhub League Cup is scheduled to kick off on the 7th of July starting with the group stages following the draw on last Friday that saw the participating 12 teams split in four groups with three teams each.

Unlike last year that saw the NFL clubs having to go through a playoff to decide their berths, this year will see both Singapore Recreation Club and Police SA represent the part-timers in the tournament.

Here is a recap of the grouping:-
  • Group A: Albirex Niigata (S) FC, Tanjong Pagar United FC, Police Sports Association
  • Group B: Tampines Rovers FC, Geylang International FC, Warriors FC
  • Group C: Home United FC, Woodlands Wellington FC, Singapore Recreation Club (SRC)
  • Group D: Balestier Khalsa FC, Hougang United FC, Brunei DPMM FC

The Fixtures of the Group Stages
StageDayDateTimeHomeAwayVenue
Group AMonday7 July8.00pmTanjong Pagar UnitedAlbirex NiigataQueenstown
Group BGeylang InternationalTampines RoversBedok
Group CTuesday8 JulyWoodlands WellingtonHome UnitedWoodlands
Group DBalestier KhalsaHougang UnitedToa Payoh
Group AThursday10 JulyAlbirex NiigataPolice SAJurong East
Group BTampines RoversWarriorsClementi
Group CFriday11 JulyHome UnitedS’pore Recreation ClubBishan
Group DBrunei DPMMBalestier KhalsaJalan Besar
Group ASunday13 JulyTanjong Pagar UnitedPolice SAQueenstown
Group BWarriorsGeylang InternationalChoa Chu Kang
Group CMonday14 JulyWoodlands WellingtonS’pore Recreation ClubWoodlands
Group DHougang UnitedBrunei DPMMHougang

The completion of the group stages will eventually see top two teams from each group qualify for the Quarter-Final phrase that will be staged from 17th to 18th July with the "final four" taking place on 21st and 22nd.

Meanwhile, teams that finish bottom of their group will qualify for the "Plate" semi-finals that ultimately will see one of them walk away as the "Plate" winners on 24th July.

The final of the tournament will be played on 25th July at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

(Please refer to the official website for any verification of the schedule)

[CONTEST] HAVE YOUR TICKETS BEING UPGRADED TO SEE JUVE IN AUGUST

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Juventus are coming (picture from organizers)
FIVE (5) lucky winners will have their pair of match tickets to the August's upcoming match between Juventus and Singapore Selection upgraded to the next category during the ongoing World Cup period, all one need to do is to answer the following question:
QUESTION: Is the "Singapore Selection vs Juventus" match, the first soccer match to be played in the new National Stadium of the Singapore Sports Hub?
Please indicate your answer - YES or NO and email your answer to contest@bolasepako.com with the email subject as “JUVENTUS IN SINGAPORE IN AUGUST” and include your FULL NAME (as in NRIC or other valid identification pass), CONTACT NUMBER and ID NUMBER of your identity documentation (i.e.: NRIC, student pass, etc.).

RULES AND REGULATIONS
  • The winning entries will be the first FIVE persons who submit the correct answer to the quiz of this contest.
  • This contest is open to all reside in Singapore at the time that mark the commencement to the end of the contest, except to personnel working with relevant accreditation in the tournament and their next-to-kin.
  • Any decision by the organizers of this contest is final
  • No correspond pertaining whatever aspect of this contest will be entertained.
  • The organizers reserve the right to make any changes to the rules and regulations of the contest without any prior notification.
  • Upon confirming the winning entries, the contest will cease with immediate effect and will be made known via various avenues.
  • The winners will be notified by email from the relevant organizations (not necessarily from this blog) for necessary follow-up for the collection of the prizes.
  • Incomplete entry will be voided at the discretion of the organizer(s).
  • The closing date and time of the contest is 13th July at 2359hrs (Singapore time) unless the winning entries are already confirmed or whichever is earlier.
  • Should there be no winning entries or failure to collect the prizes within the stipulated time-frame, the prizes will be revert back to the originated source.

TICKETING DETAILS
In the meantime, the tickets to this match are now on sale with the details as follows:
  • Tickets for the match – priced from S$45 to S$180 for adults and S$30 to S$45 for children – can be purchased via Sports Hub Tix at www.sportshubtix.sg, box office at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, all SingPost Outlets or by calling +65 6333 5000 / +65 3158 7888.
  • There is a group purchase promotion where “teams of fans” purchasing 11 tickets at one time will have the chance to win exclusive access to a Juventus training session in Singapore.

Asian Cup Qualifiers: Jordan is still our nemesis after 3-1 win

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Amri has his work cut out by the Jordanians 
During the pre-match press conference ahead of last evening's Asian Cup qualifiers against Jordan, National coach Bernd Stange made the following statement.

Said the 65-year-old tactician:“If we can play well against Jordan and Oman, then we can choose better teams to play friendly matches on FIFA dates. If not, we may have to stay a little longer to compete at the Southeast Asian level..."

The first thing that came to my mind was "we have already hit the pinnacle in South East Asia and why should we justify ourselves before we can take on better opponents outside the region?".

While the Jordanians may not have sent in their strongest squad this time round, the Lions weren't at their ideal state to take on the team that improved tremendously since they beat them in 2009 at Kallang (ironically, the same tournament qualifiers).

A look at the starting lineup reaffirmed Stange's plan to laden with a number of those LionsXII players involved in last weekend's Malaysia FA Cup that barely assembled two days ago for the centralized training for this match.

Exchange of words after Jordan scored the first goal
Tempers flared with sending off Baihakki (extreme right)
Nonetheless, the former Belarus national coach's insistence on playing attacking football using a squad of fatigued players in order to entertain the fans backfired with a 3-1 loss to the West Asians.

Credit to the Lions, who did well to hold the visitors for much of the first half before the events at the closing stages changed the direction of the game when Jordan took the lead in the 43rd minute amid allegations that a foul was committed on a Singapore player before the goal was scored by Thaer during the process.

The hosts suffered another setback when their defensive lynchpin Baihakki Khaizan was given the marching order for a nudge on a Jordanian player that was deemed a red card offense by the referee near to the stroke of half.

Ahmad Hayel (10) headed home the second goal
Those setbacks, however, did not deter Stange from altering his game plan by throwing in the likes of Gabriel Quak and Faris Ramli in the second half to boost up their upfront which proved little help with skipper Ahmad Hayel up the guests' tally with his 58th minute header from inside the six-yard.

While Khairul Amri's penalty in the 84th minute did give a bit of hope to the Lions but it was not before Youssef Ahmad nailed in the third goal in the dying minutes to book the Hashemite Kingdom's ticket to Down Under next year and yet again see themselves as Singapore's nemisis in recent years.

Faris Ramli  (10) was introduced to inject flair in Lions game
Amri's (19) spot kick given some hopes but not for long
Breathing a sign of relief at the post-match press conference was Jordan's Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan.

"It has been a bad, hard situation for us having to play two matches in four days," said the former striker who represented Egypt in the 1990 World Cup via a translator at the media briefing.

"Also, we have to deal with injuries sustained by our players in recent days and also some of our professional players who are not being released by their clubs due to the lengthy FIFA fixtures."

"I would say that we are the only team facing such situation when we are competing in the West Asian Championship, the World Cup Qualifying playoff against Uruguay and now the Asian Cup Qualifiers which I glad we make it." he added.

Jordan coach Hossam Hassan (right) speaks to the media
Although the 176-capped player was upset with some of the yellow card offenses committed by his players for "without any reason" and suggested that penalty awarded to the home team was a "wrong decision".

Meanwhile, Stange rejected the notion that it was a good performance, despite the loss, by the Lions as suggested by a member of the media in his briefing.

"I can't say this is our best game when we lost 3-1, which I think our best game was against Syria (which was won 2-1)," said the German coach.

"Finally, we did everything we can in such a short preparation and paid the price for having not enough experience, not strong, powerful and clever enough."

"We started to control the game and I would be happy to go with a draw at half time but we conceded too many free kicks and we must learn from these mistakes." concluded the ex-Iraqi national coach.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

[EXCLUSIVE LOBANG] FURTHER PROMOTION ON #ADIDAS WORLD CUP MERCHANDISE DURING A WORLD CUP MATCH

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With the FIFA World Cup which is currently ongoing in Brazil that is gripping the global attention, this humble little blog is honoured to have an exclusive tie-up with the tournament official match ball supplier - Adidas, by offering discounts and promotions on World Cup and football merchandise on the Adidas e-commerce store during the event.

Please note that exclusive offer(s) is/are only valid during the match duration of selected matches or particular time slot (as advised) during the World Cup.

ENJOY 20 % OFF FROM MEXICO ADIDAS FOOTBALL TEE BETWEEN 0000HRS TO 2359HRS ON 30TH JUNE (SINGAPORE TIME)



Webstore Link: http://bit.ly/1lWVmhH

Mexico enters elimination rounds against the Netherlands in the Round of 16 (match to be kicked-off at 0000hrs on 30th June - Singapore Time). Will they survive a likely physical encounter with the Oranje? Get an Adidas Mexico football tee at 20% off during the stated time-frame.

To enjoy this time-limited offer, please remember to enter the promotional code - MEXICO20 during the purchasing process (as illustrated below)

INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW (SCREENGRAB FOR ILLUSTRATING PURPOSE ONLY)
  • Please log on to the mentionedadidas online store (as depicted below).
  • For example, you selected the "Men's Japan Anthem Track Top" (below) and then "Add to Bag" (the light blue button on bottom right of the screengrab) before you being prompted to "CheckOut".

  • Upon "CheckOut" from the earlier page, you will be led to the page below where you are required to key the relevant promotion code inside the "Promotional Code" box (shown at the foot of the screengrab below) before you hit "Checkout" blue button to complete the process or continue your shopping.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please note that the each promotional code is only meant for one transaction at a time and is only valid during the match duration of selected matches or particular time slot (as advised).

Mass Mobilization for Austrian Trip ...

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What's next on Coach Stange's (right) plan? (file)
If I am not wrong, this must be the biggest group of players embarked on an oversea training tour in local football history.

In a media released issued on 1st of July by the Football Association of Singapore, a total of 41 players from mainly the LionsXII and Courts Young Lions (based on one glance at the list since the name of the clubs of the selected players were omitted) are being grouped into the "Singapore National Team" (Lions) and "Under-23 National Team" (Cubs) for this Austrian trip from July 7-23.

According to the statement, the objective of this trip to central Europe is "part of their preparations for the year-end ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup and next year’s South East Asian Games."

On the look of things, it would be seen as "killing two birds with a stone" when a number of senior players will be readily to give a guiding hand to their junior peers (like how Warriors' Hassan Sunny was called up to help Courts Young Lions in their pre-season Turkish tour), although I would think there might be a confusion here and there given the composition of the two squads.

"Cub" eligible Sahil Suhaimi is a "Lion" (file)
Another look at the squad that you will see out of 21 players on the "Lions" list, you have six players aged 22 and below, whereas the players from the age of 15 to 22 are filling up the slots on the Cubs roster.

It is never unheard of to combine two teams to head off to the training tour and one can't help but ask if this is delicate balancing act to juggle the interest of both "Lions" and "Cubs" at the same time?

Another question would be why six SEA Games eligible players are placed under the "Lions" umbrella and instead of staying with their peers in the Cubs when it was stated that the preparation of the SEA Games is being one of the objectives, shouldn't players be given a task to be focused on?

Not to forget Coach Stange stated one of his aims is to see Singapore play in the Incheon Asian Games in mid September, for that being also an under-23 event and further mystified the placement of that six players (i.e.: Anumanthan Kumar, Sahil Suhaimi, Shakir Hamzah, Faris Ramli, Shahfiq Ghani and Al-Qaasimy Rahman) on the "Lions" list.

17-year-old Irfan Fandi (middle) is named as a "Cub" (file)
Probably, both coaches Bernd Stange and Aide Iskandar might have some ideas on their minds to try out during the trip that it is also made known the squad for the "Singapore Selection" in the match against Italian giants Juventus will be revealed after this tour.

Just in case you may be wondering who is that 15-year-old in the "Cubs" list - it's Ikhsan Fandi Ahmad, who alongside with his elder brother Irfan are the youngest two in the 20-man contingent.

Friendly Fixtures of Both Teams During Tour (via FAS)
DateTeamOpponent
11 JulyUnder-23 National TeamFC Pribram (Cze)
12 JulyNational TeamFC Brno (Cze)
15 JulyUnder-23 National TeamBorussia Dortmund Under-23 (Ger)
18 JulyNational TeamTorpedo Moscow (Rus)
20 JulyUnder-23 National TeamTBC*
21 JulyNational TeamDinamo Moscow (Rus)
* The match on 20th July will be announced at a later time.

[Starhub League Cup] Toothless Tigers overhelmed by the Cheetahs

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Defending Cup holders Balestier Khalsa are just a defeat away from being eliminated from the first major title they won last year, following a 3-0 whitewash by Hougang United who have been impressive this season since former international Amin Nasir took over during the mid-season last year.
Geison Moura (left) opened the account
It was a pretty physical Group D encounter between these two teams that banded together as the "Pinball Derby" - a term that was coined last season after former Cheetahs coach Johana Johari described the Tigers' game as "playing pinball" in their Singapore Cup Quarter-Final match that eventually saw the Toa Payoh-based side knocked the team from Hougang out of that tournament.

Since then, many changes between the two had been taken place with the Balestier languished at the bottom half of the league with the Cheetahs riding on the crest of things that see them ranked as one of the "dark horses" for the league title race.

"Cool it, guys!"
The sign of that confidence shown by the visitors at the Toa Payoh Stadium last evening was in evidence for the more dynamic style of football they displayed against their hosts who were struggling for large part of the game, especially in providing the much-needed ammunition to their Croatian striker Goran Ljubojevic who was left isolated in the attacking third.

One factor that explained the poor showing by Balestier could be fatigue, as suggested by head coach Marko Kraljevic after the match.

Tigers relying too much on Park Kang Jin (right)
Ljubojevic (left) struggled in this match
Said former Kelantan midfielder:"As compared to Hougang who have a two-week break since their last game, my team had been playing many games recently." citing their recent two-legged Singapore Cup win over Geylang International (1,2) that earned the semi-final berth against Tampines Rovers.

"However, there's no excuse for that, as it's just one of those off days and the boys had tried hard for tonight that we have no other choice but to win our next game (against league leaders Brunei DPMM) by putting in some fresh legs." added the Croatian coach.

Fadhil Salim (center) foiled another Tigers attempt
The visitors began their rout in the 34th minute when Brazilian striker Geison Moura finished up the routine before two more goals were scored late in the injury time by substitute Faiz Salleh in the 89th and Diego Gama in the 91st minute, it would have been a bigger margin if not for the heroics by Tigers' custodian Zaiful Nizam in the match.

"It was not an easy game against Balestier," were the first words uttered by Hougang coach Amin in his post-match assessment. "I am happy with the result and we prepared well for this game by getting our tactics work which I think the performance tonight is brilliant that it be good for us in our preparation for the next game against DPMM."

Coach Amin (left) shares his thoughts after match
Two-time winners Brunei DPMM are scheduled to round up their fixtures on this coming Friday against Balestier at Jalan Besar Stadium before travelling to Hougang on the 14th of July.

[Starhub League Cup] Tigers need a favour from Cheetahs now...

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Tigers' keeper Zaiful Nizam also fumbled this cross
Strange things had happened prior to the Starhub League Cup fixture between Brunei DPMM and Balestier Khalsa.

While faulty goalposts were the reason behind the rescheduling of the match between Tampines Rovers and Warriors FC at Clementi Stadium the day before, the sights of lighting and flashes of thunders did not cause the activation of the Lighting Warning System (LWS) at the Jalan Besar Stadium when it should.

Nonetheless, the game went ahead amid drizzling with defending holders Tigers came with a mission to win this match against two-time winners from the oil rich sultanate to avoid elimination from this tournament.

All eyes on the ball
True to what Tigers coach Marko Kraljevic said after their earlier 3-0 loss to Hougang that fresh legs would be brought for this live televised showdown, the evening saw the likes of Prime Leaguers Alando Nicholas and Muhaymin Salim in starting positions.

It was a game that both sides started cautiously by keeping things tight at the back, knowing a chink in the armour would alter the outcome, even though it was the Bruneians dominated much of the ball play with Balestier did decently well to keep things at the check.

Lotinac (left) handled the ball
The breakthrough came after the first half when Serbian defender Emir Lotinac was judged to have handled the ball with referee Jansen Foo pointed to the spot without any hesitation to allow Brazilian Rodrigo Tosi to trigger the scoreboard in the 57th minute.

But it wasn't that long before Tigers' Croatian menace in the box, Goran Ljubojevic levelled the match at 69th minute, which was cancelled out by Roy O'Donovan to give the designated hosts the lead again in the 79th minute.

Double by Ljubojevic (right) not enough for Tigers
Despite the last thrown of dice in the 83rd minute that saw Ljubojevic put both sides on equal terms again, the writings are clearly on the wall the Toa Payoh-based side's chances of holding the Cup are now hanging by a thread that only a victory by Hougang United over DPMM by four clear goals would see them to the semi-finals of the tournament.

"I thought we should have won the game," said Coach Kraljevic in the post-media briefing.

"Everyone played hard tonight and I am impressed with my players that on different days we could have seen Goran (Ljubojevic) scored more but he only scored two." added the Croatian coach."With many games we played recently, I have to try some new boys tonight (i.e.: Muhaymin and Nicholas) and I am proud with their performance that I think it would add confidence in our league performance."

Kean felt the game was stretched
Meanwhile, DPMM coach Kean felt that it was a fair result when sharing his thoughts with the press.

Said the former Blackburn Rovers manager:"It was a fair result and I thought we were the better side in the first half that I think we done well in putting crosses into the box before I felt the game became a bit stretched for us when we gave away too many set-pieces, though I am disappointed for not winning the match."

[Starhub League Cup] SRC enter the Plate gracefully

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Credible display by SRC (white shorts)
Despite losing both their group matches in the Starhub League Cup on close margin, NFL side Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) had won applauds for their efforts by bowing out gracefully after their 2-0 defeat to Home United at the Bishan Stadium last night.

The defeat against the Protectors came days after they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by another S.League side Woodlands Wellington on last Friday.

Unlike Police SA, their fellow NFL peers in the same tournament who suffered heavy losses in their campaign, the Padang-based club filled up their roster with a number of players who had experience in the professional scene, as compared to the law enforcers's base of mainly regular officers and full-time national servicemen.

Aliimaran Lomri clears the ball
In the meantime, owing to the tight fixtures that are scheduled ahead, Home United coach Lee Lim Saeng did not start a number of his regulars on the starting eleven with stars like Korean Lee Kwan Woo, winger Bruno Castanheira and striker Qiu Li were warming the bench before gradually their appearance in the later part of the match.

It was an evenly-contested affair that the part-timers did well to hold the hosts at bay with good works from former Balestier Khalsa defence lynchpin Daniel Hammond and one-time Lions Aliimran Lomri at the back to deny any advancement, while almost came close at the half hour mark to take a surprise lead for themselves if not for the woodwork.

Indra Sahdan (right) finding his way through
Just as it was thought that the match would end with a blank score sheet before the interval, a penalty was awarded to the Protectors for a handball that was committed inside the box with Sirina Camara making no mistake from the spot to give the lead to his side in the 42nd minute.

Striking the iron while it was hot that it wasn't too long before Home United doubled their tally a minute later with another goal from Fazli Ayob and off to the dressing room soon after.

Although the reigning Singapore Cup holders came close on several occasions in the second half to increase their lead with the introduction of Lee, Castanheira and Qiu in the attacking front, the score remained status quo till the end of the night.

Naoto Iwasawa slides his way through
When asked if he was disappointed for firing blanks in the second period during the post-match press conference, Coach Lee, in his usual stance, took full responsibility for that.

Said the former Korean international:"For that (misfiring in the second half) and any criticism towards the team, I will take full responsibility for that, since my players had played according to my instruction,"

"With the tight schedule ahead for us, I have to rest a few of my senior players to conserve the energy as we only have a few days of rest before our next match and it's not going to be easy that I hope my players recover well after this match."

Dan Hammond (back) played for various S.League clubs
Taking stock of his team's performance so far, SRC team manager S Mogan opined that the presence of players with S.League experience in his team was one of the reasons for their relatively good showing.

"It helps with the presence of the players with S.League experience in our lineup, given the fact that we are an amateur side going up against professional teams in the S.League." said Morgan.

"I think we played well and 2-0 is a good result in which I am impressed with the way we counter-attack them until the penalty that we should have scored before that."

Following this outcome, the Protectors will progress to the Quarter-Finals stage with the Plate competition awaiting the part-timers with those who also finish at the bottom of other groups.

[Starhub League Cup] Backfired? As "Fresh Looking" Warriors crashed out

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Teams marching out ... (c) 2014 Ko Po Hui
It was a night that things did not go according to the script with Warriors FC found themselves knocked out of the only tournament they have yet to win since they were known as Singapore Armed Forces Football Club (SAFFC) in local football fraternity.

A solitary strike in the extra time from former national striker Firduas Idros was deemed enough to see Tanjong Pagar United to the semi final phrase for another juicy encounter against Hougang United awaiting them.

For this match, Warriors coach Alex Weaver fielded a much superior-looking side as compared to the team he had against Geylang International that caused quite a stir in the running up to this Queenstown tie.

Having rested the majority of his key players during the 4-0 thrashing by the Eagles, the Englishman penciled the likes of Daniel Bennett, Shi Jiayi, Hafiz Rahim, Marin Vidosevic, etc. back to the starting eleven.

In the first half, it was the Warriors who were likely to make the breakthrough given their domination of the proceedings, but credit to the hosts for putting up a stellar performance to keep their visitors at bay with at least two chances to break the deadlock.

Warriors coach Alex Weaver after the match
A much evenly-contested second half saw both sides on par trying to outwit each other that failed to see either one took their chances and eventually had the match went to extra with substitute Firdaus scored the all important winning goal in the 116th minute.

A visibly disappointed Weaver summarized his take after the match by suggesting that it was a close game.

Said the former Hougang United coach:"It was a close, tight match with end to end action that could go either way and we had our chances during the match that we didn't take, if not we could have won it during the 90 minutes."

Tanjong Pagar Utd coach Patrick Vallee
Meanwhile, Jaguars coach Patrick Vallee attributed "good coaching and planning before the game" as the key factors in his side's victory last evening, obviously taking a swipe at his counterpart's team selection which resulted the thrashing by Geylang that landed the Warriors at the Jaguars' Den.

"It is always tough to play against a fresh team and I always respect Singapore football by fielding my best team for any match we play," said the Frenchman."If we win, we win with a better team and we lost, we lost with the team and there's not need for any justification for team selection."

[Starhub League Cup] Jaguars hit the kerb at the Final hurdle

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Coach Vallee led Jaguars to two Cup Finals
Two defensive errors that took place before the interval and shortly after the break proved fatal for Tanjong Pagar United that eventually saw them went down 2-0 in the hands of Brunei DPMM, the current league leaders in the Starhub League Cup Final played last evening.

The mid-year spectacle had proven to a resuscitation of form for the Queenstown-based side of having a chance to live up to their full potential that was hindered at the start of the year due to injuries of several key players.

Thumping victories in the group stages over Albirex Niigata (Singapore) and Police SA had drawn the Jaguars to face powerhouses Warriors FC in the quarterfinals and a hard fought victory against Hougang United in the semis before clinching the berth to their second successive Cup final.

Monsef Zerka (11) in aerial duel 
However, things didn't go according to the plan for Patrick Vallee's men in this televised showdown in front of 2,238 at the Jalan Besar Stadium in which either they failed to capitalize on their opportunities or a brick-like defence wall laid by the Bruneians stood their way from gaining any advantage.

Overall, the match was an evenly-contested affair between the two sides with end-to-end actions to and fro the both ends of the pitch with the difference being who tapped on the opportunity to maximize the potential to the fullest.

Adi Said scored Wasps second goal
Bosnian defender Boris Raspudic punished the designated home side by connecting well to a Hendra Azam's corner in the 34th minute to head home from an unmarked spot in the box to gift the Wasps the lead.

Adi Said was the next to stab home to double the score in the 47th minute by finished off the deflected cross to him from a sprint on the left flank by Azwan Ali.

With time running out for Tanjong Pagar in the match, Coach Vallee decided to flash his trump cards with the likes of both Asraf Rashid and Firdaus Idros in the second half to inject more flairs to his attacking side which did cause some stirs in the Bruneians' backline but only to see a diving header by Firdaus ruled offside in the 68th minute.

Asraf Rashid (middle) in action

Firdaus Idros (stripped top) proved his worth
"I am sad for my players but I cannot blame them for what they did tonight," said Coach Vallee after the match."We did have our chances in the match and maybe if Firdaus goal was allowed, things might change but I don't know if it was an offside from where I was."

"Two finals, two losses had not been easy for us, but I am happy to reach the final that it will good for Tanjong Pagar in boosting the team morale in the league after we did well in this tournament." added the Frenchman who was gunning for his second League Cup after he first guided Etoile FC to the podium in 2010.

DPMM won their third League Cup
On the contrary, DPMM coach Steve Kean was pleased with the outcome when he greeted the media.

Said the former Blackburn Rovers manager:"I am delighted for the win, as a move forward from last season's disappointment and they (Tanjong Pagar) were really good but I thought we kept them quiet during the match."

"Overall, I am pleased with the performance and we are having a good team who work hard that we can go far from here, but let's not get too carry away since I think there are still more to be done."

[Starhub League Cup] Wrong Trophy, Faulty Goalposts and Sport Science ...

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To sum up this year's Starhub League Cup is nothing less than the number of weird occurrences that took place before and during the proceedings.

Started off from the line was the relevant body that oversee this mid-year spectacle placed a full-page print advertisement on The New Paper to drum the awareness.

The print advert on TNP on 6th July
Nothing wrong for that until a friend of mine texted me to raise a few issues and for my concern was the League Cup trophy, itself, wasn't featured beside the World Cup trophy on the page but the S.League title trophy.

Rounding up the embarrassment was enticing the fans to turn up at any stadium "near" their home for some League Cup actions, before heading off to the community clubs to watch the action in Brazil, whose broadcast rights were held by another provider, a rival to Starhub.

It wasn't that long before incidents on the field hogged the limelight.

The match scheduled between Tampines Rovers and Warriors was abandoned after faulty goal posts were discovered prior to the match during inspection with questions raised who should be responsible for that?

How I was informed about the "faulty goalposts"
Eventually, the rescheduled match saw the Warriors defeated the Stags and knocked the reigning league champions out of contention (Tampines lost to Geylang International in an earlier match), but the story did not end there for Alex Weaver's men.

Having a place assured in the quarter-final phrase following the win over Tampines, the Englishman caused a stir by fielding a team made up of reserves and Prime League players that lost 4-0 to Geylang at Choa Chu Kang.

Questions were raised if Weaver had breached the rules for fielding an "under strength" team when it is required to play to full strength at any S.League game, in which the League Cup matches are considered as well.

One of the memes that circulated on net after Warriors' loss 
Such a magnitude of the controversy had the former Hougang United coach came up with a statement to defend his actions and added that he "can understand why some people without an understanding of sports science have made certain comments because that's what it looks like".

Unfortunately, the move did not yield any dividend when a strike from Firdaus Idros in the extra time of the quarter-final match saw the most successful club in the league history being knocked out of the only tournament they yet to win since the league's inception.

KGS was empty or close from access?
Then came a blog post that surfaced just two days before the Cup final between Brunei DPMM and Tanjong Pagar United with the questions prompted at the organizers' commitments towards the whole tournament that generated quite a buzz online.

But nothing was more unusual that no one from the title sponsors turned up at the podium to give away the trophy, which was presented by FAS adviser, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee with S.League CEO Lim Chin in attendance.

Mr Lim (left) and AP Ho graced the final
Anyway, it had been an event full of surprises and jaw-dropping moments that little wondering if this was worth an effort to host this tournament after all?

"Matchpix" - April - July 2014 (sorry for the delay...)

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(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)

Long before you think I am not longer taking shots from the pitchside as active as I used to, I managed to compile a few along the way sporadically (After all, it was quite an investment I had for those gears).

  • AFC Cup - Home Utd 2-1 Churchill Brothers 2/4/14

Home United was one of the two sides played in the AFC Cup tournament few months ago and didn't make it to the next phrase like they last did in 2012.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES


  • Touring of the new National Stadium 21/5/14

Glad it is ready by now that when I was there to see the pitch surface of the new stadium, I did have my doubts with all those rumbles and constructions still ongoing around the arena.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE SHOTS

  • S.League - Hougang Utd 3-1 Home Utd 13/6/2014

Somehow I feel that the blue of the standing opposite the grand stand is such a bane when taking shots, as it make some of the pictures looked grainy.

At the meantime, the 3-1 win by Cheetahs over the Protectors had altered the landscape of the S.League title race and placed Amin Nasir's men among one of the contenders.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

  • Singapore Cup QF - Tampines Rover 4-2 Tanjong Pagar Utd 27/6/2014

Still need a bit of polishing as I seems to struggle to control the quality of my shots. Anyway, the Stags took a two goal advantage after this win that should place them on the pole position, but the Jaguars are banking on home advantage to turn the tide at Stirling Road in days later.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

  • League Cup 2014 - Balestier Khalsa 0-3 Hougang Utd 8/7/2014

The sign of that confidence shown by the visitors at the Toa Payoh Stadium last evening was in evidence for the more dynamic style of football they displayed against their hosts who were struggling for large part of the game, especially in providing the much-needed ammunition to their Croatian striker Goran Ljubojevic who was left isolated in the attacking third.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

  • League Cup - Brunei DPMM 2-2 Balestier Khalsa 11/7/2014

True to what Tigers coach Marko Kraljevic said after their earlier 3-0 loss to Hougang that fresh legs would be brought for this live televised showdown, the evening saw the likes of Prime Leaguers Alando Nicholas and Muhaymin Salim in starting positions.

It was a game that both sides started cautiously by keeping things tight at the back, knowing a chink in the armour would alter the outcome, even though it was the Bruneians dominated much of the ball play with Balestier did decently well to keep things at the check.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

  • League Cup - Home Utd 2-0 SRC 14/7/2014

There's nothing to be ashamed about for Singapore Recreation Club for kept emphasizing their "amateur" status when they put up a credible performance despite losing 2-0 to Home United Football Club at Bishan.

As their team manager agreed that having players with S.League experience did help them in this fixture against the Protectors.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

  • League Cup Final - Tanjong Pagar Utd 0-2 Brunei DPMM 25/7/2014

The mid-year spectacle had proven to a resuscitation of form for the Queenstown-based side of having a chance to live up to their full potential that was hindered at the start of the year due to injuries of several key players.

Thumping victories in the group stages over Albirex Niigata (Singapore) and Police SA had drawn Tanjong Pagar United F.C. (Official) to face powerhouses Warriors FC in the quarterfinals and a hard fought victory against Hougang United in the semis before clinching the berth to their second successive Cup final.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE MATCH PICTURES

[CONTEST] STAND A CHANCE TO CATCH JUVENTUS IN TRAINING BEFORE THE 16/8 SHOWDOWN

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(This entry is formulated based on the press releases issued by various sources related to the 16th August 2014's Singapore Selection-Juventus match with images duly credited)

Carlos Tevez is coming (© LaPresse)
As we are entering the month of August, we are witnessing a new chapter in the Singapore football history where the new National Stadium, the cornerstone of the Singapore Sports Hub, is due to see its very first football match to be taking place when Italian powerhouses Juventus FC, the defending Serie A champions are due to take on the Singapore Selection on 18th of August.

With a star-studded lineup that boasted a sizable number of players who starred recently in the World Cup for their respective countries, the likes of established stars such as Carlos Tevez with new signing Patrice Evra will be part of the 28-man I Bianconeri squad led by new manager Massimiliano Allegri in their Asia-Pacific Tour with games in Jakarta and Sydney ahead of the Singapore showdown.

Coach Stange (right) eager to see the Austrian outcome
On the other hand, the 21-man "Singapore Selection" (which includes three foreign players plying their trade in the S.League) will be coached by Singapore national coach Bernd Stange, who stated in earlier reports that this upcoming friendly against the Turin side is part of the preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup, to be held at the end of the year.

"I believe this squad will be able to play the sort of game I want the National Team to play, and it will be a good chance to see where we stand after our recent training tour to Austria where we faced some top European teams,” said the German tactician in an earlier statement."This is going to be a great curtain raiser for football at the new National Stadium and our players are very motivated to put on a good performance. We look forward to the full support of all Singapore fans to make it a great atmosphere and a historic night for all of us to remember."

THE SQUAD LISTS

Juventus FC
Goalkeepers:
Gianluigi Buffon, Marco Storari, Rubinho, Emil Audero

Defenders:
Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Motta, Martin Caceres, Giorgio Chiellini, Angelo Ogbonna, Luca Marrone, Carlos Blanco

Midfielders:
Stephan Lichtsteiner, Romulo, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal, Simone Padoin, Paul Pogba, Roberto Pereyra, Patrice Evra, Kwadwo Asamoah, Simone Pepe, Vitale

Strikers:
Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez, Sebastian Giovinco, Kingsley Coman, Sergio Buenacasa

Singapore Selection
Goalkeepers:
Izwan Mahbud, Hassan Sunny

Defenders:
Al-Qaasimy Abdul Rahman, Baihakki Khaizan, Afiq Yunos, Shakir Hamzah, Safuwan Baharudin, Shaiful Esah

Midfielders:
Gabriel Quak, Iqbal Hussain, Hariss Harun, Shahdan Sulaiman, Zulfahmi Arifin, Sirina Camara, Faris Ramli, Nicolas Leandro Velez, Shahril Ishak

Strikers
Shahfiq Ghani, Khairul Amri, Sahil Suhaimi, Miroslav Pejic
(Names in bold are foreign players)

STAND A CHANCE TO CATCH JUVENTUS IN TRAINING BEFORE THE 16/8 SHOWDOWN

The game will be the first football match in the new arena
THREE (3) lucky winners will stand a chance to win a pair of passes each that allow them to catch Juventus FC in their one and only training session before their match against Singapore Selection, all one need to do is to answer the following question:
QUESTION: Name the new player who was signed by Juventus from Manchester United in July 2014?
Please indicate your answer by name that particular player and email your answer to contest@bolasepako.com with the email subject as “CATCH JUVENTUS TRAINING IN SINGAPORE ” and include your FULL NAME (as in NRIC or other valid identification pass), CONTACT NUMBER and ID NUMBER of your identity documentation (i.e.: NRIC, student pass, etc.).

RULES AND REGULATIONS
  • The winning entries will be selected randomly from the submissions that provide the correct answer to the quiz once the contest is closed.
  • This contest is open to all reside in Singapore at the time that mark the commencement to the end of the contest, except to personnel working with relevant accreditation in the tournament and their next-to-kin.
  • No duplication of submission from one individual is allowed (i.e.: only ONE entry from one single individual)
  • Any decision by the organizers of this contest is final
  • No correspond pertaining whatever aspect of this contest will be entertained.
  • The organizers reserve the right to make any changes to the rules and regulations of the contest without any prior notification.
  • Upon confirming the winning entries, the contest will cease with immediate effect and will be made known via various avenues.
  • The winners will be notified by email from the relevant organizations (not necessarily from this blog) for necessary follow-up for the collection of the prizes.
  • Incomplete entry will be voided at the discretion of the organizer(s).
  • The closing date and time of the contest is 10th August 2014 at 2359hrs (Singapore time).
  • Should there be no winning entries or failure to collect the prizes within the stipulated time-frame, the prizes will be revert back to the originated source.
TICKETING DETAILS
In the meantime, the tickets to this match are now on sale with the details as follows:
  • Tickets - priced from S$45 to S$180 for adults and S$30 to S$45 for children – are on sale at Sports Hub Tix (www.sportshubtix.sg). The match will kick off at 6pm.

[PRESS RELEASE] SINGAPORE NATIONAL DAY PROMOTION TREAT FOR JUVENTUS MATCH

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(This press release and depicted image are issued by the organizers of the said match)

Juventus will be in Singapore on 16th August
Singapore, August 7: Football fans in Singapore can benefit from a National Day Promotion this weekend for the Singapore Selection v Juventus match – to be played at the National Stadium on August 16.
Tickets purchased for children will be half price if they are bought with an adult ticket using the promotional code ‘NationalDayPack’ from August 8 to 11.

For additional adult/child tickets bought in the same transaction a 10% discount is available. Please refer to the pricing table below.

Juventus sent a “come and see us” message to Singapore fans with an eight-goal exhibition in the opening match of their Asia-Pacific Tour in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Over 60,000 Indonesian supporters were treated to a night to remember as Juventus turned on the style in their 8-1 victory over the ISL All-Stars.

The Italy Serie A champions will head to Singapore with a star-filled squad, headlined by Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and recent signing from Manchester United Patrice Evra.

Tickets are on sale at Sports Hub Tix (www.sportshubtix.sg). The match will kick off at 6pm. 

Cat 3 National Day Pack                    
  • Adult S$70 + Child S$22.50 = Total S$92.50

Cat 4 National Day Pack
  • Adult S$45  + Child S$15 = Total S$60

Stange's BIG test against "I Bianconeri"

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(L-R) Llorente, Buffon and Allegri
The Bianconeri arrived in Singapore to conclude the final leg of their pre-season Asian Pacific tour that saw them notched up two victories in Indonesia and Australia prior to their arrival on the sunny island.

Following wins against the All-Stars squads of both Indonesian and A-League, Juventus are looking strong to conclude their tour on a high note.

Coach Allegri taking questions from press
"It has been a good preparation so far for our pre season, and we will have two more weeks to work things out before the campaign." said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri at the media conference

Despite having a short session within hours after their landing and still trying to familiarize with the playing surface, the former AC Milan coach is impressed with what he saw at the new National Stadium, the crown jewel of the Singapore Sports Hub.

Gianluigi Buffon - the Azzuri and Juventus skipper

Llorente was a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010
Alongside with Allegri were star goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and striker Fernando Llorente at the media session, which was preceded by the session catered for the Singapore Selection.

The big turnout by the press had the Selection coach Bernd Stange excited.

"It has been four years I had such a big turnout at a press conference, the last one I had was in Paris when I won a game there." said the German coach in his opening brief to the session.

Coach Stange (L) is upbeat of the coming match
"What we have for this match is the future of Singapore football with the local players and foreign players deserved to play for the Selection," added Coach Stange, who led the "mass mobilization" of 41 players to a three-week training tour to Austria recently and the friendly against the "Grand Old Lady" of Italian football presents a perfect chance to show where his works progressed so far.

"This is a promising team that we are using this match to prepare ourselves for the Asian Games and Suzuki Cup (at the end of the year), we are very happy to have Juventus here and looking forward to play this match."

Meanwhile, midfielder Hariss Harun and goalkeeper Hassan Sunny relishing such opportunity to pit against a team like Juventus.

Hariss set to grade himself against Juve
For Hariss, this match would be seen as a gauge of his progress since his switch from Lions XII to Johor Darul Takzim, where he played alongside the likes of ex-Argentine internationals Pablo Aimar and Luciano Figueroa.

Said the 24-year-old:"It is an honour to play with Aimar and Figueroa that had made me a better player, it would be a test (for me) to play against Juve which is going to be difficult, but this is how we learn and I will do my very best to help as much as I can, like the coach (Stange) said this is a preparation for the year end."

Hassan:"A learning experience against Juve"
The similar sentiment is shared by Warriors' goalkeeper Hassan who is taking this match as a learning opportunity from one of the best his department, Juventus skipper Buffon.

"It's a big honour to play against some of the players who recently played in the World Cup like Buffon, who I always look upon to and as well (Carlos) Tevez that I hope to learn as well from this match,

"Also this is the first time I been to here (the new National Stadium) and I don't know what to expect from playing on this new surface that while I am not used to this field because the grass has not fully grown, but we still have to get used to it since this is our stadium." added the 30-year-old custodian.

Juventus 5-0 lesson for Singapore on a sandy surface

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Andrea Pirlo - the midfield Mozart
The local should be proud of what they have seen in Singapore Selection side against Italian powerhouses Juventus in the very first football match played in the new National Stadium.

Notable performance by Warriors' goalkeeper Hassan Sunny at goal had at least accounted five saves to deny the "Grand Old Lady" from ripping the Selection apart in the first half.

Eventually, the "Bianconieri" did find their way to the back of the net on two occasions through "dead ball" situations credited to crowd favorite - midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo, who took the honour of being the first goal scorer inside this pristine arena through his efforts in the 16th (free-kick) and 44th minute (penalty).

Historical moment - Pirlo scored the first goal 
Historical moment - Pirlo scored his second goal
However, the same cannot be said for the second period with the Italian side turned on the turbo as early as three minutes after the restart when Paul Pogba tripled the tally from inside the box for having overpowered his marker before drove low beyond the reach of Hassan.

Two more goals later in the game from Sebastian Giovinco and substitute Kwadwo Asamoah completed the 5-0 rout and capped the tour for the defending Serie A champions on a clean sweep of three victories out of three official matches played in Jakarta and Sydney, besides Singapore.

Tussle for the ball
Pogba (second from right) scored the third
It was the only clean sheet as well for Massimiliano Allegri's men in this excursion following goals conceded in their Indonesian and Aussies outings.

However, it was the condition of the playing surface that concerned Coach Allegri and opted not to start another crowd favourite Argentine Carlos Tevez.

Explaining his decision to a question posted by the media, the former AC Milan coach said:"The field condition is not perfect and it is too sandy that I keep Tevez on the bench as a precautionary measure to prevent any further injury to him."

Tevez (second from left) rest for precaution
Stange: "Not proud of 30,000 turnout"
Whilst Selection's coach Bernd Stange is happy with the performance of his boys against opponents of such caliber, he is, however, not happy with the turnout of this match.

Said the German coach:"I am not proud of the thirty thousand (official attendance: 27, 338) when in other countries you would expect a full house against a top class side like Juventus,

"But it was a great event for the Selection against Juventus which first half was an exciting one before they (Juventus) increased their speed in the second half and I am pleased with the performance that won the hearts of the fans."

At first, Home shredded apart Albirex before switched off in second

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This entry supports #mysleagueticket (source)
A small hiccup in the second minute that saw Kazuya Okazaki notched in the early lead for Albirex Niigata (Singapore) did not cause much distress to Home United as the latter eventually sealed the game 4-2 at the Bishan Stadium in a mixed outcome.

The win by the defending Singapore Cup holders had leapfrogged them over the Japanese club in the league standings by placing themselves on the third spot with merely three points away from league leaders Brunei DPMM who suffered an almost frightening experience by scraping away with a 3-3 draw against Balestier Khalsa in another fixture of the night.

The home team gradually got their act together with a kind of football that seems to flow on the ground effortlessly in front of national coach Bernd Stange, who mentioned earlier in a report that the core of the AFF Suzuki Cup would be from the 41 players he brought to the Austrian training trip "unless there’s a player who is shining in the S.League".

Judging from the kind of performance in the first half, at least, he should give Fazli Ayob another shot for the Lions' call-up for that audacious shot from outside that hit the top corner of the back of the net to give Home the 4-1 lead before the interval.

Lee Kwan Woo (middle) netted a double (file picture)
Prior to the stunner by the former Lions XII midfider, the game was levelled by Korean playmaker Lee Kwan Woo in the 14th minute with a free-kick that riveted through the wall of the White Swan before striker Fazrul Nawaz gave them the lead in the 19th minute.

An unmarked Lee made it 3-1 at the half hour mark amid a shredded Albirex's defensive line from inside the box.

A much improved second half performance by the Japanese side kept the scoreline as the way it was with them easing in the deficit in the process in the 73rd with a header from Kazuki Sakamoto.

Acknowledged the shortcomings of their first half display in the post match press conference, Albirex's coach Tatsuyuki Okuyama said:"We did not play well in the first half and got this result, as we kept our defence line too low,

"At half time, I told my players to prevent Home United from scoring goals by pushing up the defence line and tried to catch them in the process and I didn't expect such a performance in the first half, which we could have done better."

It was a stark contrast that sums up the Protectors' second half game with the effective execution of the tactics by Coach Okuyama to limit the penetration from the home side.

Said Home United coach Lee Lim Saeng:"In the second half, the opponents pushed us that we could not score and it's also something we must keep improving like learning to hold the ball for a long period,

"But it was a deserving win for us, however, we must be humble at this stage given that we are still in the title race with every match is important to us."

Following this win, Home United are slated to take on their arch-rivals Warriors FC in their next match on this Sunday with Albirex are squaring off against the defending league champions Tampines Rovers on the following day.
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