SINGAPORE - It was tactical cat and mouse in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) on Friday (March 29) as leaders Tampines Rovers laid siege but had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Albirex Niigata.
Fireworks were expected from this fixture as the Stags, with 11 goals from three games, faced last season's undefeated champions but, in the end, the White Swans' defence held firm before 2,745 fans at Our Tampines Hub.
For Tampines, chasing a first league title since 2013, it was a case of two points dropped rather than a precious point earned.
A disappointed Stags coach Gavin Lee said: "It's two points dropped. We could argue that they (Albirex) had chances), but we should have taken our chances.
"But we will get better with more training and, knowing these boys, they will rebound quickly."
White Swans coach Keiji Shigetomi found some satisfaction in his team's defensive strength, saying: "They (Tampines) can have the ball but not in our vital areas. We have played them in a pre-season friendly (losing 4-0) and we understand their attacking threats.
"Our plan was to block all their avenues of attack."
The result keeps Tampines top of the nine-team SPL standings on 10 points from four games, three ahead of Brunei DPMM, who have a game in hand. Albirex are sixth with two points from three games.
With two top-billed clubs with reputations for attacking football clashing, it turned out that Albirex, who have yet to score this season, who dug in to repel waves of attacks from the Stags in yellow jerseys.
Â
Â
Lee applied pressure through his wingers - Jordan Webb and Ryutaro Megumi - using their speed and skill and even with the duo swopping flanks throughout the game, the White Swans' sea of bodies did not part.
Webb came close in the 19th minute, nicking the ball off defender Shuhei Sasahara but curling wide from an acute angle.
In the 35th minute, Megumi volleyed wide from close range and, in stoppage time, striker Khairul Amri could have won it but he swept the ball wide from close range.
Yet, Lee found himself literally facing a tactical dilemma - pour forward in search of the win or leave the team exposed to counter-attacks.
"Everyone could see that Albirex came with a clear game plan. We predicted that but unfortunately we could not get into a rhythm in the first half," Lee said.
"We gave Albirex a few more problems in the second half. It wasn't easy as they were looking to hit us on the break. In the end, it was an even game."
Despite ending Tampines' three-game winning streak, Albirex finished the game with some regrets, too.
Shigetomi added: "I'm more frustrated with no goals being scored. We have taken a clean sheet against Tampines, but we still need to work hard on our attacking play.
"The players have to work more on their finishing, be more ruthless, more decisive and improve their accuracy."
Meanwhile, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced on Friday sanctions against two National Football League players for cheating during the mandatory 2.4km fitness test.
Shahir Hamzah and Masnashzreen Masturi from Yishun Sentek Mariners allowed "unknown persons" to impersonate them and take the test, which all players in the amateur second-tier league have to pass before being registered to play, on their behalf on March 16.
Photographic and video evidence were collected to prove their guilt and both players were banned from being registered in any FAS organised or sanctioned competitions until the end of the 2021 season.
Curt Casali hit a three-run homer off Patrick Corbin, who had one of the worst starts of his career, and the Cincinnati Reds beat Washington 9-3 Friday night to end the Nationals' streak of eight
Cincinnati Reds - Page 2 - Empire Attack Forums
empireforums.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=3139&start=20
neal wrote:i saw that wreck on sportscenter, gnarly. the bills will be 3rd in their division at best, depending on whether the dolphins keep ronnie and ricky. the lions made leaps and bounds last year in the nfc north, and have a scary d line but 0 corners, so green bay and chicago will attack with 5 yard routes. this is all assuming there will be footballoh and the vikings will be a roller
Official Cincinnati Reds Website | MLB.com
Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Group E - Canada v Cameroon - Stade de La Mosson, Montpellier, France - June 10, 2019 Canada's Kadeisha Buchanan scores their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard MONTPELLIER, France (Reuters) - Defender Kadeisha Buchanan scored on the stroke of halftime to hand Canada a winning start to the women's […]
Buchanan goal hands Canada slender 1-0 win over Cameroon
Football News. March 7, 2019 / 8:20 PM / 3 months ago. Soccer-10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held. Andrew Downie. Sevilla, who have won the Europa League three times, twice went ahead
10-man Arsenal slump in Rennes, Sevilla held - bdnews24.com
May 07, 2019 · Liverpool is technically still alive in the Champions League semifinals. Barcelona's 3-0 whomping in the first leg came at home in Spain, so Liverpool's task Tuesday to advance: score four
Liverpool stun Barcelona to reach Champions League final with
Rose confident Spurs can cope without Kane and Alli. Manchester City's Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez (left) vies with Tottenham Hotspur's English defender Danny Rose during the Uefa Champions
Sanchez: Spurs squad can cope without Kane and Alli
Mar 08, 2019 · More than two dozen members of the United States women's national team sued U.S. Soccer in federal court on Friday. Credit Credit Douglas Defelice/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Women's National Team Files Federal Lawsuit Against U.S
Tottenham to play Crystal Palace in first game at new stadium
Real Madrid were left shell-shocked by a clever last-gasp Pablo Fornals goal as Villarreal earned a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. late show stuns frustrated champions Madrid
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 08, 2019, with the headline 'Guardiola expects twists in title race'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
Guardiola expecting twists and turns in title race
LONDON • Whoever said the magic of the FA Cup was dead should have paid a visit to Kingsmeadow, The Den and the New Meadow on Saturday.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Magic of the FA Cup alive and well - theworldnews.net
Other than having to integrate a new-look side, Shigetomi also has to contend with new SPL rules which require Albirex to sign at least four Singaporean players, with at least two playing the entire first half. The club missed out on several targets in the close season, but still managed to sign six local players.
Singapore football must build a star overseas to create a
David de Gea has had a difficult few weeks for Manchester United, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still has faith in him. Solskjaer trusts us, we trust him - Pogba. RELATED STORY.
I trust him - Solskjaer refusing to drop struggling De Gea
Substitute Andre Gray scored a second-half winner as Watford beat Marco Silva's Everton 1-0 in the Premier League on Saturday to heap the pressure on their former manager. Everton boss Silva's first visit to Vicarage Road since being sacked by Watford last January ended with the home fans singing that he would suffer a similar fate at the
0 comments:
Post a Comment