SINGAPORE PREMIER LEAGUE
Home United v Young Lions
Bishan Stadium, 5.30pm
They had a taste of blood, and now the Young Lions want more.
Tipped by many to struggle in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) this season, Fandi Ahmad's charges pulled off a massive upset last week when they beat a Hougang United team boasting several senior national players 2-1.
The young guns, lying seventh in the nine-team table, are hoping to build on the victory when they take on sixth-placed and SPL pre-season title hopefuls Home United today at the Bishan Stadium.
Striker Saifullah Akbar, who scored the winning goal against Hougang, said he and many of his teammates benefited from a three-week overseas stint with the national Under-22 team, also coached by Fandi.
Fifteen Young Lions players were among the 24-strong U-22 squad that went on a two-week training camp in Shizuoka, Japan, before playing qualification matches in Mongolia for next year's AFC Under-23 Championship.
Singapore failed to progress to next year's finals after finishing second in their group. They had drawn 1-1 with Hong Kong and North Korea and beaten Mongolia 3-1.
Saifullah, 20, said: "In Japan and Mongolia, we played against opponents who were physically, tactically and technically stronger.
"Doing well on both trips gave us the belief we could match the top SPL teams when we returned here. And that has been key - belief."
Young Lions skipper Joshua Pereira added: "In Japan, we had double training sessions every day, and did not have outside distractions we have back in Singapore like school, work or National Service.
"The win against Hougang felt exceptional, but we know we have to keep our feet on the ground and try to do it again in our next game against Home."
Fandi, 56, refused to get carried away by the win over Hougang - in pre-season, he had simply targeted avoiding the wooden spoon - but added that he was pleased with the competition among his players.
He said: "Everyone wants a place in the team, and everyone's fighting for it.
"The SEA Games (in the Philippines from Nov 30-Dec 11) is the next big target and the players are all eager to prove themselves."
Despite his team's fine form, Fandi said they will start today's match as the underdogs.
Home have kept three straight clean sheets and also defeated Laotian champions Lao Toyota 1-0 in the AFC Cup on Tuesday.
But Home coach Saswadimata Dasuki is fretting over his attack.
Last season's 13-goal forward Shahril Ishak and Australian midfielder Isaka Cernak are sidelined with ankle injuries while South Korean midfielder Song Ui-yong, with 10 goals last campaign, is struggling with a groin problem.
Saswadimata said he was impressed by the Young Lions, noting: "They were very disciplined and very organised, both defensively and going forward.
"They are young, but they compensate by working really hard for each other and being organised.
"We will find it tough to break the Young Lions down."
Crowds flock to Argentine village to pay tribute to footballer Sala Date created : 16/02/2019 - 17:35 Relatives and friends are pictured through a screen during the wake of late Argentine football
Crowds flock to Argentine village to pay tribute to
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is "ahead of schedule" and could return to full training in February following a serious knee injury.
Football news - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could return to
Mourinho heading back to the Bernabeu. Santiago Solari is set to be sacked imminently with Jose Mourinho to be confirmed as the next Real Madrid boss according to reports in Spain. Mourinho returning to the Bernabeu has been brewing for some time now.
Man Utd should sack Jose Mourinho for Real Madrid legend
SINGAPORE: Eight of the Singapore Premier League's (SPL) locally-based clubs will share four stadiums as part of a new initiative aimed at consolidating resources and improving match-day
Albirex's Yamazaki eyes unbeaten SPL season starting with
Jun 06, 2010 · Under-10 players at work at the Ajax academy in Amsterdam. Credit Joachim Ladefoged/VII, for The New York Times . The youth academy of the famed dutch soccer club Ajax is grandiosely called De
'Happy' Morata slays Malta. Spain striker Alvaro Morata (in white) playing the ball past Malta defender Zach Muscat to score during the Euro 2020 Group F victory on Tuesday. He also netted the
Latest EUROPEAN FOOTBALL | The Straits Times
Man City title hopes hit by shock defeat at Newcastle; Pelicans stun Rockets 121-116 Share On; ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 schedule Football. Newcastle stun Manchester City 2-1.
Man City title hopes hit by shock defeat at Newcastle - Man
Football: Italy upset Australia at Women's World Cup with Bonansea double; As Canarinhas thump Reggae Girlz. 22 hours ago. VALENCIENNES, France (REUTERS, THE GUARDIAN) - Barbara Bonansea scored twice to give Italy a surprise, last-gasp 2-1 victory against Australia in their opening Group C game at the women's football World Cup on Sunday (June
2019 Women's World Cup Live Updates: Australia vs. Italy
Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets can put a serious damper on your outdoor fun. And since populations peak in late summer, now's the time of year when you either deal with them or risk ruining a
How to Get Rid of Hornets: 13 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Football: Gareth Bale 'nowhere near' being Real's leader
Feb 09, 2019 · The family of the missing pilot of the plane carrying the footballer Emiliano Sala have set up a fundraising page for donations to help restart a search for him. Sala's body was recovered from
Emiliano Sala's family says search for missing pilot must
0 comments:
Post a Comment