SINGAPORE - If the main aim of the Singapore's international friendly against Solomon Islands was to ensure their new coach Tatsuma Yoshida started his tenure with a win, the Lions got the job done. Barely, with a 4-3 win at the National Stadium on Saturday (June 8).
But if the larger objective is to get the Lions to play possession-based attacking football, then Yoshida has a lot of work to do after celebrating his 45th birthday on Sunday, as he rated the performance "six or seven out of 10".
To be fair, the Japanese was appointed only on May 30 and had just four training sessions with his team.
He said: "It is a good result and a positive start. Our boys played a little nervously, made some mistakes, and we have to improve on some things, but they showed good attitude.
"We couldn't control the play and couldn't stop the opponents' attack in midfield, and we panicked a little. We didn't interchange well and we need to learn to hold our defence first.
"I'm used to seeing players who train well but become nervous in games. These are things we cannot improve on in one or two days but I trust my players and we need to keep going."
Singapore, who started off with a 4-1-4-1 formation, got off to a flyer in front of around 1,500 fans when Faris Ramli headed home Shahdan Sulaiman's cross, following a well-worked move in the fourth minute.
After the bright start, Singapore strangely sat back as both sides lacked ideas and urgency.
Â
Â
Â
Â
Gabriel Quak had a one-on-one goalscoring opportunity in the 33rd minute but took one touch too many before shooting straight at Philip Mango.
But Solomon Islands looked the likelier team to score towards the end of the half and Izwan Mahbud had to be alert to thwart Joses Nawo twice in two minutes.
The Lions did not take heed of the warning signs and were made to pay just three minutes after the restart when Feni Gagame cut in from the right and fired across Izwan into the bottom corner.
It got worse for Singapore when Adam Swandi's poor first touch allowed Andrew Abba to give the visitors the lead with a left-footer in off the post.
Singapore equalised in the 67th minute when Shahdan's free-kick eluded everyone and beat Mango. But the Lions continued to display poor technique in the second half as Zulfahmi Arifin's casual pass in the 75th minute resulted in a fast break for the visitors, and Benjamin Totori beat Safuwan Baharudin and Izwan at the near post to restore the Solomon Islands' lead.
The Lions replied almost instantly, when substitute Khairul Amri threaded Gabriel Quak through to make it 3-3.
Izwan then had to be brave to deny Nawo after Hariss Harun's sloppy backpass in the 78th minute, which resulted in a head injury for the Singapore goalkeeper who was then replaced by Hassan Sunny.
Hariss then made amends in the 85th minute when he slotted in from close range after Mango dropped Quak's corner to ensure the hosts got the win that should help the Lions improve their world ranking of 160 and secure a better seeding for next month's World Cup qualifiers draw.
Solomon Islands coach Wim Rijsbergen said: "We gave a couple of goals away and allowed Singapore back into the game. We have guys who come from very low standards and we have to learn in international football, every mistake can lead to a goal."
Hariss, who grabbed his 10th international goal, was pleased with how his team fought their way back to win, but urged for a better showing against Myanmar on Tuesday.
He said: "It is important we got the win. We did it the hard way, which is not ideal.
"We have to work on controlling the game better. I think it was a case of being comfortable and overconfident after the early goal and we were punished.
"The boys enjoy playing such attacking football but we need to remember our defensive responsibilities too, so tonight was a good lesson we have to learn from."
Kepa Arrizabalaga is a 'disgrace' and deserves to be sacked by Chelsea after refusing to be subbed off during the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City. That is the
Kepa Arrizabalaga 'should be sacked' by Chelsea after
Home Sport Football Olivier Giroud demands important role at Chelsea FC next season. Olivier Giroud demands important role at Chelsea FC next season Niger FA chief vows to improve youths
Giroud demands important Chelsea role next season - Chronicle.ng
Leicester Welcome Rodgers With Win, Newcastle End Burnley Run New Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers watched on from the stands as the Foxes beat Brighton 2-1, while Newcastle pulled further clear of the relegation battle by defeating Burnley on Tuesday.
Solskjaer & Young rue missed chances in Arsenal defeat | Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United | Reaction Hear from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ashley Young after the Reds' defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
Tuchel rues missed chances as PSG crash out of - One News
Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal coach says Ronaldo can stay at the top for several years. Reuters - Brian Homewood. PORTO (Reuters) - Portugal coach Fernando Santos believes that talismanic forward Cristiano Ronaldo can continue playing at the highest level for both club and country for at least three to four years.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's instant impact as Manchester United interim manager continued in his first home game in charge as two goals from Paul Pogba helped his team secure a 3-1 win over Huddersfield. After a resounding 5-1 victory at Cardiff, in his first game since replacing Jose Mourinho at the weekend, Solskjaer saw his team […]
Premier League: Pogba strikes twice as Man Utd win on
The 2019 season is Hougang United's 22nd consecutive season in the top flight of Singapore football and in the S.League. Along with the S.League, the club will also compete in the Singapore Cup. Note 1: Fazrul Nawaz returned to the team after the loan and subsequently complete the transfer.
Singapore's Hougang United forced to terminate Ramazotti's contract
United Bank of India STP. Segment. Individual and Industry banking. Target Group. Semi-Urban Sector. Positioning. Complete Banking solutions. United Bank of India SWOT Analysis. Strengths . Below is the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) Analysis of United Bank of India. Strengths are: 1. Financial products for rural segment 2.
Ahli United Bank SWOT Analysis | Competitors & USP
Ryan Fraser wants to come hear, we need a winger, so buy him. No brainer. As for Mustafi he is the very weak link in our very poor defence and has been for some time. There must be a half decent centre back in the Premier League who would jump at the chance for playing for us. Mustafi could always be sold back to Spain where he seemed to do ok.
Five centre-backs who could solve Arsenal's Mustafi problem
Keep foot on pedal, warns Solskjaer, Football News & Top
Neymar will travel to Qatar to undergo a "complete assessment" six weeks into his recovery from a fractured right foot. Neymar heads to Qatar for medical assessment | Sport24
Aspetar - Neymar heads to Aspetar for medical assessment
(Adds quotes) By Richard Martin. BARCELONA, May 4 (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid fell to their heaviest league defeat of the season as they were crushed 3-0 by Espanyol on Saturday, missing the chance to mathematically guarantee they finish second in La Liga ahead of neighbors Real Madrid.
Soccer-Atletico slump to biggest defeat of season against
Clock ticking for city to close $17.2M gap. By Elizabeth Dobbins, edobbins@lowellsun.com. The city expects additional revenue from local taxes on recreational marijuana, with a quarter of this
Small Cities Feel the Clock Ticking on Opportunity Zones
0 comments:
Post a Comment