31.5.06
SINGAPORE V MALAYSIA
It was a boring match, so bored that some fans among us were even cheering the Malaysian to score goal. Some were turning against our own players, which was quite disgusting. Therefore, I shouted back "C'mon, we are all Singaporeans, stop jeering our own players! If you are so good, you go down the field and replaced them! " These fans are just fairweathered fans man, they will cheer one minute, boo the next minute. C'mon, when our own Lions are not playing well, we ought to encourage them and not jeer or shout obscenity at them! If we are not behind them, then who else will be?
See, we need future generation like my pupils to be true die-hard fans of their own beloved SINGAPORE!
Ok, let me take some positives out of the game. Ahmad Latiff showed glimpes of his off the ball running and speed after almost 2 years out of the national squad.
In the 88min,He had the closest chance to win the game for us in normal regulation time.
Lionel Lewis made at least 3 crucial saves to denies the Malaysian. Malaysia, though seemingly fitter, do not really know how to attack. They were mostly restricted to long shots. And after the final whistle was blown, all the fans were taken aback when the public announcing system announced that penalties will be played to decide the winner! WHAT?! All of us were already heading for the tunnel... We thought this is the 1st leg, while the 2nd leg is in Negri Sembilan this Sat and the Cup winner will be decided on the aggregate score format?? Oh well, so we stayed on for the penalty shoot...
And below are some clips I took during the shootout... which I think was the only consolation for a dull match. Maybe, the organisers decided to have the penalty shootout at the eleventh hour due to the lacklustre match just to make us fans happy!
Lewis saved the only penalty of the night.
The final penalty taken by Singapore and finally we are the victor!
YNWA @ 2:01 PM
