August 21, 2024

Leaving aside the ridiculous logo of our opponents, our Sailors’ foray into the Shopee Cup should be something we are excited about. While planning my away trips to support the team, I realised something – our Shopee Cup opponents are arguably harder than our ACL2 opponents. Funny, considering that ACL2 looks on paper to be the more prestigious tournament. More money on offer (ACL2’s USD2.5 million for the winner vs Shopee Cup’s USD500,000 for the winner), and also the chance to rub shoulders not only against ASEAN teams but also powerhouses from Japan, China and Korea. Part of why we can’t really predict the outcome of continental matches with much accuracy is because we have limited experience at this level, plus teams are ever-changing. With all that said, let’s dive into the preview (but not like a constipated dolphin, just take a normal dive). What Kind of Team is Borneo FC Samarinda? Looking at this screenshot, I have to admit that I know close to nothing about Indonesia football. Lilipaly is a standout name of course, him having scored against Singapore in the 2016 AFF Cup, and been one of Indonesia’s most eye-catching players over the years. But other than that, Rivaldo and Ronaldo are famous names but probably not the same people we immediately think of when you see those names, and then Fajar is just a place in Bukit Panjang. However, I wish I could say that when I decided to read up on this team and watch them on Youtube, that they are a bunch of unknowns we should be capable of swatting aside with ease. No. They seem to be a very good and well-organised team. They did excellently in the President’s Cup a month ago, and while that may not be seen to be real silverware because it is more of a pre-season tournament, the players from all the teams took it seriously, and Borneo FC fielded their best 11. They qualified for the final, overcoming Persib Bandung and PSM Makassar in the group stages, beating Persija Jakarta in the semi-final, and then losing out on penalties to Arema FC in the final. Throughout that run, they also showed real grit, battling to 90min and beyond. In their 5 games, they scored 3 goals in injury time in three different matches – twice to win the game and once to equalise. Not easy to do, especially against the teams they came up against. If there’s one small crumb of consolation – they seem to be quite susceptible to the counter-attack. If they push on with the home crowd behind them, perhaps we can exploit that. They will know that we thrive on transitions though, so I wonder if they will try to pick us off on the counter instead. Dangermen Of course, I speak from just watching some matches on Youtube, so please take this with a gigantic pinch of salt. Longtime observers of the ASEAN scene will know all about Lilipaly’s quality. Much like Bart Ramselaar and Maxime Lestienne, he has spent some time in Dutch football. He was born there, joined the AZ Alkmaar academy, and eventually played in the Eredivisie in 2 separate spells. Now 34, he’s lost some zip, but his playmaking quality and threat on the ball is still evident when you watch him. He seems to have quickly struck up an understanding with Berguinho and Gaucho. Berguinho reminds me of a B-rated Maxime Lestienne (I hope I do not regret saying this), while Gaucho is a cool, calm customer in front of goal. They look like they have the tools to punish us should we slack off in defence. Another thing to note about Borneo FC is they seem to cross the ball alot. Most of their goals have come from crosses, whether in open play or set pieces. Something to watch out for. Tight Schedule – Tired Players? Our Sailors play 3 games in 8 days. If Coach Ranko hasn’t rotated much before, he certainly will have to give some thought to it now. Do we take the Shopee Cup seriously? Given that the title sponsor is also our sponsor (and indirectly our owner), I don’t see us fielding a second string lineup for this tournament, unlike what BG Pathum did earlier last night. Our fixtures are Borneo FC Samarinda (away), Albirex (away), and then Geylang (home). The Albirex fixture worries me the most despite their poor form this season. Assuming we take the Shopee Cup seriously and field a strong 11, can they recover quickly and still perform at their best at the weekend? Even if we field a strong 11 and get a commanding lead (by no means an easy feat), Borneo FC’s late late heroics may mean that Coach Ranko pauses before making wholesale changes to the team to rest some legs. Well, I’m not the coach. I suspect he will go with a strong lineup for all 3 upcoming games because of the long break that the players had since our last game against DPMM at the start of August. This might work on a one-off basis, but this fixture congestion will pop up again and again in the coming months. 6 games in 20 days stretching from September to October, taking in flights to Bangkok and Hanoi – Ranko has to find an effective formula to allow the players to rest and recover. We have good depth both in our local and foreign ranks – it is time to trust the depth a little more. Supporters should also be abit more understanding of the schedule and the necessity of rotation – if we see a lineup without Maxime Lestienne, let’s try not to panic. Try! Put it this way, if the squad is absolutely reliant on Maxime Lestienne being available to beat Albirex, don’t you think that it is a bit of a failure of the squad / management? I’d think so. Indonesian Fans Indonesian fans are known to be super passionate