Different week, same result. I wrote a post-match thoughts piece a week ago talking about how we achieved a fuss-free win and would start looking ahead to the next match against Muangthong. I must say it’s very tempting to just copy and paste the whole article here again. There were similarities – the result was never in doubt once we scored first, we missed a truckload of chances, Tanjong Pagar put up a combative performance, Raihan was his tigerish self in midfield, and Tanjong Pagar scored from a dead-ball situation.
Super tempted to just end the article here, (and in fact I just straight up re-used the cover photo from last week’s article cos it’s the exact same scoreline and nature of victory) … but let’s dive right into some post-match thoughts.
Foregone Conclusion Given TPU’s Absentees
Once I saw that Salif Cisse was out once again, and to top it off, Zenivio Mota was also injured, I knew we would win handily. My 2-1 prediction counted on both of them being available, and us having to deal with the threat they pose – but seeing a TPU lineup without them is like seeing a declawed cat trying to hurt you. They probably caaaaan? But it’s very very very difficult – like trying to kill someone with a spoon (the cutlery not the action).
Also, this 2nd-string line-up is probably capable of finishing mid-table in the SPL, especially if you add Bart Ramselaar and Bailey Wright to the mix, as Coach Ranko opted to do. Song would have started regardless because he is suspended for Thursday’s game, but I was genuinely surprised to see Bart and Bailey start. Bart did eventually come off in the 65th min despite being on a hat-trick. Sometimes players don’t like that because they want a chance to complete their hat-trick but I don’t think Bart will care. He will probably want to be as fresh as possible for Thursday’s game.
I mean, that’s just a sick lineup considering we made 8 changes. Our depth is insane, and that is why again, I feel there is no excuse for us not to win the league.
Akram Azman
On an evening where everything was in cruise control, and no one really busted a gut to do anything, I felt Akram Azman stuck out. His endeavour down the wing meant that he was often in attacking positions, helping to stretch play and being an all-round menace.
Though of course, that doesn’t mean that he didn’t come back and defend. In fact, it was him doing the defensive work that led to Tanjong Pagar’s penalty. An awkward bounce off his leg / turf meant the ball bounced up onto his hand. He won’t want to see that again.
But, he atoned for it. He laid on chances for his teammates – one in particular saw him cross the ball for Lennart, but Lennart couldn’t head it in. He also managed to get into goalscoring positions – the first one saw him blaze over the bar on his left foot when it was easier to score, but second time was the charm for him, as he latched onto a long pass by Anu and bundled the ball home. (What a pass by Anu by the way.)
Coach Ranko was pleased with his game and said so in the post-match interview. It was especially impressive from a mentality point of view considering he had just given up a pen and allowed Tanjong Pagar a way back into the game. He was totally unfazed by it.
When we spoke with Akram post-game, he was modest and said he could still improve and he would like to build on his performance. From our POV? To do what he did on his first start was pretty impressive.
Another interesting thing was this – with Lionel on the pitch, Akram was responsible for taking the long throw that led to Bart’s 2nd goal. This opens up possibilities for future games where if we’re really chasing a goal, even Lionel can be inside the penalty area with Akram chucking it in.
So, an encouraging full debut for Akram, but I do wonder where this leaves Mamat, even If we assume that Hafiz Nor leaves at the end of the season. Perhaps something worth thinking about in another article.
Rasaq and Nathan
Not much to really analyse here – it was just a very good through pass for Nathan that Rasaq could just run onto and finish without breaking his stride.
It is nice to see these 2 players get more minutes, and the hope is that our cup run will afford them more chances to shine.
Conclusion
Maxime Lestienne and Shawal Anuar were on the bench but were not required to come on, given how comfortable we were. We got three points and built up a healthy goal difference. We cruised and no key players got injured. Ali was bleeding from a bad clash and we hope he’s fine, but he wasn’t likely to start on Thursday anyway.
All attention now turns to Thursday’s massive clash. Our rotation means we enter the game on level footing (physically) with Muangthong United, given that they had the weekend off due to the Thai FA postponing their game.
I can’t wait.
Written by Eddy Hirono
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