Post-Match Thoughts – SailorFanTalk

[Post-Match Thoughts] Singapore Cup Final – Third Time’s The Charm

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Ernest Cheong

Photo Credit: @kyoga_nakamura via Instagram Hang it in The Louvre. After losing 2 Singapore Cup finals during his time with the Stags, Kyoga Nakamura made a triumphant return to Singapore football. His move to the Sailors shaped the narrative of 2026’s showpiece event, only threatened by an administrative farce. This trophy was the first of Kyoga’s career, and the achievement vindicates his latest career move. The Homecoming Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with this sentiment. Boos rang out from the yellow faithful whenever Kyoga touched the ball. The jeers were picked up by the broadcast, and the commentators made ample notice of it. Even with the competitive rivalry in mind, it was disappointing from a sporting perspective. Nonetheless, it did not deter Kyoga from putting in a composed performance. We saw him deployed in an inverted role on the right, constantly shifting to his left foot to make line breaking passes. His delivery from both set pieces and open play created key chances that added a dimension to our attack. Despite the differences in playstyles, Kyoga’s encouraging display hinted at how the Sailors may set up post-Maxime Lestienne. His playmaking was on show throughout the 120 mins, and could be the catalyst for a successful second half of the season. One trophy down, Kyoga’s going for the treble this season. We saw another debut for Luka Adžić, who came on in the dying moments of regulation time to provide fresh impetus. His first touch from a free kick was almost the stuff of dreams, demanding a save from Syazwan Buhari to deny a first goal in white. Luka was then immediately put on corner duty to provide inswinging deliveries from the left. It is refreshing to see our new additions integrating into the squad and taking on important roles from the get go. The January signings could prove to be a coup, along with depth in the form of Lucas Agueiro and Benjamin Žerak. Luka eventually delivered for the Sailors in extra time, finding Diogo Costa with a deft outside foot pass. That set our Portuguese left back free to find Hami Syahin who finished with aplomb. A brilliant goal from fellow substitute Anderson Lopes that left Dylan Fox wishing he stayed home settled things on the pitch. But the outcome of the match was not quite decided… Administrative Error This is the second instance whereby the Sailors have “benefited” from administrative errors. We famously received a 3-0 bye against J-League giants Sanfrecce Hiroshima after they fielded an ineligible Valère Germain. It was comical that he was even selected in the matchday squad, after it was revealed post-match that he had an ongoing AFC suspension from his Macarthur FC days. This time around things were less clear cut. After all, BG Tampines Rovers started the game with 5 locals on the pitch. This was definitely honouring the quota of having 4 locals on the pitch at any given time. What eventually transpired was perhaps an overzealous sequence of substitutions. Dylan Fox came on for Raoul Suhaimi on the hour mark, which preceded a debut for Yuki Kobayashi 20 minutes later. This meant Tampines went from 5 locals to 3 in one fell swoop. Joel Chew seemed to be the only one who noticed, taking some time to explain his concerns to the officials and coaching staff. The Australian referee was having none of it, choosing to expedite the change as it was not within his purview to police such errors. Within a few minutes, everyone caught on and this led to a hurried stopgap, with Ong Yu En coming on for Koya Kazama. Too little too late, Tampines had already fallen foul of the rules. When the whistle went for the end of regulation time, dissatisfaction was rife in the stands. There was an assumption the game could be called off, which increased tension when the break dragged on. Eventually, extra time kicked off in the midst of confusion. Despite the scoreline finishing 2-0 to the Sailors, an official verdict was expected to come from FAS. An official statement was released 5 days later confirming the forfeiture of the match by Tampines and awarding LCS a 3-0 default victory. In hindsight, it was wise from the match committee to allow the game to reach its natural conclusion considering the circumstances. A 3767-strong crowd turned up to witness the event and would have been sorely disappointed to leave the match with 0 goals scored had the game been called off after 90 mins. Three-Peat Despite the controversy, the Sailors were largely convincing and rightfully retained the cup. This was our third Singapore Cup trophy on the trot, and bodes well for the rest of our season. It also stunts Tampines’ progress, at least on the domestic front. There have been some suggestions Coach Ranko could be feeling the heat after ACL Two elimination, but these doubts are shelved for now as we begin 2026 on a winning note. A convincing victory over our resurgent rivals is a good indicator for where we are at this point of the season. But we cannot rest on our laurels, with the SPL and Shopee Cup still in the balance. Could we achieve a treble that includes the ASEAN Club Championship? For a season that has felt underwhelming at times, it would arguably be our greatest achievement to date. The rest of the month will be crucial for our treble chances, resuming our league campaigns with away games against Geylang and Hougang before a daunting away day in Nam Định. Win all three and the treble might well be on the cards. Critics may point out regional giants like Buriram and JDT are still in the competition, but if recent history has taught me anything, a fan can dream (of more administrative errors and byes)… Here’s to a great 2026, and I’ll report back after we (hopefully) win in Vietnam. Written by Ernest If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk,

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Lion City Sailors vs Persib Bandung – Bandung-tinted Glasses

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Ernest Cheong

Photo Credit: Lion City Sailors FC After weeks of online chatter, we did our talking on the pitch and beat Persib fair and square. Though you wouldn’t think so if you glanced at the comments section post-match. Allegations of offside and fouls in the buildup to Shawal’s goal would have you believe Persib were robbed. Home and Away WHO? The true robbery was the purchase of home tickets by away fans. As per competition regulations, 5% of tickets were allocated to the away side. Despite this, it was publicly known and in some instances paraded that Bobotoh purchased home tickets instead. This led to a match advisory post that warned against away support in the home stands. The advisory went viral, with swarms of comments criticising the ban of away jerseys and support in the home sections. The misinterpretation was echoed by Marc Klok in the pre-match press conference, with him questioning the rationale of such rules. Bojan Hodak then doubled down with his criticism of Bishan Stadium, likening it to a ‘training ground’ and ‘not a professional stadium’. It remained to be seen how these rules would be enforced on matchday, and some fans found their own workarounds. One group printed white t-shirts with the phrase ‘Lion City Sailor’ prominently plastered, which to me was a hilarious attempt at circumventing the restrictions. Others prepared white flags with blue Xs to not raise suspicions. What transpired was reasonable in the end. There was one overzealous fan who celebrated Persib’s equaliser while seated in the home section, he was promptly escorted out after some taunting from the crowd. Thankfully, that was most of the commotion that night and fans were well behaved otherwise. Direct Football En-route to the final last season, we had much success playing direct, even gaining a penchant for scoring quick goals from kick-off. There wasn’t to be such an early goal this game, but in the 9th minute we struck again. Lionel Tan played a great ball in behind, the Persib centreback let it bounce which gifted Lennart Thy the opportunity to lob the onrushing keeper. The advantage would be undone two minutes later, with a well-worked short corner routine trickling into the net, the entire Sailors defence ball-watching. It helped that this was when the rogue fan made himself known; our frustrations were largely vented at him instead. Perhaps the most frustrating concession was the second goal that came after the break. Beckham Putra found Thom Haye who had made an underlapping run, who crossed at the byline for Andrew Jung to head home. Here, you can see the replay courtesy of @bandungfootball. As beautiful as it was, there were questions to be asked as to why Thom was given so much space to fashion the chance. That goal had us staring at elimination from the ACL Two, and we responded by bringing on Maxime Lestienne for fresh impetus. Our Belgian wizard made an instant impact, his delivery from deep allowing Shawal Anuar to ghost in behind the defenders and finish in the bottom corner. It was just what we needed and seemed to inject self-belief in the team. We would grab the lead in the 71st minute, with fellow substitute Hami Syahin showing composure in our own box before releasing Anderson Lopes with a typical ball over the top. The Persib defenders let the ball bounce again, allowing Anderson to finish with aplomb. Cue wild celebrations in the stands. Rose-Syrup Tinted Glasses This result, coupled with Bangkok’s draw against Selangor, make for pretty clear optics going into MD6. Beat Selangor, and hope Persib lose again. It’s out of our hands, but the chronic optimist in me says it’s going to happen. After all, we’ve recovered from more dire situations (Hiroshima’s administrative error comes to mind :D). Surely the footballing gods will smile upon us to condemn Persib to another elimination. As fate would have it, we’re due to face Bangkok again next Thursday in the Shopee Cup. In an ideal world, we beat them handsomely to set off a chain of events that sees us progressing in both competitions. Despite the apparent insignificance of the Shopee Cup, the next fixture is pivotal for our season. Other than the obvious benefit of an elevated group standing, it would also represent a marked improvement against our bogey team, whom we have lost to in 4 previous meetings. Our local rivals BG Tampines Rovers have already qualified for the ACL Two RO16, in a group containing Pohang Steelers and BG Pathum United. That is no mean feat and the Singaporean in me is happy to see their improvement on the continental stage. There has been much discussion about coefficients and it appears we could catch other nations if the positive results are kept up. Fingers crossed yet again we have more to cheer about when reporting from Bangkok!

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Lion City Sailors vs Bangkok United – Nightmare on Bishan Street

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Reuben Gangesh

Halloween may have ended, but the nightmare was far from over (for us Sailors fans). This 2-1 defeat at home to Bangkok puts us on the brink of elimination from the ACL Two. In the week since the game, many fans have analysed the game and picked out what irked them the most i.e. individual performances, key refereeing decisions, the manager. In this article, I am going to address the ONE thing that has bothered me about the Sailors all season and this game serves as the perfect opportunity to address it. Tactics During the pre-game press conference, Bangkok United’s coach was asked about his preparations for the game, taking into consideration the Sailor’s strengths and weaknesses. The very first thing he mentioned was how we are a counter-attacking team and are dangerous on the break. That is exactly what I would like to talk about. After last season’s domestic dominance and continental success (ACL 2 FINALIST), we all felt that the Sailors outdid themselves. With the addition of 4 new signings, we were given reasons to believe this was going to be the turning point in the way we approach games. We are now going to press teams from the start and try to dictate/dominate games from the get-go. A key marker for most of the top-teams around the world. However, this was not what we witnessed against Bangkok, we did not have a grip on the game. We were doing the same things I saw them do against Tampines, JDT and Persib. Passes to the wing, cross and hope for Thy/Anderson to get on the end of it, or Bart driving to the wing and cutting it back (in hopes that someone would get on the end of it). We did not have any control over the game, nor did we play a pressing game. We seemed content to once again play on the counter, and this was perfect for Bangkok United. They exploited our weaknesses in our inability to deal with long balls over the top and scored first. The minute Ranko decided to sub out both of our midfield pivots, Tsiy and Rui, it felt like he was starting to hit the panic button and wanted to “start pressing”. Soon after, another long ball over the top and Bangkok doubled their lead, with our defence all exposed and no protection from the non-existent midfield. Ranko decided to switch his in-game analog settings to “All-out Attack” (sounds familiar fellow FIFA/EAFC players?) by bringing on Rasaq. Remember the pressing game I mentioned earlier? Yea, we did it for the last 4 minutes, got a goal back as a reward but it was too little too late. When the final whistle blew, Bishan Stadium was stunned into silence and disappointment. Our fate is no longer in our hands UNLESS… Selangor could do us a favour against Persib. Hatewatch mode was activated but we all know what happened at the end of that insane game *cries in Selangor keeper*. The Weight of Expectation Heading home that night got me thinking about last season. Are we spoiled as fans? Are we having unnecessarily high expectations of the team in the continental stage (given how fortunate we were last season)? Personally, I tend to temper my expectations based on what I see on the pitch, not based on online/social media noise. And based on what I saw last year, this team has the players that are more than worthy of being moulded into a team that can dominate on the big stage. With all due respect to the teams in the SPL, I believe the expectations of everyone associated at LCS should be making a mark in the ACL and Shopee cup. Of course, no team has the given right to win the SPL or the Singapore Cup based on past merit and branding, but if we are trying to be one of the marquee club sides in Southeast Asia or even Asia, then we must compete and beat the best there is out there. We must raise the bar not just off the pitch with new sponsorship deals and player signings but raise the performance standards. No more sitting back and counter as our primary style of play but having a more aggressive approach from the get-go. Conclusion It’s now up to Ranko and his men to get this right, because up next is the game fans have been eagerly awaiting for. This “must win game” against Persib is going to bring fans on an emotional rollercoaster, one scarier than the Battlestar Galactica. Am I confident after recent performances? Not really. Am I hopeful? Most definitely. I will be there, wedged between the fans in the tight Bishan stadium seats, cheering my lungs out. If you thought the buzz on social media is loud now, you have no idea what is about to happen after this game. Hold on to your beers (or Bandung for this game), cause November 26, we have a shot at redemption. A shot to remind everyone (especially Persib fans online)…. just who we are 😉 #ForzaSailors Written by Reuben If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk, you may want to visit https://ko-fi.com/sailorfantalk and leave us a tip!

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Bangkok United vs Lion City Sailors – Bogey Team?

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Ernest Cheong

Caught up with former Sailor Jorge Fellipe after the game! When the fixtures were released, this game was billed as a reunion with both friend and foe. The True Bangkok United squad has seen a revamp since we last played them in the 2023 ACL Group Stages. As fate would have it, cult hero Richairo Živković is now teammates with former Stags Seia Kunori and Kyoga Nakamura. A familiar face remained in central defence, Everton Gonçalves Saturnino who scored their equaliser at JBS 2 seasons ago. They qualified for the knockout stages at our expense back then, beating us twice in the process. Therefore, a win would have exorcised past demons whilst representing a huge stride towards the knockout stages. Dark Clouds Unfortunately, things did not pan out the way we wanted. The fans were looking forward to another away day at the True BG Stadium, which we had to visit twice last season due to peculiar circumstances. The original game against Port F.C. was postponed due to inclement weather that resulted in a waterlogged pitch. We then played the rescheduled game at the same venue few weeks later, securing a 3-1 win that was vital to our historic ACL Two campaign last season. As dark clouds loomed prior to Thursday’s kickoff, some matchgoing fans could have been forgiven for fearing the worst. But rain was not on the agenda that day. We came into this fixture in decent form, beating Selangor 4-2 at home and also dismantling Young Lions 5-1 in a dominant display. Coupled with our recent unbeaten streak against Thai clubs (bar Bangkok United, the irony), there was optimism abound for a positive result. At halftime, I spoke to Thai fan Ananda who echoed this sentiment, with the LCS squad looking stronger on paper. Despite a 0-0 scoreline at the time, he felt confident the Sailors could bring home the 3 points. We rode our luck in the first half, most notably when Richairo failed his Panenka attempt after Safuwan Baharudin was adjudged to have handled the ball in the penalty area. It hit the bar on the way over, and we returned the favour when Tsiy Ndenge did the same from a better-struck free kick. Lennart Thy had a great chance to take the initiative but fired wide when aiming for the far post. We then had 2 goal bound efforts from corners cleared off the line, the latter by the colossal Everton. It appeared the game would be decided by set pieces. Red Mist Bangkok emerged from the break with a fresh impetus, fashioning a 1v1 chance that Ivan Sušak did well to parry. It took a mistake from our backline to break the deadlock though, with comical errors leading to the concession of another penalty. This time, Safuwan played a loose ball to Hariss Harun, who had not much choice but to toe-poke the ball to Bailey Wright. It bounced off the Australian defender, which left us in a vulnerable position, forcing Hariss to commit a professional foul. In real time I suspected it was a case of double jeopardy, but in subsequent replays it seemed there was no attempt to play the ball. A red and another penalty conceded. This time, Muhsen Al Ghassani made no mistake from the spot, opting to place the ball in the middle of the goal. Ivan dived to his left, and we found ourselves 1-0 down. The sending-off ultimately confirmed our demise, rarely threatening from thereon despite our best efforts. Diogo Costa acknowledged it was difficult after going down to 10 men, but rallied the players to continue pushing hard. On a personal note, I found the timing and lack of substitutes to be frustrating. We waited more than 10 minutes after the incident to make our first sub, bringing on Shawal Anuar for Safuwan for more attacking numbers. However, we did not wrestle back control of the game and it was the home side who continued to have the better chances. The only other sub was on 87 minutes, this time Abdul Rasaq on for Song Ui-Young. Tactical Loss Losing control of the midfield was a major factor behind the result. 2 of our most important players last season, Rui Pires and Hami Syahin, were left on the bench despite us chasing a result. Had they been on the field, we might have held on to the ball a little better, especially in that right back position when Safuwan was taken off. Leaving 2 strikers on to chase the game might be lauded as brave, but it turned out to be futile considering our primary creative outlet Maxime Lestienne was not even in the squad. An obvious change would have been taking Anderson Lopes off. Other than his 4-goal purple patch against Selangor, he has so far been unable to effect games and this was another frustrating night for the Brazillian. He often dropped deep in search of the ball, when his best work seems to be poaching in the box. Perhaps a swap in roles with Lennart would have been more effective. However, I emphatise with the constraints of the manager. I recall Coach Rankovic’s comments post-Community Shield, where he spoke of the need for more reinforcements. He probably looked at the bench this game and felt restricted by what he could change, when his superstar players were already on the pitch. Ultimately, he is paid the big bucks to produce results and based on last season’s success there is evidence he will continue to deliver. No Time To Mourn A huge SPL clash awaits us on Monday, returning home to play against a strong Albirex side who look to be title contenders. The next few ACL Two fixtures are also crucial, with us currently languishing in 3rd, nothing but 6 points in the next 2 home games will suffice in guaranteeing a RO16 place based on H2H. The season has well and truly started, and the depth of the squad will come to

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Lion City Sailors vs Selangor – Oh Anderson Lopes!

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Ernest Cheong

Photo Credit: Lion City Sailors FC The King of the Grass has arrived. With the amount of biceps flexing in Bishan Stadium, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see signups for ActiveSG gym memberships skyrocket. Rei Da Grama gave fans plenty of opportunities to do his signature celebration, and boy did we relish it. But even the most optimistic of fans wouldn’t have seen this coming. Quick Off The Mark Anderson endured a considerably slow start to life in Singapore, with our last post-match review a scathing assessment of his time so far. The criticism has been fair, if not at least a cause for concern, with a barren run stretching across 5 games. There has been loose touches and a general lack of rhythm, exacerbated by the lack of end product. After all, a striker’s worth their weight in goal. Personally though, I have been affording more patience to our Number 18. Lest we forget, Lennart Thy, last season’s top marksman, also had a tough time adjusting to our league. He ended up finishing second only behind the omnipotent Tomoyuki Doi. Similarly, Anderson cited the artificial turf as a major reason for his struggles. No matter, he had the perfect opportunity to back up his words at Bishan Stadium, with freshly laid grass for our first ACL Two home game of the season. Anderson quickly shelved the 007 memes in the 7th minute. Granted, he had already scored twice off the bench in the previous game, but critics were largely unconvinced. But it wasn’t just the goals that changed their minds. He showed good touches as a target man, quick on the turn and laying it off for his teammates, before occupying the opposing centre backs. This performance elevated players around him, resulting in some of the best attacking moves of the season thus far. It wasn’t an exaggeration for Coach Rankovic to state post-match that the scoreline should have been higher, though not for a lack of trying. Double Whammy But back to the goals. The first was a close-range header, the result of a team move that saw Bart Ramselaar sit Quentin Cheng down, Maxime Lestienne with a headed assist and Anderson nodding it home. Our front 3 being involved in the first goal so early in the game was a great sign of things to come, with the second arriving just 5 minutes later. This time, a scramble in the box saw Bart attempt a volley from outside the area. A kind deflection found its way to Anderson, who had the presence of mind to round the keeper and place the ball in an empty net. These 2 goals showcased his ability to sense opportunities in and around the box, and will absolutely do wonders for his confidence. It was a perfect start for the Sailors, and the Red Giants found it hard to progress up the pitch. Momentum was with the home side, and the result seemed inevitable. However, dark clouds soon started to loom over Bishan Stadium. Lightning Warning System Just past the half-hour mark, play was halted due to the presence of lightning. Players went back to the dressing room, fans looked for shelter, and play would only resume 95 minutes later. The Selangor players started like The Flash, increasing the pressure and intensity from kick-off. This paid dividends for them as a good ball in behind forced Ivan Sušak to make contact with Chrigor Moraes. The striker made no mistake from the spot to pull one back for the visitors. Of course, there was only one striker on the pitch that decided the game. Anderson would complete his perfect hat-trick in first half stoppage time, with yet another deflection falling his way. The invitation was duly received, this time a right footed finish. Poker-Trick Ask a betting man to accurately predict the goals, and you would be hard pressed to find one. Our Brazilian forward would go on to score his 4th in the second half, largely down to Bart’s strong run from our own half. It was the best of the bunch, a classic counter attack culminating with a deft finish over the keeper. Anderson could have scored 3 with his weaker right foot alone, when a sublime ball from Diogo Costa evaded the entire defence and was placed on a plate to finish. Alas, perhaps nobody expected the quality of the ball, and it went over the bar harmlessly. Nevertheless, this was a brilliant display from Anderson, and he was rightfully serenaded with ‘Oh Anderson Lopes’ chants throughout the night. Being able to bring on Lennart and Shawal for Anderson and Maxime is testament to our growing squad depth. The game wasn’t quite over yet, and there was time for Faisal Halim to net a consolation goal. He is back to his brilliant best after the horrific acid attack last year, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours (just not against the Sailors!). Du Du Du Du – We Love Sailors In a week gripped by Formula 1 fever, it was the Sailors who capitalised on a quick start to collect the 3 points. Other than Anderson’s goals, Ivan had an assured performance in goal (bar the nervy restart). Based on the evidence from the past few games, Izwan and Ivan might be rotating in the competitions. I sincerely hope they push each other for the starting spot as both of them are quality keepers and have merits to start. For now, it seems starting Izwan in the SPL would allow for more foreigners in the midfield or attack which ultimately will leave us with more options on the bench as well. Looking forward, we have a healthy lead in the SPL, and having moved back to our stomping ground at Bishan we should expect continued results and goals from our Sailors. In terms of the ACL Two, an away win in Bangkok will put us in a very healthy position to secure safe passage

[Post-Match Thoughts] Lion City Sailors vs Selangor – Oh Anderson Lopes! Read More »

[Post-Match Thoughts] Persib Away – A Fan’s Perspective

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Anatolii Kalugin

As my plane landed in CGK, I didn’t know what to expect from this away day. Having been advised by 10 different people to stay safe and try not to die, I was very curious, to say the least. After experiencing the miracle of Chinese engineering, the KCIC high-speed train, I arrived in Bandung in just 30 minutes. Driving through flooded streets of this somewhat rundown city during a thunderstorm made me feel a bit of melancholy. But the game wasn’t going to watch itself, and I found my way to the stadium within hours. I alighted in the middle of a carpark already swarming with Persib fans 2 hours before the game. Heading to the security check – an extremely lazy pat down – it wasn’t the most reassuring thing. When I finally made my way to the stands, thousands of Bobotoh were already in their seats, chanting and waving their flags long before the starting whistle. Kickoff The match begins. Immediately LCS plays a compact defence with sporadic attacking attempts from the flanks. Both teams had several set pieces early on and you could hardly imagine the pressure they were experiencing from the stands. Sturdy defending from the Sailors throughout the first half, with a couple of good 1v2 saves. But the opponent kept pressing high and having the initiative. Similar tactics we have already seen before – employed last season when LCS played against stronger opponents in the international competitions. You could say it’s a controlled burning – draining the rival and capitalising on counterattacks. However, I didn’t think we would play like this against Persib. This tactical setup was not the only thing I had doubts on. Ivan Sušak and Anderson Lopes were included in the starting XI. I am sure Ivan is a great goalkeeper; but there were doubts if he can regain his confidence after a shaky start to his Sailors journey. I was glad to see that he regained at least some of it, judging from his performance in the first half. As for Anderson, being an expensive signing and having a strong resume, he surely will be under pressure. He hasn’t delivered thus far. The Persib game was a great opportunity to silence the doubters, including myself. He got the ball a lot, made some decent runs but whenever he got into a duel, he tended to fall to the ground hoping to earn a foul. Was it a lack of desire? Is it his age? Maybe he still wasn’t used to the team and the climate? Whatever it is, in entire first half his play just seemed like it lacked something just as it was in the previous games. After the first 15 minutes we still sat in our own third and I was getting worried. LCS have already conceded a couple of close calls, while being generally unsuccessful in their attacking attempts. Diogo was once again the main engine behind our transitions from defence into offence and making several great tackles near our box. A counterattack and Maxime has the ball. Seems like he’s got a clear shot from his favourite angle but instead he passes to Anderson and… the ball is lost. At some point it seemed like the attacking game was forced to go through Lopes although I was not sure about the reasoning behind that. Maybe time will tell if this all comes together. After some solid defensive performance, the opponent finally is getting tired and allowed us more possession of the ball. Again, most of the plays went through Anderson but instead of dribbling or passing he chooses to dive. After several attempts at this, it was clear that the ref doesn’t reward this kind of behaviour. The game calms down by the end of the first half. The Mistake The second half starts and… we concede. A defensive mistake and we are behind. The momentum from the first half was lost, due to the lack of concentration. Now Persib falls back, and the initiative is fully on LCS. The game becomes much more open. Persib is going through the substitutions fast. As for us, surely, after underperforming the entire game Anderson had to be subbed off, right? No. Bringing Lenny on to pair up with Lopes and switching from 5-at-the-back to 4-4-2 helped LCS create a lot more chances. Still, no goals from our side. 80 minutes in and just 1 substitution. I started to get flashbacks to last season’s ACL Two final where all the subs happened too late. Chris and Shawal finally come into the game – the ultimate attacking lineup is now on the pitch. At The Death Stoppage time. The pressing from us is never-ending. Battling in the opponent’s box. Lenny jumps and… a brilliant header. The fans around me jump from their seats and nearly break down the railing. I am trying to keep a straight face not to end up in the railing. But the game is not over yet. The Sailors have another chance to score and grab the 3 points but it is saved, a quick counterattack by Persib, a cross, a jump, a header… and what a save by Ivan. Now I know, he’s truly back. Final whistle. Disappointed home crowd scolding their team. Time to get away from the stadium. Conclusion Half a box of Decolgen and a mediocre late-night room service later, I’m heading back to Singapore, generally content with this trip. Our defensive game is becoming better. Tsiy keeps proving to be crucial to the team (and potentially the best signing of this summer). Lenny continues to deliver. Should he be our starter instead of Anderson? Or is he better off being a super-sub? I guess, we’ll see from the upcoming games. (Editor’s Note: Anderson scored a brace against TPU!) As for Bandung and Persib, I commend their fans’ determination and love for their club. And, thankfully, we’ll spot fewer of their keyboard warriors in our comment sections At least for now.

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[Post-Match Thoughts] JDT vs Sailors – Shopee Cup Review

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Reuben Gangesh

As I took the roads up North, all I could think about was, “Could we do it on a warm, sunny evening in Johor?”. Sadly, 10mins into kick-off, I knew my answer was a straight-up NO when the referee pointed to the spot for a JDT penalty. As the match progressed, LCS fans in the stands and those watching at home were an emotional wreck. I’ll try my best to summarise all them emotions in the next few paragraphs as we unpack what was an eventful evening at the Sultan Ibrahim stadium. Pre-Game Thoughts Coming into this game, dare I say, 90% of us fans weren’t as optimistic as we should be after the disastrous performance against Tampines over the weekend. Matchday chat predictions ranged from a narrow JDT win to even a 6-1 hammering for LCS. When the lineups were out, seeing JDT field an “ACL Elite”- worthy starting 11 definitely reinforced our pessimism. However, Tsiy Ndenge’s inclusion in the LCS 11 was a potential sign of positive things to come, given his commanding and impressive 2nd half showing against Tampines. The stage was set, the teams were ready, the sun was blazing and the referee blew his whistle at 17:30 sharp. Quick recap 10mins into the game, a long ball over the top, our defence was caught napping and a foul on JDT’s frontman Jairo led to an early penalty scored by Joao Figueiredo. The penalty call seemed soft and fans made their feelings known (lound and clear with the drums for support). All of a sudden, the scorching heat no longer bothered the fans as the referee and his team became public enemy number 1. That set the tone for the rest of the game as they were rained with slightly dubious calls and “non-fouls”. However, we need to acknowledge that the end-result of the game was not down to the referee but more so on our shortcomings, which was perfectly summed up by JDT’s 2nd for the night. Arif Aiman, the poster-boy for Malaysian football who was showcasing his talent throughout the game with his precise wing play, played in a brilliant cross that caught our defence by surprise. The ball was bundling around the box and once again, that indecisiveness to clear the ball gave Figueiredo all the time in the world to slot in the 2nd. JDT’s 3rd came in the second half when a quick freekick was taken and Arif Aiman put the icing on the cake with a low-driven finish. Once again, our defence was caught completely off-guard and we were punished. A stunning Shawal Anuar finish in the 6th minute of added time did give the travelling fans something to cheer about, but it was too little too late. General Thoughts The end-result did not come as a surprise since many of us believed we were playing against a team that were levels above us. We simply wanted to see if the issues observed over the weekend against Tampines were slowly being cut out. However, our defensive incapabilities on dealing with long balls over the top and often being caught out were there to see from the start. We surely appear to be missing Bailey’s leadership and communication at the back, as his absence for both our first 2 games is evident in the goals we are conceding. Fair play to Safuwan for stepping up in both games and providing his experience, although one could see him struggling slightly with the responsibility. Our keeper Ivan was still a nervy figure at the back, with several “beneficial passes” to the opposition and putting our already unsettling defence in danger. As for the men in the middle, Tsiy was definitely a bright spark for us with his driving runs and positive play. His play with Bart, which almost resulted in the sailors pulling a goal back in the second half, was one of a few positive moments for us. Rui, on the other hand, was sadly having a shocker with almost 3 back-to-back-to-back misplaced passes which almost gifted JDT a third, early in the second half. As for our attack, Anderson Lopes cut an isolated figure again, starved of any beneficial service and almost made to run at JDTs defence on his own. Once again, the team definitely showed there was more to work on in the training ground in trying to get the best out of Anderson (perhaps switching away from hoofing long aimless balls into the box and more one-two linkup/interchanges). Overall, it was a slightly improved performance from the Sailors (especially in the second half) in what has been an extremely challenging start to the season. Post Game Thoughts The feeling of being a part of an “away day crew” was surely a unique one. A first for me and I must say all credit goes to every single fan that turned up at the Sultan Ibrahim stadium. From singing the familiar chants to voicing our displeasure at what was happening, it was a truly holistic experience. Members of The Crew (drummers to song leads) brought the passion to the stands and that made the entire evening a special one for everyone who travelled. Hats off to the LCS committee who organised busses to ferry Sailors fans to the game and back smoothly and comfortably. We may have lost the game and lost out in fan numbers, but we surely made our voices heard, loud and proud. Cheers to JDT for a wonderful game, amazing fans, and a stunning stadium), and with that, all I have to say is we are just warming up. Our Sailors’ identity will shine through during this tough period,and the players will return with something to prove. As for us fans, we will continue to fly the LCS flag high, HOME AND AWAY 😉. Written by Reuben If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk, you may want to visit https://ko-fi.com/sailorfantalk and leave us a tip!

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[Post-Match Thoughts] One to Fourget: Sailors Stumble in the Shield

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Ernest Cheong

Photo Credit – Lion City Sailors Well that was grim. LCS were behind for more than 90 minutes and never looked like getting back into the game at any point. Pre-match expectations were much more positive, with a thrashing of the Stags a common theme in our SailorFanTalk prediction league. Much was made of Sailors’ new signings, and they featured prominently in this game. Tampines’ squad arguably underwent a greater revamp, with 5 new faces in the starting 11 and a debut off the bench. It also marked the start of Akbar Nawas’ second stint, under the stewardship of new Chairman Shungo Sakamoto. Many of The Crew (and SailorFanTalk contributors) expected continuity at the back, with the probable inclusion of Safuwan Baharudin as 1 of 3 centre backs. Instead, fan favourite Bailey Wright had to sit out of the game due to a knock from pre-season. Akram Azman was also given an opportunity from the start, and that made up a new look defence along with a debut for the 6’ 8” Ivan Sušak. Further up the field Anderson Lopes was preferred, with the prolific Maxime Lestienne and Bart Ramselaar providing width. Slow Start – And We Never Got Going The Sailors were coming off the back of a sensational season, with fast starts becoming something of a trademark in our historic ACL Two campaign. Shawal’s goal after 18 seconds at the Thunderdome will live long in the memory. On Saturday though, we were victims of a similar setback within 2 minutes, with Trent Buhagiar racing through on goal after a perfectly weighted pass from Koya Kazama. The earlier concession of possession was comical to say the least, with Lionel Tan lifting the ball into the chest of an unexpecting Rui Pires. Our No.5 was then beaten for pace by Tampines’ new No.12 who calmly placed his shot past a stranded Sušak. Captain Hariss Harun echoed the sentiment post match, acknowledging the team were not ready from the first minute. No matter, there was still plenty of time to right our wrongs. This proved to be difficult against a new-look Tampines that employed a more direct approach than what was prevalent in Gavin-ball. Indeed, LCS dominated in the stats department, winning on xG (1.94 to 1.66), recording 20 shots to their 9, significantly more possession and passes. This was an entirely different ball game to the contests we had last season. However, Tampines were more efficient with their chances and deserved the result. This new tactical identity was on show again for their second goal, with a cross field pass from deep eliminating the entire defensive line, resulting in Trent ghosting behind Akram and finishing in the same bottom corner. It has to be questioned how Seiga Sumi was given so much time on the ball to pick his pass. We knew of Trent’s pace but could not deal with him all night. Ironically, I had this to say in the SPL Preview. A new squad did struggle to perform right out the blocks, unfortunately it was the team in white. Those comments have come back to haunt us, with the eventual MOTM Trent Buhagiar proving to be a major nuisance. The signings from the Japanese football ecosystem played their part too, racking up goal involvements left right and centre. A Way Back Into The Game? LCS went into the break 2-0 down. How does that saying go? 2-0 is a dangerous scoreline. We sensed an opportunity to make changes, and we brought on Hariss and Hami Syahin to shore up the defence. As alluded to before, Tampines are a different entity this season and were happy to frustrate the home side. Shoutout to all the fans who were unperturbed, continuing to cheer on the boys in white. Tsiy Ndenge was then given his debut on the 60th minute, and he provided dynamism and industry into the midfield. It was his graft that provided an assist for Lennart Thy, our domestic top scorer for last season who also came on to make an impact. Tsiy muscled the ball off Jacob Mahler in a battle of the No.6s, before setting up Thy in a dangerous position. Tsiy’s cameo was really encouraging and with time he will feature more prominently in a winning Sailors team. Unfortunately, this came after conceding from an inch perfect freekick – Koya Kazama again. It was a deflating moment to go 3 goals down against our rivals. When 12 minutes of added time was announced an air of expectation filled the stands. Though that quickly came crashing down again within 2 minutes. This time, Trent turned provider and released Hide Higashikawa to run through on goal with Toni Datkovic in his wake. Susǎk came off his line but was left stranded again. 1 – 4 Game Over. Post-Game Reactions I would like to dedicate this section to talk about the negative knee-jerk reactions online. It is expected that a loss against our big rivals and nearest challengers would be disappointing to fans. However, to individualise mistakes and call for radical change is not helpful, especially for those with a bigger platform and respected opinions. Here at SailorFanTalk, we are constantly reminded of our privilege and opportunity to share our thoughts with fellow LCS fans. Presenting our opinions in a tactful manner (other than an obvious bias against other teams) contributes to footballing conversations constructively. Here’s a friendly reminder to be more mindful with our comments online – players and coaches are human after all. Looking at the positives, it was the first chance for fans to see our new signings in action. Conceding 4 goals would have been a baptism of fire for Susǎk, and I’m sure he will want to improve in the upcoming games. Having started in the curtain raiser, it might suggest we will see him in goal for the foreseeable future as well. Lest we forget, this is a keeper who was named in the SuperSport HNL’s Team of the Season. There

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Tight Final Brings Curtain Down on Unforgettable Season (BG Tampines 0 Sailors 1)

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Eddy Hirono

4 May 2024. That was when the season started – with a routine 2-0 victory over Albirex Niigata (S) in the Community Shield. Since then, a whopping 392 days passed before the Cup final against BG Tampines Rovers. To say it has been a long season would be an understatement. After churning out so many articles, boy am I glad it’s over, and in the best way possible! We seal a fantastic domestic double – I’ve insisted since Day 1 that the Community Shield doesn’t really count, but yet it’s quite poetic that we start and end the season with a trophy. There will be time for us to recap the whole season, but for now, let’s just talk about the final. Close Game It was always gonna be that sort of game where a moment of genius or a scrappy goal would be enough to determine the winner of the Cup. And so it proved – with Bart Ramselaar’s deflected effort making its way into the net. It’s not one of his best goals for sure, but he won’t care, and neither will we. As Coach Ranko said in the post-match interview, when it comes to the final, all that matters is to win it. The difference in xG mirrors the eye-test – there wasn’t much to separate the teams. And perhaps credit must be given to both teams for limiting the goal threat of their opponents. From a BG Tampines POV, they might be kicking themselves for not bringing on Faris Ramli earlier – he made a difference when he came on, and had a hand in creating the chance which Seia missed. From that range, Seia shouldn’t be missing the target. Yes, it was a bouncing ball, yes, he at least hit the crossbar, but he had time to steady himself before taking the shot, but I guess he didn’t know that, and so rushed his shot. A real let-off for us. Bart Ramselaar – Goals, Goals, Goals Bart Ramselaar has emerged to be a real key figure for the Sailors, much to his credit. When he first arrived, there were inevitable comparisons between him and Diego Lopes, the player he replaced. Now, along with Maxime, Bart is considered one of the key players for the team, especially in an attacking sense. In the final, Lennart Thy missed out due to the foreigner quota, but there was never any doubt from the fans that Bart would be the person to make way. At the start of the season, we predicted that he would get more goals than assists based on his track record, and that’s exactly what transpired. Here’s what we had to say when he signed. And against BG Tampines, he was sharp enough to take a touch, and then unlease a pot-shot at goal. Had it not taken a deflection, it might have been saved by Syazwan – but sometimes you make your own luck. This season, Bart has scored a total of 19 goals, while also racking up 12 assists. A very impressive debut season for Bart. He has 1 more season to go on his contract, so hopefully he stays. Shah v Bart Moving on from Bart’s goalscoring to his part in the controversy near the end of the game. I think the criticism of Shah Shahiran by some supporters is a little over-the-top. He absolutely deserved his red card, but I can imagine that someone who is losing a cup final, and being fouled while he is trying to start a counter-attack can react in ways that are not the best. He is human, after all, and I am sure he will learn from this. If he thought that Bart pulling him cynically to stop a counter-attack was bad, I wonder how he would have reacted had he come up against Sharjah’s antics – which are a lot more sinister in my opinion because feigning injury is not something you can get a yellow card for, due to how difficult it would be to prove. Would Shah have felt better if Bart pretended to get a head injury, and lay down on the floor to try to influence the referee to stop the game? I don’t have the answer for that, but ultimately it is just red mist that was brought upon because I think he really wanted to win the game, and he gave in to his frustrations. The player I think is more culpable and can count himself extremely lucky not to be sent off, or at the very least booked, is Taufik Suparno. In the aftermath of the pulling incident, players from both teams came together and for a while, I thought there was going to be a brawl. Luckily, players on both sides tried their best to pull angry parties aside. For Taufik Suparno, it was Abdul Rasaq who stepped in to prevent Taufik from getting into trouble. However, Taufik was frustrated by that as he really wanted to get involved. If you watch the replay, you will see a few things. First, he sees Diogo Costa on the floor, and dangles a boot near him, shaping to almost kick him. He didn’t in the end. Then, when Abdul Rasaq hugged him to stop him from fighting, Taufik used his elbow, instead of his hands, to try to get away from Rasaq. His elbow contacted the head and neck of Rasaq and he applied force. Abdul Rasaq did Taufik a big favour by staying up instead of going down. Seeing this, Maxime got angry and used his hand to push Taufik’s face away. Maxime too, was lucky not to escape any punishment for that. But back to Bart and Shah, both players in different interviews have said the incident is over, and that all is fine and good. Bart mentioned in a SailorFanTalk interview that off the pitch, Shah Shahiran is a nice person, and this is just a moment on the pitch. I think Shah should

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[Post-Match Thoughts] Zharfan Saves the Day (BG Tampines 0 Sailors Reserves 0)

Leave a Comment / Post-Match Thoughts / Eddy Hirono

BG Tampines should have won this game, and yet I think there is much we can be happy about as we concluded a gruelling SPL season with a goalless draw. Let’s dive into some quick post-match thoughts. Sailors Field Unfamiliar Lineup Of the 11 players that started against Sharjah FC, only 2 players remained in the starting lineup against BG Tampines – Hariss Harun and Lennart Thy. Sailors fans feared the worst. Individually of course, we know the Sailors reserve players are no pushovers. But would a mish-mash side featuring a first start for 17 year-old Joshua Little be enough to deal with a BG Tampine side that has played some good football this year? It turns out the answer was both “yes” and “no”. Yes, because we ground out the 0-0 despite resting the whole team for the Singapore Cup semi-final 2nd leg, but “no” because on another day, we’d definitely have lost this game. We’ll talk about the missed chances for BG Tampines later, but perhaps it wasn’t so surprising that our Sailors gave up higher-quality chances than normal in this game. We had Carmona playing left centre-back, Mamat playing right centre-back. These are positions they have not played before. Hafiz Nor, Anu, Abdul Rasaq, and Obren Kljajic were given rare starts. These are players with little gametime under their belts and little chemistry with each other. Then – the youngsters. We had Josh Little anchoring midfield in his first start. We had Henry Spence, Enrico Walmrath, and Andy Reefqy come on in the second half, with Henry Spence in particular impressing. While we could and perhaps should have lost, did we expect anything different after seeing the lineup? Some of us saw a loss coming, so kudos for the spirit shown by our players. BG Tampines Created the Better Chances This may be a little misleading. If we go by these stats, it looks fairly even, with BG possibly just edging us out on some stats, However, these stats don’t tell the full story. BG Tampines had 2 (rightly) disallowed goals for offside, 2 sitters for Arya Igami that he would bury on another day, and of course, this. Joel Chew’s shot on the edge of the six-yard box was somehow kept out by a sprawling reflex save from Zharfan. Noone could believe it, including Shah Shahiran, who had already begun celebrating. Not only did Zharfan keep it out, he parried it away to safety and the chance was gone. This save, coming so soon after their disallowed goal, would have drained whatever confidence they still had of finding a late winner. In response, we had a few chances of our own, and none closer than this. From this angle, it does look like CvH’s shot went in. However, I accept that VAR doesn’t have an angle that clearly shows it’s in. Had we taken the lead despite all of BG Tampines’s huffing and puffing, it would have been hilarious. Though maybe not as hilarious as BG Tampines fans running in the direction of Sailors fans pointing middle fingers and shouting profanities after they scored a goal in the dying stages of the game, only for it to be ruled offside. Zharfan Rohaizad – Character It isn’t easy being a substitute goalkeeper. Unlike outfielders, you don’t get the chance to come on for 5-10min cameos near the end of games. You’re either starting goalkeeper, or you’re not. Of course, some coaches designate a starting league goalkeeper, and a starting cup goalkeeper. It is somewhat the case for Zharfan and Izwan, with Zharfan being given the Singapore Cup games, and Izwan being given the SPL games. It wasn’t always this way – and you don’t even need a long memory to remember that. Earlier this season, we got pummelled 5-0 by BG Tampines. Zharfan made a huge blunder in that game, allowing Glenn Kweh to score. He paid the price for that, as he was dropped for the next game, and since then, has been the 2nd choice keeper. So it’s perhaps poetic somewhat that he would start against BG Tampines and finish the game as Man of the Match. THAT save aside, he made some other saves as well, recovering from an early misplaced pass to be truly commanding in goal. It is all the more commendable given that by his own admission, he didn’t have his best game against DPMM in the 1st leg of the Singapore Cup semis. One of the goals scored by DPMM was directly due to him not handling a long shot well, I don’t know what the future holds for Zharfan, given that he would walk into most other clubs in Singapore and get to play automatically in the first team, but I hope that he continues with us so that we have two keepers of a sufficient standard to help us achieve our objectives of dominating locally and punching above our weight continentally. Conclusion An encouraging result even if it was quite meaningless for our league standings. Perhaps this will give us a little bit of a mental edge if we meet BG Tampines in the Singapore Cup final – provided both teams make it. We avoided defeat, rested our big guns, and with this result the BG Tampines fans have nothing to celebrate. And that brings us joy. Bring on DPMM in the 2nd leg of the SG Cup semis next! Written by Eddy Hirono Photo credit – Lion City Sailors If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk, you may want to visit https://ko-fi.com/sailorfantalk and leave us a tip!

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