SINGAPORE - They were just moments away from holding Singapore Premier League (SPL) defending champions Albirex Niigata to what would have been a richly-deserved 1-1 draw.
But, despite the valiant effort from the Young Lions, they were dealt a sucker punch in the 96th minute after goalkeeper Kenji Rusydi fumbled Hiroyoshi Kamata's strike to concede an own goal at the Jurong East Stadium on Sunday (April 21).
While Young Lions coach Fandi Ahmad was disappointed with the 2-1 loss, he praised his team's effort and refused to pin the blame on Kenji, highlighting the custodian's crucial saves in the second half.
"The boys did very well holding Albirex till the end and I thought the goalkeeper did very well until that slip off his palm," said Fandi.
"I thought we deserved at least a point, but this is just our luck. Football is about scoring goals. We need to improve on that because we're not scoring enough now."
After a slow start from both sides, Albirex broke the deadlock after 14 minutes when Naruki Takahashi headed home from Kyoga Nakamura's corner.
The Young Lions went in search of the equaliser, but long-range strikes from Syahrul Sazali and Sharul Nizam Anwar went wide.
In the 32nd minute, they pulled level through a Haiqal Pashia penalty after Albirex goalkeeper Kengo Fukudome brought Sharul down.
The match was then delayed for about an hour at half-time due to the lightning warning system being activated.
When play resumed, the Young Lions came close to taking the lead with narrow misses from captain Joshua Pereira and Nur Luqman Rahman.
The Albirex duo of Nakamura and Daizo Horikoshi were a constant threat to the Young Lions' defence, but crucial saves by Kenji kept the score level.
The away side looked to have done enough to secure a precious point until the 96th minute when Nakamura dribbled past three Young Lions players and passed to Kamata, whose strike slipped through Kenji's fingers to hand Albirex their third straight win.
Fandi said: "It happens when a cross comes and someone is free and you just take the shot. One shot, one goal and he (Kamata) took a really good shot there."
Albirex coach Keiji Shigetomi was delighted with the result.
He said: "Today was a very difficult game for us. Although we scored the first goal and tried to get a second in the first half, they scored a penalty instead.
"After the long delay, I thought it'll get more difficult, but our players kept up their aggression. They fought for every ball and didn't give up all the way until the winning goal."
Ahead of their next match against Hougang United on Wednesday, Shigetomi said: "Until now, all the goals we've conceded have been from set pieces so we will look at them and try to defend the set pieces better."
Albirex moved up one spot to fourth on 11 points after the win, while the Young Lions, who will face league leaders Brunei DPMM on Wednesday, remain eighth in the nine-team SPL. In Sunday's other match, Balestier Khalsa drew 1-1 with Tampines Rovers at Bishan Stadium.
World Cup: USWNT's Carli Lloyd is a 'game-changer' whether she's a starter or a substitute, Jill Ellis says The U.S. will open its 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup campaign against Thailand on Tuesday
USWNT coach Jill Ellis: Carli Lloyd is a 'game-changer
National Football: Baihakki salutes Kadir, Raddy. Baihakki Khaizan (centre) with (from left) Izwan Mahbud, Aleksandar Duric, Daniel Bennett and other players taking the lap of honour after beating
Football: Retired Lions defender Baihakki Khaizan salutes
Four untold stories. Four athletes. Who did it their way: The hard way. This is Uncompromising by Budweiser on FOX Sports 1. Kevin Harvick premieres May 14 at 9p ET Kyrie Irving premieres May 26
How Many of these 25 Brain Teasers Can You Solve? | Mental Floss
mentalfloss.com/article/503552/how-many-these-25-brain-teasers-can-you-solve
How Many of these 25 Brain Teasers Can You Solve? BY Chris Higgins. August 17, 2017 I visited the post office to send some packages home. The currency on Bima is called the pim, and the
Sexual Teasing: Who Does It? And Why? | Psychology Today
I think the issue with VAR is simply how we perceive what the rules are. The reason so many of us 'disagree' with many of the calls made is because we just don't know the way the law is worded. The team of refs in the VAR room constantly talk to the referee as he makes calls on the pitch.
442oons - YouTube
Newport dealing with fallout from fraud allegations. Newport's city manager believes in her city's future following the collapse of projects promised by Jay Peak owner
Newport County: Justin Edinburgh dedicates win to Byron
MANCHESTER, England (REUTERS) - Manchester City linchpin Bernardo Silva faces a late fitness test before Sunday's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, his manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday
Guardiola to make late decision on Silva for Palace trip
Premier League Clubs 'Strongly Opposed' to Proposed UEFA Champions League & Europa League Changes The Premier League has released a statement in which they state unanimous opposition to proposed changes to the structure of both the Champions League and Europa League.
Champions League: Premier League reacts as UEFA makes changes
If his status as one of the Amsterdam club's most exciting prospects in years did not place enough pressure on his shoulders, there is the added burden of being the son of Ajax and Barcelona
Why Dutch Clubs Sell Their Best Players - Football Oranje
Ex-FAS gen sec Lee withdraws from AFC exco contest, Soccer Information & Prime Tales; Bethesda Breaks Fallout 76 No Pay-To-Win-Promise With Restore Kits; Breaking!!! President Muhmmadu Buhari Secures New Entrance; LaLiga Santander: We discuss Messi, however the day Luis Suarez leaves Barcelona…
Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi and Alonso - Newest Chelsea group
Holding Out for the Best Framing Hammer Siding & Roofing Tool Reviews December 31, 2015 Thomas Gaige Arguably one of the oldest tools known to humanity is the hammer—the irony being that we are still trying to coming up with new ways to improve it.
Respect: Thor Odinson (Marvel, 616) : respectthreads
Man Utd fans split on blaming De Gea or Herrera for Mustafi's Arsenal goal. and Manchester United fans didn't know whether to blame David De Gea or Ander Herrera. (@The_One_Bissaka
EPL: Tottenham blame De Gea for 1-0 defeat to Manchester
Newport County goalkeeper Joe Day made a quick exit from his side's FA Cup tie celebrations after learning his wife had gone into labour. League Two Newport set up an FA Cup tie against Manchester
Newport keeper Joe Day sprints off pitch after Middlesbrough
Barcelona fell to their first La Liga defeat since November as the champions were beaten 2-0 at struggling Celta Vigo after making 11 changes but forward Ousmane Dembele suffered an injury setback ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game at Liverpool.
Celta Vigo vs. Barcelona - Football Match Report - May 4
Dec 22, 2017 · Jurgen Klopp put a productive spin on Liverpool's disappointing day at the "Today we make individual mistakes and that is not cool." That led a dry spell which pushed the side as low
Klopp urges Liverpool to overlook past agony in front of
Three things we learned from Barcelona's win over Liverpool. New GOAT who is on an absolute mission to win the Champions League this season. champions will know that while this is a
Champions League: What Fabinho said about Messi after
0 comments:
Post a Comment