Lion City Sailors’ Diego Lopes holds off Tampines Rovers’ Kyoga Nakamura, 21 May 2022

 

SINGAPORE, 23 MAY 2022 – Leaders Lion City Sailors walloped title challengers Tampines Rovers to go nine points clear at the top of the AIA Singapore Premier League (SPL), while Tanjong Pagar United edged Balestier Khalsa to go up to third. Elsewhere, struggling Geylang International and Hougang United played out a draw as we recap all the action below…

 

Finally, home joy for Jaguars
Tanjong Pagar 1-0 Balestier | Jurong East | 20 May
Reo Nishiguchi 36′

 

In a closely-fought affair, the game was decided by a moment of brilliance from Nishiguchi. Benefitting from Mirko Šugić’s classy volleyed pass, the Japanese attacker embarked on a superb solo run before firing low past Hairul Syirhan. Despite Faizal Raffi’s late dismissal, the hosts held on for three valuable points.

 

Facts

• This is Tanjong Pagar’s first home win at Jurong East in 21 attempts since their return to the SPL in 2020.
• This is the first time that Tanjong Pagar have won back-to-back encounters against Balestier since 2004.
• Tanjong Pagar ended a four-match win-less run, while Balestier suffered three straight losses for the first time since a five-match streak in May 2021.
• Tanjong Pagar kept their first clean sheet in eight matches.
• After 10 matches, Nishiguchi has now equalled his 2021 career-best tally of nine goals; he scored the same amount last season in 21 games.
• Šugić assisted Nishiguchi for a third time this season.
• Tanjong Pagar’s Akram Azman and Balestier’s Akmal Azman are the first pair of siblings to start on opposing teams since Amer and Adam Hakeem did in Balestier’s 2-1 win over Geylang in April 2021.

Tanjong Pagar: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK), Emmeric Ong, Raihan Rahman, Daniel Bennett (C), Akram Azman (Khairul Amri 52’), Fathullah Rahmat (Faizal Raffi 78’), Rusyaidi Salime, Blake Ricciuto, Shodai Nishikawa, Mirko Šugić, Reo Nishiguchi.
Unused subs: Fashah Iskandar (GK), Syukri Bashir, Khairul Nizam, Naufal Ilham, Hadiputradila Saswadimata.

Balestier: Hairul Syirhan (GK), Darren Teh (C), Delwinder Singh, Ensar Brunčević, Akmal Azman, Ammirul Emmran (Naufal Azman 76’), Ho Wai Loon, Kuraba Kondo, Ryoya Taniguchi, Gareth Low (Aidil Johari 71’), Shuhei Hoshino.
Unused subs: Rudy Khairullah (GK), Daniel Goh, Asshukrie Wahid, Puvan Raj, Ignatius Ang, Aiman Zavyan, Aqil Yazid.

Red Card: Faizal Raffi 90’ (Tanjong Pagar)

 

Sailors flex their muscles
Tampines 0-4 Sailors | Our Tampines Hub | 21 May
Ryaan Sanizal O.G. 39′, Maxime Lestienne 56′, Song Ui-Young 66′, Haiqal Pashia 71′

 

The Sailors broke the deadlock late into the first half when Gabriel Quak’s cross-shot was deflected in by Ryaan and they did not look back from there. Lestienne ghosted into the box to convert Pashia’s teasing cross, before turning provider for Song to nod home the champions’ third. The rout was then completed, with Pashia slipping the ball past Syazwan Buhari after being put through on goal by Diego Lopes.

 

Facts

• The Sailors equalled their club record of six straight wins – first achieved between April to May 2021 – and are now undefeated in their last eight.
• This is the Sailors’ biggest away victory since a 6-1 win over the same opponents in September 2021.
• Tampines are the only side along with Young Lions yet to keep a clean sheet in 2022; they have conceded in each of their last 10 SPL matches, dating back to September 2021.
• Lestienne made at least one assist for a fourth consecutive match – the best run by any player this season.
• Song has now scored four in his last four starts against Tampines.
• Pashia is the fourth Sailors player to come off the bench and score – the most of any club this season.
• Sailors’ Hassan Sunny kept four straight SPL clean sheets for the first time since a six-match streak in August 2010 – he has a total of five shutouts and conceded just two goals in the league.

Tampines: Syazwan Buhari (GK), Adam Reefdy (Andrew Aw 73’), Shuya Yamashita, Ryaan Sanizal (Irfan Najeeb 74’), Irwan Shah (Marc Ryan Tan 62’), Kyoga Nakamura, Zehrudin Mehmedović, Taufik Suparno (Firdaus Kasman 62’), Yasir Hanapi (C), Amirul Haikal, Boris Kopitović.
Unused subs: Danial Iliya (GK), Shameer Aziq, Ethan Pinto, Ali Manaf, Amir Mirza.

Sailors: Hassan Sunny (GK), Hafiz Nor, Hariss Harun (C), Pedro Henrique (Amirul Adli 70’), Nur Adam Abdullah (Iqram Rifqi 87’), Shahdan Sulaiman, Diego Lopes, Gabriel Quak (Haiqal Pashia 54’), Faris Ramli (Kim Shin-wook 70’), Maxime Lestienne, Song Uiyoung (M. Anumanthan 87’).
Unused subs: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Hami Syahin, Adam Swandi, Saifullah Akbar.

 

First goal-less draw of the season
Geylang 0-0 Hougang | Our Tampines Hub | 22 May

 

In a game devoid of real quality, it was perhaps fair that both sides shared the spoils. Hougang had the chance to steal the points late when they outnumbered Geylang in a breakaway move, but Brazilian forward Pedro Bortoluzo fired wastefully wide of the post.

 

Facts

• This is the first goal-less game since Tampines held Albirex on 24^th September 2021.
• Hougang are now win-less in their last nine SPL away matches.
• Hougang kept their first clean sheet in 17 matches, while this is Geylang’s first shutout in eight outings.
• Geylang have now gone eight matches without a win in a season for the first time since a nine-game run between May to September 2015.
• Hougang’s tally of 10 points from their opening 10 matches is their worst start to a season since 2018 when they attained just three from as many matches.
• Hougang’s Mukundan Maran kept his first clean sheet in 13 SPL matches; his last shutout came in Warriors FC’s 1-0 win over the Young Lions in July 2018.

Geylang: Zaiful Nizam (GK) (C), Faizal Roslan, Abdil Qaiyyim, Rio Sakuma, Ahmad Syahir (Fareez Farhan 80’), Huzaifah Aziz, Takahiro Tezuka, Ilhan Noor (Umar Akhbar 46’), Vincent Bezecourt, Hazzuwan Halim, Šime Žužul.
Unused subs: Hafiz Ahmad (GK), Khairul Hairie, Danish Siregar, Badrul Amin, Kieran Teo, Danish Haziq, Furqan Raoff.

Hougang: Mukundan Maran (GK), Farhan Zulkifli (Muhaimin Suhaimi 84’), Nazhiim Harman, Anders Aplin, Lionel Tan, Hafiz Sujad, Kaishu Yamazaki, André Moritz (Amy Recha 18’), Shahril Ishak (C) (Shawal Anuar 63’), Kristijan Krajček (Afiq Noor 84’), Pedro Bortoluzo.
Unused subs: Aizil Yazid (GK), Shahfiq Ghani, Faiz Salleh, Sahil Suhaimi, Amir Zailani.

 

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