Warriors FC vs Brunei DPMM

(May 22, Thursday, 7.30pm, Choa Chu Kang Stadium)

Written by: Khalis Rifhan

Warriors Football Club will be looking to close the seven-point gap between them and leaders Brunei DPMM at the top of the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League table when the two meet at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Thursday.

The previous meeting between the two earlier this season saw DPMM cruise to a 2-0 victory and Warriors’ coach Alex Weaver will no doubt be looking for a favourable result for his side this time around.

Acknowledging this as an important tie, Weaver knows losing is not an option.

“The players need no added motivation. They know what is at stake and we going out for a result. There is a lot to play for and this match will determine where we will head to for the rest of the season,” explained Weaver.

DPMM have bulldozed past their opponents with ease in Round One, scoring a staggering 30 goals and conceding a paltry five goals in 11 matches, and come into this match on the back of a 2-1 win over fellow title aspirants Albirex Niigata (S).

Their impressive form in the league this season have been aided by the free-scoring feats of Rodrigo Tosi (12 goals) and Roy O’Donovan (11 goals) whose tally account for more than half the Bruneians’ goal tally.

With Tosi and O’Donovan in red-hot form at the moment, Warriors’ defensive pairing of captain Daniel Bennett and Marin Vidosevic will have to be constantly on their guard.

But the danger does not come solely from DPMM’s foreign duo. Azwan Saleh has been consistent this season alongside the speedy Azwan Ali who likes to run at the defence down the left flank.

It will be a keenly fought and intriguing battle in the centre of the field between Warriors’ Thomas Beattie and Kevin McCann against the visitors’ Roberto Alviz and captain Rosmin Kamis.

Rosmin is a no-nonsense hard tackling old-school type of player and he has shown his ability over the years in the S.League.

Holding the fort upfront for Warriors will be Miroslav Pejic and Nicholas Velez, but they have to do more compared to their previous outing in a 1-0 win over Geylang International.

Despite coming away with the three points at Bedok Stadium, the Warriors lacked the clinical finishing in the second-half. Against DPMM, such wasted opportunities could be very costly as Steve Kean’s charges are known for their effective scoring abilities.

Key Men To Watch

Warriors FC: Shi Jiayi

The former Singapore international may not be in the limelight these days but his performance for the Warriors in the last few matches have been commendable.

While Jiayi started mostly on the bench earlier in the season, Weaver has kept faith with the 30-year old who is known for his dead-ball prowess.

His performance against Geylang earned the midfielder an InStat score of 93, the highest in the Warriors squad for that match. Jiayi had an impressive 87% passing accuracy and several key passes into the dangerous area.

Brunei DPMM: Rodrigo Tosi

No surprise here with regards to DPMM’s dangerman. Tosi clocked an InStat score of 123 for his brilliant showing against the White Swans a week ago.

The hardworking Brazilian not only spends time in the final third but also can be seen dropping back to assist his team when they are defending against set-pieces.

Using his height to good use, Tosi is a threat both with his feet and in the air. The striker likes to tease his opponents at the edge of the box before unleashing a thunderous shot, most of which hit the back of the net, making him the current league’s top scorer.

Warriors FC – WDLWW

16/5/14   Geylang International 0-1 Warriors FC

8/5/14     Tampines Rovers 3-3 Warriors FC

2/5/14     Warriors FC 1-4 Home United

24/4/14   Courts Young Lions 2-3 Warriors FC

16/4/14   Albirex Niigata (S) 0-4 Warriors FC

Brunei DPMM – WWWWW

14/5/14   Brunei DPMM 2-1 Albirex Niigata (S)

9/5/14     Brunei DPMM 4-0 Tanjong Pagar United

30/4/14   Woodlands Wellington 0-2 Brunei DPMM

25/4/14   Brunei DPMM 4-1 Balestier Khalsa

16/4/14   Hougang United 0-1 Brunei DPMM

Head to Head (S.League)

28/2/14   Brunei DPMM 2-0 Warriors FC

23/10/13 Warriors FC 3-2 Brunei DPMM

29/8/13    Warriors FC 3-1 Brunei DPMM

5/5/13      Brunei DPMM 0-2 Warriors FC

23/6/12    Brunei DPMM 1-2 Warriors FC

19/2/12    Warriors FC 1-2 Brunei DPMM