Match Week 1 of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) delivered plenty of early drama, with high-intensity action and flashes of brilliance setting the tone for the season ahead. From a closely-contested Eastern derby to the Sailors’ battling victory, here are five lessons that stood out from the opening weekend.
- Swans show flashes of their old magic – but can they fix that leaky defence before it costs them?
Right from kick-off at the Jurong East Stadium, the White Swans’ renewed desire was evident in the first half. Fans got a glimpse of vintage Albirex, as the home side controlled the game with a fast-paced and fluid brand of football reminiscent of their title-winning years. After falling behind to an early Mario Subaric goal, the Swans quickly flipped the game on its head with strikes from the standout duo of Katsuyuki Ishibashi and Takumi Yokohata.
However, two set piece goals exposed Albirex’s vulnerabilities at the back. The Swans were also spared further damage thanks to a superb Hassan Sunny save and a gilt-edged miss by Jakov Katusa. While the early signs are promising for the six-time champions, there is still plenty of work to catch up with the league’s top sides.
- Stags stalled by Eagle Wall – but Lady Luck stayed away too!
After watching the Stags fly out of the blocks in their previous two games, Geylang International entered the Eastern derby with a clear purpose – to keep it tight and stem the early tide. It proved effective, as BG Tampines found it difficult to penetrate the Eagles’ compact defensive shape. Faced with a well-marshalled backline, the home side were often forced to recycle the ball sideways and backwards, away from dangerous areas. This also meant that dangermen Trent Buhagiar and Koya Kazama were kept fairly quiet, restricting their supply line to forward Hide Higashikawa.
However, BG Tampines could count themselves unlucky to have not clinched the win, with two efforts from Buhagiar and one from Higashikawa rattling the frame of the goal. The Eagles had their chances too, but they will leave Our Tampines Hub the happier of the two sides.
- Supplying target-man Hoshino key to Eagles’ attack
Filling the shoes of 44-goal Tomoyuki Doi is a tough task for any striker, but that responsibility now falls on the shoulders of new Geylang frontman Shuhei Hoshino. Early days, however, suggest that the Japanese is still finding his feet with his new teammates. While some of the Eagles’ new attacking additions like Riku Fukashiro looked lively, the lack of service for Hoshino meant Geylang lacked cutting edge upfront.
The striker’s frustrations were evident as he managed just two shots – neither were on target – while failing to register any efforts inside the BG Tampines box. To complicate matters, his main creative outlet Vincent Bezecourt was forced off with a suspected injury in the second half. While new addition Ryoya Taniguchi can also fill that role, ensuring Hoshino receives regular service will be crucial if Geylang hope to replicate their league-high 97 goals last season.
- Sailors calm early storms, but leave much to be desired
The Sailors may not have been at their sparkling best, but champions find a way. Maxime Lestienne once again showed why he’s the Sailor’s talisman – when they needed a hero, he delivered! However, the Sailors have yet to answer many of the early questions that have shadowed their campaign thus far.
Those concerns were especially evident in their lapses in defence. At times, they looked to be on different wavelengths and were fortunate to escape with two disallowed goals. The Sailors were equally unconvincing up front, with the reigning champions lacking the direct and incisive play that made them devastating in the past season. Even so, credit must be given to Hougang, whose energetic Thai midfield enabled them to take the game to the home side.
With the upcoming international break providing a perfect opportunity for the champions to regroup and reflect, expect a different Sailors side to show up when the league resumes.
- Locals hungrier than ever in fight for playing minutes
While pre-season headlines were dominated by sides being allowed to field up to seven foreigners, it was the local players who stood out with notable performances this week. Balestier’s Darren Teh and Geylang’s Nazrul Nazari were both handed tough assignments on the wing, but both fullbacks successfully nullified their respective threats. Likewise, Hougang centre-back Ryaan Sanizal recovered from an early error to keep marquee forward Anderson Lopes in check.
At the other end of the field, wingers Daniel Goh and Haziq Kamarudin showed plenty of attacking verve, with the latter providing an assist for Albirex’s opening goal. Sailors fullback Diogo Costa had his hands full with Hougang’s electric winger Farhan Zulkifli, who capped off a dazzling performance with a goal against the champions. With their hunger and quality, the locals are proving that they are ready to step up amid fierce competition for playing time.