Matchweek 2 of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) brought more early-season thrills, with Albirex and BG Tampines claiming their first victories of the season and defending champions Sailors asserting their dominance. From Geylang’s search for goals, to the Stags’ smooth transition under a new head coach, here are five lessons from the latest round of fixtures.
- Nakano-Yokohata partnership gives Albirex lift-off
Albirex picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 triumph over Geylang, led by captain Shingo Nakano and new signing Takumi Yokohata. Nakano struck twice, either side of the break, with Yokohata pulling the strings in attack.
Yokohata – who scored in the season opener – showed glimpses of how he could prove to be the perfect foil for Nakano with his vision, movement and creativity. Head coach Keiji Shigetomi hailed the duo’s chemistry, and early signs suggest Albirex may have found the attacking spark to fuel another title challenge.
- Geylang’s attack looks blunt without Doi
After scoring freely last season, Geylang have struggled to find an edge in their opening two matches. The Eagles scored 96 times en route to a third-place finish last season, with former striker Tomoyuki Doi netting a remarkable 44 goals — a league record for a single season. Until a reliable finisher emerges, goals may remain hard to come by.
- Smooth start for Noh Rahman at Tampines
New BG Tampines coach Noh Rahman enjoyed a dream debut, steering the team to a 3-0 win away to Tanjong Pagar. Having opted to stick closely to the system that has brought success under his predecessor, Rahman’s faith was repaid with goals from Takeshi Yoshimoto, Glenn Kweh, and Kohya Kazama securing an ultimately comfortable victory.
It was an assured performance that suggests a seamless transition as the Stags aim to challenge on multiple fronts this season.
Tanjong Pagar struggled to make an impact in their season-opening defeat to BG Tampines, a result that echoed last season’s battles at the bottom of the table. Injuries and thin squad depth left Spanish forward Youssef Ezzejjari isolated upfront, and fatigue set in as the match wore on. Head coach Noh Alam Shah will be hoping the return of key players can lift the Jaguars and sharpen the attack.
- Sailors flex squad depth in five-star showing
The Sailors demonstrated why they are one of the favourites for the title with a ruthless 5-0 demolition of Balestier Khalsa, maintaining their 100% start to the season. The returning Bailey Wright opened the scoring in the first half, before a late second-half flurry of goals from Bart Ramselaar, Lennart Thy, Abdul Rasaq and Maxime Lestienne rounded off the one-sided contest.
With five different players on the scoresheet, the Sailors showed they have ample quality in reserve – a worrying sign for fellow contenders.