Written by: Shawn Lim

RHB Singapore Cup (Quarter-Finals 1st Leg)

 

Brunei DPMM vs Ceres La Salle

(Thursday, 30 June, 8pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

Brunei DPMM will be looking to add another trophy in their cabinet when they begin their 2016 RHB Singapore Cup campaign against Ceres La Salle at Jalan Besar Stadium on Wednesday night.

The Wasps are currently the Great Eastern Yeo’s S.League defending champions, but their title defence this season has not gone according to plan, leaving the Bruneians in third place in the S.League table and 16 points behind Albirex Niigata (S).

DPMM are no stranger to winning cup competitions as well, having won The New Paper League Cup, formerly known as Starhub League Cup in 2014, but have not tasted success in the Singapore Cup, reaching the quarter-finals in 2009.

However, Steve Kean’s charges will have to navigate a tricky quarter-finals first-leg tie against United Football League defending champions Ceres La Salle, who defeated Garena Young Lions in the Singapore Cup preliminary round, if they want to progress further.

Unlike the Wasps, the Filipino side is still in contention to retain their title and have scored a whooping 34 goals in their last four league games, contributing to their total of 52 goals in the league this season.

Ceres also have the distinction of becoming the first Filipino side to reach the knockout stage of the AFC Cup this year, which was also the first time the club was taking part in the continental competition.

Kean is undaunted about the prospect of coming up against the dangerous Busmen and is confident that the Wasps will be able to stop Ali Go’s team.

“I know they are a good footballing side and I have the disk from their Young Lions game. I have watch it a number of times, so I have come up with a few plans to stop them,” said the former Blackburn Rovers coach.

“It will be a good game for the neutrals to watch. They are very much like us, they want to get the ball, they want to keep the ball.

“So we have to make sure that we dominate possession and play the best we can.”

Go has singled out Wasps’ front man Rafael Ramazotti as DPMM’s strongest link and revealed that he has a plan to stop the Brazilian, in an interview with The Manila Times.

“They’re strong. I’ve watched their videos. I will setup a tactically plan for them,” said the former Filipino international footballer.

“I know they have very strong striker. I think that’s their strongest point but if you check him I think they’ll have a problem.

“I know we’re going to have chances. I know Brunei, they can fight but their national team, we can supposedly beat them easily and we have eight of our national team players in our team.”

Brunei DPMM – WLLDW

24/06/16  Balestier Khalsa 1-4 Brunei DPMM (S.League)

19/06/16  Garena Young Lions 1-1 Brunei DPMM (S.League)

11/06/16  Tampines Rovers 4-3 Brunei DPMM (S.League)

19/05/16  Home United 5-0 Brunei DPMM (S.League)

14/05/16  Brunei DPMM 3-2 Hougang United (S.League)

Ceres La Salle – WWWWW

25/06/16  Stallion FC 1-4 Ceres La Salle (United Football League)

18/06/16  Ceres La Salle 4-2 JP Voltes FC (United Football League)

15/06/16  Forza FC 0-10 Ceres La Salle (United Football League)

11/06/16  Pasargad FC 0-16 Ceres La Salle (United Football League)

29/05/16  Ceres La Salle 3-1 Garena Young Lions (Singapore Cup)