StarHub League Cup Plate Semi-Final

Balestier Khalsa vs Singapore Recreation Club (NFL)

(July 19, Saturday, 8.00pm, Toa Payoh Stadium)

Written by: Muhammad Yazid

After finishing bottom in their respective groups in the StarHub League Cup, Balestier Khalsa and Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) will lock horns in the Plate semi-final on Saturday evening.

Balestier finished Group D with only one point which they earned after a 2-2 draw with Brunei DPMM, but it proved too little for the Tigers as they missed out on the quarter-final after a 3-0 loss in the opening game against Hougang United.

SRC on the other hand lost both their Group C games to Woodlands Wellington and Home United respectively.

Despite going home with nothing in those two games, the National Football League (NFL) team has earned much praise for those close defeats.

They narrowly got defeated by Woodlands in a 1-0 scoreline and their final group game against Home was similarly commendable, as they conceded no goals in the second half to keep the loss at 2-0.

The Tigers will be relying on their dynamic midfield to serve Goran Ljubojevic upfront. South Korean compatriots Park Kang Jin and Kim Minho will be expected to be the ones squeezing in pin-point through balls or spraying long passes to the flanks.

Emir Lotinac and Nurullah Hussein will be deployed in the heart of defence, while Jonathan Xu and Syed Thaha will defend the flanks.

As for SRC, much reliance would be placed on the shoulders of Naoto Iwasawa but the forward will have to lead the line upfront without his strike-partner, Itimi Dickson. The ex-Singapore international has to watch the game from the stands after earning a second yellow card in the tournament.

However, the Japanese can count on another former Lions, Ali Imran, as winger has been a torment on the flanks against Woodlands and Home with his deadly crosses.

The winner of this semi-final will either face Tampines Rovers of Police Sports Association in the final of the plate competition.

Suspension: Itimi Dickson (Singapore Recreation Club)

Balestier Khalsa – DLWWL

11/7/14   Brunei DPMM 2-2 Balestier Khalsa (StarHub League Cup Group D)

8/7/14     Balestier Khalsa 0-3 Hougang United (StarHub League Cup Group D)

2/7/14     Geylang International (3) 1-0 (4p) (AET) Balestier Khalsa (RHB Singapore Cup QF 2nd Leg)

28/6/14   Balestier Khalsa 2-1 Geylang International (RHB Singapore Cup QF 1st Leg)

24/6/14   Balestier Khalsa 0-2 Tampines Rovers

Singapore Recreation Club – LLDWL

14/7/14   Home United 2-0 Singapore Recreation Club (StarHub League Cup Group C)

11/7/14   Woodlands Wellington 1-0 Singapore Recreation Club (StarHub League Cup Group C)

22/6/14   Singapore Recreation Club 0-0 Singapore Cricket Club

15/6/14   Tiong Bahru Football Club 1-2 Singapore Recreation Club

8/6/14     Singapore Recreation Club 0-3 Sporting Westlake Football Club