The final game of the season sees Woodlands Wellington travel southwest to meet Tanjong Pagar United in what would be the Jaguars' 10th game of the season played in front of their home crowd in Queenstown Stadium since their return to Singapore's first satellite town at the start of 2012.
Our last outing at Jalan Besar resulted in a goalless affair with Home United and while the Rams were unlucky not to have walked away with all three points from that fixture, we can be comforted by the fact that the draw did help us arrest a three match losing streak following that emphatic comeback against Hougang in early September. Likewise, Tanjong Pagar will also be heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw with Balestier Khalsa.
The Jaguars have scored a total of 15 times this season, while Woodlands has scored just one more. Conversely, Woodlands have conceded 4 more goals than Tanjong Pagar this season and the Rams' backline will need to be wary of top scorer Takaya Kawanabe, who has already clinched 6 goals this season. On the flipside, the Jaguars will be watching Woodlands' top scorer, Moon Soon-Ho, tightly as the Korean hot-shot has 7 goals to his name, one more than Kawanabe, and the former Super Reds stiker has been busy in the assist department as well, creating another 6 goals for his team mates.
Since Tanjong Pagar's return to the S.League in 2011, Woodlands have never beaten them either at home or away. Out of the last 4 head to head matches, Tanjong Pagar have beaten the Rams twice and drew with us twice. With the season effectively over since our last match against DPMM, the Rams will be under no pressure and should be fully motivated to finally break their dismal record against the Jaguars.
Although the recent span of results may not have fallen in favour of Woodlands, the Rams seem to have picked up the pace in the last few games and attractive, flowing football has started to become a hallmark for the boys. Livewire Goh Swee Swee is always a joy to watch and looks a good bet to add to his tally of 3 goals with his wicked right foot, while Guntur Djafril's recent run of form should get him into all sort of interesting positions for the Rams to exploit. Custodian Ahmadulhaq Che Omar, who just celebrated his birthday a couple of days ago, would also want to notch his fourth clean sheet for the season.
Yes, the curtain may have descended on the league with Tampines' second consecutive title last evening, but we will not let our third wooden spoon daunt us from ending the season with anything other than a win.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Sunday, 4th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Tanjong Pagar Stadium
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Opponent Watch: Balestier Khalsa
After Tuesday night's encouraging performance against Tampines, our fixture against Balestier Khalsa could not have come at a better time. The Tigers, who enjoyed a great start to the season under the tutelage of Darren Stewart, have lost their last three games on the trot and faltered most recently at home to a meek 3-0 victory to Hougang United.
While Stewart would hope to arrest this slump by getting a favourable result at Woodlands, the Rams seem to have other plans of their own for this encounter. After ditching their defensive tactics in favour of an exciting, attacking game against Tampines, confidence is now high in the dressing room as Woodlands managed to take the game to the league champions and displayed plenty of promising movement in their opponents' half.
The loss to Tampines resulted in Woodlands' 14th game without a win this season - and their second consecutive loss after drawing with Geylang in June - but it certainly did not affect the spirit of the fans, and especially the players, and the rejuvenated Rams will now seek to go for the Tigers' jugular right from the start.
A shortage of goals in recent matches seemed to lead to Balestier's downfall. The Tigers have only scored 1 goal since the restart of the league following the mid-season break, courtesy of their nifty midfielder Ruhaizad Ismail, and came up short in their last 2 matches against Gombak United and Hougang United.
Former Persib Bandung striker, Zdravko Dragićević, was roped in by Balestier during the mid-season break but the 26 year old Montenegrin has failed to find the back of the net in 3 outings so far. The 1.80m tall player will be fancying his chances against Woodlands and must be closely watched.
On paper, Woodlands and Balestier's midfield seem to be evenly matched as former Tiger Armanizam Dolah looks set to lock horns with his former mentor, Tengku Mushadad. Guntur Djafril, Neil Vanu and Goh Swee Swee will also be looking to test their blistering pace against Balestier's Ruhaizad Ismail and former Gombak star Park Kang-Jin.
Meanwhile, recent national team call-up Joey Sim is almost certain to start in goal for the Tigers in place of reserve goalkeeper Zakariah Nerani, and the former will make full use of this chance to impress Darren Stewart and reclaim the number 1 spot in the team after he was dropped following a 3-1 loss to Brunei DPMM in May.
Woodlands top scorer Moon Soon-Ho and his strike partner, Hussein Akil, will also be looking to slip past the defensive pairing of Paul Cunningham and Goran Subara. While Balestier's early season success was largely due to the fantastic work of Cunningham and Subara, recent results show otherwise. Moon's ability of being equally adept with both feet, as well as Hussein's pace and telepathic understanding with the Korean, should be put to good use against a Balestier defence that is currently low in morale.
Balestier striker Zulkiffli Hassim should also be on the prowl and he will be looking to make amends for his dismissal in March after mouthing racist remarks against the big Trinidadian Fabien "Fari" Lewis.
With their recent propitious display, we can expect Woodlands to play the same electrifying game which they did against the Stags. If the boys continue like how they did against Tampines, this may well be the night where we end our losing streak.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Tuesday, 20th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium
While Stewart would hope to arrest this slump by getting a favourable result at Woodlands, the Rams seem to have other plans of their own for this encounter. After ditching their defensive tactics in favour of an exciting, attacking game against Tampines, confidence is now high in the dressing room as Woodlands managed to take the game to the league champions and displayed plenty of promising movement in their opponents' half.
The loss to Tampines resulted in Woodlands' 14th game without a win this season - and their second consecutive loss after drawing with Geylang in June - but it certainly did not affect the spirit of the fans, and especially the players, and the rejuvenated Rams will now seek to go for the Tigers' jugular right from the start.
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| Woodlands fans singing and showing their appreciation to the players after the Tampines fixture. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
A shortage of goals in recent matches seemed to lead to Balestier's downfall. The Tigers have only scored 1 goal since the restart of the league following the mid-season break, courtesy of their nifty midfielder Ruhaizad Ismail, and came up short in their last 2 matches against Gombak United and Hougang United.
Former Persib Bandung striker, Zdravko Dragićević, was roped in by Balestier during the mid-season break but the 26 year old Montenegrin has failed to find the back of the net in 3 outings so far. The 1.80m tall player will be fancying his chances against Woodlands and must be closely watched.
On paper, Woodlands and Balestier's midfield seem to be evenly matched as former Tiger Armanizam Dolah looks set to lock horns with his former mentor, Tengku Mushadad. Guntur Djafril, Neil Vanu and Goh Swee Swee will also be looking to test their blistering pace against Balestier's Ruhaizad Ismail and former Gombak star Park Kang-Jin.
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| We should see plenty of running from both sides tonight. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Meanwhile, recent national team call-up Joey Sim is almost certain to start in goal for the Tigers in place of reserve goalkeeper Zakariah Nerani, and the former will make full use of this chance to impress Darren Stewart and reclaim the number 1 spot in the team after he was dropped following a 3-1 loss to Brunei DPMM in May.
Woodlands top scorer Moon Soon-Ho and his strike partner, Hussein Akil, will also be looking to slip past the defensive pairing of Paul Cunningham and Goran Subara. While Balestier's early season success was largely due to the fantastic work of Cunningham and Subara, recent results show otherwise. Moon's ability of being equally adept with both feet, as well as Hussein's pace and telepathic understanding with the Korean, should be put to good use against a Balestier defence that is currently low in morale.
Balestier striker Zulkiffli Hassim should also be on the prowl and he will be looking to make amends for his dismissal in March after mouthing racist remarks against the big Trinidadian Fabien "Fari" Lewis.
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| Zulkiffli Hassim's dismissal in our reverse fixture Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
With their recent propitious display, we can expect Woodlands to play the same electrifying game which they did against the Stags. If the boys continue like how they did against Tampines, this may well be the night where we end our losing streak.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Tuesday, 20th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Reaction: Woodlands vs Tampines
What a match.
Even Sead Hadžibulić's hat trick, which consigned the Rams to their fifth home defeat, could not dampen the spirits of the home fans as Woodlands put in a performance worthy of a top-half table team.
Gone were the defensive minded tactics, which had left fans frustrated time and again. Suddenly, Woodlands was displaying promising movement in the final third of the pitch, passing the ball around intricately and making intelligent use of the wings, where Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee toiled relentlessly with their respective ventures down the left and right flanks.
Perhaps the players were riled by the callous comment of a particular S.League writer who condemned the team even before a single ball was kicked, describing the literal parking of a double decker as the only way Woodlands could expect to get something out of this match.
Woodlands approached this game knowing a loss to Tampines, depending how Geylang fared at Home United the following day, would potentially drop us down into the bottom spot. And how Woodlands laboured to come up with a favourable result.
Against their determined and organised opponents, Tampines found themselves under constant threat as the Rams launched wave after wave of attack on Saša Dreven's goal. Steven Tan, who enjoyed a fairly easy victory over the Rams in March, was probably left scratching his head and wondering if this was the same team which his Stags beat 4-0 in March.
While many expected Woodlands to buckle under the threat of a star studded Tampines team featuring the likes of Hadžibulić, Aleksandar Đurić, Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin and, later on in the second half, Mustafić Fahrudin and Noh Alam Shah, the Rams stubbornly refused to give in to the hype generated by the media and took the game to the Stags. If there was supposed to be a gulf between S.League champions Tampines and bottom dweller Woodlands, it certainly didn't show in this match as the Rams had the Stags constantly on the back foot, especially in the second half.
Attacking midfielders Hussein Akil and Neil Vanu were constant thorns to Tampines' defence, while Moon Soon-Ho threatened with his prospective shots at goal. Armanizam Dolah provided the thrust in the middle of the park, while Daniel Hammond's trademark punts provided plenty of ammunition for the frontline. The congruent teamwork on the field, which had been lacking for the past 13 winless matches, drew cheers of appreciation from the home stands, but this was sadly misinterpreted as a form of indulging in oblivious revelry by misinformed members of the media.
Quiet throughout the match, the Tampines faithful only sprang to life whenever the ball landed in the back of the net in their favour. However, it seemed like the Stags fans saved their loudest cheers for the introduction of Noh Alam Shah in the 68th minute. Credit goes to "Along" for taking the chants directed at him like a real man, and acknowledging the Woodlands fans with a friendly wave after the final whistle when his name was cheered emphatically by the Rams faithful as well.
The match ended with the entire Woodlands team walking over to the gallery to applaud and shake the fans' hands. The players must have sensed the renewed sense of belief in each and every fan. There was plenty of cheering going on, and the merry-making went on well after every player had entered the tunnel for their post match showers.
Attention now can turn to our encounter with Balestier Khalsa on Friday night. The Tigers faltered at home to Hougang on Tuesday and look to be going through a slump right now. A win on Friday would bring a much-needed boost after tonight's definitive performance by the boys.
Bring on Balestier Khalsa, I say! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
Tampines Rovers: 3 (Hadžibulić 26, 39, 84)
Woodlands Welllington: 0
Woodlands: Ahmadulhaq; Elias, Lewis, Hammond (c), Armanizam; Guntur (Oswind 79), Farizal (Yap 56), Goh; Moon, Akil, Neil.
Unused subs Ang, Dinie, Zulkarnain, Han, Daniel
Even Sead Hadžibulić's hat trick, which consigned the Rams to their fifth home defeat, could not dampen the spirits of the home fans as Woodlands put in a performance worthy of a top-half table team.
Gone were the defensive minded tactics, which had left fans frustrated time and again. Suddenly, Woodlands was displaying promising movement in the final third of the pitch, passing the ball around intricately and making intelligent use of the wings, where Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee toiled relentlessly with their respective ventures down the left and right flanks.
Perhaps the players were riled by the callous comment of a particular S.League writer who condemned the team even before a single ball was kicked, describing the literal parking of a double decker as the only way Woodlands could expect to get something out of this match.
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| The best form of defence is offense. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Woodlands approached this game knowing a loss to Tampines, depending how Geylang fared at Home United the following day, would potentially drop us down into the bottom spot. And how Woodlands laboured to come up with a favourable result.
Against their determined and organised opponents, Tampines found themselves under constant threat as the Rams launched wave after wave of attack on Saša Dreven's goal. Steven Tan, who enjoyed a fairly easy victory over the Rams in March, was probably left scratching his head and wondering if this was the same team which his Stags beat 4-0 in March.
While many expected Woodlands to buckle under the threat of a star studded Tampines team featuring the likes of Hadžibulić, Aleksandar Đurić, Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin and, later on in the second half, Mustafić Fahrudin and Noh Alam Shah, the Rams stubbornly refused to give in to the hype generated by the media and took the game to the Stags. If there was supposed to be a gulf between S.League champions Tampines and bottom dweller Woodlands, it certainly didn't show in this match as the Rams had the Stags constantly on the back foot, especially in the second half.
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| Armanizam engaged in a lively battle with Mustafić in midfield. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Attacking midfielders Hussein Akil and Neil Vanu were constant thorns to Tampines' defence, while Moon Soon-Ho threatened with his prospective shots at goal. Armanizam Dolah provided the thrust in the middle of the park, while Daniel Hammond's trademark punts provided plenty of ammunition for the frontline. The congruent teamwork on the field, which had been lacking for the past 13 winless matches, drew cheers of appreciation from the home stands, but this was sadly misinterpreted as a form of indulging in oblivious revelry by misinformed members of the media.
Quiet throughout the match, the Tampines faithful only sprang to life whenever the ball landed in the back of the net in their favour. However, it seemed like the Stags fans saved their loudest cheers for the introduction of Noh Alam Shah in the 68th minute. Credit goes to "Along" for taking the chants directed at him like a real man, and acknowledging the Woodlands fans with a friendly wave after the final whistle when his name was cheered emphatically by the Rams faithful as well.
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| No Duncan, you deserve the thumbs up from us! Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The match ended with the entire Woodlands team walking over to the gallery to applaud and shake the fans' hands. The players must have sensed the renewed sense of belief in each and every fan. There was plenty of cheering going on, and the merry-making went on well after every player had entered the tunnel for their post match showers.
Attention now can turn to our encounter with Balestier Khalsa on Friday night. The Tigers faltered at home to Hougang on Tuesday and look to be going through a slump right now. A win on Friday would bring a much-needed boost after tonight's definitive performance by the boys.
Bring on Balestier Khalsa, I say! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
Tampines Rovers: 3 (Hadžibulić 26, 39, 84)
Woodlands Welllington: 0
Woodlands: Ahmadulhaq; Elias, Lewis, Hammond (c), Armanizam; Guntur (Oswind 79), Farizal (Yap 56), Goh; Moon, Akil, Neil.
Unused subs Ang, Dinie, Zulkarnain, Han, Daniel
Monday, July 16, 2012
Opponent Watch: Tampines Rovers
The Rams have a tough and busy week ahead when they meet top half opposition in high flying Tampines Rovers at the Woodlands Stadium tomorrow evening, followed by Balestier Khalsa on Friday at the same venue.
The last match between Woodlands and Tampines ended up in a pivotal 4-0 win for the Stags, a crucial result for Steven Tan's men as they bounced back from prior losses to Albirex Niigata (S) in the S.League and Kitchee (Hong Kong) in their AFC Cup Group F campaign, ending their poor early season form. Playing in front of their adopted fans at the Clementi Stadium for the first time, the Stags put in a wonderful performance and notched their first win, setting the tone for sense of things to come from that point on. The encouraging result seemed to have worked wonders for Tampines as they haven't looked back since.
The Stags are now in 3rd place and seem to have a good chance in retaining the S.League title this season, and they will definitely be looking to displace the White Swans at the expense of Woodlands, whose winless run was further perpetuated by their loss to Albirex Niigata (S) last Wednesday.
There is no doubt that Singapore international Aleksandar Đurić poses the greatest threat for the Rams. The 42 year old striker scored a hat trick against Woodlands in March, and his goal after just 30 seconds sure gave us one heck of an uphill battle.
Đurić boasts a scary head to head personal record against the Rams - he has scored in each and every one of the last 5 matches between Woodlands and Tampines in the S.League. He managed to score hat tricks in three of those matches, a phenomenal record by any standard, and he will seek to continue this fine record at Woodlands Stadium. When the Stags came to visit last season, Đurić netted a hat trick to cap off a 4-0 win for Tampines.
There is no doubt about it. Đurić needs to be tightly marked! Woodlands will have to rely on the towering presence of our twin towers, Daniel Hammond and Fabien "Fari" Lewis, to shut off the compelling Tampines attack.
Tampines also poses several attacking options in the form of foreign players Gligor Gligorov and Sead Hadžibulić, Singapore international Ahmed Fahmie, as well as former Woodlands players Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin and Jamil Ali. The latter is having a sensational season and many are still scratching their heads and wondering what he has to do to get a call up to the National Team.
And then we have Noh Alam Shah. "Along", as he is known colloquially, is perhaps the player fans want to see back in action the most. The former international spent 3 and a half years away in Indonesia, played 67 matches during his sojourn with Arema Malang and Persib Bandung, and scored a total of 27 times. He would probably be making his comeback debut against Woodlands after rejoining Tampines after his final game for Persib Bandung on 11 July.
On paper, Tampines probably has one of the most exciting teams in the league. However, as poor as Woodlands' form may be now, the Rams have to bounce back at some point in time. And it certainly doesn't hurt to come into this game as heavy underdogs since almost everyone expects the Stags to come away with a victory.
Anyone who watched Woodlands play in our first 2 matches of this season would probably believe that we can beat anyone if we played like that in every match.
I believe that the Rams can match any opposition in the league if we play cohesively as a unit. That means having the discipline to mark every man tightly, passing every ball with purpose and making the most of every chance we have. We seemed to have finally broke out of our shell and switched to a more balanced style of play, which makes it more attractive to watch as opposed to our previous defensive style.
Players like Daniel Hammond, Armanizam Dolah, Hussein Akil, Goh Swee Swee and Moon Soon-Ho are in fact some of the best in their position but honestly it has taken quite a while for them to gel together. It would be scary for any team if they could connect well together and start playing lively, attacking football.
Let's start having the confidence to have a go at the opponent's goal. There are plenty of Rams who can pack a powerful shot, or swing in a tricky cross. Come on Rams, show what you can do! It's time to wake up from your slumber!
Tampines expects an easy victory. Let's give them Hell instead!
Match Information
Date: Tuesday, 17th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium
The last match between Woodlands and Tampines ended up in a pivotal 4-0 win for the Stags, a crucial result for Steven Tan's men as they bounced back from prior losses to Albirex Niigata (S) in the S.League and Kitchee (Hong Kong) in their AFC Cup Group F campaign, ending their poor early season form. Playing in front of their adopted fans at the Clementi Stadium for the first time, the Stags put in a wonderful performance and notched their first win, setting the tone for sense of things to come from that point on. The encouraging result seemed to have worked wonders for Tampines as they haven't looked back since.
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| Tampines captain Aleksandar Đurić leading the stags out of Clementi Stadium for the first time. Photo Credit: Yeo's Great Eastern S.League |
The Stags are now in 3rd place and seem to have a good chance in retaining the S.League title this season, and they will definitely be looking to displace the White Swans at the expense of Woodlands, whose winless run was further perpetuated by their loss to Albirex Niigata (S) last Wednesday.
There is no doubt that Singapore international Aleksandar Đurić poses the greatest threat for the Rams. The 42 year old striker scored a hat trick against Woodlands in March, and his goal after just 30 seconds sure gave us one heck of an uphill battle.
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| It should be an interesting aerial battle between Woodlands and Tampines. Photo Credit: Yeo's Great Eastern S.League |
Đurić boasts a scary head to head personal record against the Rams - he has scored in each and every one of the last 5 matches between Woodlands and Tampines in the S.League. He managed to score hat tricks in three of those matches, a phenomenal record by any standard, and he will seek to continue this fine record at Woodlands Stadium. When the Stags came to visit last season, Đurić netted a hat trick to cap off a 4-0 win for Tampines.
There is no doubt about it. Đurić needs to be tightly marked! Woodlands will have to rely on the towering presence of our twin towers, Daniel Hammond and Fabien "Fari" Lewis, to shut off the compelling Tampines attack.
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| Jamil Ali has a knack for creeping into pockets of space and must be closely watched. Photo Credit: Yeo's Great Eastern S.League |
Tampines also poses several attacking options in the form of foreign players Gligor Gligorov and Sead Hadžibulić, Singapore international Ahmed Fahmie, as well as former Woodlands players Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin and Jamil Ali. The latter is having a sensational season and many are still scratching their heads and wondering what he has to do to get a call up to the National Team.
And then we have Noh Alam Shah. "Along", as he is known colloquially, is perhaps the player fans want to see back in action the most. The former international spent 3 and a half years away in Indonesia, played 67 matches during his sojourn with Arema Malang and Persib Bandung, and scored a total of 27 times. He would probably be making his comeback debut against Woodlands after rejoining Tampines after his final game for Persib Bandung on 11 July.
On paper, Tampines probably has one of the most exciting teams in the league. However, as poor as Woodlands' form may be now, the Rams have to bounce back at some point in time. And it certainly doesn't hurt to come into this game as heavy underdogs since almost everyone expects the Stags to come away with a victory.
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| Hussein Akil is acclimatising well to the weather and pace of the S.League. Photo Credit: Yeo's Great Eastern S.League |
Anyone who watched Woodlands play in our first 2 matches of this season would probably believe that we can beat anyone if we played like that in every match.
I believe that the Rams can match any opposition in the league if we play cohesively as a unit. That means having the discipline to mark every man tightly, passing every ball with purpose and making the most of every chance we have. We seemed to have finally broke out of our shell and switched to a more balanced style of play, which makes it more attractive to watch as opposed to our previous defensive style.
Players like Daniel Hammond, Armanizam Dolah, Hussein Akil, Goh Swee Swee and Moon Soon-Ho are in fact some of the best in their position but honestly it has taken quite a while for them to gel together. It would be scary for any team if they could connect well together and start playing lively, attacking football.
Let's start having the confidence to have a go at the opponent's goal. There are plenty of Rams who can pack a powerful shot, or swing in a tricky cross. Come on Rams, show what you can do! It's time to wake up from your slumber!
Tampines expects an easy victory. Let's give them Hell instead!
Match Information
Date: Tuesday, 17th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium
Friday, July 13, 2012
Reaction: Albirex vs Woodlands
13 games without a win.
That's the record as it stands now, and honestly we are lucky to still be in 12th position after Geylang conceded a late, late goal in a game which seemed headed for a draw following Jozef Kaplán's 85th minute penalty, which drew the Eagles level with the Cheetahs.
The Japanese were simply too organized for the Rams. Woodlands' attacks were snuffed out the moment they were started, and the White Swans had us back peddling on several occasions. If it weren't for some effective defending from Fabien Lewis and Daniel Hammond, we would have left Jurong East with a even larger deficit.
When Woodlands played Albirex in their reverse fixture earlier this season, many felt that the Rams were too cautious and did not venture forward enough. The same could be said for the first half at Jurong East, as Albirex kept us in our own half with their slick passing game and coordinated play. We simply could not find anyway past the White Swans' midfield, and were kept busy trying to keep out their incessant attack. For a while it seemed like we were keen to just defend with our lives and leave Jurong East with a goalless draw.
The resistance was broken after just 26 minutes when Astushi Shimono latched on to Sho Kamimura's pass and slotted the ball home despite the best effort of Ahmadulhaq Che Omar.
The goal did not seem to wake Woodlands up as they continued to play with a defensive mindset, while looking to attack on the counter. The only part where Woodlands looked dangerous was during dead ball situations, but the Rams failed to capitalize on their height advantage, much to the relief of Albirex's defence.
The half time break worked wonders for Woodlands as they came out looking rejuvenated, plunging forward in numbers in search for an equalizer. Hussein Akil was presented with a couple of chances as a reward for Woodlands' bodacious surges forward, but despite his best efforts, he failed to send the ball to the back of the net. However, the young Australian never gave up and continued trying his luck with shots from distance.
The second goal by Kunihiro Yamashita happened out of nowhere really, when a floated ball into Woodlands' box caught the entire defence sleeping. Yes, there were shouts for offside, but it would have been a long shot for referee Leow Thiam Hoe to pull back play for one.
When Woodlands began to slip the ball through Albirex's seemingly inpenetrable midfield, the Rams gained more confidence with every move they had going forward. The tightly marked Moon Soon-Ho began looking for pockets of space, and the introduction of Neil Vanu meant that Hussein had more breathing space. Moon also let fly with a prospective shot late in the game that was inches away from goal and was unlucky not to score.
The match saw referee Leow Thiam Hoe brandish a total of five yellow cards, with three of them coming within the span of the last ten minutes. For the last quarter of the game, it was deja vu once again for Woodlands' fans as Albirex pulled off a Harimau Muda and started dropping like flies all over the place.
Leow Thiam Hoe was happy to dish out numerous fouls in favour of the Japanese, stopping the game time and again for an infringement-laden 15 minutes. And the White Swans lapped it up, falling at the lightest touch and stopping the match time and again.
Well, the Rams must put this loss behind us, and brace ourselves for the two tough games ahead in the upcoming week. Honestly, the Black Sheep have been outsinging opposing crowds for the last 15 games, and we always give it our best in the stands to spur our boys on despite the outcome of the game.
Perhaps it's time for the squad to take a leaf from our book and show the rest of the league what Woodlands is made of. We have a fantastic squad and we know it. After forgetting the taste of victory after 13 games, wouldn't it be nice for us to flip the season around, starting with Tampines next Tuesday?
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please view Andrew's album here.
That's the record as it stands now, and honestly we are lucky to still be in 12th position after Geylang conceded a late, late goal in a game which seemed headed for a draw following Jozef Kaplán's 85th minute penalty, which drew the Eagles level with the Cheetahs.
The Japanese were simply too organized for the Rams. Woodlands' attacks were snuffed out the moment they were started, and the White Swans had us back peddling on several occasions. If it weren't for some effective defending from Fabien Lewis and Daniel Hammond, we would have left Jurong East with a even larger deficit.
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| The Japanese shone at their game, and it wasn't just their bright orange jerseys. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
When Woodlands played Albirex in their reverse fixture earlier this season, many felt that the Rams were too cautious and did not venture forward enough. The same could be said for the first half at Jurong East, as Albirex kept us in our own half with their slick passing game and coordinated play. We simply could not find anyway past the White Swans' midfield, and were kept busy trying to keep out their incessant attack. For a while it seemed like we were keen to just defend with our lives and leave Jurong East with a goalless draw.
The resistance was broken after just 26 minutes when Astushi Shimono latched on to Sho Kamimura's pass and slotted the ball home despite the best effort of Ahmadulhaq Che Omar.
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| Shimono slots the ball underneath Ahmadulhaq to give the hosts the lead. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The goal did not seem to wake Woodlands up as they continued to play with a defensive mindset, while looking to attack on the counter. The only part where Woodlands looked dangerous was during dead ball situations, but the Rams failed to capitalize on their height advantage, much to the relief of Albirex's defence.
The half time break worked wonders for Woodlands as they came out looking rejuvenated, plunging forward in numbers in search for an equalizer. Hussein Akil was presented with a couple of chances as a reward for Woodlands' bodacious surges forward, but despite his best efforts, he failed to send the ball to the back of the net. However, the young Australian never gave up and continued trying his luck with shots from distance.
The second goal by Kunihiro Yamashita happened out of nowhere really, when a floated ball into Woodlands' box caught the entire defence sleeping. Yes, there were shouts for offside, but it would have been a long shot for referee Leow Thiam Hoe to pull back play for one.
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| Hussein Akil was a real livewire in the second half. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
When Woodlands began to slip the ball through Albirex's seemingly inpenetrable midfield, the Rams gained more confidence with every move they had going forward. The tightly marked Moon Soon-Ho began looking for pockets of space, and the introduction of Neil Vanu meant that Hussein had more breathing space. Moon also let fly with a prospective shot late in the game that was inches away from goal and was unlucky not to score.
The match saw referee Leow Thiam Hoe brandish a total of five yellow cards, with three of them coming within the span of the last ten minutes. For the last quarter of the game, it was deja vu once again for Woodlands' fans as Albirex pulled off a Harimau Muda and started dropping like flies all over the place.
Leow Thiam Hoe was happy to dish out numerous fouls in favour of the Japanese, stopping the game time and again for an infringement-laden 15 minutes. And the White Swans lapped it up, falling at the lightest touch and stopping the match time and again.
Well, the Rams must put this loss behind us, and brace ourselves for the two tough games ahead in the upcoming week. Honestly, the Black Sheep have been outsinging opposing crowds for the last 15 games, and we always give it our best in the stands to spur our boys on despite the outcome of the game.
Perhaps it's time for the squad to take a leaf from our book and show the rest of the league what Woodlands is made of. We have a fantastic squad and we know it. After forgetting the taste of victory after 13 games, wouldn't it be nice for us to flip the season around, starting with Tampines next Tuesday?
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please view Andrew's album here.
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| Never Surrender! Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Opponent Watch: Albirex Niigata (S)
Woodlands will start the next match in 12th position against 4th placed Albirex Niigata (S) but the White Swans coach, Koichi Sugiyama, will not be taking the Rams lightly.
557 fans witnessed a real battle the last time these 2 sides met at Jalan Besar and it took a last minute goal from Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, who thanked the heavens after finding the ball falling to his feet with the goal at his mercy, following a defensive mix-up between Fabien Lewis and Ahmadulhaq Che Omar.
Four months have passed since that game and while the White Swans have maintained their position at the top half of the S.League table, the Rams seemed to have lost their footing right after that match, falling from 3rd position into the cellar. The Rams, which had won two consecutive matches before that fateful game, never really recovered from that loss to Albirex.
Although a win is a win, the result in March only serves to flatter the White Swans as they laboured to find a way past a stubborn Woodlands defence. Japanese hitman Toshikazu Soya, who had scored 3 goals before meeting Woodlands, was kept quiet throughout the match and cut a frustrated figure up front.
In order to grind out a result at Jurong East, our defence must aim to keep the potent Japanese outfit out like they did at Jalan Besar.
We will also probably see the White Swans marking Moon Soon-Ho tightly, as the Korean is generally perceived as the greatest threat to the Japanese. With an average of a goal scored in every two matches, Moon is equally dangerous as a creator and has 3 assists to his name so far, the highest among a list of assistants that include Daniel Hammond, Armanizam Dolah and Goh Swee Swee.
Moon also seems to be Albirex's bogeyman, scoring in the first minute when he played against the White Swans last season after joining Woodlands during the mid-season transfer window. The former Cheonan City star could have made it 2 goals in 2 matches against Albirex but Albirex custodian Takuma Ito managed to somehow defy gravity and palm away Moon's audacious lob in the first leg of this fixture in 2012. Moon's partnership with Hussein Akil, who scored his third goal in our last match against Geylang, will also be something to look out for. Moon has assisted Akil in two of those goals, and Akil could very use make use of the tight marking on the Korean to peel away with the ball with his blistering pace.
Albirex's recent Singapore Cup match against Tampines shows that the Japanese are suspect to breaches in concentration, having given away a first half lead to concede two goals to the Stags in the second half. The White Swans went on to lose the game and the Rams must exploit these lapses.
The Albirex man to watch out for would be the talismatic Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Yamakoshi has 5 goals to his name so far, as many as first choice striker Soya, and our defence needs to keep a close eye on him. At 172cm, he may not pose much of an aerial threat but our twin towers need to be wary of his quick feet.
Albirex's midfield fulcrum, Atsushi Shimono, may not be the most graceful player on the pitch, nor the making the headlines by getting on the scoresheet for the White Swans, but the midfielder with the luscious locks is one of the most hardworking players on the pitch. A quiet but solid performer, he puts in the tackles where they matter, and his crisp passing would cause problems for any team. Armanizam Dolah will need to be at his best to match Shimono in this one.
Albirex's "smiling assassin", Sho Kamimura, would also be a handful for the Rams. The 23 year old may only have 3 goals at the moment, but he is always on the prowl for more goals.
Against an organized Albirex Niigata (S), Woodlands will need to maintain their composure and churn out a result. It will be a match where there's plenty of passing and running involved, and the Rams will need to adopt a patient approach.
The last time we lost to Albirex, we gave them too much respect and only started attacking after a good 15 minutes had gone by. Yes, let's respect the opponent, but not to the point where we are simply being eaten like a bunch of sacrificial lambs.
Come On You Rams! We shall Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Wednesday, 11th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Jurong East Stadium
557 fans witnessed a real battle the last time these 2 sides met at Jalan Besar and it took a last minute goal from Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, who thanked the heavens after finding the ball falling to his feet with the goal at his mercy, following a defensive mix-up between Fabien Lewis and Ahmadulhaq Che Omar.
Four months have passed since that game and while the White Swans have maintained their position at the top half of the S.League table, the Rams seemed to have lost their footing right after that match, falling from 3rd position into the cellar. The Rams, which had won two consecutive matches before that fateful game, never really recovered from that loss to Albirex.
Although a win is a win, the result in March only serves to flatter the White Swans as they laboured to find a way past a stubborn Woodlands defence. Japanese hitman Toshikazu Soya, who had scored 3 goals before meeting Woodlands, was kept quiet throughout the match and cut a frustrated figure up front.
In order to grind out a result at Jurong East, our defence must aim to keep the potent Japanese outfit out like they did at Jalan Besar.
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| Expect a real battle in midfield between Armanizam Dolah and Musashi Okuyama. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
We will also probably see the White Swans marking Moon Soon-Ho tightly, as the Korean is generally perceived as the greatest threat to the Japanese. With an average of a goal scored in every two matches, Moon is equally dangerous as a creator and has 3 assists to his name so far, the highest among a list of assistants that include Daniel Hammond, Armanizam Dolah and Goh Swee Swee.
Moon also seems to be Albirex's bogeyman, scoring in the first minute when he played against the White Swans last season after joining Woodlands during the mid-season transfer window. The former Cheonan City star could have made it 2 goals in 2 matches against Albirex but Albirex custodian Takuma Ito managed to somehow defy gravity and palm away Moon's audacious lob in the first leg of this fixture in 2012. Moon's partnership with Hussein Akil, who scored his third goal in our last match against Geylang, will also be something to look out for. Moon has assisted Akil in two of those goals, and Akil could very use make use of the tight marking on the Korean to peel away with the ball with his blistering pace.
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| Moon will be tightly marked by the Japanese.
Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Albirex's recent Singapore Cup match against Tampines shows that the Japanese are suspect to breaches in concentration, having given away a first half lead to concede two goals to the Stags in the second half. The White Swans went on to lose the game and the Rams must exploit these lapses.
The Albirex man to watch out for would be the talismatic Yasuhiro Yamakoshi, who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Yamakoshi has 5 goals to his name so far, as many as first choice striker Soya, and our defence needs to keep a close eye on him. At 172cm, he may not pose much of an aerial threat but our twin towers need to be wary of his quick feet.
Albirex's midfield fulcrum, Atsushi Shimono, may not be the most graceful player on the pitch, nor the making the headlines by getting on the scoresheet for the White Swans, but the midfielder with the luscious locks is one of the most hardworking players on the pitch. A quiet but solid performer, he puts in the tackles where they matter, and his crisp passing would cause problems for any team. Armanizam Dolah will need to be at his best to match Shimono in this one.
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| The work of the tireless Atsushi Shimono must be nipped at the bid. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Albirex's "smiling assassin", Sho Kamimura, would also be a handful for the Rams. The 23 year old may only have 3 goals at the moment, but he is always on the prowl for more goals.
Against an organized Albirex Niigata (S), Woodlands will need to maintain their composure and churn out a result. It will be a match where there's plenty of passing and running involved, and the Rams will need to adopt a patient approach.
The last time we lost to Albirex, we gave them too much respect and only started attacking after a good 15 minutes had gone by. Yes, let's respect the opponent, but not to the point where we are simply being eaten like a bunch of sacrificial lambs.
Come On You Rams! We shall Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Wednesday, 11th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Jurong East Stadium
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Reaction:Geylang vs Woodlands Wellington
After a disappointing draw at Bedok Stadium, Woodlands' fans will no doubt feel hard done by Sukhbir Singh's questionable decisions but in truth, the referee was handing out dubious decisions against the Eagles as well. Sukhbir called for an offside decision against Geylang's Michael King, who did not seem to be offside before putting the ball in the back of the net.
When the spot kick was given against Woodlands, ostensibly for a handball in the box by the returning Neil Vanu, Jozef Kaplán's successful penalty conversion further perpetuated the Rams' record of win-less games to 12 matches.
Try as they might, the Rams found it hard to replicate the 3 -1 victory at Woodlands Stadium in February. Moon Soon-Ho came closest to scoring the match winner but his cheeky flick in the Geylang penalty box could only hit the frame of the goal as Geylang custodian Yazid Yasin was left stranded. This was the third time that a Woodlands player had crashed a shot against the post in as many weeks, following Daniel Hammond and Aloysius Yap's efforts against Tanjong Pagar and the Courts Young Lions respectively.
The stalemate at Bedok was also our third draw in the competition, the other two coming from our matches against Gombak United and SAFFC.
Geylang's new signing, Stefan Milojevic, was a handful with his height and frame, but the French-Serbian met his match in the twin towers of Daniel Hammond and Fabien Lewis. Armanizam Dolah was also fielded as the midfield enforcer of the day as Han Yiguang had to sit out this match after getting a red card in the last round's match against the Young Lions.
Armanizam did a good job, protecting the back four and keeping Michael King quiet for the most part of the game, as well as pushing the ball forward for Moon and Akil.
Neil Vanu made his first start immediately after returning from his one year stint with the Young Lions, and the forward added plenty of pace and trickery to the Woodlands attack.
It wasn't hard to imagine who would score the first goal when we have one of the best strike partnerships playing in the S.League for us when Hussein Akil latched on to a Moon Soon-Ho assist to slot home his third goal of the season.
Playing for a team languishing in the bottom, the pair certainly have an amazing record of 10 goals and 3 assists between them. Even S.League.com's writer, Gary Koh, was impressed with what he saw:
"The foreign strike pair of Moon Soon Ho and Akil were constantly putting the white shirts on the back foot as they dictated the pace of the game in the first half.
They showed fluency in their passing and movement going forward, while Geylang were content to punt hopeful long balls that were often received by grateful blue shirts." (source)
Well, as we lick our wounds and look forward to the next match against Albirex, the Rams must retain their tenacious mentality which they displayed in the matches against Tanjong Pagar, Courts Young Lions and Geylang. The season ain't over till its over.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
When the spot kick was given against Woodlands, ostensibly for a handball in the box by the returning Neil Vanu, Jozef Kaplán's successful penalty conversion further perpetuated the Rams' record of win-less games to 12 matches.
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| Jozef Kaplán breaks the Black Sheep's hearts. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Try as they might, the Rams found it hard to replicate the 3 -1 victory at Woodlands Stadium in February. Moon Soon-Ho came closest to scoring the match winner but his cheeky flick in the Geylang penalty box could only hit the frame of the goal as Geylang custodian Yazid Yasin was left stranded. This was the third time that a Woodlands player had crashed a shot against the post in as many weeks, following Daniel Hammond and Aloysius Yap's efforts against Tanjong Pagar and the Courts Young Lions respectively.
The stalemate at Bedok was also our third draw in the competition, the other two coming from our matches against Gombak United and SAFFC.
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| Duncan Elias had a solid game, protecting our left flank well. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Geylang's new signing, Stefan Milojevic, was a handful with his height and frame, but the French-Serbian met his match in the twin towers of Daniel Hammond and Fabien Lewis. Armanizam Dolah was also fielded as the midfield enforcer of the day as Han Yiguang had to sit out this match after getting a red card in the last round's match against the Young Lions.
Armanizam did a good job, protecting the back four and keeping Michael King quiet for the most part of the game, as well as pushing the ball forward for Moon and Akil.
Neil Vanu made his first start immediately after returning from his one year stint with the Young Lions, and the forward added plenty of pace and trickery to the Woodlands attack.
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| Hussein Akil and Michael King in an aerial duel. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
It wasn't hard to imagine who would score the first goal when we have one of the best strike partnerships playing in the S.League for us when Hussein Akil latched on to a Moon Soon-Ho assist to slot home his third goal of the season.
Playing for a team languishing in the bottom, the pair certainly have an amazing record of 10 goals and 3 assists between them. Even S.League.com's writer, Gary Koh, was impressed with what he saw:
"The foreign strike pair of Moon Soon Ho and Akil were constantly putting the white shirts on the back foot as they dictated the pace of the game in the first half.
They showed fluency in their passing and movement going forward, while Geylang were content to punt hopeful long balls that were often received by grateful blue shirts." (source)
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| Hussein celebrates with Neil after he slots home his third goal of the season. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Well, as we lick our wounds and look forward to the next match against Albirex, the Rams must retain their tenacious mentality which they displayed in the matches against Tanjong Pagar, Courts Young Lions and Geylang. The season ain't over till its over.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Opponent Watch: Geylang United
Tonight's clash with Geylang United has been unceremoniously billed as the "bottom of the table clash". Starting off the season brightly, the Rams have seen themselves slip from 3rd place in March to their present 12th position and only Geylang have it much worse than us.
However, the Eagles are level on points with us and they have a game in hand. This means that Woodlands has to leave Bedok Stadium with nothing less than a victory. If we were to fall at the Eagles' den, that would condemn us to our 6th consecutive loss, and perpetuate our current barren run of 11 matches without a win. To put it simply, this is a fixture that the Rams cannot afford to lose.
When these sides met on 19th February, strikes from Hussein Akil, Goh Swee Swee and Moon Soon-Ho gave the Rams a 3 -1 victory at Woodlands Stadium. Goh's magnificent strike would no doubt still be playing in the minds of Rams' fans, and the speedy winger will be looking to add to his tally of 2 goals tonight.
Woodlands' best bet of scoring would rest squarely on the shoulders of "Super Moon" Moon Soon-Ho. The prolific striker has 7 goals to his name this season, including one against Kanbawza FC in the RHB Singapore Cup, and he would definitely be hungry for more. The former Super Reds star has scored 15 times for the Rams since joining Woodlands during last season's mid-season transfer window, and after appearing 31 times in our yellow kit, the Korean hitman averages a goal every two games, a wonderful record for a team that's second from bottom. Moon has scored in the last two matches against Kanbawza and Courts Young Lions (what a beauty that was!) and he could very well hit three on the trot against a porous Geylang defence that has leaked in 29 goals this season.
Much of Woodlands' attack could be attributed to the telepathic understanding between Moon and his strike partner, Hussein Akil. The Aussie-Lebanese may not be racking up the numbers in terms of goals (he has 2 so far) but his spirited running and assists have ensured that Moon has a steady string of ammo up upfront.
The return of Woodlands protégé Neil Vanu would also boost our chances in attack and the promising young striker will be looking to prove himself after being left mostly on the bench during his time with the Young Lions. Couple that with the hardworking pair of Goh Swee Swee and former Geylang man Guntur Djafril plying the wings and we look all set to go for this one.
However, all is not lost for the Eagles. Woodlands has failed to win in the last 5 matches while Geylang boasts a better record of losing 2, drawing 2 and winning 1. In fact, they fought to a hard earned draw against SAFFC, at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, no less, in their last round and actually came from 2 - 0 down after 25 minutes to equalise on 78 minutes and send the Ultra Eagles into rapture. Woodlands, on the other hand, have been pretty unlucky during the last two matches. The Rams really should have won the game against a 10 men Tanjong Pagar, while the puzzling decisions from referee Abdul Malik left much to be desired. Both Daniel Hammond and Aloysius Yap were left reeling as their respective efforts against the Jaguars and Young Lions rebounded off the goalpost at Woodlands Stadium.
Geylang United also recently announced the signing of Serbian forward Stefan Milojevic (source) and the former Birmingham youngster will be looking to form an effective partnership with Geylang star Michael King upfront. King impressed with his mazy dribbles at Woodlands in February, and our defence will need to pay extra attention to the damage these two can cause up front. Geylang's top scorer, Josef Kapláň (4 goals), must also be tightly marked for this one.
The last time these two sides met here in Bedok, Geylang came away with a 1 - 0 victory courtesy of a solitary Jung-Hee Bong goal which settled the game in the 59th minute. If we were to dig further into the history books, the record seems even more dismal for Woodlands as the Eagles recorded victories in Bedok Stadium in 2010 (1-0) and even bigger victories in 2009 (4-0) and 2008 (4-1). The two sides drew here in 2007 in a match that ended one all and the last time the Rams tasted victory in Bedok was on 19 April 2006, where we ran out 3-1 winners. Laakkad Abdelhadi scored a brace in that one while Agu Casmir topped the icing on the cake with a goal in between Laakkad's strikes.
Well, for our boys, I say let's rewrite the history books tonight by notching our first win at Bedok since 2006. The Eagles are not playing well this year and this is out chance. Go for it!
Out of 25 matches played head to head, the Rams have won 13 while the Eagles fare slightly worse at 12 wins. Expect plenty of goals at the Bedok Stadium as these two sides will be fighting a real battle to see whether the Eagles stay rooted to the bottom, or climb above the Rams.
Be there at Bedok Stadium to soak up the action tonight!
And to our boys, Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Friday, 21th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Bedok Stadium
However, the Eagles are level on points with us and they have a game in hand. This means that Woodlands has to leave Bedok Stadium with nothing less than a victory. If we were to fall at the Eagles' den, that would condemn us to our 6th consecutive loss, and perpetuate our current barren run of 11 matches without a win. To put it simply, this is a fixture that the Rams cannot afford to lose.
When these sides met on 19th February, strikes from Hussein Akil, Goh Swee Swee and Moon Soon-Ho gave the Rams a 3 -1 victory at Woodlands Stadium. Goh's magnificent strike would no doubt still be playing in the minds of Rams' fans, and the speedy winger will be looking to add to his tally of 2 goals tonight.
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| Moon and Akil, one of the best partnerships in Woodlands' recent history so far. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Woodlands' best bet of scoring would rest squarely on the shoulders of "Super Moon" Moon Soon-Ho. The prolific striker has 7 goals to his name this season, including one against Kanbawza FC in the RHB Singapore Cup, and he would definitely be hungry for more. The former Super Reds star has scored 15 times for the Rams since joining Woodlands during last season's mid-season transfer window, and after appearing 31 times in our yellow kit, the Korean hitman averages a goal every two games, a wonderful record for a team that's second from bottom. Moon has scored in the last two matches against Kanbawza and Courts Young Lions (what a beauty that was!) and he could very well hit three on the trot against a porous Geylang defence that has leaked in 29 goals this season.
Much of Woodlands' attack could be attributed to the telepathic understanding between Moon and his strike partner, Hussein Akil. The Aussie-Lebanese may not be racking up the numbers in terms of goals (he has 2 so far) but his spirited running and assists have ensured that Moon has a steady string of ammo up upfront.
The return of Woodlands protégé Neil Vanu would also boost our chances in attack and the promising young striker will be looking to prove himself after being left mostly on the bench during his time with the Young Lions. Couple that with the hardworking pair of Goh Swee Swee and former Geylang man Guntur Djafril plying the wings and we look all set to go for this one.
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| Josef Kaplán, top scorer for the Eagles with 4 goals. Photo Credit: Geylang United Football Club |
However, all is not lost for the Eagles. Woodlands has failed to win in the last 5 matches while Geylang boasts a better record of losing 2, drawing 2 and winning 1. In fact, they fought to a hard earned draw against SAFFC, at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, no less, in their last round and actually came from 2 - 0 down after 25 minutes to equalise on 78 minutes and send the Ultra Eagles into rapture. Woodlands, on the other hand, have been pretty unlucky during the last two matches. The Rams really should have won the game against a 10 men Tanjong Pagar, while the puzzling decisions from referee Abdul Malik left much to be desired. Both Daniel Hammond and Aloysius Yap were left reeling as their respective efforts against the Jaguars and Young Lions rebounded off the goalpost at Woodlands Stadium.
Geylang United also recently announced the signing of Serbian forward Stefan Milojevic (source) and the former Birmingham youngster will be looking to form an effective partnership with Geylang star Michael King upfront. King impressed with his mazy dribbles at Woodlands in February, and our defence will need to pay extra attention to the damage these two can cause up front. Geylang's top scorer, Josef Kapláň (4 goals), must also be tightly marked for this one.
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| We want to see this tonight! Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The last time these two sides met here in Bedok, Geylang came away with a 1 - 0 victory courtesy of a solitary Jung-Hee Bong goal which settled the game in the 59th minute. If we were to dig further into the history books, the record seems even more dismal for Woodlands as the Eagles recorded victories in Bedok Stadium in 2010 (1-0) and even bigger victories in 2009 (4-0) and 2008 (4-1). The two sides drew here in 2007 in a match that ended one all and the last time the Rams tasted victory in Bedok was on 19 April 2006, where we ran out 3-1 winners. Laakkad Abdelhadi scored a brace in that one while Agu Casmir topped the icing on the cake with a goal in between Laakkad's strikes.
Well, for our boys, I say let's rewrite the history books tonight by notching our first win at Bedok since 2006. The Eagles are not playing well this year and this is out chance. Go for it!
Out of 25 matches played head to head, the Rams have won 13 while the Eagles fare slightly worse at 12 wins. Expect plenty of goals at the Bedok Stadium as these two sides will be fighting a real battle to see whether the Eagles stay rooted to the bottom, or climb above the Rams.
Be there at Bedok Stadium to soak up the action tonight!
And to our boys, Never Surrender!
Match Information
Date: Friday, 21th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Bedok Stadium
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Welcome Home, Neil
The 22 year old striker was called up to the Young Lions squad in 2011 after putting in a string of good performances for the Rams in his 2 seasons with the senior squad. During the Young Lions' SEA Games campaign, Neil played in 2 international matches during the SEA Games and scored a wonderful header against Cambodia.
Neil can operate as a striker or a winger and has impressed many with his nifty footwork and blazing pace. He has been assigned the number 34 jersey and may make his first appearance for the Rams this coming Thursday against Geylang United.
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| Neil celebrating his first international goal against Cambodia. Source: The New Paper |
He was spotted in the stands in Woodlands' home match against Courts Young Lions but was not cleared to play as his transfer had not been completed at that time yet.
We look forward to Neil's contributions to aid the Rams in their bid to climb up the table this second half of the season.
Reaction: Woodlands vs Young Lions
Despite an magnificent early Moon Soon-Ho strike which gave us a glimmer of hope to finally break our eleven match winless streak, the Rams found themselves on the losing end once again as the Courts Young Lions clamoured back in the final 13 minutes to score two goals to reverse the score in their favour.
The match seemed to be headed for the same scoreline when these sides met in February but it was not to be as Young Lions substitute Nazrul Ahmad Nazari slotted home the equalizer off a square ball from Sirina Camara in the 77th minute.
Two minutes later, the Woodlands bench was forced to change the shape of the squad after midfield enforcer, Han Yiguang, was harshly sent off after a second bookable offence. The referee left question marks in everyone's heads as several tackles that flew in from the Young Lions had gone unpunished.
The numerical advantage proved to be crucial for the Young Lions as Sherif El-Masri, clearly the best Young Lions player on the pitch that night, sprinted down the left before passing the ball to Faris Ramli, who had the simplest task of tapping the ball in to tip the score in the Young Lions' favour.
Despite going down, the Rams displayed the "Never Surrender" attitude that had been sorely missing in the first half of the season and kept plying forward despite having the odds stacked firmly against them. Daniel Hammond was deployed as a striker and the midfield pushed their line higher into the Young Lions' half. The gamble nearly paid off when Rams' substitute Aloysius Yap crashed his shot against the crossbar, giving the Young Lions a huge scare. The scorcher could have ricocheted anywhere, but unfortunately the shot rebounded down and away from the goal line and was quickly cleared by a panicky Young Lions defence.
The final score surely does not do any justice to the Rams, who kept battling on and had the Lions share (pun not intended) of the possession. We can also take heart from Moon's brilliantly taken goal, created by the spirited Goh Swee Swee who kept the pressure on the Young Lions defence, as the Korean continues his goalscoring form following his penalty against Kanbawza FC in our last competitive game. Super Moon has 7 goals to his name so far, and statistically speaking, the prolific striker averages a goal every two games, having scored 14 times in 29 appearances for the Rams since his mid-season transfer last year.
Rams' "new boy" Neil Vanu was also spotted in the stands but the young striker was unable to play as his mid-season transfer had not been completed yet. Neil had previously played for the Rams from 2010 to mid 2011, when he was snapped up by the Courts Young Lions in view of the 2011 SEA Games. What a sensation it would have been if he had come on to score against his former club but alas, it was not to be. We will probably see him in action when the Rams take on Geylang United next on 21st June and we certainly hope they can carry their battling attitude forward to that encounter at Bedok Stadium.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
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| Super Moon celebrating after his wonderful strike on 14 minutes. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The match seemed to be headed for the same scoreline when these sides met in February but it was not to be as Young Lions substitute Nazrul Ahmad Nazari slotted home the equalizer off a square ball from Sirina Camara in the 77th minute.
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| Sirina Camara was essential in both defence and attack for the Young Lions. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Two minutes later, the Woodlands bench was forced to change the shape of the squad after midfield enforcer, Han Yiguang, was harshly sent off after a second bookable offence. The referee left question marks in everyone's heads as several tackles that flew in from the Young Lions had gone unpunished.
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| Shamsurin was full of running when he came on. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The numerical advantage proved to be crucial for the Young Lions as Sherif El-Masri, clearly the best Young Lions player on the pitch that night, sprinted down the left before passing the ball to Faris Ramli, who had the simplest task of tapping the ball in to tip the score in the Young Lions' favour.
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| Aloysius Yap's shot crashed off the crossbar in the dying minutes. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Despite going down, the Rams displayed the "Never Surrender" attitude that had been sorely missing in the first half of the season and kept plying forward despite having the odds stacked firmly against them. Daniel Hammond was deployed as a striker and the midfield pushed their line higher into the Young Lions' half. The gamble nearly paid off when Rams' substitute Aloysius Yap crashed his shot against the crossbar, giving the Young Lions a huge scare. The scorcher could have ricocheted anywhere, but unfortunately the shot rebounded down and away from the goal line and was quickly cleared by a panicky Young Lions defence.
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| A frustrated Daniel Hammond after the match in a wonderfully taken shot. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The final score surely does not do any justice to the Rams, who kept battling on and had the Lions share (pun not intended) of the possession. We can also take heart from Moon's brilliantly taken goal, created by the spirited Goh Swee Swee who kept the pressure on the Young Lions defence, as the Korean continues his goalscoring form following his penalty against Kanbawza FC in our last competitive game. Super Moon has 7 goals to his name so far, and statistically speaking, the prolific striker averages a goal every two games, having scored 14 times in 29 appearances for the Rams since his mid-season transfer last year.
Rams' "new boy" Neil Vanu was also spotted in the stands but the young striker was unable to play as his mid-season transfer had not been completed yet. Neil had previously played for the Rams from 2010 to mid 2011, when he was snapped up by the Courts Young Lions in view of the 2011 SEA Games. What a sensation it would have been if he had come on to score against his former club but alas, it was not to be. We will probably see him in action when the Rams take on Geylang United next on 21st June and we certainly hope they can carry their battling attitude forward to that encounter at Bedok Stadium.
Come On You Rams! Never Surrender!
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
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| Rams and Young Lions fans (and 1 Albirex fan) convene during half time. Photo Credit: Aaron Chan (The Black Sheep) |
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Opponent Watch: Courts Young Lions
It has been a month long break away from top flight action for all our Rams and I am sure that everyone is raring to go in the opener of the S-League's second half where we play the energetic Courts Young Lions at the Woodlands Stadium this Friday.
Despite their poor start to the season where they clocked 6 defeats and 1 draw, the Young Lions seemed to have turned their season around in April with that impressive 5 - 0 thrashing of Tanjong Pagar. That victory in Queenstown Stadium seemed to have reclaimed some belief in the squad, and they began to churn out the results that slowly pulled them out of the slump.
With crucial wins over Gombak United and Hougang, as well as a draw against Albirex Niigata (S), the Young Lions have risen above Woodlands to 10th spot with 11 points after 13 matches played, while the Rams lie in 12th spot.
The departure of defender Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib to the LionsXII squad, plus the talk of more players being drafted over, seemed to have minimal impact on unsettling the Young Lions and they could potentially climb even further up the table if they continue playing they way they are right now.
One reason why the Young Lions have been able to bounce back from the cellar can be attributed to the sensational form of Jonathan Toto. The prolific striker has 6 goals to his name already and he looks set to meet or exceed the 12 goals he scored for Etoile FC last season. His impressive performances for the Young Lions earned him a callup to the S-League All Stars squad which played against the FirstXI and the 22 year old Frenchman is on his way to becoming a true S-League legend.
When the LionsXII project was initiated, critics were quick to point out that the Young Lions would have a tough time in the league considering that they have lost a large majority of their players to the Malaysian Super League. However, that doesn't seem to be the case as the Young Lions aren't faring too badly at the moment.
Top scorer Toto is usually flanked on both sides by wingers Benjamin Kristofferson-Lee and Sherif El-Masri. The Rams must pay extra attention to the tricky El-Masri, who is already well known in the league for his agility, mazy runs and playmaking skills.
Despite the heavy presence of foreign influence within the Young Lions squad, Robin Chitrakar also has at his disposal various local players with immense potential. Defender Al-Qaasimy Abdul Rahman will lead the Lions backline in a couple of years from now, while midfielder Faritz Abdul Hameed and Shahfiq Ghani could give any S-League player a run for their money. Faritz even featured in the S-League All Stars alongside Toto.
The last time these two teams met in February, it was a close contest which was eventually settled by Moon Soon-Ho's 49th minute penalty. What is your guess on the score and the winner this time round?
Be there at Woodlands Stadium to check out all the action this Friday!
Match Information
Date: Friday, 15th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium
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| Courts Young Lions coach, former international Robin Chitrakar. Photo Credit: Courts Young Lions |
Despite their poor start to the season where they clocked 6 defeats and 1 draw, the Young Lions seemed to have turned their season around in April with that impressive 5 - 0 thrashing of Tanjong Pagar. That victory in Queenstown Stadium seemed to have reclaimed some belief in the squad, and they began to churn out the results that slowly pulled them out of the slump.
With crucial wins over Gombak United and Hougang, as well as a draw against Albirex Niigata (S), the Young Lions have risen above Woodlands to 10th spot with 11 points after 13 matches played, while the Rams lie in 12th spot.
The departure of defender Abdil Qaiyyim Mutalib to the LionsXII squad, plus the talk of more players being drafted over, seemed to have minimal impact on unsettling the Young Lions and they could potentially climb even further up the table if they continue playing they way they are right now.
 |
| Jonathan Toto has been sensational so far. Photo Credit: Courts Young Lions |
One reason why the Young Lions have been able to bounce back from the cellar can be attributed to the sensational form of Jonathan Toto. The prolific striker has 6 goals to his name already and he looks set to meet or exceed the 12 goals he scored for Etoile FC last season. His impressive performances for the Young Lions earned him a callup to the S-League All Stars squad which played against the FirstXI and the 22 year old Frenchman is on his way to becoming a true S-League legend.
 |
| Super Moon in action against Courts Young Lions in February. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
When the LionsXII project was initiated, critics were quick to point out that the Young Lions would have a tough time in the league considering that they have lost a large majority of their players to the Malaysian Super League. However, that doesn't seem to be the case as the Young Lions aren't faring too badly at the moment.
Top scorer Toto is usually flanked on both sides by wingers Benjamin Kristofferson-Lee and Sherif El-Masri. The Rams must pay extra attention to the tricky El-Masri, who is already well known in the league for his agility, mazy runs and playmaking skills.
 |
| Sherif El-Masri, the Canadian wizard. Photo Credit: Courts Young Lions |
Despite the heavy presence of foreign influence within the Young Lions squad, Robin Chitrakar also has at his disposal various local players with immense potential. Defender Al-Qaasimy Abdul Rahman will lead the Lions backline in a couple of years from now, while midfielder Faritz Abdul Hameed and Shahfiq Ghani could give any S-League player a run for their money. Faritz even featured in the S-League All Stars alongside Toto.
 |
| Benjamin Kristofferson-Lee takes on Duncan Elias. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The last time these two teams met in February, it was a close contest which was eventually settled by Moon Soon-Ho's 49th minute penalty. What is your guess on the score and the winner this time round?
Be there at Woodlands Stadium to check out all the action this Friday!
Match Information
Date: Friday, 15th June, 2012 (7.45pm kick-off)
Venue: Woodlands Stadium
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Match Report: Woodlands vs Johor FA
The month long mid-season break from the S-League following the RHB Singapore Cup tie against Kanbawza would do a world of good for the Rams as they can afford to have a breather after playing a long string of league fixtures against DPMM, Home United, Tanjong Pagar and most recently, the Burmese champions in the Cup.
Breaks like these are always a good time for the club to do their review and assessment of their tactics and finetune the areas which we're weak in, and to experiment with new tactics in friendly matches to determine their effectiveness.
Johor FA was in Singapore on a week long round of friendlies against two S-League clubs and National Football League Division 1 side Singapore Recreation Club. Fresh from beating SAFFC 2 - 1 on Sunday evening, the Johor Scorpions traveled up north to Woodlands to face the Rams two evenings ago in a match that had live highlights which were updated in our Facebook Page and Twitter account by our writer who was at Woodlands Stadium.
The Rams emerged from the tunnel in their green Singapore Cup kits and Salim Moin made little changes to the side which started against Kanbawza. K. Sathiaraj was placed in a defensive midfielder ahead of a back four consisting of Duncan Elias, Daniel Hammond, Fabien Lewis and Danny Chew, while Aloysius Yap and Shamsurin Abdul Rahman were deployed in the middle of the park. Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee maintained their winger roles, supporting a lone Moon Soon-Ho who was playing alone upfront.
Johor FA opted to kick off the first half of the game without their Argentinian hitman, Muriel Orlando, as the Scorpions had played a tough match against SAFFC just 2 days earlier. Defender Tharmini Saiban was handed the captain's armband ahead of usual team captain Nazrulerwan Makmor, while first team regulars like hardworking Ashadi Yusoff and tricky Fazly Mazlan were included in the starting eleven.
As the Rams made their way onto the pitch, Woodlands Coach Salim Moin was seen gamely shaking Johor coach K. Sukumaran's hand, wishing him with a hearty "All the best!". Fandi Ahmad was also seated prominently on Johor's bench, decked out in the blue officials' attire for the Scorpions.
First Half
Woodlands won the coin toss and were given the opportunity to kick off the match, and the game started off fairly slowly, with both sides sharing even possession. Woodlands and Johor seem to be evenly matched and it seems that both teams would have a hard time trying to search for the first goal. The Woodlands backline played well under pressure and dealt with Johor's aerial balls perfectly.
Johor FA gave the Rams a scare in the 7th minute when tricky winger Fazly Mazlan blazed past Danny Chew but his low cross was put out by the alert Daniel Hammond before it could cause any real damage. The resultant corner, the first of this match, was easily punched out by reserve goalkeeper Ang Ban Heng, who was named in the starting lineup for the first time this season.
As the match progressed, it was refreshing to see defender K. Sathiaraj playing comfortably in the role of a holding midfielder. The Woodlands number 12 was thrown into the deep end last weekend when he was substituted into the game against Kanbawza into the space in front of the back four and performing beyond expectations.
Guntur Djafril, who sat out in the match against Kanbawza, was also a livewire down the left and constantly threatened the Johor backline with his menancing runs and short one-twos with Aloysius Yap.
In this evenly matched contest, the brightest spark of the game so far would be the pace and trickery of Fazly Mazlan, as he created a couple of chances for the Scorpions down the left flank. The Malaysian gave Danny Chew a torrid time but Chew recovered well and paired up nicely with the defensive pair of Daniel Hammond and Fabien Lewis, who were were on hand to provide backup and nullify the threat posed by the Johor winger.
Moon Soon-Ho had a real chance to put the Rams ahead in the 29th minute when he latched on beautifully to a through ball and charged into the Johor penalty box, but the Rams' top scorer's indecisiveness let him down. Moon was in two minds as to whether to shoot or to pass the ball across to the waiting Aloysius Yap and Shamsurin Abdul Rahman, and the Johor defence did not hesitate to clear the ball away from the Korean foward's feet.
Presented with a second chance in the 31st minute, Moon had no qualms about his move this time round. He coolly rounded a defender after a wonderful layoff from Goh Swee Swee and lets fly with a rasping shot from 20 yards but Johor goalkeeper K. Sasi Kumar, a former Harimau Muda player, did well to parry the shot away.
Woodlands started to utilise their wingers more wisely and Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee were looking lively down the flanks. A foul on Goh led to a free kick from the right, which was swung in by Duncan Elias towards the towering Fabien Lewis at the far post. Lewis was tripped before he could leap for the ball and the referee blew his whistle immediately for a penalty, ignoring the appeals from the crowd of Johor players surrounding him.
Goh Swee Swee stepped up to take the penalty and cooly sends Sasi Kumar the wrong way with a blistering shot which found the top left hand corner of the Johor custodian's goalpost, giving Woodlands the lead in the 35th minute of the match.
Sensing that perhaps a tactical change was required to tilt the balance in their favour, K. Sukumaran made an early change by sending on midfielders Faizal Mansor and Nufitrah Mohd Shah for the Scorpions in the 38th minute.
Shortly before the half-time break, Swee Swee managed to try another shot from distance but he was visibly disappointed when his high shot was flew someway off the right of the goalpost.
Second Half
Johor restarted the second half and whatever coach K. Sukumaran said to the players must have worked as the hungry Scorpions threw their numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Striker Syamim Yahya was unlucky not to have scored as his piledriver from range grazes Ang's crossbar in the 52nd minute. That would have been some goal.
Salim Moin soon made massive changes to the side as he threw on no less than 8 players, among them S-League players Farizal Basri, Hussein Akil, Armanizam Dolah and Han Yiguang. Prime League players Zulkarnain Malik (defender), Dinie Fitri (defender) and Ali Razali (midfielder) were also given the proverbial baptism of fire when they were brought on against a tough Johor side.
Yiguang was handed the captain's armband as Daniel Hammond went off and the Rams' defence now comprised of Zulkarnian, Dinie, Edward Tan and Vincent Lee. For the Scorpions, changes were also made and Muriel Orlando was finally brought onto the pitch to lend some bite to Johor's attack.
The fresh legs seemed to help the team gain back some ground as the Johor defence was hit by a series of counterattacks. A cross by Han Yiguang into the box saw Hussein Akil attempt an overhead kick in the 55th minute but the Lebanese-Australian could not connect with the ball properly.
It was end to end action from this point on as dangerman Muriel Orlando nearly scored for Johor 2 minutes after Akil's attempt but the Argentinian must be wondering how he missed a sitter from 5 yards out when Ang's mistake presented the Scorpions' forward with an open goal. Orlando missed a square ball from Syamim Yahya completely when he really should have stuck out his leg to poke the ball in.
A minute later, the Rams were attacking the Johor goal once again. Armanizam Dolah tried a cheeky lob on Sasi Kumar from distance but the Johor custodian, who was watching it all the way, caught the ball comfortably and immediately despatched the ball forward.
The ever-present Syamin Yahya showcased his skill once again when he turned past leftback Edward Tan and cut outside Dinie Fitri's tackle before hitting the upright once with a delicate chip over the onrushing Ang Ban Heng. What a goal that would have been but it was not the Johor forward's day.
A crucial tackle also had to be put in by Vincent Lee to dispossess Yusri Abas in the 62nd minute. The Johor forward would have been clear on goal in a one-on-one situation with Ang if Lee had not put in that tackle. Fantastic play by the right back.
Woodlands' first choice goalkeeper Ahmadulhaq Che Omar came on for Ang Ban Heng in the 63rd minute and he was called into action a few minutes later when he parried two consecutive shots by Orlando to keep the advantage in Woodlands' favour.
Johor wasted another clear chance to equalise in the 71st minute when Muriel Orlando's goal bound header off a corner kick was headed away from danger by his own team-mate, Tharmini Saiban. The defender was trying to get out of the way of Orlando's effort but was unfortunate to have headed the ball unintentionally when it was mere inches away from the goal line.
Ahmadulhaq made another important save in the 75th minute when he rushed off his line to clear a through ball before Orlando could get there - swift and decisive goalkeeping from the Woodlands custodian to maintain the scoreline.
Shortly after, Vincent Lee made a beautiful run down the flank to swing in a prospective cross. The impressive Ali Razali peeled away from a sleepy Johor defence and almost gave the Rams a two goal cushion but could not connect his header and could only hold his head in his hands as the chance goes wasted.
The Scorpions' tenacity were finally rewarded in the 83rd minute when a free kick from the left was volleyed into goal by Ashadi Yusoff to equalise the score. It was indeed great play by the visitors, creating a goal out of seemingly nothing. That goal also seemed to wake Johor up from their slumber as they threw bodies forward looking to overturn the game in their favour. It took some top draw defending from our boys to keep the Scorpions out.
Edward Tan was presented with virtually the last real chance of the game but the left footer placed his free kick high above Sasi Kumar's goal, the Johor keeper heaving a sigh of relief. Soon after, the referee blew for full time, drawing the curtain on a great, lively game between two hungry sides.
Summary
Any doubt about the Rams' ability to play entertaining football would surely be dispelled after this energetic performance against an industrious Johor side. Although the Rams have been playing defensively in the S-League before the cup game against Kanbawza, their matches against Kanbawza and Johor have convinced me that tactical changes are being made in the team and I am confident that the enthralling brand of football I've seen at the Woodlands Stadium on Tuesday would be carried forward to the second half of the S-League season.
First team debutants Ali Razali, Zulkarnain Malik and Dinie Fitri also impressed with their energy and composure in the second half. The 20 year old Ali put in an inspiring performance and more first team experience would do this young boy a whole lot of good. Zulkarnain and Prime League vice-captain Dinie also defended well against a dogged Johor offense and the exposure would be beneficial to the youngsters. The Junior Rams aren't faring too badly in the Prime League under coach Marko Kraljević's tutelage and we can be assured that they would be ready to step up their game if the need arises.
As for Johor FA, I feel that this is a very good side which plays an attractive style of football, and I hope they can gain promotion to the Malaysian Super League next season to showcase their skills and teamwork in the top flight.
Our next game would take place on 15th June against the Courts Young Lions. We look forward to the rejuvenation of the Rams to arrest the slump in our form so far. Never Surrender!
Final Score:
Woodlands Wellington 1 : 1 Johor FA
Scorers:
Woodlands - Goh Swee Swee 35' (PK)
Johor FA - Ashadi Yusoff 83'
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
Breaks like these are always a good time for the club to do their review and assessment of their tactics and finetune the areas which we're weak in, and to experiment with new tactics in friendly matches to determine their effectiveness.
Johor FA was in Singapore on a week long round of friendlies against two S-League clubs and National Football League Division 1 side Singapore Recreation Club. Fresh from beating SAFFC 2 - 1 on Sunday evening, the Johor Scorpions traveled up north to Woodlands to face the Rams two evenings ago in a match that had live highlights which were updated in our Facebook Page and Twitter account by our writer who was at Woodlands Stadium.
 |
| Fandi is accompanied by his younger son, Ikhsan, in the Johor dugout. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
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| The Scorpions in their bright red kit. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The Rams emerged from the tunnel in their green Singapore Cup kits and Salim Moin made little changes to the side which started against Kanbawza. K. Sathiaraj was placed in a defensive midfielder ahead of a back four consisting of Duncan Elias, Daniel Hammond, Fabien Lewis and Danny Chew, while Aloysius Yap and Shamsurin Abdul Rahman were deployed in the middle of the park. Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee maintained their winger roles, supporting a lone Moon Soon-Ho who was playing alone upfront.
 |
| Johor fowards Yusri Abas (left) and the highly rated Muriel Orlando (right). Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Johor FA opted to kick off the first half of the game without their Argentinian hitman, Muriel Orlando, as the Scorpions had played a tough match against SAFFC just 2 days earlier. Defender Tharmini Saiban was handed the captain's armband ahead of usual team captain Nazrulerwan Makmor, while first team regulars like hardworking Ashadi Yusoff and tricky Fazly Mazlan were included in the starting eleven.
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| Johor's skillful winger, Fazly Mazlan (No. 18). Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
As the Rams made their way onto the pitch, Woodlands Coach Salim Moin was seen gamely shaking Johor coach K. Sukumaran's hand, wishing him with a hearty "All the best!". Fandi Ahmad was also seated prominently on Johor's bench, decked out in the blue officials' attire for the Scorpions.
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| Shamsurin's million dollar smile. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
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| Pre-match pleasantries between the Woodlands and Johor players. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
First Half
Woodlands won the coin toss and were given the opportunity to kick off the match, and the game started off fairly slowly, with both sides sharing even possession. Woodlands and Johor seem to be evenly matched and it seems that both teams would have a hard time trying to search for the first goal. The Woodlands backline played well under pressure and dealt with Johor's aerial balls perfectly.
 |
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| Fari's commanding presence helped to stabilise the Rams' defence. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
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| Duncan Elias kept a close watch on Hazsyafiq Hamzah, keeping the Johor midfielder quiet during the entire first half. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Johor FA gave the Rams a scare in the 7th minute when tricky winger Fazly Mazlan blazed past Danny Chew but his low cross was put out by the alert Daniel Hammond before it could cause any real damage. The resultant corner, the first of this match, was easily punched out by reserve goalkeeper Ang Ban Heng, who was named in the starting lineup for the first time this season.
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| Ang Ban Heng in goal for the Rams. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
As the match progressed, it was refreshing to see defender K. Sathiaraj playing comfortably in the role of a holding midfielder. The Woodlands number 12 was thrown into the deep end last weekend when he was substituted into the game against Kanbawza into the space in front of the back four and performing beyond expectations.
 |
| "Utility Man" Sathi played his heart out even though it was a friendly game. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Guntur Djafril, who sat out in the match against Kanbawza, was also a livewire down the left and constantly threatened the Johor backline with his menancing runs and short one-twos with Aloysius Yap.
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| "Gun-Thor" generated numerous chances going forward. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
In this evenly matched contest, the brightest spark of the game so far would be the pace and trickery of Fazly Mazlan, as he created a couple of chances for the Scorpions down the left flank. The Malaysian gave Danny Chew a torrid time but Chew recovered well and paired up nicely with the defensive pair of Daniel Hammond and Fabien Lewis, who were were on hand to provide backup and nullify the threat posed by the Johor winger.
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| Danny gets the better of Johor's Fazly Mazlan in this challenge. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Moon Soon-Ho had a real chance to put the Rams ahead in the 29th minute when he latched on beautifully to a through ball and charged into the Johor penalty box, but the Rams' top scorer's indecisiveness let him down. Moon was in two minds as to whether to shoot or to pass the ball across to the waiting Aloysius Yap and Shamsurin Abdul Rahman, and the Johor defence did not hesitate to clear the ball away from the Korean foward's feet.
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| Moon would be disappointed not to have scored. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Presented with a second chance in the 31st minute, Moon had no qualms about his move this time round. He coolly rounded a defender after a wonderful layoff from Goh Swee Swee and lets fly with a rasping shot from 20 yards but Johor goalkeeper K. Sasi Kumar, a former Harimau Muda player, did well to parry the shot away.
Woodlands started to utilise their wingers more wisely and Guntur Djafril and Goh Swee Swee were looking lively down the flanks. A foul on Goh led to a free kick from the right, which was swung in by Duncan Elias towards the towering Fabien Lewis at the far post. Lewis was tripped before he could leap for the ball and the referee blew his whistle immediately for a penalty, ignoring the appeals from the crowd of Johor players surrounding him.
Goh Swee Swee stepped up to take the penalty and cooly sends Sasi Kumar the wrong way with a blistering shot which found the top left hand corner of the Johor custodian's goalpost, giving Woodlands the lead in the 35th minute of the match.
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| Swee Swee and Faizal Mansor fought a tough battle down the Rams' right flank. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Sensing that perhaps a tactical change was required to tilt the balance in their favour, K. Sukumaran made an early change by sending on midfielders Faizal Mansor and Nufitrah Mohd Shah for the Scorpions in the 38th minute.
Shortly before the half-time break, Swee Swee managed to try another shot from distance but he was visibly disappointed when his high shot was flew someway off the right of the goalpost.
Second Half
Johor restarted the second half and whatever coach K. Sukumaran said to the players must have worked as the hungry Scorpions threw their numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Striker Syamim Yahya was unlucky not to have scored as his piledriver from range grazes Ang's crossbar in the 52nd minute. That would have been some goal.
 |
| Prime League player Ali Razali played wonderfully and certainly did not look out of place. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Salim Moin soon made massive changes to the side as he threw on no less than 8 players, among them S-League players Farizal Basri, Hussein Akil, Armanizam Dolah and Han Yiguang. Prime League players Zulkarnain Malik (defender), Dinie Fitri (defender) and Ali Razali (midfielder) were also given the proverbial baptism of fire when they were brought on against a tough Johor side.
Yiguang was handed the captain's armband as Daniel Hammond went off and the Rams' defence now comprised of Zulkarnian, Dinie, Edward Tan and Vincent Lee. For the Scorpions, changes were also made and Muriel Orlando was finally brought onto the pitch to lend some bite to Johor's attack.
 |
| Yiguang takes over the captaincy for the second half. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The fresh legs seemed to help the team gain back some ground as the Johor defence was hit by a series of counterattacks. A cross by Han Yiguang into the box saw Hussein Akil attempt an overhead kick in the 55th minute but the Lebanese-Australian could not connect with the ball properly.
 |
| Hussein Akil was deployed as a lone forward and was tightly marked by Johor. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
It was end to end action from this point on as dangerman Muriel Orlando nearly scored for Johor 2 minutes after Akil's attempt but the Argentinian must be wondering how he missed a sitter from 5 yards out when Ang's mistake presented the Scorpions' forward with an open goal. Orlando missed a square ball from Syamim Yahya completely when he really should have stuck out his leg to poke the ball in.
 |
| Johor custodian, K. Sasi Kumar. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
A minute later, the Rams were attacking the Johor goal once again. Armanizam Dolah tried a cheeky lob on Sasi Kumar from distance but the Johor custodian, who was watching it all the way, caught the ball comfortably and immediately despatched the ball forward.
The ever-present Syamin Yahya showcased his skill once again when he turned past leftback Edward Tan and cut outside Dinie Fitri's tackle before hitting the upright once with a delicate chip over the onrushing Ang Ban Heng. What a goal that would have been but it was not the Johor forward's day.
A crucial tackle also had to be put in by Vincent Lee to dispossess Yusri Abas in the 62nd minute. The Johor forward would have been clear on goal in a one-on-one situation with Ang if Lee had not put in that tackle. Fantastic play by the right back.
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| Vincent Lee defended well and even had the opportunity to bomb forward down the right flank. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Woodlands' first choice goalkeeper Ahmadulhaq Che Omar came on for Ang Ban Heng in the 63rd minute and he was called into action a few minutes later when he parried two consecutive shots by Orlando to keep the advantage in Woodlands' favour.
Johor wasted another clear chance to equalise in the 71st minute when Muriel Orlando's goal bound header off a corner kick was headed away from danger by his own team-mate, Tharmini Saiban. The defender was trying to get out of the way of Orlando's effort but was unfortunate to have headed the ball unintentionally when it was mere inches away from the goal line.
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| Armanizam Dolah helping out in defence. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
Ahmadulhaq made another important save in the 75th minute when he rushed off his line to clear a through ball before Orlando could get there - swift and decisive goalkeeping from the Woodlands custodian to maintain the scoreline.
Shortly after, Vincent Lee made a beautiful run down the flank to swing in a prospective cross. The impressive Ali Razali peeled away from a sleepy Johor defence and almost gave the Rams a two goal cushion but could not connect his header and could only hold his head in his hands as the chance goes wasted.
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| Ali holds his head in his hands in despair as he spurns a chance to put the Rams two goals up. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
The Scorpions' tenacity were finally rewarded in the 83rd minute when a free kick from the left was volleyed into goal by Ashadi Yusoff to equalise the score. It was indeed great play by the visitors, creating a goal out of seemingly nothing. That goal also seemed to wake Johor up from their slumber as they threw bodies forward looking to overturn the game in their favour. It took some top draw defending from our boys to keep the Scorpions out.
Edward Tan was presented with virtually the last real chance of the game but the left footer placed his free kick high above Sasi Kumar's goal, the Johor keeper heaving a sigh of relief. Soon after, the referee blew for full time, drawing the curtain on a great, lively game between two hungry sides.
Summary
Any doubt about the Rams' ability to play entertaining football would surely be dispelled after this energetic performance against an industrious Johor side. Although the Rams have been playing defensively in the S-League before the cup game against Kanbawza, their matches against Kanbawza and Johor have convinced me that tactical changes are being made in the team and I am confident that the enthralling brand of football I've seen at the Woodlands Stadium on Tuesday would be carried forward to the second half of the S-League season.
 |
| Ali Razali (left) and Zulkarnain Malik (right) in action. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
First team debutants Ali Razali, Zulkarnain Malik and Dinie Fitri also impressed with their energy and composure in the second half. The 20 year old Ali put in an inspiring performance and more first team experience would do this young boy a whole lot of good. Zulkarnain and Prime League vice-captain Dinie also defended well against a dogged Johor offense and the exposure would be beneficial to the youngsters. The Junior Rams aren't faring too badly in the Prime League under coach Marko Kraljević's tutelage and we can be assured that they would be ready to step up their game if the need arises.
 |
| Players posing for a photo with Fandi. Photo Credit: Andrew Him (The Black Sheep) |
As for Johor FA, I feel that this is a very good side which plays an attractive style of football, and I hope they can gain promotion to the Malaysian Super League next season to showcase their skills and teamwork in the top flight.
Our next game would take place on 15th June against the Courts Young Lions. We look forward to the rejuvenation of the Rams to arrest the slump in our form so far. Never Surrender!
Final Score:
Woodlands Wellington 1 : 1 Johor FA
Scorers:
Woodlands - Goh Swee Swee 35' (PK)
Johor FA - Ashadi Yusoff 83'
For more photos of the match, please check out Andrew's album here.
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