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Super Reds held to surprise draw by Young Lions
W.Ng
info@sleague.com
Super Reds were held to a surprise goalless draw in their first match of the season against Young Lions at the Yishun Stadium on Thursday.
The Koreans dominated the proceedings for long periods, but simply failed to translate their possession into notable chances against a largely unfancied and inexperienced team.
With Home United and Tampines Rovers playing to a goalless draw on the opening day of the season, the home side had the chance to steal a march on their likely fellow title contenders and surge to the top of the league.
Instead, it is the Protectors and the Stags who are more likely to be satisfied with their scoreless result than the Bears, who seemed to have lost the uncanny ability to seamlessly integrate and operate as one unit that characterised their early performances last year and saw them take the league by storm.
This time around, the fact that the Koreans had undergone their second massive overhaul in two seasons, with just eight players spared the cull from the team that finished runners-up in last year’s competition, showed.
Credit must go to the boisterous Young Lions crowd in attendance who easily outnumbered the showing of the home fans, and who never let their spirits dip as they watched their team come up against a side that vastly outnumbered theirs in terms of age.
Nee Soon grassroots MP and Super Reds Football Club adviser Er. Lee Bee Wah was on hand to grace the match with her presence, delivering the opening address to cheer the Korean side on and touch on the community activities they will be participating in.
“Last year, the Super Reds did very well, finishing runners-up and were very close (to winning the title). In fact, all they were lacking was a little bit of luck.
“This year, I’m sure all our players will do their very best. Super Reds will also be involved in community projects in Nee Soon South, some activities and competitions.”
In a first half in which the Young Lions held on with nine or 10 behind the ball at almost every moment, they were kept alive more by the Super Reds’ lack of creativity and inability to finish than the strength of their own resolve.
The visitors’ strategy could not have been more apparent from the outset: stringing five across the middle of the park, they looked determined to stifle a Super Reds midfield renowned for its guile, but the tactic meant that the youngsters were forced to compromise on their presence in the attacking third.
Gabriel Quak Jun Yi, playing on the left of midfield, had arguably the best chances to give his side a shock lead; the 19-year-old was played into space on a number of occasions but ultimately looking out of his depth.
To their credit, though, the Young Lions ensured a balanced share of possession in the scrappy opening exchanges.
The Koreans seemed to take some time to find their feet, with their best chances in early play fashioned out of neat chips into the box.
Midfielder Kwon Jin, one of seven debutants among the home side, should have capitalised on just such a chip with only six minutes gone, springing the defence with a well-timed run, but Hyrulnizam Juma’at spread himself out well to beat his shot away.
Joo Ki Hwan’s towering frame nearly gave his side the lead on ten minutes, the lanky defender’s header off a free-kick crisply floated into the box by Yu Hyun Koo flashing just wide of the upright.
To the chagrin of the visiting crowd it became increasingly evident as the match wore on that the Young Lions would be confined to the relative misery of ball-chasing. Yet, for all their dominance, the home side were failing to find the spark required to put themselves ahead.
A chip into the box on 25 minutes was met by Choi Dong Soo, who got the slightest of touches with his outstretched foot but his shot trickled wide and moments later, Lee Du Ri’s powerful header from a corner traced an agonising path inches over the crossbar.
Good work by Isa Halim and Quak with 32 minutes on the clock then saw the Young Lions captain thread the ball through on goal. Erwan Gunawan was almost made the unwitting beneficiary of a moment of hesitation by Kang Su Ho in the Super Reds goal, but the custodian rushed out well to close down the danger in the nick of time.
Despite the possession they enjoyed at the end of the first half, the Koreans failed to break the deadlock and the teams went into the break tied.
Hyrulnizam nearly gifted the home side the lead a minute into the second half when he spilled the ball from a long shot, but nippy Lee’s half-hearted stab at the loose ball was dealt with easily by the impressive Obadin Aikhena.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper was found wanting again minutes later when he rushed out to deal with a free-kick by Yu but found thin air with his punch. Lee’s misdirected header, however, saw the ball sail harmlessly over to spare the blushes of a relieved Hyrulnizam.
Super Reds’ determination to push forward in search of the opening goal in the second half, however, left their defence looking vulnerable at times and granted the Young Lions room to roam.
Quak’s surge forward in the 63rd minute, for instance, was met by a retreating Super Reds defence and the teenager took the chance to shoot from distance, although his powerful attempt was turned round the post by Kang.
13 minutes later, it was Fadhil Noh’s turn to have a go. The forward found space in front of the home side’s defence and unleashed another rasping shot that Kang was forced to parry behind his goal for a corner.
The desperation among the two teams was almost palpable as the match approached its death throes, with both teams beginning to resort to strong-arm tactics: Isa and Yu earned themselves talking-tos after a skirmish, while Shin Dae Kyung and substitute Eugene Luo found their names in the referee’s book as the match came to a stormy end.
“They are a technically strong team, very comfortable on the ball,” commented an understandably relieved Young Lions coach Terry Pathmanathan of the Super Reds, after the match.
“I think my team showed a lot of guts today. They never gave up right till the final whistle, they were really working hard.
“I have to say I’m very proud of them. Especially in this first game here playing a team like Super Reds, they worked their socks off and as a coach, I cannot ask for more.
“Based on the quality of the Super Reds, I think my boys lifted their game to play against them, to compete with them.
“We showed today that a team that works hard will gain something out of it. It won’t be easy (for the Super Reds to win the title).”
Super Reds coach Jeon Kyeong Joon, meanwhile, refused to hit the panic button after seeing his side let slip precious points against a team that many have tipped to struggle this year.
“The players have only had two weeks together, so they are not fully prepared yet. They have to get used to the Singapore weather, and the style of football.
“The result of the game was not that bad, and I believe we will improve. We just need time.
“We had a lot chances to score in the first half, but the one thing that was lacking was our finishing.” |
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