S-league 2010

Great Eastern-Yeo's S-league

Home Team			Away Team	Date
SAFFC	1	1	Geylang United	3/2
Geylang United	1	1	Albirex Niigata (S)	10/2
Young Lions	0	1	Geylang United	16/2
Geylang United	1	3	Beijing Gouan (S)	12/3*
Etoile FC	2	2	Geylang United	29/3
Home United	3	0	Geylang United	1/4
Geylang United	1	0	Woodlands Wellington	10/4
Geylang United	3	2	Sengkang Punggol	15/4
Tampines Rovers	0	1	Geylang United	24/4
Albirex Niigata (S)	1	2	Geylang United	3/5
Geylang United	0	0	Gombak United	7/5*
Balestier Khalsa	0	2	Geylang United	15/5
Geylang United	0	0	Young Lions	18/5
Beijing Gouan (S)	0	1	Geylang United	22/5
Geylang United	0	3	SAFFC	1/6
Geylang United	0	1	Etoile FC	5/6
Woodlands Wellington	0	0	Geylang United	13/6
Geylang United	0	3	Home United	19/6
Sengkang Punggol	0	2	Geylang United	22/6
Geylang United	0	0	Tampines Rovers	4/7
Geylang United	0	0	Balestier Khalsa	9/7*
Gombak United	1	0	Geylang United	14/7*
SAFFC	0	2	Geylang United	20/7*
Geylang United	1	1	Albirex Niigata (S)	30/7*
Young Lions	2	2	Geylang United	3/8
Geylang United	3	0	Beijing Gouan (S)	7/8
Etoile FC	1	0	Geylang United	31/8
Geylang United	0	1	Woodlands Wellington	6/9
Home United	1	0	Geylang United	14/9
Geylang United	4	1	Sengkang Punggol	29/9*
Tampines Rovers	2	1	Geylang United	11/10
Balestier Khalsa	0	1	Geylang United	24/10
Geylang United	0	0	Gombak United	11/11

* Played at Jalan Besar Stadium

AFC Cup

Stage	Home Team			Away Team	Date
Group	Geylang United	1	1	Tai Po	24/2*
Group	Da Nang	3	2	Geylang United	17/3
Group	Thai Port	2	2	Geylang United	24/3
Group	Geylang United	0	1	Thai Port	6/4
Group	Tai Po	1	1	Geylang United	20/4
Group	Geylang United	1	1	Da Dang	27/4

* Played at Jalan Besar Stadium

RHB Singapore Cup

Stage	Home Team			Away Team	Date
First Round	Balestier Khalsa	2	1	Geylang United	25/5

League Cup

Stage	Home Team			Away Team	Date
First round	Geylang United	0(5)	0(4)	Young Lions	20/2
Quarter-final	Geylang United	2	3	Etoile FC	28/2

Balestier Khalsa Results Menu

Chairman: Balbeer Singh Mangat
Coach: Darren Stewart
Manager: Thavaneson Selvaratnam / Cheng Tim Nee

Honours
Plate Cup: 2012
FA Cup: 2012 (Prime League)

2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

S-league 2010

Great Eastern-Yeo's S-league

Home Team			Away Team	Date
Sengkang Punggol	1	2	Balestier Khalsa	2/2
Balestier Khalsa	1	2	Gombak United	8/2
SAFFC	2	1	Balestier Khalsa	11/2
Balestier Khalsa	1	0	Albirex Niigata (S)	8/3
Young Lions	3	0	Balestier Khalsa	17/3
Balestier Khalsa	1	0	Beijing Gouan (S)	24/3
Etoile FC	0	1	Balestier Khalsa	2/4*
Balestier Khalsa	0	1	Woodlands Wellington	5/4
Home United	2	2	Balestier Khalsa	14/4
Balestier Khalsa	1	0	Sengkang Punggol	22/4
Tampines Rovers	3	2	Balestier Khalsa	5/5*
Gombak United	0	1	Balestier Khalsa	10/5
Balestier Khalsa	0	2	Geylang United	15/5
Balestier Khalsa	1	1	SAFFC	21/5*
Albirex Niigata (S)	0	1	Balestier Khalsa	3/6
Balestier Khalsa	0	3	Young Lions	7/6
Beijing Gouan (S)	1	0	Balestier Khalsa	10/6
Balestier Khalsa	0	3	Etoile FC	16/6*
Woodlands Wellington	1	2	Balestier Khalsa	26/6
Balestier Khalsa	0	1	Home United	1/7
Geylang United	0	0	Balestier Khalsa	9/7*
Balestier Khalsa	0	2	Tampines Rovers	17/7
Sengkang Punggol	1	0	Balestier Khalsa	23/7*
Balestier Khalsa	1	1	Albirex Niigata (S)	26/7
Balestier Khalsa	0	0	Gombak United	31/7
SAFFC	0	2	Balestier Khalsa	6/8*
Young Lions	0	2	Balestier Khalsa	30/8
Etoile FC	3	0	Balestier Khalsa	16/9
Balestier Khalsa	1	1	Woodlands Wellington	24/9*
Home United	0	0	Balestier Khalsa	7/10
Balestier Khalsa	3	0	Beijing Gouan (S)	13/10*
Balestier Khalsa	0	1	Geylang United	24/10
Tampines Rovers	4	1	Balestier Khalsa	10/11

* Played at Jalan Besar Stadium

RHB Singapore Cup 

Stage	Home Team			Away Team	Date
First Round	Balestier Khalsa	2	1	Geylang United	25/5
Quarter-final, first leg	Tampines Rovers	3	0	Balestier Khalsa	27/9
Quarter-final, second leg	Balestier Khalsa	1	3	Tampines Rovers	30/9

League Cup

Stage	Home Team			Away Team	Date
First Round	Balestier Khalsa	0	2	Etoile FC	21/2

S-league clubs cry for more money, not less

S-league clubs has come out to the open to decry talks of a round of budget cut from FAS to their seed money.

Clubs are already feeling the strains of budget constraint as the seed money have stopped growing since the mid-2000s thus it is falling behind not only inflation but also the needs to keep up with wages demand as seem by the lure of the Indonesian rupiah.

While it may seem another round of bad PR for the clubs to bring it to the open, it is a smart move as quite frankly, FAS is set to hold talks with S-league mega sponsor Singapore Pools and if the issue was not brought up now, the decision will be make easily.

There will be a budget cut and once that is make, FAS will tell us it irreversible and clubs should have highlight it earlier and not after the decision is make.

So the clubs are highlighting it now and S-league CEO Winston Lee have to match his words in which he asked the local clubs to face up to the challenge of the foreign clubs or else he is a double-headed snake by cutting the seed money now if not even increasing it.

I have always brought up the issue of money as it is the single most important thing in building anything in sport in my point of view.

After all, one can see it in other local sport discipline as one thing I noticed is they always talk about the possibilities if they had the money that the government pump into a particular sport (Want to guess which sport they are talking about), they will do better.

Although from this side of the debate, there will be voices who tell you that the government do not support the sport as passionately especially when one see the amount given from the view of the world of the sport we are talking.

Just as an example, in  the Scandinavia region with similar population and economic strength like Singapore, the budget for their youth development is in the region of US$60 million to U$100 million and that was a figure quoted 7 years ago when the dollar was stronger and with inflation not taking into account.

PSSI has the ASEAN region biggest budget and yet it is reportedly to be no more than U$100 million so you can see why there are voices who tell you the spending is a joke especially as we are only talking about a budget of S$20 million with about half coming from private sources.

And the problem is like everybody else in Singapore, the mentality of our biggest 'supporter' (The PM did show up at every Suzuki Cup win and a YOG football game and tell us, he support the sport) is they want us to spend but they hoped it is somebody else footing that bill.

If that the way then the example from the A-league tell us it will never happen.

The A-league is the type of league the government want which is the private source take the lead but it is suffering now due to that as 3 of their 11 clubs (with one from New Zealand in truth) have endure talks of shutdown and one (who has not joined yet) have pulled out.

Sydney Rovers is not joining the A-league as the money from the private source is not coming while both Queenland Fury and Gold Coast United cannot find a boss willing to foot the bill until the stage Fury is already barred from signing for next year thus spreading the words the club is closing down even further.

So one can see if one want to use private sources to build a fledgling league, then one is asking for the impossible as take away the support from the Indonesian regional government are giving and the Indonesian rupiah does not seem as grand.

The private sector have never taken the lead in building thing in sports unless the government is willing to act, especially in Asia, and one can see it in one of Asia most successful league - K-league.

The money may be from private sources but the truth was the corporates was 'asked' to give the league the boast it needed due to their 'civil responsibility'.

They agreed and they did it twice - first when the K-league started in 1985 and second when the J-league 'threaten' their position of Asian dominance in the early 2000s.  

And the result is the corporates struck with the sport as time went by so it clear the government has to take the lead in building sport in Asian society.

Therefore, it is time to match those words spoken at the Suzuki Cup wins and YOG game and open the lock to Singapore Pools as only the PM has the key. (And by that, I quote the example of PM Goh era)

Or do not just show up when it is time to celebrate Suzuki Cup win and tell us one support the sport.

It is easy and I can do it myself so what the big deal.

PS. Last Words and that is take Zainduin away while one is at it.

Bangkok Glass win RHB Singapore Cup

RHB Singapore Cup 2010

Final

Tampines Rovers 0-1 Bangkok Glass

Tampines Rovers

Hassan Sunny (GK), Jufri Taha, Benoit Croissant, Akihiro Nakamura, Imran Sahib, Park Yo Seb, (Jamil Ali) Shukor Zailan, (Zahid Ahmad) Aliff Shafaein (C), Ismadi Mukhtar, Shahdan Sulaiman, Aleksandar Duric

Thai side Bangkok Glass has won the RHB Singapore Cup after they defeated Tampines Rovers 1-0 in the Final at Jalan Besar.

It was a match that was every bit a non-classic Final as both were devoid of ideas and most of the actions were fought for control of midfield which neither side won.

Therefore, in such a match, a goal usually settle it and that what happen as an own goal by Benoit Croissant was enough for Bangkok Glass to win the 1.1 kg trophy.

The Frenchman was at the wrong place at the wrong time as he try to clear an attack but once only deflect the ball into the net from a cross as there was little reaction time.

In the third/fourth place match, newly-crowned League champions Etoile FC defeated the 'new' Young Lions 3-0.

Anthony Moulin scored a brace with Stephane N'cho adding in one goal in between.

Young Lions
Syazwan Buhari (GK), Firman Hanif, Irwan Shah (C), (Al-Qaasimy Abdul Rahman) Ahmad Syahir, (Muhaymin Salim) Ignatius Ang, Kim Seong Kyu, Safirul Sulaiman, Shahfiq Ghani, Faris Ramli, (Stanely Ng) Seo Su Jong, Sahil Suhaimi

AFF Suzuki Cup provisional squad

National Coach Radojko Avramovic has called up a provisional squad of 26 players for the AFF Suzuki Cup in December.

Coach Radojko has picked an experienced squad with over half the team seeing action in earlier editions of the Suzuki Cup. He will finalise a squad of 22 players for the trip to Hanoi.

Singapore is in Group B of the biennial tournament alongside Myanmar, co-hosts Vietnam and Philippines with the Lions first match on 2 December. Group A in Jakarta features Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and co-hosts Indonesia. 

Goalkeepers

Lionel Lewis

Hassan Sunny

Izwan Mahbud

Defenders

Juma'at Jantan

Rosman Sulaiman

Baihakki Khaizan

Precious Emuejeraye

Daniel Bennett

Afiq Yunos

Irwan Shah

Safuwan Baharudin

Noh Rahman

Midfielders

Ridhuan Muhamad

Isa Halim

Shi Jiayi

Tengku Mushadad

Mustafic Fahrudin

Shahril Ishak

Shahdan Sulaiman

Hariss Harun

Forwards

Noh Alam Shah

Masrezwan Masturi

Fazrul Nawaz

Khairul Amri

Agu Casmir

Aleksandar Duric

Rest of the action

Here are the results from the rest of the action of the last week of the S-league 2010 season.

Home United drew 0-0 with SAFFC. Then when two Bore feast meet, you get another 0-0 draw as that is what happen when Geylang United meet Gombak United. zzzzz..... As for the last game of the S-league, Beijing Gouan (S) defeated Sengkang Punggol with a goal from Wang Hao.

Home United
Lionel Lewis (GK), Juma'at Jantan, Shahril Alias, Valery Hiek, (Fazil Zailani) Rosman Sulaiman, (Chun Jae Woon) Zulfadli Zainal Abidin, Shi Jiayi (C), (Firdaus Idros) Tengku Mushadad, Isa Halim, Sufian Anuar, Choi Chul Woo

SAFFC
Shahril Jantan (C) (GK), Hafiz Osman, Ivan Lovric, Daniel Bennett, John Wilkinson, Ivan Jerkovic, Ahmad Latiff, Noh Rahman, (Ruzaini Zainal) Mustaqim Manzur, Federico Martinez, Taisuke Akiyoshi

 ----------

Geylang United
Yazid Yasin (GK), Salim Rahim, Walid Lounis, Rastislav Belicak (C), Vasile Ghindaru, Kim Jae Hong, (Syed Thaha) Itimi Dickson, (Jonathan Xu) Shah Hirul, Syed Fadhil, (Aliff Azmi) Masrezwan Masturi, Hafiz Rahim

Gombak United
Zakariah Nerani (GK), Jaslee Hatta (C), Bah Mamadou, Obadin Aikhena, Jeremy Chiang, (Zulkiffli Hassim) Aloysius Yap, Hamqaamal Shah, Ridhwan Jamaludin, Park Kang Jin, Fazrul Nawaz, Chang Jo Yoon
----------

Sengkang Punggol
Fadhil Salim (GK), Ratna Suffian, Kenji Arai, Sim Li Ming, Jordan Webb, Nor Azli Yusoff (C), (Zul Nor Farahin) Farizal Basri, (Ashley Ow) An Jae Cheul, Duncan Elias, Jala, Mamadou Diallo

AG: Singapore U23 knocked out

The Singapore U23 were knocked out after they were defeated 1-4 by India U23.

The defeat meant Singapore U23 finished with a point and that is not good enough to qualify for the round of 16.

Eugene Luo scored the only goal for the Asiad Cubs in this tournament.

In another match, Qatar defeated Kuwait 2-0 to qualify for the second round while India has to wait for other results.

Pos	Teams	Pts	GD
1	Qatar U23	7	3
2	Kuwait U23	6	1
3	India U23	3	1
4	Spore U23	1	-5

Etoile FC are champions

In a roller-coaster night for the fans and players of Etoile FC and Tampines Rovers, Etoile FC came out emerged as champions.
 
After just two minutes, Etoile FC were behind thanks to a Kazuki Kobayashi stunner as he took advantage of the inability of the Stars defence to clear a corner to fire in from the edge of the box.

Yohann Lacroix had no chance to stop the rocket and it was not just the Albirex fans who were cheering for Tampines Stadium must have erupted along with it.

Non more so than when Aleksandar Duric fired in the Stags opening goal a few minutes later at Tampines Stadium.

The Stags were in the driving seat now but the match was not over yet and they knew they have to make certain they achieved their victory first.

That was why they went for their second killer goal and they got it through skipper Aliff Shafaein.

But soon afterward came the news Etoile FC had equalised and if the Stags saw how they got it, they will be disappointed as the White Swans allowed Flavien Michelini the freedom to work his magic and work himself to the edge of the box before he was pulled down.

The referee pointed to the box and up step Loic Leclercq to fire in Etoile FC equaliser.

However, at this point, nothing have changed as only a French win can achieve history so they have much to do yet.

But the French suffer yet another setback in stoppage-time as custodian Lacroix was having a night to forget as he make a fatal mistake of dropping the ball under pressure in a crowded box from a cross from the left.

That was Kobayashi, once again, to take full advantage of it and the Stags fans were cheering.

At half-time, the White Swans looked to have fulfilled their side of the bargain and the title were going to Tampines. 

The danger was the break gave the French the chance to regroup and whether the inexperience White Swans can hold out as the pressure mount in the second period.

The Japanese looked to have done that as they limited the French attack for the early part of the second period and just at the moment, it seem the impossible might happen, Verschave created a chance as he send in a beautiful through pass that split the White Swans defence and a shot was fire in from the edge of the box.

Yoshito Matsushita did well to save it but the rebound was fired in by Frederic Mendy, who got to it first before Mitsuki Ichihara.

Mitsuki Ichihara was finding Mendy a handful as the French piled up the pressure after that goal and chances were coming thick and fast.

The Japanese defendce just could not handle Mendy and the French forward fired in Etoile third goal as he got to a cross from the right before Mitsuki Ichihara yet again.

Just to cap off the night, Verschave, who was having a brilliant night as well, fired in Etoile fourth and kill off the tie.

Once again, the Japanese defence was just a step behind as from a freekick from the left, Verschave ghost past his marker to head into the net past a bewildered Yoshito.
 
That was the difference as Etoile FC had the chances and they took it while the White Swans could not and that is what experience bring you.

So even as Ismadi Mukhtar fired in a fourth for Tampines with Balestier Khalsa getting one as well through Paul Cunningham, it was in vain.

Etoile FC are S-league champions and the first-ever foreign side to achieve it.

Well done to the Queentown club!

Tampines Rovers
Hassan Sunny (GK), Benoit Croissant, Seiji Kaneko, Akihiro Nakamura, Imran Sahib, Park Yo Seb, (Fathi Yunus) Shukor Zailan, (Jufri Taha) Jamil Ali, (Zulkarnaen Zainal) Aliff Shafaein (C), Ismadi Mukhtar, Aleksandar Duric

Balestier Khalsa
Joey Sim (GK), Paul Cunningham, Daniel Hammond (C), Mushthafa Kamal, K Sathiaraj, Syaqir Sulaiman, Ishak Zainol, K Vikraman, (Han Yiguang) Poh Yi Feng, (Andrew Tan) Rivaldo Costa, (Goh Swee Swee) Vitor Borges

Breakup is unavoidable

Despite the historic landmark of being the S-league first-ever foreign champions, club chairman Johan Goutefangeas has come to out to say the breakup of the team is unavoidable.

All the players who spoke to MediaCorp TODAY acknowledged they did not know if they will remain with the Queentown club and Goutefangeas had effectively put all his players up for sale with his statement.

He said: "It's going to to be hard for me to retain these players. Top teams want to sign them. I will have no choice but to bring in new blood next year. We're not certain about next year, but for now we will have a big party."

It looked like he is willing to let his players depart to clubs like SAFFC, who will be rebuilding, Tampines Rovers, who may be interested as their forward line is aging, Geylang United and Gombak United, who, despite cries of no money, have a bit more than Etoile FC and the current batch of foreigners they have suck.

As for Home, I guess it tough to see them go beyond Korean and that not saying the Korean they have are bad as they are quite good.

Judgment day

It is judgment day in the S-league today.

Nine months of hard work will be rewarded for only one team and it should be between Etoile FC and Tampines Rovers.

For Korean defender Park Yo Seb, that will be an answer today if his penalty miss will proved as pivotal as I believed nearly two month ago when Etoile FC squared up against Tampines Rovers.

If that kick had been converted, the French side should have been two points behind the Stags and not one point ahead like now.

That is why as long as Etoile FC win against Albirex Niigata (S), Tampines Rovers can do nothing but if the French fall, the Stags could take advantage as at home, against Balestier Khalsa, the Stags are one of the top team.

And, it could happen as Albirex Niigata (S) are a tough nut to break down, especially at home where their support is strong, for Etoile FC have a taste of it as they have drop four points against the Japanese already.

It is an exciting finish to the S-league and let hope it lift up to it billing.

Wednesday main matches
Albirex Niigata (S) vs Etoile FC (Jurong East Stadium)
Tampines Rovers vs Balestier Khalsa (Tampines Rovers Stadium)

AG: Kuwait U23 2-0 Singapore U23

Kuwait U23 defeated Singapore U23 2-0 to qualify for the second round while Singapore await Thursday for India to decide our fate.

The Asiad Cubs will need to gain full points against India to have a chance to get to the second round as one of the best four third-placed teams. 

Qatar had earlier defeated India 2-1 to earn themselves 3 points and cement their second place spot.

Pos	Teams	Pts	GD
1	Kuwait U23	6	4
2	Qatar U23	4	1
3	Spore U23	1	-2
4	India U23	0	-1