Warriors one game away from semi-final
berth
Friday at the Tampines Stadium brings fans the second leg of the
RHB Singapore Cup quarter-final clash between the Indonesian
Under-23s and the Singapore Armed Forces FC.
The Warriors enter this contest holding a 3-0 first-leg lead after
Therdsak Chaiman and Man-of-the-Match Greg Nwokolo dismantled the
inexperienced-looking invitational side.
While many feel that SAFFC must surely be more than quietly
confident as to their chances of progressing through to the final
four, rest assured coach Kim Poulsen will not let his guard
down.
Poulsen, ever the pragmatic and down-to-earth personality the
S-League has found hard not to respect, warned as early as after
the first-leg encounter that anything is possible in football.?br
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Though wary of complacency, he has all the right to keep faith in a
rearguard that seem to be playing better together as the weeks go
by.
On a night that clearly belonged to Nwokolo, whose brace
coincidentally was his first goals for the club, SAFFCs defensive
unit was absolutely majestic.
Surrounded by the younger legs and energy of Hafiz Osman, Shaiful
Esah and Razif Mahamud, veteran V Selvaraj was a rock in the heart
of Warrior backline. He may have lost that tad bit of pace over the
past couple of seasons, but his ability to read plays coupled with
his strength in the air, at 35 years of age, still makes him among
the top defenders across the league.
Esah, at only 19, is fast emerging as the nations top left-back.
His sweet in-swinging corners are a joy to behold for the fans but
hellish to defend against.
In the trio of Aleksandar Duric, Noor Ali and Chaiman, the Warriors
already possess an experienced and potent attacking triangle. Add
Nwokolo, a recent signing from the Young Lions, and SAFFC have
arguable the most dangerous and certainly the most exciting
offensive diamond in the S-League.
Much of the burden of leading a comeback for the Indonesians fall
on the shoulders of midfielder Syamsul Bachri. Smart and combative,
the 22-year-old was impressive during the first-leg, purposefully
snuffing out the opposition while setting up the attacking rhythm
for his own team.
Another player to look out for is forward Korinus Keliopas
Fingkreuw. Dangerous on either wing, his pace and determination
caused a few problems for SAFFC. One of the few bright sparks in
the Indonesian side over the first-leg, watch for him to ensure his
side does not go gently into the night.
Even in Europes premier club competition the UEFA Champions
League, two seasons ago saw Deportivo la Coruna overturn a 0-3
first-leg defeat to win 4-0 in the second, against mighty AC Milan
no less. The old adage that the ball is round?must surely be
imprinted in the minds of the remaining invitational players as
they try to will their way to an upset.
How will the Indonesians react in the second-leg?
Will the dam Selvaraj & Co. built finally break?
Only one way to find out. Friday, 7:30 p.m. at the Tampines
Stadium.
