Monday, January 29, 2007

Hello readers.

Welcome back to yet another blast of Si Yuan's rants.


Yup.


I think I shall write about the events that happened on Saturday. It's definitely more interesting that reading about how I went out with my friends today. i'll bet you that.


Well.

Here goes.


27th January 2007, Saturday


Well. It was considered a pretty wet day that day. I woke up at 8 or 9, went out jogging for a while, returned home SHIVERING cold. Not the weirdest thing that happened that day.

Met up with the lads at Plaza Singapura at about 4 pm. Saw Li Wei and Fel and her lil' bro. Guess they're together then. Li Wei couldnt stop smiling and I couldn't stop laughing.

Well, think we headed out to the National Stadium next, in a cab. We were handed those Red Nike Singapore Posters then, those slackers there handed out 2 at one go, trying to end their miserable low-paying job early. Well, it started raining the moment I was given those posters, so it must be a god-sent sign that we must hurry into the stadium.

Went inside, it was 5pm. At least a quarter of the stadium was filled. That's like 3 hour prematch. I was expecting a full stadium, but not that much enthusiastic fans like me. Hell, how wrong was I.

Minutes later, half the stadium was filled. By around 7pm, the stadium was packed. My cousin and Shao Hwee was finally there. We had a bunch of Malay dudes behind me, who called my name, well. I asked for it, wearing a United jersey with my name and the number 7 on it.

The players came on the pitch to welcome the fans, there was an audible difference in the welcome they received back. When Singaporean players treaded onto the field, there was a loud response from the crowd, mostly clapping and cheering. There was an even louder response from the crowd when Malaysia players came on, well. As you expected from typical Singaporean fans, booing and jeering. I was one of those typical Singaporeans. And yes, I'm proud to be one.

Prematch, 7 consecutive Kallang Wave. Never had I experinced this kind of atmosphere in any stadiums in a football match. Never in my life in the National Stadium. The National Day Parade pales in comparison. There was a funny dude who threw his baby up every single time the wave reached us. And he was like. Stop it la. I'm tired already. Lol

Justin sort of fell in love with an enormous looking lady that Fang Yi affectionately called Fo Xiang(Holy Sculpture)

The latter also folded hats for us using the Nike posters. A waste of them, really. But we just had too much of them.

Match started.

I'm a bit lazy to blog everything about it.

But here goes.

Singapore have booked a place in next week's Asean Football Championship final after beating Malaysia 5-4 on penalty kicks at the National Stadium on Saturday.

The second leg of the semi-final had ended 1-1 after extra time.

Substitute Mohd Khyril Muhymeen's poor spot kick was easily saved by Lionel Lewis and the defending champions now host either Thailand or Vietnam in the first leg of the final on January 31.

Earlier, Indra Sahdan, Noh Alam Shah, Mustafic Fahrudin, Fazrul Nawaz and Shi Jia Yi all scored from the spot for Singapore.

Eddy Helmi Abd Manan had given the vistors the lead in the 57th minute but even the Johor FC midfielder himself would have had to 'thank' Lionel Lewis for what was surely go down as a soft goal as far as Singapore were concerned.

Because just as he did with Muhammad Hardi Jaafar's mishit cross in the first leg, another rare error in judgement by the normally unflappable Home United goalkeeper had given the old enemy the lead.

And despite a huge push by Singapore late in the second half after Ridhuan Muhammad's 74th-minute equaliser, it seemed that even the highest scoring team in the tournament found the Malaysian rearguard too tough to crack.

Stand-in captain Indra was quiet by his high standards but he still caused Mohd Khaironnisam and company plenty of problems with some crafty off-the-ball running.

The Lions had made two changes to the side that held the Malaysians to a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Baihakki Khaizan deputised for the suspended Aide Iskandar in the middle of defence while Mustafic Fahrudin returned to his midfield enforcer's role.

Meanwhile, Malaysia coach Norizan Bakar named an unchanged line-up from Tuesday's match, which meant that Fauzie Nan kept his place in the starting eleven ahead of left wingback Irwan Fadli Idrus.

The latter has had a solid tournament so far and was expected to return after sitting the game at Shah Alam out through suspension.

The hosts started the game well, with midfielders Ridhuan and Isa Halim particularly lively in the opening 10 minutes.

Their fellow midfielder Shi Jia Yi was yet to break his goalscoring duck this tournament but he came pretty close as the stadium clock hit 10 minutes past eight.

But all the reward his wicked freekick from 25 metres out got, was to crash onto Syamsuri's side netting.

Alam Shah used his trademark hustling to good effect on the half hour mark to wrest posession from a hesitant Fauzie Nan in midfield. With Ridhuan steaming down the right flank in support, Alam Shah played a quick one-two with the former but the 27-year-old's attempt lacked power.

Eight minutes before the break, Malaysia's Hairuddin Omar broke free on the left flank and tried to place his shot into the far post but a timely tackle by the backtracking Baihakki saved the day for the team in blue.

Unfortunately for the team in yellow though, their burly midfielder Muhammad Shukor Adan blazed the loose ball high into the stands.

The tournament defending champions seemed to come out from the sheds with renewed vigour as they swamped the Malaysian half as soon as Hong Kong referee Cheung Yim Yau blew for the start of the second period.

Singapore wasted two excellent opportunities in the space of two minutes as Ridhuan and then Indra failed to hit the target despite only having Syamsuri to beat on both occasions.

Then came the shock goal by Eddy Helmi to give the Malaysians the advantage. There seemed to be little danger as the midfielder received a long pass from defender Nurhafiz Zamani Misbah.

But what looked nothing more than a speculative effort from the edge of the box somehow squirmed past Lionel's giant mitts and over the line to send the small army of Malaysian supporters into ecstasy.

Advantage Malaysia.

And Singapore knew it as they tried to work their way back into the tie but having to be wary of the inevitable counter attack led by the speedy Hairuddin.

Bennett whipped in another trademark cross from the left as the hosts launched another attack with a quarter of an hour left. Alam Shah did well to climb above his marker and get his head on the ball.

But before Syamsuri could smother the ball, Ridhuan came from literally nowhere to bundle the ball in from two metres out.

Indra and Jia Yi were perhaps the closest Singapore came to clinching the lead in the first period of extra time but neither really tested goalkeeper Syamsuri with their long range attempts.

Shukor was again Malaysia's culprit - this time early in the second period of extra time - as he took advantage of some hesitant Singapore defending but then somehow contrived to miss from five metres out despite only having Lionel to beat.

Perhaps unimpressed with the (lack of) luck his attacking players has been having all night, Nigerian-born Singapore defender Precious Emuejeraye let fly a rocket from all of 35 metres which Syamsuri tipped over for a corner four minutes before the end of extra time.

Well. This did not exactly happened during yesterday's match. But I'm just posting it just in case you are clueless about the prowess of the Singaporean Team.

Go on Singapore! Just Do It! We can win the Asean Cup hassle-free!



I'll blog about today when I feel less pain.



Ciao


That's all folks


Good Night








Maybe it's time to move on.

SiYuan at 2:16 AM