Monday, February 20, 2012

'Rusty' Hornets Sting Rhino at the Warriors' Arena

If a team is judged by how well it plays on the field, and not the results of the game, then perhaps, Brunei DPMM would had already won the S-League in just its second outing, first in Singapore soil, for season 2012 (better known as Version 2.0).

On a night where more than 1,300 fans turned up on the eve of a new working week at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, the Warriors found themselves stung by the Hornets and seemingly unable to get a rhythm against the 2009 League Cup Champions. The Warriors started with Hassan Sunny in goal and the defensive pairing of Daniel Bennett (who returned from an injury) and Bah Mahmadou. The Japanese Trio of Sakurada, Inui and Sato were tasked to boss the midfield room. Last season golden boot scorer Karolgan and local striker Fazrul were given the burden to score the goals. The visitors meanwhile, pin their attacking hopes on Rodrigo Grahl and Basiru Osman. The defense, in the meanwhile, was laid on for Tales Dos Santos to control.

The Hornets found themselves in the lead midway through the 1st half after Sunny parried a header from a corner kick and Basiru slotted the loose ball home. However, while the Hornets continue to boss possession on the field, a free-kick awarded in the 2nd half saw Inui scoring his first ever goal for a Singapore side. Most in the stadium thought that the goal would mark a Warrior comeback, but despite shouts from their cheerleaders, a freekick taken saw Shah Razen burying the loose ball into the net.

Watching the game from the stand, one cannot help but recall that Simunic had claimed that his team were not playing competitively for 2 years after the Stags game, which ended 2-2. Their performance at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium last night (19 February 2012) suggested that if there was any rustiness, the Warriors looked more like a team not playing competitive football for more than 2 years.

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