Football Mania

Singapore 1-2 Thailand: post-match analysis

2014-11-24T15:47:00.000+08:00

Singapore 1-2 Thailand: post-match analysis

AFF Suzuki Cup 2014 Group B Matchday 1

by editor Wong Yang

32,000 spectators for Singapore's opening game
Poor defending disappoints both sides in first half
Bernd Stange makes dubious decisions
87th minute penalty breaks deadlock and sinks Singapore

The Singapore players in their usual pre-match team huddle. (Photo by Wong Yang)

"Singapore, the Kallang Roar is back!" bellowed the National Stadium emcee, who was certainly not the only enthusiastic person in the stadium.

When the Singapore National Team walked onto the pitch, 32,000 fervent fans greeted them with thunderous cheers, excited to see their National Team return to the hallowed Kallang ground, where they have not played a competitive match since the demolishing of the old National Stadium in 2010. As the home fans sang a stirring rendition of Majulah Singapura, a cluster of fans in the section behind the Singapore goal unveiled an eye-catching banner that read, "This is Kallang", while another group of fans lifted a huge Singapore flag above their heads. It was the culmination of a week of hype for the Singapore football fraternity as they counted down the days to the start of Singapore's AFF Suzuki Cup campaign. However, their hope of seeing the home team, who are also the defending champions of the tournament, get off to a winning start was dented after Thailand converted an 87th minute penalty.

Thailand (blue) in their 4-1-4-1 formation

Thailand coach Kiatisuk Senamuang opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation and made the surprising decision to leave star player Chanathip Songkrasin on the bench. The 21-year-old playmaker is nicknamed the "Thai Messi" for his dribbling and pace. Another player Senamuang left on the bench is 28-year-old defensive midfielder Adul Lasoh, who was given the captain's armband to lead a young Thailand squad in this tournament. Senamuang instead relied on Swiss-born Charyl Chappuis, Kroekrit Thaweekan, Mongkol Thosakrai, and Sarach Yooyen to further Thailand's cause in midfield. Playing as a lone striker upfront was Kirati Keawsombut, who is one of the senior members of the squad.

How Singapore lined-up v Thailand
(Create your own formation with footballuser.com)

Singapore's 4-3-3 and midfield triangle

Senamuang's counterpart Bernd Stange, who was chosen by the Football Association of Singapore to succeed three-time winner of the AFF Suzuki Cup Raddy Avramovic in May 2013, decided to field a 4-3-3 line-up. With striker Khairul Amri supported by tournament debutants Faris Ramli on the left and Sahil Suhaimi on the right, Stange played a midfield triangle formed by captain and attacking midfielder Shahril Ishak, along with central midfielders Hariss Harun and Shahdan Sulaiman.

Shahdan Sulaiman (marked by asterisk) turning around the defender
and the space that Hariss Harun can pass into

Fired-up by the support of the home fans, Singapore began the match on the front foot as they controlled the ball and prevented Thailand from winning possession. The creativity that Singapore's midfield triangle could produce was evident by the 6th minute, when defender Safuwan Bahrudin passed the ball in the direction of Shahdan Sulaiman, who intelligently played the dummy for the ball to arrive at Hariss Harun's feet. The set-piece specialist then swiftly turned around his defender, triggering a creative series of passes between Hariss, Shahril and himself. Shahril then executed the final move by attempting a lofted through ball to Shahdan, who by then had ran into the penalty box, but Thailand defender Atit Daosawang read the pass well and intercepted it.

Singapore's midfield triangle in action

Although Singapore's midfield triangle won the midfield battle, the Lions were unable to penetrate the Thai backline as their wingers' (Faris Ramli and Sahil Suhaimi) indecisiveness cost them in the final third. With the home side dominating possession, the visitors treasured their time on the ball and looked to quick passes to advance. However, the intense pressure that their hosts applied on them caused them to pass out of panic, which in turn lead to sloppy passing.

Despite giving away the ball too easily, Thailand got their lucky break when they caught the Lions defence off guard through a throw-in. Thailand left-back Perapat Notechaiya threw the ball over an unwatchful Baihakki Khaizan for teammate Prakit Deeprom. The 26-year-old then took a comfortable first touch and drilled a low cross towards teammate Mongkol Tossakrai at the far post, whose presence was unknown to a ball-watching Shaiful Esah. Tossakrai cut behind Shaiful to score the opening goal on 9 minutes, as the Singapore fans looked on, shocked by their defence's lack of concentration.

Build-up to Thailand's goal - Pt 1
Baihakki Khaizan (marked by asterisk) caught off guard
Shaiful Esah (marked by star) seen ball-watching and out of position
(Thailand #2 Notechaiya threw the ball in)

Build-up to Thailand's goal - Pt 2
Tossakrai decided to cut behind Shaiful Esah, who is still ball-watching
Baihakki Khaizan failed to close down on Deeprom to prevent the cross

Build-up to Singapore's goal - Pt 1
Shaiful Esah gifted yards of space on the left flank

It was not long before the Singapore fans were hyped up again, as Thailand also suffered from dreadful defending. Upon receiving the ball on the left flank, left-back Shaiful Esah found himself with plenty of space to push the ball into as the Thai players lacked urgency on defence. As Shaiful made more progress down the left flank, Thai midfielder Chappuis decided to pressure him, but instead of really closing down on the Singaporean defender, he simply ran alongside him. That gave Shaiful the space and time to look up before executing a pinpoint cross to Khairul Amri, who made such a quick change in the direction of his run that his defender, Adison Promrak, was caught out of position. Amri confidently headed the ball into the back of the net for the equaliser, sending the 32,000 Singapore fans into a frenzy.

Build-up to Singapore's goal - Pt 2
Khairul Amri's unpredictable change of direction, runs into drop zone
(yellow spot indicates his initial position)

Singapore fans celebrating Khairul Amri's goal (Video by Wong Yang)

Singapore's quick response to Thailand's first goal set them up with a momentum that would see them dominate the remainder of the first half. The home side pushed forward with energy and got into more threatening positions than their opponents did. The Lions' short passing and off-the-ball-movement saw them engage in a high energy style of play that seemed to stun their opponents, who were still trying to cope with Singapore's pressing. However, Singapore did not capitalise on that as lapses of concentration and their lack of composure in the attacking third saw players like Faris Ramli, Sahil Suhaimi and even captain Shahril Ishak commit mistakes like taking too heavy a touch or passing into no man's land. As half time approached, it became evident that a second goal for Singapore was not to be. Shahril volleyed wastefully over the bar, while Faris mishandled a splendid through ball played to him and then fired a powerful shot straight at the Thai keeper, who saved the shot with considerable ease.

Half-time at the National Stadium

Meanwhile, Singapore's experienced defender Baihakki Khaizan seemed to be losing his head, as he picked up a yellow card for an unnecessary tackle and then dangerously brought down Thai midfielder Thaweekan. Eventually, Singapore coach Stange decided to bring Baihakki, who would be replaced by midfielder Zulfahmi Arifin, off at half-time. The fact that Singapore had no central defenders on the bench suggests that Stange deems his central defence pairing of Baihakki and Safuwan reliable, but in the heat of the moment, he failed to trust Baihakki's experience and ability to compose himself, and that turned out to be a huge game-changer.

With a defender swapped for a midfielder, Stange instructed midfielder Hariss Harun to drop back into central defence. This move meant that Hariss would no longer be in the midfield triangle that had allowed Singapore to control the game. Capable as Hariss proved to be in central defence, his absence in midfield saw the Lions' lose their dynamic style of play. He was no longer in a position to trigger intelligent plays between Shahdan, Shahril and himself, or thread long-range passes to striker Amri and the wingers. Substitute Zulfahmi found himself in shoes that were too big to fill, as he struggled to retain possession and made poor decisions. The midfield triangle was no longer the fast unit that moved in tandem; it became a static trio that failed to connect. Just like that, the home team lost the midfield battle.

The Thais began the second half with the same team that ended the first. With Singapore losing control of the midfield and pressing with less intensity, the War Elephants had more time on the ball and passed with more confidence. Thai midfielders Chappuis, Yooyen, Thaweekan and Tossakai stringed together clever passes. Chappuis and Tossakai, in particular, made tireless runs with and without the ball, penetrating the Singapore defence with their direct approach and forcing many saves out of Singapore custodian Hassan Sunny. However, Thailand's own defence remained fragile - just 5 minutes into the second half, centre-half Praweenwat Boonyong tried to play the ball to his central midfielders but ended up giving away the ball cheaply to Shahril Ishak. Shahril made a one-touch pass to Khairul Amri who was on the edge of the penalty area with space in front of him, but the fourth official caught him just offside, much to Boonyong's relief. Moments later, the Thai defence failed to clear a lobbed through ball from Shahdan to Shahril, who attempted a volley but mistimed his kick. Time and time again, the visitors escaped from threatening situations unscathed due to Singapore's poor finishing.

Nicknamed the "Thai Messi", Chanathip Songkrasin was left on the bench
and finally brought on in the 64th minute (Photo by Bangkok Post)

After the 60-minute mark, Senamuang brought on 1.8m-tall striker Adisak Kraisorn for Keawsombut, and then replaced Deeprom with star player Songkrasin. With Kraisorn and Songkrasin in the fray, Thailand's attacking threat grew. Songkrasin made surging runs and eased his way around the Singapore defenders with his slick dribbling, before passing the ball to Kraisorn, who would hold the ball up with his back towards the goal before turning to shoot. It took desperate defending from Hariss and Safuwan to deny the pair, who looked increasingly unstoppable as the second half progressed.

On the other hand, Bernd Stange made only one substitution at the 60th minute mark, opting to bring on Shakir Hamzah to replace Shaiful Esah, who created Singapore's equaliser. It was strange that Stange did not bring on any midfielders or wingers at that moment, especially since it had been 15 minutes since the start of the second half and it was clear that his team lacked control of the midfield while some of his players in attack looked tired. By the 85th minute mark, both teams still had not broken the deadlock, and Stange substituted Gabriel Quak, who happens to be the only Chinese player in the Singapore squad, for Sahil Suhaimi. Despite the substitution, things got worse for the Lions.

In the 87th minute, goalscorer Mongkol Thosakrai craftily drew the Singapore defenders to him before laying off the ball for teammate Chappuis on the right flank. With the space that Thosakrai had created for him, Chappuis drilled a hopeful cross into the box that ended up hitting Safuwan Bahrudin's outstretched right arm. It was a chilling scene for the Singapore supporters present, and also one that was in full view of referee Faghani Alireza Mohd, who immediately pointed to the spot for a penalty. The Singapore side watched in disbelief while their Thai counterparts pumped their fists in ecstasy. Almost without delay, Chappuis calmly stepped up to the spot and fired the penalty in the bottom left corner of the net. Hassan Sunny jumped the right way, but Chappuis's shot was far too powerful and Singapore found themselves trailing with just a few minutes of play remaining.

Safuwan Bahrudin's outstretched arm making contact with the ball

Five minutes of stoppage time were given, but Singapore simply could not equalise, and it was full-time before they knew it.

The result sends Singapore to the bottom of the group table while Thailand lead with three points following Malaysia and Myanmar's stalemate at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

Bernd Stange's decisions were questionable, but the Singapore players have themselves to blame for their lack of composure and disappointing finishing. Thailand, however, will be thrilled to have begun their AFF Suzuki Cup campaign with a vital win over the defending champions on their own turf.

Singapore face former coach Raddy Avramovic's Myanmar side on Wednesday, while the War Elephants meet Singapore's Causeway rivals Malaysia on the same day.

Singapore v Myanmar prediction: 2-0
Malaysia v Thailand prediction: 0-3

Kallang Wave before the match kicked off - even the fans still finding their seats joined in! (Video by Wong Yang)

(Television screenshots were of FOX Sports's coverage of the match)

How Far Can France Go in the World Cup?

2014-06-10T20:51:00.001+08:00

How Far Can France Go in the World Cup?

by assistant editor Ervin Ang

How quickly things can change in football. Just last November, France were defeated 2-0 by Ukraine in the playoffs. Hopes of qualifying for the World Cup were looking bleak, with many of the French faithful preparing for the worst of missing out at Brazil. Against the odds though, Les Bleus managed to turn the tie around in the second leg with a 3-0 victory, in Paris.

Consider France's results at the past few tournaments.

USA 1994 - Did not qualify

France 1998 - Winners

Korea/Japan 2002 - Group Stage (Failed to score a single goal)

Germany 2006 - 1st Runners Up

South Africa 2010 - Group Stage

Write off France at your peril. With respect to the World Cup, it has been a rollercoaster ride. Didier Deschamps's side will still be haunted by their abysmal showing at South Africa 4 years ago, but how far they can progress at Brazil will largely depend on the players. Will Deschamps bring a team motivated to overcome the demons of South Africa, determined to follow in the footsteps of legends like Zinedine Zidane and Lillian Thruam, or will we see a repeat of the horror show of the previous tournament?

Drawn in Group E, probably one of the easiest groups of the eight, France suddenly find themselves in a position to progress far at Brazil in an amazing change of fortunes. The French will play Honduras, followed by Switzerland, wrapping up against Ecuador. On paper, it seems that France would easily breeze past as group winners, and they do indeed possess the quality to beat all three sides. However, if France lapse into complacency, there's always a chance for them to slip up. Assuming France do qualify top of Group E, a possible clash against Bosnia Herzegovina or Nigeria, recently crowned kings of Africa, awaits them. Indeed, difficult opponents, but beatable. Playing in their first ever World Cup, Bosnia might be plagued with a lack of experience, whilst Nigeria are capable of causing an upset. However, France will certainly be labelled as the favourites should they meet either of these 2 teams in the Round of 16. On to the Quarter-Finals, should everything go according to script for France, comes their first real test, a potential clash against hot favourites Germany.

The Germans will go into the game with huge pressure on them, to win a trophy. Germany has not won a major title since Euro 1996, and for a nation used to international success that is an unacceptable trophy drought. This pressure for Die Mannschaft could ultimately work in France's favour, as the onus would be on the Germans to win the game. It remains to be seen if the Germans are mentally strong enough to win. France would go into this clash as the underdogs, but as the saying goes, "Football is played on grass, not on paper", where the result could go either way in an extremely tight game with small margin for error. One small mistake could possibly hand victory to the other team in an even contest.

Should France clear the major hurdle of overcoming Germany, a likely clash against the Selecao beckons for them. Brazil would go into the match as overwhelming favourites, despite having a poor record against France in World Cup meetings. Brazil lost to France on penalties in 1986, in the final 1998, and more recently in 2006 at the quarter final stage. Once again, being the underdogs would suit the French though it would take a huge effort to overcome the Brazilians, as the latter would have home advantage, cheered on by the thousands of passionate Brazil fans. If everything goes to planned, without a single blip, France would likely face Argentina or Spain in the final. Although many respectable pundits doubt they can progress this far, anything can happen in a final.

It might seem a fanciful notion that France could get this far and many things would be required to fall in place for Les Bleus to reach the final or even win the World Cup. But what France have though, is a fantastic combination of talented youth & experience. If Deschamps is able to bring them together, allowing everyone to play to the best of their abilities, France have a unit that is certainly capable of going far in this year's edition of the World Cup.

Albeit having barely qualified through the playoffs, Deschamps has a plethora of options to choose from. Youngsters like Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann will be looking to make their mark at the international stage, with the trio already attracting interest from many top clubs. In goal, Les Bleus will have one of the best sweeper-keepers in the modern day game at their disposal, in the form of captain Hugo Lloris. At the heart of the defence, Patrice Evra possesses the experience and leadership qualities required to lead the team, motivating the players to push on and fight for every ball. Up top, no doubt the loss of Ribery would be a massive blow for France, but Les Bleus have a readymade replacement in Griezmann. European Cup winner Karim Benzema will likely start as first choice centre forward, ably supported by Olivier Giroud and Loic Remy, who after a troubled season due to injury will provide a tremendous option as a wildcard off the bench with his pace to stretch defences.

Perhaps one of France's key weapons to progress to the final stages of the tournament lies in their rock solid midfield unit. The trio of Blaise Matuidi, Yohan Cabaye and Paul Pogba have formed a solid partnership and is arguably one of the most talented midfield in the entire tournament. Although critics may argue that France's midfield lack a creative maestro comparable to the likes of Italy's magician Andrea Pirlo or Spain's Xavi Hernandez, what matters most is that the talented trio function superbly as a unit. The three midfielders are multi talented and extremely combative. Not only do Matuidi, Cabaye and Pogba all possess fantastic technical ability and distribution skills, they also boast great stamina, a willingness to break up play and an excellent physical presence. Matuidi is an exceptional all-round talent, while Cabaye is the brains behind the three, using his brilliant vision to distribute the ball and create from deep. Pogba is the driving force of the unit, being one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world, allowing play to switch from defense to attack swiftly. Similar to PSG, the trio offers Les Bleus the chance to gain control of the ball and start to dictate the pace of the game. Together, they make up a formidable trio, and it is impressive how little time it has taken for the trio to adapt to each other and strike up a strong understanding.

On the surface, it might seem tough for France to go all the way at Brazil. Most probably, they would fall short in the quarter-finals and exit at the hands of Germany or to Brazil in the semi-finals. The success of Deschamps in bringing the best out of his three-man midfield, ensuring that they continue to exert the same level of authority on games that they have enjoyed in the buildup to the tournament, would prove vital in France's bid for glory at Brazil. If the squad moves in the right direction, with key players like Benzema, Pogba & Griezmann hitting top form and Deschamps getting his tactics spot on, there's no reason why France cannot make a decent push for the latter stages in the tournament.

Shaping Up - The Premier League title race

2014-04-29T13:25:00.001+08:00

Shaping up - The Premier League title race

by editor Wong Yang and assistant editor Ervin Ang

After their 0-2 defeat by Chelsea, Liverpool are still at the top of the table with 80 points with Chelsea trailing two points behind. However, Manchester City threaten a game in hand and currently hold 77 points and superior goal difference. FootballMania gives you a brief preview of the upcoming matches for the three title contenders Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea as the title race intensifies.

In the weeks to come…

Everton v Manchester City -
Saturday, May 3

Everton have a chance to lend their Merseyside neighbours Liverpool a hand when they face Manchester City this Saturday at Goodison Park. Roberto Martinez’s men have fallen behind Arsenal in the chase for fourth with poor performances in their last few fixtures, but they are sure to come out determined in front of their home fans to reignite their hopes of playing Champions League football. The game will be the toughest match that any of the three title contenders face.

Chelsea v Norwich - Sunday, May 4

Chelsea return to Premier League action after playing Atletico Madrid at home in their Champions League semi-final second leg match on Wednesday. Norwich most recently suffered a 4-0 thrashing by a rejuvenated Manchester United squad led by caretaker manager Ryan Giggs, and the Londoners can count on the fact that Norwich will give their all in their efforts to evade relegation. Chelsea may barely scrape past the Canaries at home as they have a horrendous away record.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool - Monday, May 5

Crystal Palace have impressed in the past month especially with their 1-0 victory over Chelsea in late March. Sitting in mid-table, Palace have nothing to play for, making the match simpler for Liverpool. The match will be test of how the Liverpool players can calm their nerves and keep their head in the game.

Manchester City v Aston Villa - Wednesday, May 7

City’s elusive game in hand will be played in midweek against an Aston Villa side that recently shocked Chelsea 1-0. Aston Villa, like Norwich, are desperate to keep clear of the relegation zone but City will be confident playing at the Etihad and should have an easy win over Paul Lambert’s Villa side to gain the vital three points.

The day that all will be decided - Sunday, May 11

Cardiff v Chelsea

Chelsea will end their season with an away match against Cardiff, who have battled hard in their attempt to stay clear from relegation. The Blues are expected to comfortably ease past Cardiff whether or not they are still in the title race two weeks from now as they would still be two points behind Liverpool or City should the other two title contenders record wins in their remaining matches.

Manchester City v West Ham

City should more or less sweep the London side which had suffered a 9-0 thumping by the very same opponents earlier this year. In the minds of City and their fans would be the nerving yet triumphant final day of the 2011/2012 Premier League season on which they defeated resilient Queens Park Rangers 3-2 thanks to late goals from Dzeko and Aguero, sending them to the top of the table over rivals Manchester United on goal difference to be crowned champions of that season. Pellegrini shall hope that his side will not play like they did against QPR on that fateful day.

Liverpool v Newcastle

The Reds have a chance to lift the English Premier League title in front of their fans at Anfield should they somehow overcome City’s superior goal difference. However, Newcastle are an organised and considerably decent side that Liverpool have to be wary of even with the strong backing of the Kop.

Once Manchester City wins the toughest match that any of the three contenders are involved in - their trip to Goodison Park for their match against Everton - they will be in the driving seat to win the 2013/14 English Premier League. City can win their game in hand and they will be level on points with Liverpool but separated by their higher goal difference. Chelsea may only be crowned champions if they win their remaining matches and City and Liverpool both suffer at least one loss. Should one of City or Liverpool's remaining matches end in a draw, Chelsea, having a lower goal difference than both their rivals, will still be unable to win the title. It is now more or less certain that the race to the title will be won either by Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City or Brendan Rodger's Liverpool. The ending of this season's Premier League story could very well be settled on the final day, just as it did two years ago in dramatic fashion.

Premier League table as of 29/4/2014

Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: post-match analysis

2014-04-29T10:50:00.004+08:00

Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: post-match analysis
by editor Wong Yang and assistant editor Ervin Ang

Hopes dented, disappointment entered the scene. Jose Mourinho, with his renowned bag of tricks, led his London side to a stunning 2-0 victory over Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool. When the team lineups were announced, the answer to whether Mourinho would indeed field a weaker squad came to light. John Terry, Petr Cech, Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Ramires, Oscar, Samuel Eto’o and PFA Young Player of the Year winner Eden Hazard were not in the Blues’ lineup. Yet, a team of experience and strength, besides Premier League debutant defender Tomas Kalas, was fielded by Mourinho who once again played mind games. Liverpool named an unchanged team, albeit without the suspended Jordan Henderson and an unfit Daniel Sturridge who was left on the bench. As the Liverpool fans sang their club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with the same passion and gusto that has inspired their team to victories throughout the season, Mourinho took his seat in front of the Anfield faithful with a look of confidence despite the intimidation from the fanatic crowd. Ninety-minutes later, the world finally knew why he seemed so calm.

On paper, many pundits predicted a straight forward Liverpool victory. However, Mourinho had other ideas. Liverpool started the game on the front foot, dominating possession and passing in Chelsea’s half in search of an early goal that would ultimately give them the momentum to control the first half of the game. However, as minutes flew by, it became evident that Chelsea were determined not to concede an early goal to the home team.

Playing for stoppages and through time-wasting, Chelsea successfully disrupted any form of rhythm that Liverpool could find in the game. The Londoners took forever to make goal-kicks, free-kicks and throw-ins -executing Mourinho’s sly tactics. Sly as Chelsea’s time-wasting tactics may have been, the Blues presented an incredibly well-organised defence, forever outnumbering the Reds when they made their advances towards goal. With Chelsea’s spot-on defensive efforts, the Merseyside team failed to find the space to spark off the imaginative runs and passes that have empowered them to overwhelm many teams this season. In fact, it was the away side that had the first chance of the match, trouncing on the counter-attack, with Ashley Cole driving a powerful shot at Mignolet, who managed to palm the ball to safety, much to the home crowd’s relief. At the other end, a Liverpool corner saw a chance created for left-footed Mamadou Sakho, who only managed to blast wastefully over the bar with his weaker right foot. He was the wrong man at the right place at the right time.

Adding to Liverpool’s misfortunes, Reds skipper Steven Gerrard - of all people - miscontrolled a ball played to him by Sahko and slipped over, allowing a pouncing Demba Ba to snatch the ball away before pacing further upfield to skillfully slot the ball between Simon Mignolet’s legs, putting the visitors up 0-1. Gerrard, visibly distraught, could only look on and those watching were still in shock that the ever-cautious and nerveless captain had made a blunder that sent Liverpool one goal down. With a final minute of stoppage time in the first half left to play, the Liverpool fans began chanting Gerrard’s name with songs of admiration, but a quick Liverpool equaliser was not to be and Gerrard agonisingly walked off the pitch when referee Martin Atkinson sounded the half-time whistle. As the teams returned to the dressing rooms for their half-time break, questions surfaced over whether Liverpool could overcome their one-goal deficit, a situation that they have rarely found themselves in for a season where they have consistently dominated the first-half of their matches.

Liverpool emerged from the tunnel earlier than the visitors, visibly determined to make a come-from-behind victory. The Reds began attacking with more urgency, while Chelsea played hard to hold on to their slender lead. Despite having the lion’s share of possession, Liverpool could not find their way around the Chelsea defenseto convert opportunities into goals. Long-range shots were attempted by Gerrard, Allen, Coutinho and Suarez but none of Brendan Rodger’s men could really test the alert Mark Schwarzer.

The Reds grew increasingly frustrated by their futile attempts on goal and the stubborn Chelsea defense continued to contain the home team. In their desperation to equalise, the Liverpool players’ focus suddenly withered, with the likes of Coutinho making sloppy passes and dribbling errors. The Reds were unimaginative in making runs and in taking shots while the atmosphere around Anfield was one of frustration. Suarez lofted a ball towards Schwarzer that lacked power and accuracy. Coutinho passed too far ahead of Glen Johnson, who was clearly irked by his teammate’s mispass. As if to reignite some hope amongst the Liverpool fans, Rodgers allowed Daniel Sturridge to replace Lucas in what was a substitution in favour of the attack. However, Liverpool’s every cross and every shot was blocked or cleared by the gritty Chelsea defense which looked more and more like a fortress. In response, the Reds constantly poured men forward, desperate to tie the game and Gerrard and Allen forced fine saves from Cheslea custodian Schwarzer, but the Liverpool players were still unable to craft chances in the congested Chelsea box. As the minutes ticked by, the Londoners persisted with their time-wasting techniques andx the notion of a loss at home began to loom over Liverpool. Suarez had one last chance in added time when the ball found its way to his feet, but Schwarzer quickly punched his volley over the crossbar. Liverpool were awarded with a slew of corners in stoppage time as Chelsea held on, clearing Liverpool’s hopeful long balls and desperate shots.

As the final whistle was about to be sounded, Chelsea put the dagger in Liverpool’s heart after Torres was sent free with not a single Liverpool defender in front of him as the Reds risky tactic of sending everyone forward finally saw them pay the price. With only Mignolet to beat, Torres selflessly set up Willian to tap the ball into the net for Chelsea’s second goal, a goal that sent Liverpool into greater anguish. A jubilant Mourinho ran down the touchline, celebrating as if he had won the Premier League, but that is not to say that he did not have reason to celebrate. In what was a highly-anticipated match, Mourinho showed off his position as a tactical mastermind.

Many football fans may argue that Mourinho played boring football, killing the beautiful game with defensive tactics. Brendan Rodgers was one to lament Mourinho’s tactics, commenting “We just couldn't find the breakthrough. There were two buses parked today, never mind one”. Like it or not, Mourinho’s defensive tactics worked like a charm. The Blues put up an impressive defensive performance and ultimately won the psychological side of the game through time-wasting. The young Kalas and Ivanovic made vital blocks and cleared dangerous crosses to deny Liverpool of any solid chance of scoring a goal. Liverpool must certainly get used to the fact that as the league leaders, teams they face will sit in defence, no matter how frustrating it may be for the Reds.

The win sent Chelsea two points behind Liverpool, who still top the table, but are threatened by a Manchester City side that is only three points behind them - after their 0-2 triumph over Crystal Palace - with a game in hand and superior goal difference.

Premier League table as of 29/4/2014

Nabil Bentaleb: The Rise of an Algerian Star

2014-03-29T00:52:00.000+08:00

Nabil Bentaleb: The Rise of an Algerian Star
by assistant editor Ervin Ang

(@DieHardCFCFan on twitter) - feedback/comments much appreciated

It was a dream come true for Nabil Bentaleb at Tottenham, where he finally made his mark. Released by Lille at the tender age of 14, just at a time when a young boy starts dreaming of becoming a professional footballer, it was a massive blow to him.

“It has been a difficult path for me to get to where I am today,” the Spurs central midfielder said.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Having joined the Tottenham's academy after a successful trial in January, 2012, the young Algerian starlet has gone on to rise through the ranks at White Hart Lane. He has progressed from strength to strength, making 14 appearances for the Spurs Under-21s last season. In August, most supporters would have known Bentaleb as simply one of the club’s promising youth prospects. A few months later, and after the arrival of over £100million of fresh talent in the summer, no one would have expected him to command a regular spot in Tottenham’s midfield.

On 22^ndDecember 2013, Bentaleb finally made his first ever Premier League appearance for the North London outfit, coming in an away game against Southampton. He came off the bench to replace Moussa Dembele on the 50^th minute mark. Tottenham won the game 3-2. Manager Tim Sherwood's faith in the midfield maestro was duly rewarded.

The summer signings of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Christian Eriksen to join the likes of Sandro, Dembele and Gylfi Sigurdsson in the Spurs squad meant that competition for the central midfield positions would be fierce. However, Bentaleb went on to start seven out of the next eight games following his debut, despite the intense competition for positions. When entrusted with a first team role, Bentaleb delivered, putting in spectacular performances, announcing his arrival to the physically demanding Premier League with style.

Bentaleb made his full league debut in a home game against Crystal Palace on January 11^th 2014. He completed an impressive 97 passes (93% accuracy). Bentaleb's played like a seasoned veteran rather than an inexperienced debutant. He adapted to the pace of the game swiftly, becoming increasingly accustomed to his midfield responsibilities. In addition, the young talent also has an eye for goal, with his two attempts in the match coming close (one cannoned off the post and across the line, the other well parried by Palace custodian Julian Speroni). His brilliant display has earned praised from the man that first provided him with the opportunity to shine himself, Tim Sherwood.

"He’s a top player and ready to play. I knew he was ready," Sherwood commented following Spurs' 2-0 win against Crystal Palace.

"I know what the boy is capable of doing, I know the Premier League better than any of our players so I know what's required, I know the demands. I knew he had the qualities to be able to do it. If I don’t think they (the younger players) are ready, they won’t even be on the bench. I was convinced he wasn’t going to be fazed and give us a performance of energy and responsibility, ” the former head of youth development at Spurs added.

Credits: EMPICS Sport

In that respect, Tim Sherwood is probably right. What Bentaleb adds to Tottenham's plethora of midfield options is his energy, drive and composure on the ball. Whenever he receives the ball, Nabil is always fully composed, either trying to create an attacking play by playing a through ball to a teammate, or simply taking the sting out of the game by retaining possession, passing it back and to the side. Bentaleb's sudden rise to prominence is attributed to his fantastic qualities whether on or off the ball, by making that intelligent run to start a play, or by playing a confident pass to his teammates. In fact, Bentaleb has completed 88% of his passes in the Premier League so far this season, the second highest of Tottenham’s midfielders. The intelligent midfielder provides the youthful spark that Tottenham needs, and his contribution is always vital with his efficiency on the ball. The young midfielder does make mistakes at times though, misplacing a pass every now and then which may lead to a goal, or by venturing too far forward at times, exposing the midfield. However, Nabil is still a talent in the making and young, so he still has room for improvement.

And of course, Nabil Bentaleb is not quite yet the finished article. This extremely talented young Algerian midfield maestro has bags of potential, only showing glimpses of his talent in his 14 appearances so far this season. To the majority of fans, he might not be a well-known player yet, but that will certainly change in the years to come. Further guidance will be required though, as many more challenges await for this exciting young Algerian.

Thank you for a fantastic 2013!

2014-01-01T20:30:00.001+08:00

Dear readers, thank you for making 2013 a memorable one for all of us here at FootballMania.
Enjoy the video that we made below!
Happy New Year!

Controversy as Chelsea hand Liverpool a 2-1 defeat

2013-12-30T23:54:00.001+08:00

Controversy as Chelsea hand Liverpool a 2-1 defeat
Barclays Premier League: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
by editor Wong Yang and assistant editor Ervin Ang

Recovering from a loss at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City in their last match, the Reds were determined to assert their fine form and snatch the three-points from their hosts for Sunday night, Chelsea. The London side entered the fixture with only two wins out of their last 13 Premier League face-offs against Liverpool. Two hours later, it hardly seemed possible that they could have such a poor record against Liverpool.

Mourinho's men had overcome being a goal down just after three minutes when Martin Skrtel tapped the ball home. Suarez's touch off Coutinho's free-kick eventually brought the ball to his feet and the Liverpool defender got an easy goal. The Chelsea fans were absolutely astounded while the Liverpool faithful erupted in ecstasy.

Their joy lasted only fourteen minutes, however, as Hazard levelled the score. Oscar's attempted pass to Willian from just outside the edge of the penalty box is blocked and the rebound presents Hazard with the opportunity to whip the ball in for the equaliser. The Belgian forward made no mistake by powering the ball to the top right-hand corner of Mignolet's goal.

The Blues could have equalised earlier if not for a fine save by Mignolet that prevented Lampard's classic 25-yard shot from making its way into the top-corner of the back of the net.

Liverpool nearly found themselves back in the lead after a beautiful link-up between Suarez, Henderson and Joe Allen led to Allen facing Cech at the near post but he took too long to position himself and Cahill made a heroic tackle to clear it from danger.

Chelsea's Ivanovic had to be substituted after a collision with Agger left his left leg in pain. Mourinho brought on Cole to replace him, instructing Azpilicueta to shift to right-back. The tactical change was actually beneficial for Chelsea as Azpilicueta, playing in his preferred position, caused all sorts of problems for Liverpool on the right, making runs and pushing the ball up the pitch quickly.

It was then Samuel Eto'o's turn to register his name on the scoresheet. Azpilicueta had received a creative chip from David Luiz and the right-back crossed to Oscar, who made a pass that squeezed past the Liverpool defenders to find Eto'o, who poked the ball in past Mignolet.

Four minutes before the half-time whistle, Raheem Sterling found some space down the right flank and he manages a cross which is deflected into the path of Joe Allen. Allen tries to curl the ball past Cech but the Chelsea custodian reacted quickly enough to parry it.

The teams came out from the dressing rooms without Frank Lampard, as Mourinho decided to replace the Englishman with John Obi Mikel. Liverpool's "hitting the woodwork" statistic increased as Sahko's header off Henderson's chip hits the bar.

Liverpool though they would be awarded a penalty when Terry appeared to bring Luis Suarez down in the penalty box as the challenged for the ball. Yet, referee Howard Webb thought other-wise, and called for play-on, to the frustration of the Liverpool players and fans.

Then, the second great controversy of the match surfaced after Eto'o foolishly tripped Suarez in the penalty area. Once again, Howard Webb decided that it was not a foul.

Controversies aside, Brendan Rodgers' made the questionable move of sending on first-team debutant Brad Smith to replace Joe Allen even when he had the more experienced Luis Alberto available. The Australian-born defender, playing what must have been the biggest match of his life, did not make much of a change to Liverpool's play. For Chelsea, Oscar's hunger for the ball was evident as he went down to challenge Brazil teammate Lucas and immediately got back up to claim possession of the ball in the 70th minute. He then fired a shot towards goal that went wide. Torres came on for Eto'o with just four minutes of normal time to be played, the former Red delivering a shot on target.

This result brings Chelsea up to 3rd position on the Premier League table, behind their London rivals and 2nd-placed City, trailing their Arsene Wenger's side by two points. Liverpool, on the other hand, drop to 5th, a position behind Merseyside neighbours Everton, who continue their recent solid performances under Roberto Martinez.

Rodgers' job just got more challenging.

assistant editor Ervin Ang's thoughts on

on Webb's first main controversial decision - "Suarez got into a tangle with Terry, who then muscled the ball off the Uruguayan to make an important clearance. For me, that wasn't a penalty because Terry simply stood his ground and Suarez just went down too easily."

on Webb's second main controversial decision - "Azpilicueta had come away with the ball after a tussle with Suarez, but Eto'o decided to stick a foot in and Suarez once again fell to the ground. Webb had a good view, called a play-on, which is just about right, because Azpilicueta already went away with the ball and Suarez had no chance of reaching it anyway. The Uruguayan just threw himself to the ground, appealing for a penalty"

Man of the Match: Hazard

editor Wong Yang's thoughts on

on Webb's decisions - "At the end of the day, the referee makes the final call and the players and the fans have to accept them. But Webb did make some decisions that clearly went against Liverpool's interests even though they had done nothing wrong.

on Liverpool moving forward and Chelsea's play - "Now that it's all over, it's time for Liverpool to think about where they went wrong. Chelsea deserve credit for the superb pressing that really frustrated the Liverpool players. The pressing made it difficult for them to feed Suarez the ball ad that was really the priority for them, and any other team that faces a player like Suarez."

Man of the Match: Oscar

Gerard Deulofeu: What does he bring to Everton?

2013-12-17T14:39:00.000+08:00

Gerard Deulofeu: What does he bring to Everton?
by assistant editor Ervin Ang (@DieHardCFCFan on twitter) feedback/comments much appreciated

In the year 2003, at the tender age of nine, Gerard Deulofeu joined Barcelona’s famed youth academy. The 19 year-old Barca starlet found first team opportunities limited at the start of his career with The Catalans and was forced to move to Barcelona’s B team in the Segunda Division - which is one division below the La Liga - for the 2012/13 season.
And Deulofeu did not disappoint, notching 18 goals in just 25 appearances, becoming FC Barcelona B’s top scorer by a massive seven goal margin.

For Deulofeu, along with Rafinha and Liverpool’s Luis Alberto, they were dubbed the “Holy Trinity”.

However, this wasn’t enough for the Barca B side, who eventually finished in a dismal ninth place after a poor run of results towards the end of the season. However, Deulofeu played a key role for Barcelona’s B team, whose crucial goals they certainly couldn’t do without.

As the 2012/13 season concluded, Deulofeu was promptly rewarded with his brilliant performances with a promotion to Barcelona’s first team.

However, the excitement the Barca fans had of seeing the talented young Spanish starlet don their club colours were quelled almost immediately when Everton announced the loan signing of Deulofeu from Barcelona on a season long deal in the summer transfer window of 2013.

The step up from Spain’s second division to England’s competitive top flight is massively steep and many respected pundits have questioned his ability to shine in arguably the best league on this planet.

Fast forward to the 2013/14 Premier League season, and many will ask the same question. What exactly has Deulofeu brought to Everton? Since bringing Gerard to Goodison Park, Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been using him sparingly, with Deulofeu featuring in only nine of Everton’s opening 13 games, all but one of them coming in substitute appearances, the rare 10-15 minutes cameo opportunities.

And this has hurt Everton financially too. Everton pay the baulk of his wages, estimated at 1.5m euros, but they have to pay a higher percentage of that figure when the player does not play.

Barcelona are so keen to see Deulofeu getting more minutes on the pitch that they have inserted a clause in his loan deal to Everton seeing the Merseyside club pay more money every time he fails to feature.

On November 30th 2013, Deulofeu was finally handed his first ever Barclays Premier League start for Everton, and it came in a home game against Stoke City.

Many avid football fans couldn’t wait to see him grace the grass of the Premier League and Deulofeu delivered when he was called upon. He scored a spectacular goal to open the scoring for the Toffees and rounded it off with an assist to teammate Bryan Oviedo for Everton's 3rd goal of the afternoon.

It was a game that Everton truly dominated which ended in a comfortable 4-0 victory for the home side. Deulofeu had 4 shots on goal during the game, all of which were on target, completing 5/10 of his take-ons in his first 90 minutes on the pitch, with the whole Stoke team only managing eight take-ons combined, only three more than Deulofeu himself.

However, it wasn’t a completely faultless performance from the Spaniard, who only completed 1/12 crosses and had a dismal pass accuracy of just 83%, misplacing four passes.

Nevertheless, Deulofeu’s overall work rate was fantastic as he earned 87 points in Squawka’s performance score for his stunning display. Deulofeu has certainly repayed the faith Roberto Martinez bestowed on him and we can definitely expect more of these brilliant performances to come from him.

"He is one of the most talented footballers in Spanish football," said Martinez following Deulofeu’s stunning performance against Stoke. "You can see why we worked so hard to attract him to the club."

"We always knew it would take a little bit of time for him to get used to the physicality of the British league. He showed in the last two performances he is getting ready, that he wants to help the team, and I was very pleased in the manner that he did that."

And in that respect, Martinez is most probably right. What Deulofeu brings to the Everton side is his drive, purpose and energy with Gerard posing as a constant threat to any of his opponents. Deulofeu was beset with a skilled set of feet, with dribbling being one of his fortes.

Deulofeu has admirable composure with the ball, with the ability to strike fear into his opposition whenever the ball falls to his delicate feet. He also has the confidence to make daring runs and is never afraid of taking on a defender, with his mind only focused on getting the ball past him.

Deulofeu provides the youthful spark that Everton desperately need with him linking up with players like Lukaku, and creating the chances for the strikers to convert. And although occasionally he makes that stray pass to lose possession, Deulofeu makes it up with his unbelievable work rate, doing all he can to help his team and win back possession.

Despite strong competition from established players for places with veterans like Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman, Deulofeu provides an extremely strong alternative to Martinez, especially with a hectic December schedule coming up for Everton.

In addition, Deulofeu can also be utilised as a super sub when necessary. He even managed to displace the reliable Kevin Mirallas, who started every game for Everton prior to this, to earn his first Everton start against Stoke.

And for sure, Deulofeu is not quite yet the finished article. This extremely talented young Spanish winger certainly has bags of potential and could possibly break into the Barcelona squad in the near future.

Deulofeu has only shown glimpses of his talent, which no one can doubt for sure, and there is definitely more to come from this exciting winger. He may not be a well-known player yet, but with his tremendous talent, Deulofeu can perhaps become a world class player of the European game in the years to come.

Should Tom Cleverley be in the England squad?

2013-12-09T22:47:00.003+08:00

Should Tom Cleverley be in the England squad?
by assistant editor Ervin Ang (@DieHardCFCFan on Twitter)
feedback/comments much appreciated

It was a humble beginning to the game for Manchester United’s young midfield maestro, Tom Cleverley.

Despite joining the famed youth academy of Manchester United at the tender age of 11, Cleverley never found it easy to make his mark. He found first team opportunities limited with harsh competition from established players, with the likes of Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick bossing United’s midfield.

As a result, Cleverley was farmed out on loan to various Championship clubs including Leicester City and Watford, and most notably, Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, where he made his breakthrough. Since then, Cleverley has been propelled to prominence by a process of elimination; Scholes's two retirements and Darren Fletcher's chronic bowel complaint.

And indeed, Tom Cleverley did not disappoint. Although plagued by an injury spell early last season, whenever he played, Tom made the most of his chances, and put in fantastic after spectacular performances in his holding midfield role. Tom had benefitted hugely from Sir Alex Ferguson's eagerness to promote from within and his astonishing reluctance to spend in center midfield.

However, since breaking into the first-team at the Theatre of Dreams, the midfielder has come in for huge criticism. Cleverley’s fitness and strength has been criticised, as he tires badly in the second half of games, leading many to believe that his progress has stalled.

As many may like to call Cleverley “the most overrated English footballer” or “not fit to don the United jersey”, perhaps he is unfairly treated. When Tom plays, he works non-stop. He doesn’t pull of the stunning runs, but his passing keeps United ticking. He keeps it moving fast and has a similar mindset as Carrick as he knows how to make the best pass to retain possession and get out of tight spaces. He may not be the Lampard-esque goalscoring midfielder that the fans crave, but the 24-year-old has been the engine of United’s midfield and the heartbeat of their every move.

As such, Cleverley has been lavished with praised from respected managers in Sir Alex Ferguson and Roy Hodgson. The England manager was quoted saying: “Tom’s come into a team alongside the likes of Lampard and Gerrard and didn’t look at all out of place. I suppose you would call him an attacking midfield player, but he’s an attacking midfielder in the same way as Cesc Fabregas. He’s quite capable of coming back into a central midfield role and quite capable, even, of coming back to win the ball when necessary.” Hodgson went on to start Cleverley in all seven internationals since England’s demise in Euro 2012.

However, Cleverley’s lack of goal returns has seen him criticised by many pundits and fans, leading to him denounced as a flop for England and that he doesn’t deserve to play for England. However, what Cleverley adds to the England side is his tenacity and passing.

Dubbed as the next Paul Scholes by the minority, Cleverley works tirelessly for every ball and never stops to rest. He is able to maintain that high-tempo play for England. He also has a spectacular vision for the game and is able to thread that decisive ball through the opposition’s defence, finding an onrushing attacker or winger to bury the ball into the net.

He has a special sixth sense of where his teammates are. Cleverley ticks all the boxes to be a complete central midfielder, and would be absolutely vital to England’s 2014 World Cup hopes, adding much needed support, pace and defensive stability to the preferred pivot of Lampard and Gerrard. And yes, he plays the occasional loose ball and makes the inevitable mistakes, but Cleverley is not quite yet the finished product. He is only 24 and hasn’t reached the peak of his game yet. I believe with faith and good guidance under Hodgson, Cleverley can be moulded into the Paul Scholes type of player for England. He certainly has all the potential and attributes to be a midfield maestro.

Despite strong competition from England’s established central midfielders, Cleverley will certainly provide a strong alternative to the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Wilshere and compatriot, Michael Carrick. And certainly, Tom Cleverley deserves to be in the England squad. Overrated? Maybe not. There is still much more that we have yet to see from this promising young midfielder. In the near future, Cleverley will perhaps prove his critics wrong, and become one of the midfield gems of England.

LIVE Commentary: Liverpool v Manchester United

2013-09-01T10:57:00.002+08:00

The English "El Clasico"
Liverpool 1 - 0 Manchester United (FULL-TIME)
LIVE Commentary brought to you by FootballMania
(refresh every two minutes)
with editor Wong Yang, assistant editors Ervin Ang, Bryan Ng and Oliver Gui

Credits: Sky Sports

FULL-TIME - It is yet another 1-0 win for Liverpool with a sole goal from Sturridge, who celebrates his 24th birthday today. Highly-anticipated match-up somewhat lived up to its expectations, with occasional good football from both sides. Liverpool defended well and stayed compact to prevent United from playing through them, but they should have done better on the offensive side in the second half, unlike United, who came out from the break with high energy and dominated possession. Cleverley did pretty well for United, while Liverpool have Johnson, Enrique and Skrtel, and definitely Mignolet to credit for allowing them to heave a sigh of relief at the full-time whistle. Thanks for reading our LIVE commentary, it was Wong Yang, Ervin Ang, Bryan Ng and Oliver GuI here with you tonight, and we hope you enjoyed this English "El Clasico".
(Skrtel announced as the Man of the Match)
90+4min - Alberto to take a corner. Oh, the heck with it. FULL TIME whistle.
90+4min - United on the attack! Enrique says "No" and puts the counter-attack to an end for his team to advance this time.
90+3min - Another free-kick to Liverpool leaves Moyes infuriated.
90+2min - Sterling wins a free-kick for Liverpool as "You'll Never Walk Alone" sounds loudly.
90+1min - It's all or nothing now for United. Liverpool fans just praying that their team can cling on to this slender lead for just another three to four minutes.
90min - Five minutes of stoppage time.
90min - Van Persie's free-kick is headed away by Enrique!
88min - It is really "all about keeping itt now" for Liverpool. Upon clearance, Henderson speeds away from his half and into offense mode.
86min - Van Persie squanders a chance as he attempts to get the ball to the near post! Great pass from Hernandez, Van Persie just couldn't get anything nicely off from that acute angle.
85min - Liverpool pressing hard now.
83min - It's during this period of time that time seems to pass so quickly for the team that is trailing, and so slowly for the team that is leading.
82min - Luis Alberto, from Sevilla, comes on for Coutinho.
81min - Shot on goal by Hernandez. He made a good attempt but went straight into the hands of the alert Mignolet.
81min - Cleverley makes a well-timed pass for Valecia who chases it down the right-flank but Enrique does well to kick it out to disrupt United's momentum.
80min - Ten minutes left for United to chase for that goal.
78min - Johnson probably still hurting from that clash with Erva earlier, and is replaced by Wisdom. He has done really well along with Enrique to prevent United from getting their equaliser. Yet another England player Roy Hodgson will have to worry about.
77min - Liverpool's new goalkeeper makes a stunning save to stop a stinging shot by Nani. Mignolet continues to impress the Liverpool fans.
74min - Hard knock between Erva and Johnson.
74min - No clear chance in the last ten minutes, sadly, so the match is certainly not as entertaining now as it was at the very start of the match.
73min - Giggs is subbed off and Hernandez takes his place. 69min - Valencia goes off temporarily for treatment after getting accidentally poked in the eye by Sterling.
71min - De Gea hooks a dangerous pass from his captain Vidic. It's a "phew" from Moyes.

67min - Giggs header from Nani's corner well held by Mignolet.
67min - Sturridge paces on the left flank and tries to get the ball by Gerrard but it is no good. Nani with the ball thanks to a clever Cleverley pass tackled out for a United corner by Johnson.
65min - Nani tries to get a kick in but he is denied by his marker, but the rebound falls to Valencia. Nothing came out of it though.
64min - Yet another misfired pass in this game. It's Enrique who overestimates how much he has to put into his pass to Sterling on the left.
62min - Substitution by United - Nani replaces Young. Poor corner-kicks by Young in both the firrst and second half.
62min - The flag is up, for Sturridge is caught offside.
61min - Lucas decides to pass to teammate Coutinho but he took too long to decide and United recovers in time to stop the break.
61min - United clearly dominating this second half.
60min - Aspas comes off the pitch and Sterling runs on the replace him.
59min - Young is now the one to be booked with a yellow. He had tugged Henderson by the arm.
57min - Welback looks like he dived just in the box! Some may feel that it was a push from Aspas and Lucas. but replays suggest that it was a dirty dive. Boos from the Anfield faithful.
55min - Now it's United on the counter-attack. Great energy.
55min - Daniel Sturridge leads the Liverpool counter-attack but his ball is snatched away.
54min - Agger takes the free-kick in his half and Henderson is there to make a floating header which United clears away easily.
51min - United is the team that has found itself more on the offensive now. They have certainly come out of the changing rooms more aggressive and hungry. Moyes's Magic, maybe?
50min - Young makes an attempt on goal after Agger jumped to make a poor header but it just can't get past the stubborn home side's defence.
49min - Ashley Young sends yet another deep corner in after Van Persie's shot was denied by Skrtel.
48min - No, just a warning from the referee. Gerrard's set-piece headed just over the bar by Aspas.
47min - Michael Carrick may just get a red card for his challenge on Aspas!
47min - Young makes a deep corner and none of his teammates can reach it.
46min - Evra drills a low cross from the far left and it is deflected away by Skrtel.
45min - The second half is now underway.
45min - Players coming back out onto the pitch now.
HALF-TIME: Liverpool had gotten off to a good start and looked fierce in attack with reliable full-backs Johnson and Enrique playing good defence. Liverpool's first goal was really thanks to Agger, who won space from Ferdinand who was caught unaware of his man's movementsUnited, and Sturridge did well for his goal. United found it challenging to advance in the first part of the first half, but did create a few opportunities here and there towards the second part. However, they could not do enough to trouble the Liverpool back line enough. Quality football from both teams as time continued. United have to be careful to manage their frustration now or Marriner may get a chance to show a red.
45+2min - Skrtel seemeed to be in a struggle with Van Persie. Hoping to get him sent off, Gerrard and Skrtel rush to Marriner's side, but time is up and the whistle is blown, but Marriner calls both captains Gerrard and Vidic for a chat before they head back into the tunnel.
45+1min - Two minutes of added time announced.
45min - Valencia speeds down the right and passes it to Young who sends a useless ball that hovers over the penalty area before going out of bounds.
44min - Welbeck plays it to Giggs, but the veteran Giggs makes a very mediocre pass back to the younger player.
42min - Lucas tries to find Sturridge but thankfully for United, Ferdinand blocks it.

40min - Now, Carrick is booked for pulling Aspas. Young had gotten a cross in but there was too much height in his cross and Agger headed it away.
38min - Van Persie is the third to receive a yellow today! He lunged at Agger. The Dutchman had found himself free on the right with a brillant move but Lucas stole the ball from him.
37min - Early substitution - Valencia replaces Jones, who suffers with a twisted ankle.
35min - Coutinho steps up to take the free-kick in place of Gerrard. It is too high a shot, no threat at all for it goes harmlessly over the bar.
34min - Aspas argues with the referee and picks up a yellow as well.
33min - Cleverley is booked with a yellow card for his late challenge on Coutinho.
32min - Cleverley passes to Jones, who whips in a cross from the right but Mignolet rushes out to catch it.
32min - Ashley Young to take a throw-in.
30min - Van Persie down the left and gets a corner in, but Enrique chests it and plays it out of danger.
27min - Gerrard makes a good free-kick attempt, curls the ball towards the left but Mignolet leans to his right and saves it well.
25min - Liverpool is on the break, and Johnson tussles with Carrick, referee gives a free-kick to the home side.
23min - Skrtel sends a long ball for Henderson but he fails to get there
22min - Welback attempts a back-heel to Cleverley but Enrique denies it, cleared.
20min - There is that high tempo we expect from meetings between these two teams
19min - Giggs slides in on Coutinho, no card though.
17min - Skrtel moves up and passes to Sturridge who turns beautifully, but Vidic is alert and makes a good tackle.
15min - United starting to pressure the Liverpool defence.
15min - Giggs sends in a corner but it is deflected away by Gerrard.
14min - Welbeck & Van Persie fail to adjust their feet quickly enough as ball flashes across the Liverpool 6-yard box.
12min - Welback surges forward but Liverpool captain Gerrard stops him just as he is outside the penalty area with a well-timed tackle.
11min - Ashley Young's corner eventually falls to the feet of Van Persie but he's not in the right spot.
10min - Evra is the subject of jeers from the Anfield crowd.
9min - Welbeck's shot is saved comfortably by Mignolet.
8min - It's a frantic start to the game!
7min - Daniel Sturridge has now scored 11 goals in his last nine appearances in all competitions for Liverpool.
6min - Coutinho avoids Cleverley and sends a low shot. Well-struck, but wide.
4min - Free-kick to United. Giggs to take it, Van Persie tries a bicycle kick but its wide.
2min - Early corner. STURRIDGE SCORES! Agger's header came off Sturridge and the ball
goes past a helpless De Gea. Daniel Sturridge scores today on his 24th birthday

2min - Sturridge! Agger's header came off Sturridge for the ball to past a helpless De Geea!
1min- Giggs sends a ball in, Mignolet picks up.
1min - The match is underway
0min - The singing of Liverpool's "You'll Never Walk Alone" has ended.
0min- Match beginning in one minute!

Preview
From 8.30pm (Singapore time) onwards, follow us here at FootballMania for the latest action on the encounter between Liverpool and long-time rivals Manchester United at Anfield! Nearly our whole editing team - editor Wong Yang, assistant editors Oliver Gui, Ervin Ang and Bryan Ng - will be covering the match for you.

Football, from OUR PERSPECTIVE

It's National Day - reflection on our football

2013-08-09T11:02:00.000+08:00

It's National Day - reflection on our football
We must take pride in the truth that much has happened for Singapore football in the past year, but the sports page writers have been missing the point.
by editor Wong Yang

We must take pride in the truth that much has happened for Singapore football in the past year. From jeering our National Team, to cheering from them, the solid transformation has been a dream come true. Our team are the AFF Suzuki Cup Champions, and our LionsXII are the title-holders of the Malaysian Super League. But I don't think that's the important thing. The sports page writers have been missing the point.

The LionsXII will be featured in tonight's National Day Parade

Over the past few years, the Lions have been criticised by their very own countrymen for their mediocre performance. Broken curfews, alcohol and smoking, and the issue of naturalized players that continued to plague the team made it seem that Singapore football had hit a dead end, and one with no way of return.

The Lions thanking the fans at the Jalan Besar Stadium (Photo: FAS)

So the point is - the tables have been turned, and in a way, it's thanks to fans. The Jalan Besar stadium can hit full attendance, and there has never been such a large TV audience tuning in to a Lions or a LionsXII game. To be honest, I've never been quite so excited to cover a Lions match either. Perhaps it's because seeing Singaporeans pumped up, I'm pumped up myself. Waves of red and white frenzy, wild pom-poms and Singapore flags ever so magnificent brought life to our home ground. Status updates from our leaders, and netizens sending words of encouragement to the team, online Singapore was just as fanatic. We've got fans behind the team.

However, the irony is that it could be these very fans that came down hard on the Lions' failures before their recent success, and only a few loyal supporters that stood with the team through the rough days. If the Lions suddenly trip and fall, who knows? The crowds at the Jalan Besar may vanish, the critics will reappear and we may be back to the pre-AFF Suzuki Cup glory days.

In order to prevent such a nightmare from reoccurring, we've got to do more. What to do is up to the team and the Football Association of Singapore. But what we as fans can do is to remind one another that we have to continue to stand behind the team, even when they suffer from a sudden fall. As former national coach Raddy Avramovic said in his farewell letter to Singaporeans, "Cheer them on now that they are champions, but also be there for them when they are down because that will be when they need you the most."

National Day Parade Preview show

Many Stories, One Singapore. Whether those stories are of jubilation or devastation, something that is constant in these stories is our unity as a nation, and that the pre-game Majulah Singapura will always be sang with gusto, because football in Singapore isn't just about the football.

Happy National Day.

Loyalty in football - lost in time

2013-08-06T21:22:00.000+08:00

Loyalty in football - lost in time
Money has killed the value of loyalty in the game, and it explains why we see fewer Steven Gerrards, Ryan Giggs, and Francesco Tottis.
by editor Wong Yang

On Saturday, Liverpool fans around the world paid tribute to their faithful skipper Steven Gerrard. The Liverpudian has served the Merseyside club professionally for 15 years, and was thanked for his services with his testimonial match and dinner on Saturday. As fans of other clubs looked on, the question was - do we have more of such players in our own teams?

In today's football world, fame and fortune mean everything for most players. They receive big money to fill their big pockets, and will ply their trade for whoever pays them the most, because dollar signs tempt, and the allure of power can be so great that a player will leave the club that had brought him up and developed his potential as a youth player. Lucrative wages can make a player say "Yes" faster than Zlatan Ibrahimović can switch clubs.

Now then, where are the role models of loyalty? Though it is true that we can name a few players who, without a doubt, are dedicated to the club they belong to, the reality is that these players are of a dying breed. In the money-driven football world of this globalised era, money buys temporary loyalty. Although you cannot buy a Jamie Carragher- A grade loyalty, you can ensure that the player is on your side, that is, for now. But there is only one Gerrard, one Giggs, and one Puyol. The "stay loyal to your club" group gets smaller by day, as more money is pumped into this mad machine of materialism.

Players play with dollar signs in their eyes, coins in their ears and cheques in their heads. The world we live in explains why deciding if a player can be considered a legend or not may no longer depend on how much of his heart is with the club, but solely on his skill.

To make matters worse, the loyalty of fans is bought in a different way too. "How many big-name players do you have in your club?" and "did you win anything this year?" are now the hot questions. Fans these days may rally behind the club during its glory days, but scamper away once success is no longer as close as it once was. It is the reason why my presumption that the definition of "fan" would assert that the fan is loyal is wrong.

We must realise that loyalty has to be bred, not bought. It is bred when a person feels a sense of belonging to his home, and some may argue that it ventures outside football. As he becomes an increasingly committed fan, his "home" is his home team's stadium, and it is by interacting with other fans that he gets that "sense of belonging".

Loyalty takes time to be developed, but its effects are tremendous. Just look at Stevie G and the Anfield crowd chanting his name, or the Barcelona supporters singing their anthem before the game.

2013 Malaysia Cup Draw

2013-07-27T18:25:00.000+08:00

The draw for the 2013 Malaysia Cup, held at Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, has been confirmed at 6.20pm!

Group A
Selangor
ATM
Sime Darby FC

Johor FA

Group B
Johor Darul Takzim

Selangor PKNS

T-Team

Felda United

Group C

Kelantan

Pahang

Terengganu

N.Sembilan

Group D

LionsXII

Perak

Sarawak

Kedah

Prematch: LionsXII v Felda United

2013-07-01T20:34:00.002+08:00

CHAMPIONS 2013
Thanks to all who followed the commentary on our Game Day page!

Follow our LIVE commentary of the match at our Game Day page!
Prematch: LionsXII v Felda United
July 2, 2013 (tomorrow)
Kick- off: 7.45pm
Broadcast on television: 7.30pm
by editor Wong Yang

The LionsXII are just one win away from being crowned the champions of this season's Malaysia Super League!

Pre-match:

- Starhub TV customers can watch the match on Channel 201, Supersports Arena.

- Non-Starhub subscribers can watch the match by tuning their television sets to frequency 76.25MHz. Instructions on how to tune-in are as follows (provided by LionsXII website):

For non-StarHub TV subscribers, the generic tuning-in procedures to receive 'live' LionsXII broadcasts are:

1. Select an unused channel on your TV set.

2. Identify the MENU, PRESET or INSTALL button of your TV. If your TV doesn't have any of these buttons, please refer to your TV manual.

3. Press the function. A menu page of control functions will appear on screen.

4. Scroll to MANUAL TUNE.

5. Manually tune to frequency VHF 76.25MHz

6. Select STORE to store the tuned frequency.

7. Press MENU or PRESET button to exit tuning.

- You can also find the instructions on Starhub's website - http://www.starhub.com/content/support/tv/quicktips/tuneininstructionforpreviewchannel.html

- Fans can also catch the match at a "LIVE" screening. According to a post on the LionsXII Facebook page, fans at the screening can also stand a chance to meet the players, and to win merchandise! Details of the screening are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, 2 July 2013
Time: From 6.00pm onwards (broadcast on Supersports Arena begins at 7.30pm)
Venue: People’s Association HQ Field, beside Jalan Besar Stadium
Entry: Free Admission

- See more at: http://www.exclusinga.com/2013/06/live-screening-for-malaysian-super-league-game-between-lionsxii-and-felda-united/#sthash.Z8kkgvTC.dpuf

Brazil and Football

2013-06-25T09:16:00.002+08:00

Brazil and Football
Opinion
by editor Wong Yang

Credits: The Telegraph

"Football is my life". In the case of Brazil, this phrase cannot be used anymore. Not when life, with the bus fare hike affecting your daily expenditure and you have to worry about your child not getting an education, presents so many challenges. No, this term is just too dreamy, almost completely unrealistic. (unless you're Neymar) What's happening in life is just too serious for a Brazilian to just live in the garden of football.

Yet we thought that a Confederations Cup and a World Cup would provide some temporary shelter for the stressed Brazilians, because football has shown just how it could be the great escape for people from all walks of life facing challenges. And in a footballing nation like Brazil, we knew that nothing would be a more welcome escape than the two football events. But how "great" an escape can it be, when the event itself is a reminder of the challenges you face? Outside, Brazilians protest because of the staggering cost of the football stadiums. And here you are, without a job and bearing a sick mother at home without medical treatment, standing in one of the expensive stadiums that the money the Government spent to built it could have been used to revive the economy and to improve healthcare. How "great" an escape can it be, with signs exclaiming "We don't have schools and hospitals, but we have football stadiums!" penetrate the protective shield of the football world that you imagined to exist.

Tasso Marcelo - AFP/Getty Images

We would think that national pride, sparked by the brillance of Neymar, could bring people out of their problem-filled lives, and into full celebration. But it did not happen. Not even when Dante, Neymar and Fred got on the scoresheet to bring Brazil to a 2-4 triumph over the Azzurri. The celebration could only have been temporary, because protests continued outside
the stadium, reminding Brazilians of their nation's slow economic growth and poor infrastructure.

AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko

Now we understand, that football can't be Brazilians' life.
Because when Brazilians meet football, reality also has to face the Beautiful Game.

LIVE Commentary: Final Matchday of the 25th Canon Lion City Cup

2013-06-16T17:16:00.005+08:00

Live Commentary and Photos
by Wong Yang, reporting LIVE from the Jalan Besar Stadium

Corinthians 1-1 PSV (FINAL, 5-3 ON PENALTIES)

It has been Wong Yang providing you with the live feed and pictures here, and I'm now signing off. Thanks for reading.

FINAL: 5-3, and the PSV staff and players have approached the referee, questioning his decision for a retake of the penalty. One side is dancing in happiness, while the other side is lying and sitting down on the pitch dejectedly. The Man of the Match award has been given to Meulenhof for his amazing saves! The MVP of the Tournament is Matheus da Silva!

The dejected PSV players

Corinthians 5th Penlty: Leonardo Rodriguez kicks the powerless ball to the right, and it's saved by Meulenhof! But the referee has demanded a retake! Rodriguez sends it home, and Corinthians are crowned the champions! It's 5-3 on penalties!

PSV 4th Penalty: Schoonbrood's penalty is saved by Marganelli, who dived to the right! Wonderful save!

Corinthians 4th Penalty: Meulenhof leaned towards the right, and Areias sent it in! 4-3

PSV 3rd Penalty: Daneels puts it through! 3-3

Corinthians 3rd Penalty: dos Santos took a slow run-up to the ball, but still got the job done. 3-2

PSV 2nd Penalty: The PSV player levels it! 2-2

Corinthians 2nd Penalty: Rodrigues powers the shot to the left for the goal! 2-1

PSV 1st Penalty: Rigo puts his foot into the ball for a powerful strike that goes in! 1-1

Corinthians 1st Penalty: da Silva sends it in calmly! 1-0

80+4min - PENALTY SHOOT-OUT! NO EXTRA TIME. IT HAS TO BE SETTLED BY THIS.

80+3min - Close chance! Th free-kick eventually fell to the far right of the post but the Corinthians players were not there to slot it in in tie.

80+2min - One side of the crowd is cheering "Corinthians!" while the other side is cheering "PSV!" The atmosphere is amazing!

80+1min - Santos has been taken off, Rodrigues comes on to replace him.

80min - PSV player being stretchered off.

80min - A crucial 4 minutes of added time has been indicated by the fourth official.
77min - EQUALISER! PSV have gotten the goal they've been fighting for, with 3 minutes left in the game. Bannani headed the ball in upon jumping for the well-taken corner. Crowd cheering "PSV! PSV!"
77min - The long ball somehow made its way right in front of the goal, but Victor Dias (* my apologies, the Corinthians goalkeeper is Marganelli) the tips it away.
73min - Rodriguez doesn't look like he's been injured, because he dances around the defender drills a shot towards goal. Unfortunately for Corinthians, it was saved by Meulenhof.
71min - Yellow card for the substitute Leandro Fernandes. He made a reckless challenge on goalscorer Leonardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez has been stretchered off, but looks ready to return again.
69min - A one-hand save by Corinthians keeper Victor Dias denies PSV of the equaliser. It was a fantastic shot but Dias managed to get his hand onto it.
67min - PSV Substitution: Lassandro Faye is replaced by Leandro Fernandes.
65min - Victor Dias reaches out but cannot grab the ball, and is lucky that the PSV attacker tripped and fell.
63min - Good one-two between Faye and Schoonbrood, but Faye overruns and is stopped by the Corinthians defender.
62min - Flares of temper erupt when a Corinthians player is trampled by his PSV counterpart. The referee breaks the two apart, asserting, "Go away, enough!"
57min - Leonardo Rodriguez lies on the ground in pain. After some treatment, he's back into the game.
55min - The Corinthians players and coaching staff are furious when one of their players are brought down hard by the PSV opponent. Yellow card.
54min - Acrobatic clearance by Bernandino denies PSV of the equaliser after the Dutch side created a golden chance through a corner.
52min - Dante Rigo sends an ambitious free-kick towards goal but it's just off target.
48min - Bannani received the ball on the left but his shot is too high. Wasted!
47min - Corinthians Substitution: Carvalho is replaced by Renan Areias.
45min - Meulenhof goes low to grab the ball away from a speeding da Silva.
43min - Leonardo Rodriguez scores the 1st goal! A poor clearance by the PSV defender got to him and he comfortably sent the ball home. 1-0
41min - Both teams taking the time to pass around.
40min - The 2nd half has begun!
Half Time - The whistle has blown to stop what has been an intense first half. Wonderful football from both sides, but Corinthians have controlled the game more. Their counter attack has been effective, but they were denied again and again by the quick Meulenhof.
39min - When will the ball ever get past Meulenhof!? He made yet another save to deny da Silva of a goal.

The half-time whistle has been blown!

38min - One minute of additional time announced.
37min - Corinthians don't seem to be playing l like they have one man less than their opponents.
36min - The searching free-kick is headed down but it's wide.
36min - Dante Rigo wowing the crowd again with his sick skills. Then a foul called on Corinthians, PSV free-kick.
35min - You can just feel the excitement from the crowd. It's been an entertaining match thus far.
34min - Corinthians produce yet another terrific one-two but they're eventually stopped by the alert PSV defence.
32min - Lima runs in an attempt to latch onto the long ball on the counter-attack but Meulenhof comes out of the penalty area to get to it first and deflects the ball away.
30min - Frizzo powers yet another shot towards the top right corner of the goal, but Meulenhof makes a remarkable tip to keep it 0-0.
27min - Amir Catic attempts to penetrate the defence but the bigger Carvalho muscles the ball away from him.
26min - Two PSV players played a well-timed one-two, but their teammate's shot is low and lacks power to cause any danger.
24min - Fantastic quick passes by the Corinthians players sees Frizzo get a powerful shot off. Fortunately for PSV, Meulenhof makes a wonderful save to deny the Brazilian player.
22min - Victor Dias is furious when his teammates leave a PSV player unmarked, which almost caused a goal. You can see how seriously he takes this game.
20min - A red card is shown to a Amadio after he made a bad challenge. Will they still have that same electric energy with 10 men?
19min - An extremely accurate cross from PSV's Amir Catic sees his teammate waiting outside the goal at the receiving end. The PSV player's header is well caught by the Corinthians keeper Victor Dias.
18min - da Silva headed the ball to the feet of teammate Gustavo Amadio, but the defence does well to deny him from going further.
17min - There's a significantly higher tempo to this game, and the crowd is loving it.
16min - PSV Number 5 Lassana Faye creatively drifts past two Corinthians defenders, but is unable to get past the third one. Good effort though.
14min - A low corner from da Silva was well cleared by a PSV defender.
12min - PSV will have to find a more efficient way to overcome the midfield challenge if they are to get the opening goal.
10min - Aggressive defence by the Corinthians players, closing in on every ball. It is certainly getting the crowd hyped up.

8min - It looks like PSV is sending on a sub for an injured player. Yes, striker Matthias Verreth, who netted two goals in PSV's 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, has gone off with Karim Bannani coming on.
7min - Leonarda Lima dancing around and gets a shot off with his right foot. It was well saved by Meulenhof. Nice football.
6min - Matheus da Silva drills a low free-kick towards goal but it's just wide!
3min - Corinthians came really close but PSV keeper van de Meulenhof showed that he was worthy of the title "Best Goalkeeper of the TFF Antalya Tournament" with a good save.
2min - It's just two minutes into the game but you can feel a much more high-energy match. Quick touches, hard passes and greater pace.
1min - Kick-off!
0min - The teams have shaken hands, The match is about to start!

The players and referees lining up

0min- Players about to walk out onto the pitch, with 5 minutes to kick-off.

0min - PSV starting line-up:
Mike van de Meulenhof
Roel van Linschoten
Lassan Faye
Dante Rigo (C)
Joey Konings
Lennerd Daneels
Matthias Verreth
Jaell Hattu
Armando Obispo
Amar Catic
Robin Schoonbrood

0min - Corinthtians starting line-up:
Renan Borges
Leonardo dos Santos
Wesley Duarte
Matheus Henrique Frizzo
Miullen Natha Carvalho
Matheus da Silva
Leonardo Rodrigues (C)
Victor Marganelli
Roni de Moura
Cesar Santos
Gustavo Franca

0min - 20 minutes to kick-off. It's killing me to wait.
0min - PSV players walking out for their team photo. They will be warming up as well.

PSV players (red and black) and Corinthians players (white and black) warming up

0min - Corinthians currently warming up. The Brazilian side had defeated PSV 2-0 on Wednesday.

NFA U16 4-1 NFA U15 (Full Time)

Players shaking hands after the game

FULL TIME - It ends 4-1! Though Irfan Fandi didn't get onto the scoresheet, the U16s still managed to win by an emphatic three goals. Both teams will have to go back and reflect on their defence, but it was a decent game with sparks of great technique from the players providing much promise for the future of Singapore football. The U16s finish 5th in the tournament, while the U15s finish last. The Man of the Match goes to U16 No. 11 Amiruldin, as announced by the emcee. The MVP of the U16s has been announced to be captain Gareth Low, while the MVP of the U15s is Hami Syahin.

79min - Hami Syahin fights to get pass two defenders but they close down on him.
78min - We're approaching the final whistle (80 minutes). 2 minutes of added time signalled by the fourth official.
77min - Yellow card for Syafiq Irawan. Free-kick goes straight into the wall. The free-kick taker, Hami Syahin, didn't see his teammate Jordan Chan waiting on the left.

The U16s

76min - Shafie finds his way through on the left but he dribbles for too long and his cross is no good.
75min - It's a nicely taken free-kick, but a little too much to the left.
74min - Vishall receives a yellow card for a bad tackle. Free-kick to the U15s.
73min - Suzliman picks up a yellow card for diving.

69min - Amiruldin sends a searching ball towards Irfan Fandi but the defender does well to reach it before the striker does.
68min - Irfan Fandi gets a shot off from the right of the post but it goes wide.
67min - Gareth Low of the U16 side shoots a poor free-kick.
65min - The U16s get their 4th goal after the keeper fumbles the ball in front of goal scorer Lionel Tan.
63min - Players from both sides showing signs of fatigue.
62min - The U15 keeper seems fine now, because he just made an athletic jump to grab the ball.
60min - U15 keeper receiving treatment after colliding with Irfan Fandi.
58min - 3-1 to the U16s! Andin Addie scores, assisted by Irfan Fandi.
57min - U15 substitution: Misawal is replaced by Royston Tan
55min - Great one-two between Amiruldin and Irfan Fandi! But Irfan's shot is off. The defense was sleeping on that play.
54min - Glimpses of skillful moves from players of both sides, but their moves lead to nothing.
54min - Suzliman powers his way towards goal with great skill, but his cross does not pay.
50min - Agustino Saman delivers a cross towards the tall Irfan Fandi but the U15 keeper jumps up to grab it quickly.
49min - Vishaal using his size extremely well. He powered a header just now, ad then muscled the ball away from his opponent.
47min - Stretcher brought on, as a U16 player lies on the ground in pain. He is now being carried off the pitch.
46min - Substitutions: U15's Prakash is replaced by Suzliman. U16's Adam Hakeem, the first goal scorer, is replaced by Rajesh Vishaal.
Half time - 2-1 at half-time. The U16s created more opportunities, and looked more lethal on the counter-attack particularly. There's a Under-8-years-of-age match going on in the middle of the pitch to "entertain" the audience - Team Yellow v Team Blue. I take back the quotation marks from the word entertain! Wonderfully crafted goal from the Blue team.
41min - It's a wasted free-kick by the U15s. Out for a corner.
39min - The U16s really showing they are the more experienced side. They've been stronger in attack. Still, both teams' defence leaves much to be desired.
39min - Terrific work by Shafie leads to Andin Addie receiving the ball outside the penalty box. He muscles his way through and gets a shot off but it's off target.
37min - 2-1! Syafiq Irawan scores the U16's second goal!
36min - Irfan Fandi flicks the ball over the keepr upon receiving a bullet cross, to cheers to the crowd, but it was too powerful a flick and is cleared by the defender.
34min - Shafie latches onto the loose ball down the left. With pace, he sends a cross in but the U16 player at the far right of post does not meet the ball in time.
33min - Terrible throw-in from the U16 player.
31min - U15 keeper saves it comfortably.
30min - Another free-kick awarded to the U16s, this time closer to goal. It looks like Shafie will take it.
28min - Free-kick to the 16 year-olds after Irfan Fandi tussled with his marker.
27min - Amiruldin showing his speed with the ball, but he cannot squeeze past the three U15 defenders.
22min - Cool weather here at the Jalan Besar. 20min - Both teams getting their fair share of the ball, but the U16s seem to be pushing forward more compared to their younger opponents.

17min - Irfan Fandi controls the ball well with his chest but his pass to the wing is inaccurate.
13min - Unmarked, Bashir shoots in the penalty box and scores. It's 1-1!
3min - Adam Hakeem scores with a header! A brilliant free-kick had sent him the ball. He gives the U16 the opening goal!

0min - NFA U15 Line-Up:
Shahrul Affandy (C)
Fadzyl Misawal
Danial Shafiq
Naufal Azman
Hami Syahin
Danish Jefri
Amer Hakeem
Syukri Bashir
Adib Nur Hakim
Fazrin Hawafi
Prakash Raj

0min - NFA U16 Line-Up:
Zharfan Rohaizad
Adam Hakeem
Lionel Tan
Khalili Khalif
Gareth Low (C)
Syafiq Irawan
Amiruldin Asraf
Andin Addie
Irfan Fandi
Ariyan Shamsuddin
Shafie Muliantoh
Arsenal FC v Eintracht Frankfurt
FULL TIME - Eintracht Frankfurt finish 3rd in the 25th Canon Lion City Cup, beating Arsenal 2-3！

LIVE Commentary: Singapore Selection v Atletico Madrid

2013-05-22T07:18:00.003+08:00

Live Commentary
Wong Yang - reporting from home
Oliver Gui, Ervin Ang - LIVE from the Jalan Besar Stadium
Singapore Selection 0-2 Atletico Madrid (FULL TIME)
Message from Editor: This is the first time FootballMania has reporters on the ground, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all who have followed our LIVE commentary and all whom have been supporting us throughout this remarkable journey. This is without a doubt a huge milestone in our chase for greater reporting of football. We shall, as always, continue to write about Football, from Our Perspective. It has been Wong Yang with the LIVE feed here, and Oliver Gui and Ervin Ang at the Jalan Besar Stadium providing pictures and reports

FULL-TIME: An entertaining match. Singapore gave a strong performance in the early minutes, and presented the Spanish champions with many challenges and created decent opportunities to score. Then, it was Atletico who began to dominate. Played harder and broke the Singapore defence at times, with the 1st goal from Garcia. After the break, both teams passed around. There was less energy compared to the first half even though both teams made some changes. That all transformed when Atletico made 7 more changes towards the 60th minute. Frustration and anger erupted when Hamzah brought down Falcao and Gabi shoved Hamzah, only to be jeered by an immature group of Singapore fans for the rest of the game. Further hard tackles caused the players' temper to flare at times, but what was most evident was the jeering whenever Gabi touched the ball. It was definitely a misbehaviour in what is to be a positive event. Still, it was a match full of promise that did live up to most expectations. There were wonderful chances on both sides, and sparks of talent from players both young and old. This partnership will be a great stepping stone for Singapore football. Unlike when Liverpool made their trip to Singapore, it seemed that the fans leaned towards the Singapore Selection with their support instead of with the visiting champions. It's a good sign, but the booing was definitely unacceptable. This is yet another call from the FAS to stand behind Singapore football. With the recent AFF Suzuki Cup victory, and the LionsXII sublime performance in the Malaysia Super League, this is an even greater boost.

The second goal

92min - Hariss Harun gets the last chance of the game with a corner that eventually falls to his feet. But his shot goes way over the goal post.
91min - Almost a goal for Singapore! Ahmad Latiff powerful strike hits the crossbar! Brilliant effort!
91min - Indra sends a terrific ball to Duric but the keeper collects it in time.
91min - Great defending by the Singapore backline, stopping the pacey Turan.
90min - 2 minutes of added time.
89min - Singapore with the free-kick. Aleksandar Duric's free-kick goes over the crossbar, decent effort.
88min - Hassan Sunny makes yet another amazing save to deny Costa of his second goal.
86min - 2nd goal! Gabi sends the ball to the right, and the Singapore defence cannot clear a cross from the right wing. Costa takes advantage of a tap from his teammate and puts it in for Atletico's second.
84min - Singapore have to push up the pitch more if they want to look for an equaliser.

(photo by FootballMania)

vforcing Turan to push it to Suarez. Still, the Singapore defence blocks the shot.
81min - Baihakki Khaizan comes off for Afiq Yunos.
80min - Singapore preventing Falcao from moving around with the ball too much, good performance.
79min - We're approaching the final 10 minutes of the game.
77min - Falcao's touch really has been the closest of the chances both teams have created in the second half. Was an amazing save by Sunny.
76min - Singapore on the attack. The ball eventually falls to Ahmad Latiff, who takes a shot on the goal, but his low drive is stopped.
75min - Faris Ramli full of energy, running for every loose ball.

74min - Powerful strike by Indra Shahdan, but it flies straight to Asenjo.
73min - Indra seems to be the one to take the free-kick. Cheers of "Singapore! Singapore!" from the stands.

Credits: SuperSportsArena

73min - Before the free kick, Hafiz Sujad is brought on for Safuwan Bahrudin.
72min - Indra tries to do too much with the ball, and is brought down before he can even shoot. Free-kick to Singapore.
70min - Suarez sends a nice ball down to the right wing. Turan receives the ball on the wing, drills a cross to Falcao. The highly-rated Falcao shoots, but Hassan Sunny makes a remarkable save to deny him of a goal.
69min - Nice ball from Gabi but Costa is unable to score. He had made a good first touch.
68min - Kaplan coming off for Faris Ramli to make an appearance.
67min - Singapore showed great defence there, reacting to the problems posed by the attacking Atletico players. Falcao spicing things up a little.
65min - Gabi, still facing "Boos" from the crowd, searches for Costa but it's too far out. It seems they won't let Gabi off. Ervin, sitting in the stands, calls it "disgusting booing". Oliver labelling the jeering, "immature."
63min - Tempers flare up after Sulaiman makes a double-footed challenge on Arda.No cards given though, and Atletico are rewarded with the free-kick.
62min - The crowd is unhappy with Gabi for his earlier shove on Hamzah. "Boos" sound whenever he touches the ball. 59min - Just a few seconds after Falcao comes on, he collides with Hamzah. Hamzah is given a yellow card. Atletico players aren't happy about the challenge. Gabi is also given a yellow card for arguing with the referee and shoving Hamzah.
58min - Atletico making 7 changes now, the Number 9 everyone has been waiting for has come on. Falcao is now on the pitch! His name is announced and the crowd reacts with loud cheer.
57min - Aleksandar Duric, so close! He uses his height to head a great ball towards goal but Asenjo is able to hit it away.
56min - Duric on the left, sends a cross over to Fazrul Nawaz but Nawaz couldn't head it well towards goal. Duric's cross was at a difficult angle to head, good try though.
54min - Kaplan is waved offside by the linesman. Kaplan has been hungry for the ball, doing well.

Players lining up at the start of the game (photo by FootballMania)

52min - Aleksandar Duric will be looking to use his height to even things out during set-pieces against the bigger-sized Spanish players.
51min - The speedy Rodriguez gets past Sulaiman, and passes it to Adrian, but Adrian's shot is off target.
49min - Calls of "Lions All The Way" from the crowd. Encouraging to see that, but this ain't the Lions, even when there are Singapore internationals in the team.
47min - Fazrul Nawaz is caught offside after trying to chase down a nice long ball.
47min - Oliver Torres takes the first corner of the 2nd half, but the corner leads to nothing.
46min - Asenjo has come on for Courtois, Cisma for Pulido. Ahmad Latiff on for Isa Halim, Hariss Harun on for Mustafic. Finally, Hariss Harun. Indra has also come on for Zerka. Nawaz for Sharil Ishak. Sunny for Mahbud. Sulaiman on for Bennett.
Half Time - Singapore is about to get the second half underway. The Singapore Selection having a team huddle while the Atletico players seem relaxed on the other end.

45min - HALF TIME Review

Wong Yang: Fantastic energy from the Singapore Selection at the start of the match. Singapore attacked and battled hard for the ball, with an impressive Kaplan troubling the Atletico players to create several chances. Sharil Ishak, as always, made great passes, searching for teammates, but the Singapore side were still unable to convert with a reliable Courtois in goal. Atletico began to push further and dominated a little more in the last 15-20 minutes of the first-half. Not a full-strength Atletico side, they are still able to present a tough obstacle to the Singapore Selection.

Oliver Gui: Singapore have been strong defensively, clearing long balls when Atletico where on the counter attack. Meanwhile, Atletico have done well to control possession, but failed to create a chance that could split the defence and were unable to convert the opportunities made by Niguez and co.

Ervin Ang: Garcia finding himself in goal scoring positions but unable to get involved, while Niguez is making good runs to create wonderful chances for his teammates. Insua has been solid at the back, crafting good crosses down the wings, with the one leading to the opening goal by Garcia.

The Goal

44min - Oliver Torres sends in a brilliant cross but Camara is there to intercept it. Zerka collects it on the right and shoots for his first chance of the game but it's not good enough to get pass the safe hands of Courtois.
43min - Half-time approaching. Fans will be hoping to see Falcao come off the bench. His has been what they were looking forward to, anyway.
42min - Ervin says, "Saul Niguez displaying sparks of talent, he's certainly one for the future. Performing like how Coutinho is at Liverpool."
40min - Pretty exciting first-half so far, both teams comfortable with possession, playing solid football.
38min - Cristian Rodrgiuez was hoping to win a penalty after stumbling in the box, but he's not rewarded one. Noh Rahman had made a fair challenge.
36min - Singapore having to clear the ball desperately now and lack the energy they presented in the first 10 minutes, but still fighting hard.
35min - One-two between Garcia and Adrian sends Garcia into the box and he sends the ball into the back of the net, but he is ruled off-side. Remarkable try, though.
33min - Zerka almost had a chance to break free and get a one on one but Diaz outpaces him to the ball and muscles him away. Good defending.

Izwan Mahbud takes the goal kick.

31min - Rodriguez is not fast enough, Daniel Bennett prevents him from getting the ball near the corner of the pitch. Goal-kick to Singapore Selection.
30min - Atletico suddenly finding more ways to break the Singapore defence. Oliver Gui reports, "Amazing scenes here at the Jalan Besar Stadium".
29min - Nice play by Insua gives way to a Raul Garcia goal! 1-0 to Atletico Madrid!!!!!!
28min - Safuwan makes a crucial touch to send an Oliver Torres cross out of danger.
27min - Baihakki Khaizan challenges Adrian. Atletico Madrid is given the free-kick.
24min - Oliver Torres shows great vision, sending a cross to Tiago outside the box but Noh Rahman makes a good deflection.
23min - Another corner for Singapore Selection. Sharil Ishak sends a powerful ball that no Singapore player is able to get a touch on.
21min - Courtois makes an excellent save! It was yet another chance for the Singapore side, after Sharil Ishak chests the long ball well into the penalty box, but takes one too many touches. The rebound is received and a Singapore player drives it towards goal but Courtois moves up the block the drive. Great save!
20min - Tiago makes a hard challenge on Isa Halim, who is receiving treatment.
17min - Singapore really performing well in terms of creating chances. Question is, will they be able to last the whole game? Certainly their Spanish opponents have better stamina, but the weather would prove to be a factor.
14min - Pulido on the ground after a collision. Thankfully, he's able to stand up, carries on.
13min - Adrian drills a shot towards goal but Izwan Mahbud palms the ball away.
13min - Assistant editor Ervin comments that Adrian has not been receiving enough support, while Saul Niguez has been fantastic.
13min - Oliver Torres plays a one-two with Adrian, breaks the Singapore defence but a confident move by Izwan Mahbud keeps Singapore safe.
12min - Insua takes a shot on goal from downtown. Izwan Mahbud catches it with ease.
10min - Singapore Selection working hard to battle the Spanish King's Cup Champions. There's a really hyped-up crowd at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
8min - Kaplan steals the ball from Oliver Torres to cheers from the crowd, then takes a shot after getting the ball back but it's pushed away by Courtois. Good effort by Kaplan.
7min - Sharil Ishak takes a curling free-kick, easily caught by goalkeeper Courtois.
6min - Camara had a chance to grab the opening goal after an excellent ball from Sharil Ishak but the ball was going a little too fast for Camara to time the shot well.
5min - Singapore on the break. But Kaplan's pass to Sharil Ishak is intercepted by Tiago.
4min - Atletico Madrid passing the ball around, keeping possession. Daniel Bennett clears a searching cross.
1min - Singapore win a corner thanks to Kaplan. But the result is a wasted corner.
1min - Oliver Torres and Adrian to kick-off for Atletico Madrid!
0min - Commentator at Jalan Besar Stadium announces that the Peter Lim foundation has raised $756,143 for the Singapore National Olympic Council.

President Peter Lim being introduced to the Atletico Madrid players (SuperSportsArena)

0min - Teams walking out now. Singapore Selection in red and white, Atletico Madrid in grey and black stripes. President Tony Tan meeting the players.
0min - No Hariss Harun in the starting line-up?
0min - Atletico Madrid Line-Up: Tiago (C), Thibaut Courtois (GK), Adrian Lopez, Raul Garcia, Cristian Rodriguez, Jorge Pulido, Cata Diaz, Emiliano Insua, Javier Manquilo, Saul Niguez, Oliver Torres
0min - Singapore Line-Up: Shahril Ishak (C), Izwan Mahbud (GK), Isa Halim, Baihakki Khaizan, Noh Rahman, Sirina Camara, Mustafic Fahrudin, Safuwan Bahrudin, Daniel Bennett, Jozef Kaplan, Mosef Zerka
0min - Tiago will be captain for Atletico Madrid. A few more minutes to kick-off!

Warm-up

0min - Certainly an exciting week for Singapore football. This partnership with Atletico Madrid should be a fruitful one. Good to see Singaporeans carrying Singapore scarfs and flags too.
0min - Line-ups to be announced soon! The squad list for the Singapore Selection side can be viewed below. We shall see if Falcao is included in the starting XI.
0min - Tune in the Starhub Cable TV Supersports Arena (Ch 201) to catch the match from home!
0min - Our assistant editors Oliver Gui and Ervin Ang are LIVE at the Jalan Besar stadium! Wong Yang here, providing you with a LIVE feed of the happenings at the match.

Singapore Selection warming up (assistant editor Ervin Ang and Oliver Gui)

Pre-Match

Curtain Raiser Match: Former Singapore Internationals 3-0 Celebrities (Full-Time) A match featuring the likes of ex-internationals Malek Awab, V. Sundramoothy and Lim Tong Hai. Celebrities playing include Devarajan Varadarajan from Channel 5 drama Point of Entry, as well as some of the cast members of hit film Ah Boys to Men.

Watch this space tonight, from 7.30pm onwards, for FootballMania's LIVE Commentary of the match between the Singapore Selection and Copa del Rey Champions Atletico Madrid. Our assistants will be LIVE at the Jalan Besar to provide you with photos and reports at half-time. Let's countdown to the action tonight!

COUNTDOWN CLOCK WIDGETS

Singapore Selection: Goalkeepers: Hassan Sunny (Warriors FC), Izwan Mahbud (LionsXII) Defenders: Shakir Hamzah, Hafiz Abu Sujad, Baihakki Khaizan, Safuwan Baharudin (LionsXII), Daniel Bennett (Warriors FC), Afiq Yunos (Courts Young Lions), Noh Rahman (Home United), Rosman Sulaiman (Woodlands Wellington) Midfielders: Faris Ramli, Isa Halim, Hariss Harun, Fazrul Nawaz (LionsXII), Sirina Camara (Home United), Mustafic Fahrudin (Tampines Rovers), Ahmad Latiff (Tanjong Pagar United), Josep Kaplan (Geylang International) Forwards: Shahril Ishak (LionsXII), Indra Shahdan (Home United), Aleksandar Duric (Tampines Rovers), Monsef Zerka (Tanjong Pagar United)

Another Clock Begins To Tick - Fergie's Departure, Moyes's Arrival

2013-05-16T16:52:00.002+08:00

Another Clock Begins To Tick -
Fergie's Departure, Moyes's Arrival
Opinions from editor Wong Yang and assistant editor Oliver Gui

Wong Yang

Moyes built an Everton that lacked the resources many other clubs in the Premier League swaggered about with. Moyes pushed forward Everton's youth system, emphasising the importance of developing youth players. Moyes offers stability, a value that attracts United, who, in a period where Chelsea used 18 managers, Manchester City 14 and Real Madrid 24, stayed with Ferguson. Moyes inherited an Everton that battled in the lower half of the table, and transformed it into an respectable institution that competes near the top. According to a report by The Guardian, before Moyes joined Everton, the club finished 13th, 17th, 15th, 6th, 15th, 17th, 14th, 13th, 16th and 15th. After he entered office, they finished 7th, 17th, 4th, 11th, 6th, 5th, 5th, 8th, and 7th. Should they stay at their current 6th postion, they would finish ahead of their Merseyside neighbours Liverpool, which Everton seemed to live in the shadows of years ago, for the second successive season.

Moyes is a driven man with an incredible work ethic. Alan Fraser put it best in his column on the Daily Mail's site. "One thing is certain. If he fails at Old Trafford, it will not be for the lack of trying."

In his Everton reign, Moyes won about 42% of his games, with 217 wins out of 516 matches in all competitions. He won the League Managers Association's Manager of the Year in the 2002-2003 season, 2004-2005 as well as 2008-2009. And though he has not won a major trophy in 11 years as Everton manager, he was still Ferguson's recommendation, so a lack of trophies will not perturb the Scot.

Yet, some feel no one will ever fill the shoes left by Ferguson at Old Trafford. Arsense Wenger told www.arsenal.com , "It's not easy to replace a person like that." Ferguson was a man who salvaged his job after a Mark Robins goal in the FA Cup, and then go on to win 4 more FA Cup trophies. Ferguson was one to experience Eric Cantona's infamous kungfu kick as the manager, he was one to sign goal machine Dwight Yorke, but then the one to sign flops Diego Forlan and subsequently, Bébé. He is the man who is the centre of "Fergie Time" a term used to describe the injury time given to United by referees when they are trailing.

Whether Moyes can be able to steer the Manchester United ship towards greater heights, or should I say, waters with an abundance of fish, it is a fact Moyes and Ferguson have strong similarities. For one, they are both Glasgow sons. Ferguson was born in the docklands of Govan, where Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish was raised. Both Ferguson and Moyes were fans of Rangers. They are both Labour Party faithful, as Moyes voiced support for Andy Burnham in 2010 while Ferguson was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party. They are both fans of horse racing, and they are both men who have owed their success to their wives. With the same work ethic and determined minds, Ferguson and Moyes make for very similar characters.

Ferguson chose the timing of his exit just as well as he can manipulate the time at the end of United's matches. Everyone wants to leave the best impression, and you bet Ferguson would want to leave after winning his 13th title, for that's what he will be remembered for.

But we know as football fans, that whatever the timing of his departure, the game will just not be the same without Ferguson. For one, "Fergie Time" will be gone.

Oliver Gui

26 years and 38 trophies later, it is finally time for Sir Alex Ferguson to retire from managing Manchester United and he has chosen current Everton manager David Moyes as his successor. However, this is the same David Moyes that Sir Alex rejected 15 years ago when David Moyes applied to be Sir Alex’s assistant at Manchester United and I believe that David Moyes will still fail to prove to be a success at Manchester United.

Reputation. Reputation is something extremely important and valuable in the modern game and it is something that David Moyes lacks. When one thinks of managers with good reputations it is because of their success, the way that they behave or even because they had a legendary status during their playing careers. David Moyes is not one such name. A manager with a good reputation can attract players just because of their names. Playing for Real Madrid means playing for Jose Mourinho, playing for Arsenal means playing for Arsene Wenger and playing for Manchester United means playing for Sir Alex Ferguson. More specifically, managers such as Michael Laudrup can even attract Spanish internationals such as Alvaro Negredo, who has been linked with Swansea in recent months, to a club currently placed 9^th in the Premier League. When Manchester United try to buy players more attached to their current clubs, for the players it would mean leaving a place they are already very suited to, and to play for Manchester United and more specifically, David Moyes. Hardly an awe-inspiring or convincing name.

Next, his style of play and tactics. How would David Moyes’s style of play and tactics differ from Sir Alex Ferguson’s? Moyes has been described as “one-dimensional” in the past and he will certainly need to be able to adapt to losing situations more at United, if they are to continue to compete for the top trophies. Only United has won more points from losing positions than Everton, but being an under-dog and expecting to win a game are two different feelings, especially among supporters where at Old Trafford, he will be expected to win games regularly against the top sides of the Premier League. David Moyes’s style at Everton has been fairly direct with a larger emphasis upon competing in the air, with Steven Gerrard once describing Everton as a “long ball” team. Everton also sit eighth in the possession statistics, yet there are only ranked 12th in the pass completion rates, whilst United sit fourth and second respectively. Now a proportion of that can be attributed to the simple fact that Manchester United have superior players, but when you consider teams such as Wigan and Swansea having more of the ball and Fulham and Newcastle having a higher pass completion rate than the Toffees, it changes the previous assumption somewhat. David Moyes will need to be able alter his tactics and style of play as Manchester United fans will no doubt want to see their team play aesthetically pleasing football after being years of seeing Sir Alex Ferguson’s side beat teams with pace and width and this change by David Moyes may go a long way in winning over the Old Trafford faithful.

The questions that many Manchester United fans have been asking since David Moyes was appointed the next Old Trafford boss are “Is he qualified?", and "Can he take us back to the pinnacle or European football next season?” Well, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding no. In his 11 years at Everton, he has picked up no trophies and the highlights of his reign at Everton were a finish in 4^th place and participating in the FA Cup final against Chelsea where Everton lost. Bear in mind that Manchester United are arguably one of the best teams in the world and should be winning trophies every season consistently. Is David Moyes really the right man for the job? Also, Manchester United has faltered in Europe this season and the last season. Last season, they failed to progress out of a relatively easy group stage against the likes of Basel, Benfica and Otelul, and this season they have failed to progress to the quarter finals of the Champions League. Manchester United need a manager who can bring them back to the pinnacle of European football to satisfy the fans and not a manager such as David Moyes with only two Champions League preliminary round games,which ended up in defeats, under his belt . Coincidentally, the two games back then were against Manuel Pellegrini’s Villarreal and if rumours that Manuel Pellegrini is to take over as Manchester City’s new manager, both of them would face each other in the Premier League next season as rivals. Furthermore, David Moyes’ away record against the teams that primarily make up the top 4 of the Premier League over the past decade has been horrendous. In 43 games, he has won none, drawn 16 and lost 27. These are worrying statistics especially when one considers the fact that these sides have to be beaten in order to secure the Premier League title and these sides are of the same level as the opposition in Europe.

Despite all these flaws, David Moyes is a low-risk choice for Manchester United. He does not demand high wages like Jose Mourinho would, and he would not bring a totally new style of play and philosophy to the club like Pep Guardiola would. Truth be told, David Moyes has been solid if not spectacular at Everton. Moyes has to work with a shoestring budget, yet Everton has finished in the top half of the table for most of his reign. This season will most likely see them finish ahead of their Merseyside rivals Liverpool. This is commendable, but it does not mean he is suited to United. Top-half finishes are not what a team of Manchester United’s stature is satisfied with. The goal for every season is to win trophies and this is the sort of pressure he has not experienced at Everton.

Terrific treble

2013-05-11T22:37:00.000+08:00

Terrific treble
LionsXII 3-0 T-Team
Malaysia Super League

by editor Wong Yang

Three goals in a stunning first-half performance by the Lions saw them grab the three points, and their eighth successive win at the Jalan Besar Stadium. A play between Hariss Harun and Faris Ramli eventually allowed Ramli to find captain Sharil Ishak. With a quick turn, Sharil Ishak drilled home the ball for the opening goal of the evening. The LionsXII continued to press on, but it was poor defending that led to the second goal. 21 year-old Shakir Hamzah, sent the ball in with a header as he was unmarked. The goal marked the defender's first time on the LionsXII score sheet. Set-pieces proved to be the nightmare for T-Team, for it was another corner that materialised into the home team's third and final goal. Fazrul Nawaz reached the ball in the air, beating his defender to send the crowd wild.

After the break, T-Team were determined to get back on their feet, but Boateng's ambitious header hit the crossbar. It seemed the LionsXII had scored a fourth goal when Faris Ramli kicked in a creative pass from captain Sharil, but the goal was ruled offside by the linesman.

Overall, it was a convincing win for V. Sundramoothy's men, who now regain their position in the first position of the table as they continue their good run of form at home.

Sport, terror and faith

2013-04-25T16:46:00.002+08:00

Sport, terror and faith
by editor Wong Yang

We don't wait to see marathoners struck by terror run as though it's the last 100m of the race. We don't wish to see journalists drop their earplugs upon being struck by the ridiculously-high levels of decibels emitted by the explosion. We certainly do not yearn to see a team of athletes hide in their vehicle riddled by bullets. But such unfortunate accidents do happen; the car bombs outside the Bernabeu before Madrid faced Barcelona in 2002, the attack on the Togolese national football team in 2010, and most recently, the Boston Marathon attack.

The sports arena is a colossal one, and being large can have disadvantages. (overweight students are the butt of the jokes in class) Terrorists target sporting events to drive a message, to spread their belief. Millions tune in to these sports events broadcast live worldwide, and every tweet and every post about the event can be shared from one to another in a few seconds. And so, it's no wonder why terrorists would utilise such a "breaking news!" effect along with the power of fear to send home their message. The fact that sports competitions are given such great attention attract the attention of terrorists.

Sports competitions are a reminder of what humans are capable of, and with each competition, we celebrate the triumphs of athletes, for we see them as our own victories. When athletes break records and destroy their limits, we rejoice, for it shows that we have progressed as a human race. Because as science improves, athletes enjoy high-tech sportswear and new diet practices, and the athletes' record-breaking feats are a sign of this. But because of such jubilation in the air surrounding these competitions, terrorists are even more determined to silence the cheering with their attacks. They halt the party, and as we scream for help, we remember that we have just seen what humans are capable of. Yes, we are capable of inflicting fear on others with our acts of evil.

But even under such circumstances, sports still possess its way of uniting people. Supporters may aid fans of the rival team and a player may assist the referee that red-carded him two weeks ago because of their common identity as members of the football community. We witnessed the tributes paid to Fabrice Muamba after the player suffered a cardiac arrest in a game against Tottenham Hotspurs in March 2012. Fans from both teams gave Muamba a standing ovation as he left the pitch on stretchers, and players, as well as referees, sported t-shirts in tribute to Muamba before their matches. We also saw how Everton stood behind Liverpool when the Hillsborough Independent Panel revealed their findings on the 1989 tragedy, which the community again remembered last Monday.

After months marred by the revelations of Lance Armstrong's use of performance-enhancing drugs, the investigation of an alleged Singapore match-fixer, and evidence of several of Australia's athletes doping, the dirty side of sport fuelled by a "win at all costs" mentality once again came out of hiding. And so I yearned for good sports. I yearned to see the side of sports I had come to love. Then as the two bombs in Boston shook the souls of those involved, and consequentially, of those watching, images of people rushing to help others circulated by social media came to my attention. I read the story of how cowboy hat-wearing hero Carlos Arredondo pushed debris away from victims of the explosion. It was because of these remarkable moments of humanity at its best that reaffirmed my faith in sports.

White Hart Lane Showdown

2013-04-21T17:53:00.000+08:00

FULL TIME: Tottenham 3-1 Manchester City

White Hart Lane Showdown
Tottenham Hotspurs v Manchester City Preview
English Premier League
by assistant editor Oliver Gui
edited by editor Wong Yang

Tottenham
Predicted Line-Up: Lloris, Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto, Parker, Dembele,

Lennon, Sigurdsson, Bale, Adebayor,

Form (Last 6 games): LLWDDD

Manchester City

Predicted Line-Up: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic, Clichy, Barry, Y.Toure, Milner, Tevez, Silva, Dzeko

Form (Last 6 games): WWWWLW

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas confirmed on Friday that Gareth Bale (ankle) is fit to face Manchester City on Sunday, with Aaron Lennon (knee) "progressing well" and Jermain Defoe (muscle problem) hopeful of inclusion while Gylfi Sigurdsson and Emmanuel Adebayor are likely to start. Andre Villas Boas has lost Younes Kaboul (thigh) and William Gallas (calf) which means that Jan Vertonghen and Michael Dawson are likely to start for Tottenham. Roberto Mancini is likely to bring in Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta and Matija Nastasic after they were rested for City’s 1-0 win over Wigan Athletic while Maicon (virus) and Sergio Aguero (hamstring) are out. However, David Silva (hamstring) is likely to return from injury and may feature in the starting 11.

Tottenham return to Premier League action after a 10 day break with their last match against Basel in Switzerland in the Europa League fixture which they drew 2-2 (4-4 on aggregate) but crashed out of the tournament on penalties. This result and a previous bad run of form will no doubt have dented their morale as they face a difficult but must win this game against Manchester City to boost their hopes of Champions League qualification after Arsenal had knocked Spurs out of the top 4 during this 10 day break. During the break, however, Tottenham’s star players, such as Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon have made good progress in their efforts of recuperation from injury as Tottenham have greatly missed the trio, who have scored 40 goals between them in all competitions this season. This has caused Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas to remark that the PFA Player of the Year nominee Bale’s return will scare Manchester City. Indeed, Tottenham have failed to win a game this calendar year in which Bale has not scored in. However, Tottenham player Gylfi Sigurdsson is confident of his side’s ability as he told the club’s official website, “It’s a tough game against City but we’ll be aiming for the three points, the lads are up for it.”

On the other hand, Manchester City will also be confident of bagging all 3 points after a recent fine run of form which saw them win the Manchester Derby and beat Chelsea to reach the FA Cup final. If Manchester City lose the game against Tottenham, and Manchester United beat Aston Villa, this will see City surrender the Premier League crown to Manchester United. However, City have no intention of doing that this early on as Manchester City coach Brian Kidd said, “Listen, we’re champions. We’re champions and we want to fight until the end. I think it would be poor if we thought it was all over, it's possible we can win the league.” However, even if City beat Spurs, it is highly unlikely they would be able to overhaul a double digit points difference. However, the thought of delaying Manchester United claiming the Premier League trophy will be motivation enough for the City players as they travel to White Hart Lane where they thrashed Tottenham 1-5 last season.

Predicted scoreline: Tottenham 2-2 Manchester City

The disastrous Juventus performance I did not see coming

2013-04-07T17:57:00.002+08:00

The disastrous Juventus performance I did not see coming
Juventus’ fantastic run has not been built on the skills of individual players, but with team spirit.
by assistant editor Oliver Gui
edited by Wong Yang

I for one was expecting Juventus to put in a more solid performance. They had waltzed into the quarter finals of the Champions League having racked up 5 clean sheets in a row, and only conceding 4 goals in 8 matches prior to the Bayern Munich game, which is enough to make many top European sides green with envy. I had thought their defense would hold against Bayern Munich, but they lost 2-0. Make no mistake; the score line was not something for Juventus to be ashamed about. It was the manner in which they lost that was disappointing, and they were extremely fortunate not to lose by more.

Let us take a look at the reason behind Juventus's success over the past 18 months. Juventus’ fantastic run has not been built on the skills of individual players, but with team spirit. They are an impressive and hardworking unit, without a single player like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo taking the spotlight. The closing down of space is the thing that is pushing Juventus to glory, a work ethic installed by Antonio Conte ever since he arrived at the club. Furthermore, he has the perfect players to execute the plan with.

When we mention Juventus’ midfield, many will think of Claudio Marchisio, the goal scoring midfielder and jack of all trades, or Andrea Pirlo, with his brilliant set pieces and remarkable range of passing. However, although those two mentioned above are important, Arturo Vidal is undoubtedly the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle that makes the midfield trio so brilliant. Despite his lack of media attention, Vidal is the reason why Juventus are at the top of Serie A. In a team lacking a prolific goal scorer, his 8 goals scored in all competitions so far this season means he represents a major goal threat, but what puts him above the rest is his defensive prowess. He is great at snuffing out attacks from the opposition team just right when they are about to begin. He plays with unlimited energy and looks like an engine on the pitch, making about 5 to 6 tackles each game. Also, Vidal is fairly quick and is Juventus’ best defender on the counter attack, factoring in that the back three of Juventus’ 3-5-2 formation, Bonucci, Chiellini and Barzagli are not the fastest players and will sometimes struggle against counter attacks and agile players. The same applies to Pirlo, and when they do make mistakes, Arturo Vidal is there to clean up the mess.

Let us look at the Juventus side that played in the team's defeat against Bayern Munich. They conceded an early goal right from the start with a David Alaba long shot deflecting off a Juventus player and Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon not reacting quickly enough to save the deflected shot. What was worse was that the ball was given away by Andrea Pirlo to Bastian Schweinsteiger as he tried to play his way out of defence. That night, both Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon put in shocking performances, looking like shadows of their normal selves. Andrea Pirlo could not deal with Bayern Munich’s pace and repeatedly outmuscled off the ball, while Gianluigi Buffon was inconsistent throughout the game, making key saves while also erring in his judgment. Even Bayern Munich legend Franz Beckenbauer remarked that “Buffon looked like a pensioner.” Claudio Marchisio was anonymous in midfield and this left Arturo Vidal having to close down all the gaps his midfield partners neglected. The two strikers up front Matri and Quagliarella didn’t have much of an influence on the game either.

On the other hand, Bayern's pressing by Kroos and Muller forced the backline into making mistakes while Bayern Munich’s attacking force wreaked havoc on the Juventus defence.

In addition to numerous individual errors, Juventus lacked the team spirit we have come to see from them. It was certainly disappointing to witness that sudden lack of unity and teamwork.

The Old Lady will be looking to prove themselves back in Turin in front of their home fans. Hopefully, the team spirit so characteristic of a Juventus that has shone in the Serie A and Champions League of late will be revived.

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals 1st Leg

2013-04-04T07:07:00.001+08:00

Lionel Messi surrounded by PSG players

UEFA Champions League
Quarter-Finals 1st Legs
on FootballMania
by editor Wong Yang and assistant editor Bryan Ng

2nd April, 2013

Bayern Munich 2-0 Juventus

Thomas Muller tapping the ball in for Bayern's 2nd goal

Bayern looked set to continue their impressive run of 13 wins in 14 matches. It was also the first game after their 9-2 thrashing of Hamburg in the weekend. The confidence was definitely evident in the first minute, when Austrian David Alaba retrieved the ball about 30 yards from goal and drove a bouncing ball into the net. Gianluigi Buffon could only stumble to his left after the ball past him for he was wrong-footed and the ball was slightly deflected by teammate Arturo Vidal. It was a powerful strike by Alaba to kick off the game. Juventus managed to hold off Bayern and prevented them from scoring more in the first half. In attack, Juve relied on Andrea Pirlo for the creativity, and it was with his set-pieces that they could have equalised, but they were unable to convert. The Italians came out in the second half with an even deeper defensive play. Bayern continued to push forward and Juve were fortunate that Buffon managed to parry a free-kick by Alaba. Still, Buffon's efforts later into the game were in vain, for his knocking-away of the ball fell to the path of Mario Mandzukic. Mandzukic found Muller in the centre, and the German slotted it into the goal for Bayern's second. It was a dominant performance by Bayern, as they hope to close it out when they head to Turin next week.

Paris Saint-Germain 2-2 Barcelona

Ibrahimovic with Pedro and Xavi behind

Paris Saint-Germain snatched a 2-2 draw with La Liga leaders Barcelona with a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser by Blaise Matuidi. Lionel Messi had scored the Catalans' first goal in the 38th minute. Messi was then replaced by Cesc Fabregas at the break due to his hamstring injury, which will pose doubts over Barcelona's ability to beat PSG at home. Dani Alves had made an outstanding pass to the Argentinian, and Messi finished it with his left-foot. PSG had started the match with pace and strength, but they could not find the back of the net. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 79th-minute equaliser sparked controversy, for television replays suggested that the former Barca player was offside. Barcelona was awarded a late penalty when PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu brought down Alexis Sanchez in the box. Xavi calmly sent Sirigu the wrong way to restore Barca's lead, but PSG would not let the Catalans leave the Parc des Princes with a victory, for Ibrahimovic headed the ball down to Matuidi for the final equaliser of the match. It would have been a delight for Barcelona to return to the Camp Nou with an even greater advantage, but it was not to be. Ibrahimovic said after the match, "I think we played a fantastic game....Above all I'm that we kept on fighting. We're happy to have equalised as it would have been much tougher had we lost."

3rd April, 2013

Malaga 0-0 Borussia Dortmund

Caballero making a save

Malaga held Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw thanks to a decisive performance by the La Liga club's goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Dortmund had a pool of chances to go ahead in the first leg but they made miss after miss, and Caballero made save after save. Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski were at fault for not being able to convert golden opportunities. Malaga had the first chance of the game after Javier Saviola latched onto a pass on the right and cut inside for a shot that went wide. Malaga were quiet from then on, for Dortmund's attacking style continued to exert pressure on the La Liga team. The trio of Gotze, Lewandowski and Marco Reus caused confusion in the Malaga defense. Unfortunately for Dortmund, none of them were able to finish off. Gotze got a low-powered shot off after running clear to receive a Lewandowski header, but Caballero made a one-handed save to stop the attempt. Intricate team player led Reus to two fantastic chances but Caballero saved both of them. Malaga's Weligton was lucky to bring down Lewandowski just on the edge of the box for a free-kick instead of a penalty. Malaga supporters, although now able to heave a brief sigh of relief because of the re-ignition of their Champions League hopes, will have to worry in the second leg because the team will be without captain Weligton and defensive midfielder Manuel Iturra due to suspensions. The duo will most probably be replaced by Nacho Camacho and Diego Lugano.

Real Madrid 3-0 Galatasaray

A frustrated Wesley Sneijder

Real Madrid thumped Galatasaray 3-0 at home with goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. Madrid made full use of the space given to them by their opponents and distributed the ball neatly to inspire chances. Madrid's first goal was crafted when Xabi Alonso made a pass to Mezut Ozil, who then played a one-two with Benzema. Ozil sliced a low pass in for Ronaldo to chip it over Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Michael Essien sent a high ball which was received by Benzema in the box, and the French international kicked the ball in for Madrid's second goal. Sneijder was ineffective in the first half, and was replaced by Gokhan Zan after the break. Benzema was substituted by Higuain 25 minutes from time and put the cherry on the cake by heading in a free-kick from Alonso. Entry into the semi-finals is somewhat secured for Madrid, who will miss the presence of Alonso and Ramos in the second leg due to yellow cards.

Barcelona v AC Milan Preview

2013-03-12T22:58:00.000+08:00

UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Barcelona v AC Milan (2nd leg) Preview

Barcelona head out of the Camp Nou tonight with a two-goal deficit. There's no doubt that Barcelona is a team able to make decisive come-from-behind victories. Revered and hailed as one of the best clubs in recent seasons, we know anything is possible at Barcelona.

However, this is a Barcelona without Tito Vilanova. A defensive barrier suddenly so penetrable, a lethal attack now less creative than the one we have come to admire. The statistics say it all; Barcelona have only one clean sheet in their last 14 matches, and an uncharacteristic six wins, three draws and four defeats in the last 13 games.

Although the Catalans look on track to winning the La Liga, their exit to the hands of Chelsea in the Champions League last season leaves them hungrier to regain the European crown.

Milan thwrated Barcelona's attempts to grab an away goal at the San Siro, and we shall see if a more smooth and fluid attacking play will be installed in the Catalan camp. Slick passing and strategic runs are key to a Barca revival. Messi, who has netted only five times this season in European-level competitions, will have to keep his head up.

In the Milan camp, Mario Balotelli's ineligibility to play could give way to El Shaarawy leading the attack. Robinho has reminded Milan that they should not focus solely on defence. "We have plenty of quality and must attack and defend well. We should play our own game in possession and try to score."

A champion is consistent, and this game is not a footnote, but a climatic paragraph in the thick book of Barcelona history.

It's that time of the year

2013-02-02T09:41:00.000+08:00

by Wong Yang

10 years has past since the introduction of the January transfer window. It's a window of desperation, of panic, yet a window of opportunity. FootballMania gives you a look at the best January signings of recent years, as well as 2013's latest transfers.

When the clubs got it right in January

Nemanja Vidic, CSKA Moscow to Manchester United (2006), £7m

from the Guardian UK

The Serbian defender, signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2006, formed a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand with Edwin van der San in goal, to create United's solid defence that brought them to four Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy. He most recently scored a header against Liverpool on January 13th, making a return from injury.

Daniel Agger, Brondby IF to Liverpool, (2006), £7m
The centre-back has played a key role in Liverpool's defence despite his injuries. His strong tackles and positional awareness made him a valuable buy. Records show that Liverpool are a better side with him in defence. Another fine buy in defence for the Reds is Martin Skrtel, who joined Liverpool one year after Agger. The Reds owe their current defensive record to Skrtel, who has made some crucial tackles.

from gfdb.com

Emmanuel Adebayor, Monaco to Arsenal (2006), £7m
The striker scored 62 goals in 143 appearances (in all competitions) for Arsenal. When Thierry Henry left the club and Robin van Persie and Eduardo left out of the line-up due to injuries in the 2007/08 season, the Togolese international was at his best, scoring 30 goals out of 40 starts. Arsenal also won an enormous profit when he was sold for £25 million to Manchester City.

Javier Mascherano, West Ham to Liverpool (2007), undisclosed fee
Mascherano joined Liverpool and was given the chance to join the Red's Champions League squad. In the 2007 Champions League final against Milan, the Argentinian combined well with Xabi Alonso to slow Kaka and Milan's play, even though Liverpool lost 2-1 in the end. Described as a "monster of a player" by then Red manager Rafael Benitez, the midfielder certainly made his mark with his time at Liverpool.

Ashley Young, Watford to Aston Villa (2007), £9.65m
Martin O' Neill beat other clubs to signing Young in 2007. His surging runs down the wing and his accurate set-pieces were a gift for Villa, who performed reasonably well in the four seasons when Young was there. United eventually signed him for £20m in 2011.

Branislav Ivanovic, Lokomotiv Moscow to Chelsea (2008), £9.7m
The defender was a key part of Chelsea's title-winning 2009/10 season team. A versatile player, Ivanovic's understanding of defence and anticipation of danger has saved Chelsea to blushes countless times. He has also won three FA Cups and a Champions League trophy with the Blues.

Jermain Defoe, West Ham to Tottenham (2004), then Portsmouth to Tottenham again (2009), £7m, then around £15.75 million
Defoe had initially joined the Spurs in 2004, netting 64 goals out of 177 appearances. However, he left for Portsmouth in 2008, before returning to White Hart Lane a year later. His precision timing of his runs make him a threat to the opponent's defence. This season, he has built a striking partnership with teammate Adebayor, with the duo delivering goal after goal for the Spurs.

Shay Given, Newcastle United to Manchester City (2009), £7m

from the Guardian UK

The Irish goalkeeper signed with City on a four-year deal from Newcastle, and was given the first-choice keeper position when Joe Hart left City on loan. Making outstanding saves for City, Given was chosen ahead of Hart even when he returned from loan. City manager Roberto Mancini described him as "one of the five best goalkeepers in the world". However, Given dislocated his shoulder, and was dropped from the starting line-up in 2010, giving his place to Joe Hart. Given has since joined Aston Villa.

Luis Suarez, Ajax to Liverpool (2011), £22.8m
Kenny Dalglish got it all right when he brought Suarez to Liverpool from Dutch side Ajax. Despite his controversial dives and plays, the sly poacher carried the burden of Liverpool's attack, with the other striker signings not performing. However, Daniel Sturridge was recently signed from Chelsea and has indeed helped to ease some pressure of Suarez. The duo haved played well together, especially in the Red's 5-0 win over Norwich two weeks ago.

The latest signings this year

The rebellious Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has left the Etihad for AC Milan for a fee of about £20m.

Harry Redknapp signed defender Christopher Samba from Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia for £12.5m. Redknapp described the defender as "great in the air, quick, a leader, strong in both boxes, hard as nails."

Nacho Monreal joined the Gunners from Malaga, after Arsene Wenger paid £8.3m for the Spanish left-back, as he looks to strengthen the Arsenal backline. The left-back is said to be a formidable crosser.

Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace forward, signed a deal with Manchester United. However, the England international was loaned back to Crystal Palace and will join United at the end of the season. This is due to league rules that prevent Zaha from dual-registering at both clubs. (initial £10m)

from the Bleacher Report

French international Loic Remy joined QPR from Marseille for a fee of about £8m. The striker scored on his debut for the Rangers, in the team's 1-1 draw against West Ham United.

Daniel Sturridge joined Liverpool for £10m, while Rodgers seeks to get reinforcements up front. The ex-Chelsea man also scored on his debut, which was a FA Cup third round game against Manfield. Sturridge also found the net against rivals United, and then bagged his third goal in the Red's 5-0 victory over Norwich City.