When the Singapore Armed Forces FC (SAFFC), Home United FC or Tampines Rovers FC are mentioned on the front page of the papers, one would usually expect that the article will be based on these three teams being the talk of the town with convincing wins over their opponents.
It does not seem to be that case anymore for the big boys who have won 13 titles among themselves over the past 16 seasons. The pre season favorites for 2012 are now without a single win after two rounds of league matches played.
The top three teams in Singapore have invested heavily during the off season and were expected to set the league alight with some instant results on the pitch. They were left to wonder what went wrong, after failing to reproduce the form that they produced through the last stretch of the 2011 season.
Balestier Khalsa taught defending champions Tampines Rovers a football lesson by nicking a win late in their fixture. Against Home United, the Toa Payoh based team did well and secured a precious point against the 2011 RHB Singapore Cup Champions.
In the case of SAFFC, two straight defeats against Albirex Niigata (S) and DPMM have set tongues wagging if SAFFC really has the credentials of finally securing the championship after two barren seasons.
In my opinion, it’s not that the big boys did not show up, but the fact that the mid table teams as well as the dark horses have recruited amazingly well and have improved over the last couple of months.
Albirex Niigata (S) once again delighted the crowd with some excellent football to go top of the table after coming back from a goal down to beat Tanjong Pagar United in their second home game of the season. While the result flattered the White Swans a little, there is no denial of the threat that they will pose this season.
Woodlands Wellington, last season’s unfortunate wooden spoonist, is currently sitting comfortably at the top of the table alongside Albirex. No one, including myself, gave the Rams a chance. I expected this team to struggle throughout the entire season and I was left stunned when they achieved maximum points from their first two matches.
Hougang United will also be another one to watch after dislodging Courts Young Lions in a one-sided affair. The Cheetahs are impressive because of one simple reason. The boys play with their hearts. When they are compared player to player, the Hougang based side may not outdo a lot of teams on the pitch but when it comes to the need to win games, their team work, and commitment on the pitch has been a vital tool as shown in the 2011 season. Never mind the fact that a great coach (Aide Iskandar) has left, because in came another great coach (Nenad Bacina) who has the ability to bring the best out of the players that he have at his disposal.
I am very impressed with the progress that Balestier Khalsa, Gombak United and Woodlands Wellington have made. They have nicked points – precious ones, off former S-League Champions, to show everyone that this 2012 season will be a keenly contested one, unlike the previous years.
We now head into the International break as the Singapore National team goes on the battle field against Iraq in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier on the last day of the month, and when we return, we will witness the most unanticipated top of the table clash, with Albirex Niigata (S) going head to head with Woodlands Wellington. Well, the ball is round, and anything can happen. There is much truth in this statement.
Written by: Neo Chee Seong
Photo courtesy of : Ryan He
