Letters from Bishan

All hands on deck. Letters from I-wont Bishan will definitely be on the minds of the Albirex Niigata boys after the beating they are likely to get when they visit the Protectors at their dragon lair in Bishan this week. Riding on their emphatic win over the their last three opponents, the odds are definitely against the Japanese visitors. Raise the red, white and blue flag ... the Japs are going down.

(another article from Sleague)

Syahrom Sulaiman
info@sleague.com

Early pacesetter Home United will host Albirex Niigata FC (S) at Bishan Stadium on Wednesday night in a bid to maintain their 100% record.

A home victory - pardon the pun - will earn the Protectors the right to be labeled as serious title contenders this early in the season.

Nevertheless, a match against the White Swans will be anything but easy.

They may be languishing near the foot of the table but once coach Hiroaki Hiraoka get all his players to click together into one cohesive unit, the White Swans will be a force to be reckoned with.

Rightback Eiichiro Ozaki is the team’s dead ball specialist and even though he has yet to open his account this season, it will only be a matter of time before the defenders starts to dazzle spectators with his lethal freekicks.

Protectors’ head coach Vincent Subramaniam knows that his team will be in for a tough time on Wednesday.

“Albirex (Niigata FC (S)) are currently not in a good league position at the moment and they will definitely come out fighting when we play against them,” he said.

Jerome Seow, a long-time Home United supporter, also foresees the danger posed by the White Swans’ front men, especially the club’s top scorer Tetsuya Okayama.

Jerome commented, “Albirex (Niigata FC (S)) use a lot of speed in their attacks and Home United’s defence may not have the pace to deal with their speedy strikers. Therefore, the back four will have to maintain their shape and display better technical ability in defence.”

“But I am confident that Home (United) should be able to get the three points nonetheless,” Jerome said.

A recent 4-0 victory over Gombak United will have done the Protectors a whole lot of good in terms of confidence, but coach Vincent still feels that his side is far from being the finished article.

Vincent said, “I am not impressed at all with the victory over Gombak (United). I think the players could have done much better in the game.

“The new players will be given opportunities to prove themselves and the good news is that all of them are keen and ready to play.”

Out of all the new players whom Home United have drafted into their roster at the beginning of the season, Jerome feels that Ivorian midfielder Diakite Fode Bangaly is the man to look out for.

Jerome said enthusiastically, “Diakite is a typical hard man in midfield who wins the ball and has a good range of passing.

“He (Diakite) is the type of player whom Home United have been missing in the past few seasons. Diakite protects the defence as well as contributes in attack.

“The goal he scored against Gombak (United) is proof of his offensive instincts. His height also makes him an asset during set plays,” Jerome added.

The Protectors will be without defender Kamarulariffin Abdul Karim who is carrying an injury but Vincent nevertheless has a good replacement in Shahril Alias.

The White Swans will have no major injury or suspension worries – the only thing that coach Hiroaki Hiraoka needs to be concerned about is to devise a strategy in stifling the in-form Protectors this Wednesday.