Early season rundown: Through the looking-glass

Tam Cheong Yan
info@sleague.com

A new co-title sponsor, a new foreign outfit, and a raft of new faces turning out for the existing teams. Changes aplenty there have been, yet in a way, it has been business as usual for Singapore’s one and only professional football league.

It certainly has been business as usual here at sleague.com, with everyone busy taking a careful look at all the teams since the start of pre-season. Now, six weeks into the 2009 campaign, both the scribes and the fans they write for have had a chance to see all twelve participating teams in the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League.

Yet, as a Chinese saying goes, sounds can make one deaf and colours can make one blind. So too can 36 matches of football – more if we count continental competitions – lead to a case of information overload and make it hard to make sense of everything on display.

Still, this little guide will try to give a quick assessment of each of the competing sides and their chances of performing to their expectations. By no means are the words below authoritative or conclusive, but this writer and everyone else at sleague.com will be monitoring with interest as the teams continue their quests in the eight months to come.


Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore)
Nickname: The White Swans
Home Ground: Jurong East Stadium
Last Season: 7th place (out of 12 teams)

Overview:
Faithfully serving as satellite unit to the J-League outfit, they enjoyed some unexpected success last year as Hiroaki Hiraoka picked up the Coach of the Year award for his inspirational leadership. Now he is gone, and Naoki Naruo faces the challenge of continuing the good work done by Hiroaki and his predecessors as a new cohort of college boys eagerly await their chance to shine in Singapore.

Star Recruit: Kenji Adachihara
Many of the Japan Soccer College students who came to Jurong East may not have any competitive experience back home, but not this 24-year-old. Having featured in high school and university football for seven years before turning out for amateur side Viancone Fukushima, he has proven a comfortable fit for his current team and could yet fill the goalscoring void left by Ryota Doi.

Main Man: Akira Takase
Together with Takatoshi Uchida, this talented young striker is burdened with the task of guiding the many new faces at the club now that the veterans have taken their exits. That may have accounted for his slow start to the season, but a sparkling performance against Woodlands Wellington shows he still can produce the goods given the right support.

Wild Card: Yoshito Matsushita
Having spent a year under the instruction of Norio Takahashi, this was supposed to be the season for him to show what he has learnt following Takahashi’s retirement. Early indicators suggest he has his weaknesses though, particularly in terms of positioning against attackers daring to take long shots – a point Indra Sahdan Daud will be more than ready to vouch for.

Title Potential (out of 5): 2.5
Unlike in earlier years, this club is no longer living under the pressure of pushing for a place in the top three, a fact that has apparently upset a few industry watchers keen to see a strong challenge by the league’s foreign teams. That said, given their well-defined purpose, they should continue to excite fans with their brand of speedy, all-out-attack football.


Balestier Khalsa
Nickname: The Tigers
Home Ground: Toa Payoh Stadium
Last Season: 12th place

Overview:
Last and, financially speaking, perhaps least at the end of 2008, they have certainly taken more than a few bruises. But with a good percentage of the squad staying and a substantial number of former players returning from stints elsewhere, the Tigers have certainly made some gains in terms of experience. Already they have pocketed their first victory of the campaign, at home to Geylang United, and as long as they continue to perform above themselves, the possibility of causing notable upsets will remain open.

Star Recruit: Bryan Soane
For a team not as reliant on foreigners as some others in the league, the Tigers appear to have picked up a raw diamond in this strapping young Australian. Able to operate as striker or wide man, this 20-year-old has already featured in the starting eleven for all of Balestier’s first six games, and can certainly be called upon for more game time in the senior setup despite being registered as a Prime League player.

Main Man: Anantha Rajan
The aggression shown in the young midfielder is exactly what Nasaruddin Jalil needs to drive his outfit. Fairly balanced in his destructive and creative tendencies, this 22-year-old could yet make an outside bid for a place in the SEA Games squad if he impresses throughout the season.

Wild Card: Han Yiguang
A grand total of 16 yellow cards in all competitions means this defensive midfielder is prone to finding himself on the wrong side of the Laws of the Game. He will definitely have to watch his card count this season, yet that should not come at the expense of his all-action style that has helped break up opponents’ attacks and buy time for his colleagues to regroup. Balancing these opposite requirements will be a tricky act.

Title Potential: 2
Truth is, nobody expects this team to be too far away from the bottom few spots come the end of the season, and they have themselves repeatedly said as much. But if that helps them take the pressure off themselves while they quietly concentrate on giving decent young players breaks that might never surface anywhere else, there is little harm in letting that float their boat.


Brunei DPMM FC
Nickname: The Wasps
Home Ground: Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan
Last Season: Did not participate

Overview:
For years a regular fixture in the RHB Singapore Cup, Brunei’s only professional outfit will now enjoy the pleasure of weekly S.League football after being air-flown in as late replacements for Dalian Shide Siwu. Rules have been bent and exceptions made to cater to their participation, and they have responded by clocking some impressive early results. But can the team bankrolled by the Crown Prince of Brunei spend their way to the top?

Star Recruit: Oh Ddog Yi
New to this team but certainly no stranger to Singapore football, the man who fronted the Super Reds’ charge for a substantial chunk of the 2008 season now finds himself leading the attacking line for the league’s newest foreign outfit. Fans will remember this temperamental forward for a number of reasons, but whether he can link up well with his new colleagues will have a huge influence on the team’s fortunes.

Main Man: Vjeran Simunic
Not since the days of Steve Darby has anyone seen a more colourful personality take his place at the head of any bench – and even the Englishman was not this animated! The man who coaches both DPMM and the Brunei national team has taken to the limelight with his endless and eccentric comments, some of them bordering on the hilarious. Now, if he can just pause for a minute and let the journalists have their turn…

Wild Card: Shahrazen Said
Arguably Brunei’s answer to Khairul Amri, this 23-year-old was a revelation in 2007 when he finished joint top-scorer in the Malaysian Super League. He has taken rather longer to get his scoring boots on in Singapore, but having opened his account recently against Sengkang Punggol, great things can be expected of this hotshot.

Title Potential: 3.5
Suggestions of a top-three finish, or even a push for the title, may seem plausible given their current standing in the table. The real tests of character will come soon enough, however, and against seasoned campaigners who have done it all before, Simunic will need more than his weapons of mass distraction.


Geylang United
Nickname: The Eagles
Home Ground: Bedok Stadium
Last Season: 6th place

Overview:
Two years of mid-table consolidation appears to be insufficient to satisfy the Eagles’ appetites, and this year they have come right out and targeted a top-four finish. They have made aggressive changes to their squad, making new signings in nearly every department, and with a trio of coaches put onto a single panel, there is almost as much glamour at this club as one can find on Singapore Idol.

Star Recruit: Ashrin Shariff
Released by SAFFC after seeing his fortunes fade over the course of 2008, the former Singapore Under-23 international has started brightly for his new club, grabbing three goals so far. The fire in this powerful striker’s belly appears to be burning once again, and that can only interest potential suitors.

Main Man: Miroslav Latiak
At his influential best this Slovakian can be mesmerizing to watch, and his box-to-box approach means skipper Mohd Noor Ali can concentrate on being an effective link man up front. At his worst, though, the individualistic streak in this attacking midfielder can frustrate teammates not getting the pass. Whether the Eagles rise or fall could often be determined by which side this 28-year-old shows on the day.

Wild Card: Rickey Harris
Christian Cevenini, Boyko Simeonov, Abdelaziz Dnibi, Luiz Machado Junior… It has become something of a norm that one foreigner at this club will turn out to be a disappointing misfit. Having scored exactly zero times in six games – the last one seeing him get just five minutes of action – the Canadian will be hoping he does not become the next.

Title Potential: 2.5
Having the ambition is one thing, but the ease with which they were swept aside by SAFFC and Tampines Rovers would suggest they still do not have enough in them to challenge the league’s top sides. It is thus now a matter of going back to basics and making the fundamentals work, rather than waiting for two or three players to drag the team away from the spiral of dysfunction.


Gombak United
Nickname: The Bulls
Home Ground: Jurong West Stadium
Last Season: 5th place

Overview:
While they were once again far from the title-chasing action, a strong second half in 2008 went a long way towards confirming them as the “best of the rest” behind the league’s established trio of SAFFC, Home United and Tampines Rovers. Having kept most of the side that won the Avaya-J&J League Cup last term, they now look forward to Darren Stewart’s direction while former caretaker coach A. Shasi Kumar retreats to a supporting role.

Star Recruit: Goran Subara
A talented midfielder in Australia’s lower leagues, this youngster was brought in to consolidate a Bulls midfield that has missed the commanding influence of Obadin Aikhena. Already in his first few matches he has displayed a quiet, fuss-free approach to cleaning up any situations that arise in the middle of the park, and that will liberate his teammates to concentrate on their attacking responsibilities.

Main Man: Ojimi Gabriel Obatola
The face of the all-African attacking line at Jurong West, he remains as irrepressible as he was when he first came to this club three years ago. That should be more than adequate evidence to prove that he is the real deal, and he will once again be at the heart of this team’s attacking efforts alongside Kingsley Njoku, Emmanuel Emuejeraye and the increasingly understated Agu Casmir.

Wild Card: Ridhwan Jamaludin
Keen observers of this team will have noticed the extended absence of Thai playmaker Theerawesin (now Theerawekin) Seehawong due to injury. With no definite date set yet on when the diminutive man will return, the ex-Home United trainee now finds himself in a position to stake his claim as a serious alternative. The strength of the frontline practically supports itself, but if this 24-year-old can rise to become a reliable feeder, he could yet turn this team into a real title contender.

Title Potential: 4
Whisper it quietly when you visit their home ground, but their direct and powerful brand of action speaks far louder than Stewart’s repeated attempts to play down talk of them being potential champions. While they probably will not mind missing out on the big prize, they could spring a surprise if the usual suspects fail to live up to their lofty standards.


Home United
Nickname: The Protectors
Home Ground: Clementi Stadium
Last Season: 3rd place

Overview:
Finishing without a trophy for the third consecutive year may be a sore point for this club, more so given the riches of talent at their disposal last term. They have responded by sensationally parting ways with Indra Sahdan Daud, yet blaming the Singapore captain’s departure as the cause of the club’s early-season slump would be simplistic. Perhaps it has more to do with the discomfort of moving away from their long-time base at Bishan Stadium, which is under renovation for the Youth Olympic Games next year.

Star Recruit: Shahdan Sulaiman
It may surprise some to see a Prime League boy picked ahead of the likes of Norikazu Murakami and Ismail Yunos, but his displays at Tampines Rovers in the last three years have justified him as a future Singapore international in the making. PN Sivaji has already included the 20-year-old for the club’s AFC Cup campaign, and two full games in the league have seen him move ahead of Syed Fadhil and Tengku Mushadad in the midfield pecking order.

Main Man: Shi Jiayi
Never mind the dangerous presence of Kengne Ludovick and the astute leadership of defensive stalwart S. Subramani, how well the team is doing on the field can be gauged by how much of an impact this midfield all-rounder is making. With Peres de Oliveira declining in influence due to age, the burden of driving the team’s attack now falls on this Singapore international.

Wild Card: Itimi Dickson
Question marks remain over whether this former Tiger Cup winner can reproduce the form he had shown in 2004, and after struggling to prove his fitness last year, he still does not appear to be near his best. His battling display in the AFC Cup against Becamex Binh Duong is an encouraging sign, though, and as the winger continues to get game time, he could provide the spark that would ignite his team’s campaign.

Title Potential: 3.5
On paper they have the best squad to end SAFFC’s dominance, yet the manner in which they had dropped points against supposedly weaker sides reveal a curious fragility in the players’ psyche. Sivaji’s position appears worryingly tenuous, but his charges have to take a more pro-active stance where rallying and organizing themselves are concerned, instead of sitting back and wallowing in self-pity.


Sengkang Punggol
Nickname: The Dolphins
Home Ground: Hougang Stadium
Last Season: 11th place

Overview:
If at first you don’t succeed, try again – or at least that seems to be the adage guiding the northeastern side. Having finished second from bottom despite a genuine effort to bring in better players, they have stepped up their recruiting game and brought on board even more talents to bolster their ranks. The results may not be showing as they sit at bottom spot after six games, but as new coach Jorg Steinebrunner constantly stresses, getting things to work will take time.

Star Recruit: Indra Sahdan Daud
Hougang Stadium may be welcoming its second centurion in as many years, but unlike Mirko Grabovac before him, the 30-year-old has been able to take to the field and make a direct impact on the team. He may no longer be the speedy poacher he still wants to be, but the efforts Vincent Subramaniam and PN Sivaji have made to turn him into a creative force have had lasting effects, if his performances this year are anything to go by.

Main Man: Murphy Wiredu
No less crucial an attacking presence than Indra, the Canadian is arguably even more central to his team’s efforts given his versatility in midfield and attack. Often played out wide by Steinebrunner due to a lack of options – especially on the right – he has been much livelier and more influential when roaming down the centre.

Wild Card: Jerry Bartholomeusz
One of three senior players who followed Steinebrunner from Woodlands, the determination shown by the 35-year-old to continue his career is commendable. Not so much his tendency to draw cards, though, and that has more to do with an increasing tendency to misjudge his tackles. He continues to be of some value, although he can start thinking about passing on his experience to Nor Azli Yusoff and Lau Meng Meng.

Title Potential: 3
Their pre-season transfer spree notwithstanding, quips about a team trying to buy its way to the title should be brushed off as little more than harmless banter among the fraternity. In truth, they have much to do before they can gel into a fully functional unit, but succeeding Gombak United as the new mid-table leaders come season’s end should be within their powers.


Singapore Armed Forces FC
Nickname: The Warriors
Home Ground: Choa Chu Kang Stadium
Last Season: Champions

Overview:
They have conquered nearly everything there is on the domestic front, and their exploits last year proved that as their Prime League team added the Singapore Pools FA Cup to the league title and RHB Singapore Cup trophy won by their seniors. Qualification for the AFC Champions League has not stopped them from continuing to power ahead back home, a surprise slip-up at home to Woodlands Wellington quickly replaced in the memory by a 6-0 blitzing of Albirex Niigata FC (Singapore).

Star Recruit: Park Tae Won
By the Korean’s own reckoning this was a love affair that should have started years ago, and his powers appear to have diminished a little now that he is almost 32. Yet the league’s newest centurion has established himself as one of the most consistent foreigners in the business, and it surely will not be long before he makes himself a very significant part of the setup.

Main Man: Therdsak Chaiman
The Thai midfield commander is the only player preventing the entire team from being complete unknowns in Asia, and he justifies it with the effortlessness with which he can still get things moving along. At age 35 he may not have much pace in him, but his main assets of sharp vision, quick decision-making and top-class technique remain intact.

Wild Card: Mustaqim Manzur
Park’s arrival at Choa Chu Kang has increased the competition for places among the wingers, and the versatility shown by Masahiro Fukasawa and Ahmad Latiff Khamarudin means they keep their starting places. By contrast, the 27-year-old has been given the short end of the stick by starting on the bench much of the time, and the pressure is on him to fight his way back into the starting eleven.

Title Potential: 4.5
The quality of the first-team players is without doubt, but one other reason Richard Bok’s men remain favourites is the understanding the team members have with one another, which only one or two challengers can match. The only concern is how their 16-man senior squad – the smallest they have had in recent years – can cope with their attempts to chase glory on four fronts.


Super Reds
Nickname: The Bears
Home Ground: Yishun Stadium
Last Season: 2nd place

Overview:
Absolutely stunning last year as they completely eradicated memories of their embarrassing maiden season, the Koreans might have hoped their stellar displays would have won the hearts of fans and financiers. Curiously enough, that has not happened, and many of the stars from last term have left in search of greener pastures, with the replacements yet to find their feet after six games that yielded just six points.

Star Recruit: Park Han Seok
Initially drafted into the squad as a midfielder, the 30-year-old has since shown enough versatility to be deployed on the right side of a three-man attack. The former Incheon Korail man has already bagged two goals to become his team’s leading scorer, although he has also picked up two yellow cards, which could be a concern with so many games still to play.

Main Man: Joo Ki Hwan
Despite the ongoing rotating captaincy among Jeon Kyeong Joon’s players, there should be little doubt as to who the real leader on the field is. The tall, powerfully-built centreback is also the primary defensive anchor and a familiar face among a backline that has otherwise been thoroughly changed.

Wild Card: Yun Bo Young
He was the man who made the Super Reds tick before a knee injury ended his season, but tentative displays on his return have hinted that he has not been the same man since. It would be a pity if that were the case, but if the No.19 bounces back and becomes an even stronger man, he could become as legendary a character as Peres de Oliveira and Therdsak Chaiman at the peak of their powers.

Title Potential: 3.5
Glimpses from their most recent games have already shown that this squad still can wow the crowds given enough time to settle, and while time may not be on their side, a tilt for top honours is not out of the question yet. But they will certainly need to show better finishing than they did in their first few games.


Tampines Rovers
Nickname: The Stags
Home Ground: Tampines Stadium
Last Season: 4th place

Overview:
They have been among the dominant forces in the league for the last five years or so, but 2008 had been a particularly disappointing campaign. Still, they are steadily walking out of the transition phase, and after the worrisome opening run of three draws, they appear to be turning the corner. No longer is the extended absence of any one player causing substantial distress; this looks like an outfit ready to confront the challenges once more.

Star Recruit: Seiji Kaneko
He may not have had too many games in the J-League due to injuries, but the training he has had at Kashima Antlers shows each time he goes in for an inch-perfect sliding tackle on his opponents. The Stags have signed two foreigners to boost their backline, but it should not be hard to see who has the better all-round quality between the two.

Main Man: Sutee Suksomkit
The main fulcrum on which almost all the team’s attacking moves pivot, the current Thailand international can singlehandedly determine the shape of the game, as he did when he created both goals against Geylang United. Used principally on the left but equally capable in central midfield, the 30-year-old is a paragon of consistency in the side.

Wild Card: Ridhuan Muhammad
Yet to reproduce the scintillating form he had shown while captaining the Young Lions in 2006, the winger has at times irritated with his unusual if sometimes questionable fashion statements. His continued selection among the starting eleven, however, is testament of the faith the club’s top brass have in him, and he always appears only two games away from weighing in and proving his detractors wrong.

Title Potential: 4.5
Noh Alam Shah is back in business from the very beginning, and while the goals have not come thick and fast for him, there is a dangerous look to the team as a collective. Without the distractions of continental football, they look like a good alternative to Home United and SAFFC for the trophy.


Woodlands Wellington
Nickname: The Rams
Home Ground: Woodlands Stadium
Last Season: 8th place

Overview:
The financial crisis has hit some clubs harder than others, and few can claim to have had as big a budget revision as the northerners. A wholesale exit of their foreign contingent, added to the departures of household names such as Yazid Yasin and Sazali Salleh, have led to a dramatic overhaul in the club’s personnel for the new campaign. Yet they have fared remarkably well, holding Tampines Rovers and Gombak United to draws and pulling a surprise win over SAFFC.

Star Recruit: Asraf Abdul Rashid
Capable of playing either as leftback or further up the field, the 23-year-old looked set to progress from the SAFFC Prime League squad into the senior setup, only to be surprisingly released. But fate smiles kindly to the determined, and few can be as determined as this youngster, who nearly pocketed his first senior goal against the Young Lions with a powerful free kick.

Main Man: Jamil Ali
Released by the Warriors after spending two years with them, the 25-year-old came back to haunt his old employers with a brace at Choa Chu Kang that helped his current team claim their first win of the season. Yet the winger has not just excelled in one game; used as an auxiliary striker on occasion, his rejuvenation is clear as he has found room to express his creative powers.

Wild Card: Kamal Nasir
The influx of new faces means those who have stayed from last year would be under pressure to prove their worth, none more so perhaps than this defensive midfielder who has had the experience of travelling to the Doha Asian Games. Since that surprise career high, the 26-year-old has yet to make an impression on the field, and he desperately needs to grab whatever chance he gets to prove a worthy backup for the ageing Azlan Alipah and Hasrin Jailani.

Title Potential: 2.5
A strike partnership made up of two National Football League foreigners may not be the most convincing, and their ability to deliver goals will be severely tested. Otherwise this is a side loaded with a good share of experienced campaigners, and with their guidance, the team should be able to avert a cellar scrap – but only just.


Young Lions
Nickname: The Young Lions
Home Ground: Jalan Besar Stadium
Last Season: 9th place

Overview:
With V. Sundramoorthy reassigned to the Under-21 squad and former defensive stalwart Terry Pathmanathan put in charge, this outfit faces a new phase of transition. Fresh faces have been brought in as the likes of Firdaus Idros and Zulfadli Zainal Abidin made their exits, and moulding the replacements into talents who can shine in years to come is no mean feat, yet early results suggest a few of the new boys can indeed go on to prosper.

Star Recruit: Faritz Abdul Hameed
The youngster who turned 19 in January was not part of the Singapore squad that had taken part in the AFC Under-17 Championship three years ago, but looking his performances alongside Gabriel Quak Jun Yi, who was born in the same year and did play in the competition, one cannot tell the difference. The midfielder has lasted all 90 minutes in his team’s first six games, making him a potential surprise entry for this year’s Laos-bound squad.

Main Man: Hyrulnizam Juma’at
The goalkeeper’s position is one that will surely see a hot contest since this is a SEA Games year, and the 22-year-old will be keen to work hard to maintain his advantage over teammate Jasper Chan. Having made significant improvements since he first turned up at Jalan Besar three years ago, this year’s league campaign will be all about building up his confidence by pitting him against all sorts of different attacking threats.

Wild Card: Hariss Harun
Having made his entrance into top-flight football amid plenty of hype, he had struggled to cope with inflated expectations prior to his knee injury last May. Almost a year on, the 18-year-old is almost out of public memory, but that should only make the reluctant spectator hungrier to demonstrate what he has learnt while watching from the sidelines. This writer for one awaits the defensive midfielder’s return to active duty.

Title Potential: 2
This squad may not be able to match the impressive standards set by the Shahril Ishak cohort, and even their own coach has asked hard questions on whether the youngsters can improve themselves rapidly enough to meet the demands expected of them. The gauntlet has thus been thrown down; it is now up to them to show that they are indeed the best there are among their peers.