Pre-season Friendly Report 4

	Opponent: Albirex Niigata (S) FC Date: 6th Feb, 1700hrs Venue: Hougang Stadium Final Score: 3 – 2 (Anthony Bahadur 55′, Murphy Wiredu 82′, Winston Yap 85′)
The young Japanese team rolled into Hougang with their usual impressive entourage comprising new head coach Naruo Naoki, club manager Bogdan Brasoveanu, four trainers, one photographer and one videographer. I won’t be surprised if there were some other working crew in the stands that might have escaped our attention. This just goes to show how professional and efficient the Japanese run their operation. Certainly something all our local clubs should aspire to.As the Dolphins walked out for their warm ups, the familiar figure of Mohd Noh Rahman greeted us. This was his first match after two training sessions with the team. He took the anchor role vacated by Yamamoto who sat this game out due to injury. Jerry Bartholomeusz was also not featured, allowing Winston Yap to clock some mileage. The two absentees outside, on paper this is the strongest possible lineup at present. Did I see the national skipper in Hougang? Check out the number of supporting staff Albirex possess! The head coaches delivering their final pep talks before the match begins Skippers Aide and Uchida getting the respective sides ready Starting lineup vs Albirex Niigata (S) On paper is not a football game won though. The young and hungry Japanese team were clearly the dominant side for long period of proceedings, choking us with their high tempo pressurising play. Each time a Sengkang player touched the ball, at least two Albirex would pounce on him in an instant. We looked rattled from the constant hounding and couldn’t string together any decent passes. Albirex surely exerted the pressure on the home team in the opening half hour Even when they lost captain Takatoshi Uchida in the 24th min through a very harsh red card, their high energy play and well oiled team coordination made the deficit in numbers almost negligible. And to rub salt into the Dolphins’ wound, a well taken corner in the 31st min saw Shunsuke Sunaga rose highest to head in the opening goal. Sunaga made the best out of nice delivery from the corner...1 up for the visitors The two best chances we had in the entire half were an Abdoulaye freekick deflected away from goal and later a Zahid drilled shot that just flashed the post. Why do our reserves always play "monkey" during the intermission? With Anthony clearly lacking any support, Jorg switched to 4-4-2 in the second half, calling on the service of Mamadou Diallo while Joey came in for Amos in goal. Albirex might have made a few changes but we will never know, no thanks to our miserable ability in identifying any opposition players. It could be a combination of our change in tactics, Albirex’s lapse in concentration and both of us turning our attention away from the match that led to our equaliser. All we knew was Anthony scored with a diving header from a right wing cross. Damnit. It could be a combination of Albirex’s change in tactics, Sengkang’s lapse in concentration and both of us turning our attention away from the match that led to the opposition scoring immediately from the restart. All we knew was Kenji Adachihara chipping the ball over Joey in an one-on-one. Double damnit. Albirex could be 2 goals up after stand in skipper Noh Rahman fouled an Albirex attacker just outside the box but the freekick was woeful... Anthony then had a clear run on goal, surprisingly outsprinting the two Albirex defenders and fired a grounder past the keeper but alas it hit the post! Mamadou pounced for his moment of glory, but a defender came sliding in in a nick of time and blocked the goalbound shot. Sobrie Mazelan came on for Anthony and turned out to be an inspired substitution. He made a great run to the byline and cut the ball back for Murphy to stab in a shot. From our angle the keeper seemed to have made a great save to keep the ball out but the assistant referee waved to signal goal. We looked to have secure an unlikely draw from an unconvincing display. Cue Winston Yap, who was having a torrid time the whole afternoon in central defense, making the usual characteristic positional mistakes and having to rely on Meng Meng to pull extra hours to cover his behind. From an Abdoulaye’s inswinging corner on the right, he appeared out of nowhere and powered in a thumping header. No chance at all for the Albirex keeper. Amazing stuff from a player who can frustrate and astound us both at the same time. Albirex put a good fight and perhaps should be the victors. Hope the Dolphins (esp. Winston) don't get too complacent after suchan undeserving friendly win. The final result was waaaaaaaay too flattering for us. Albirex murdered us with their superior fitness and understanding. It’s very disappointing when we had five men in midfield yet couldn’t stamped our authority and prevented them from running rings around us. Our midfield has been pretty average in all the friendlies against S.League oppositions so far and really need to buck up with the season just 10 days away. The Gombak coaching team in the stands would have noticed our shortcomings. Hopefully Jorg can inject much needed energy and better teamwork into them. Impress with the number of spectators for an unpublicised friendly on a working Friday afternoon... Exit the youths of Japan, enter the youths of Singapore come. We welcome Young Lions on Tue, 10th Feb at 1700hrs. Stay tuned to the match report.