Singapore's fight to a 2-2 draw against China in their World Cup Qualifier clash tastes all the more sweeter given recent struggles, says CNA's Matthew Mohan.
Singapore's fight to a 2-2 draw against China in their World Cup Qualifier clash tastes all the more sweeter given recent struggles, says CNA's Matthew Mohan.
What stood out was the Lions' desire to prove their mettle. And this was a thoroughly encouraging performance amid what has been a difficult few years for Midfielder Shah Shahiran snapped into every tackle he possibly could, while Safuwan Baharudin seemed to cover every blade of glass for almost 100 minutes.This came in the form of Singapore's younger players - with half-time substitutes Jacob Mahler and Harhys Stewart providing an instant injection of energy."Well played Lions!! All we ever wanted was to see you guys play with heart!!" said one commenter on the Football Association of Singapore's Facebook page.
At the same time, there are clearly areas for improvement. For one, striker Ikhsan Fandi largely fed on scraps up front and could do with a lot more service.In particular, former Espanyol striker Wu Lei's opener was a reminder that the Lions will get punished the moment they switch off. They will also need to find an answer to the tricky Fernandinho during the return fixture.
While they have a valuable point, the Lions remain rooted to the bottom of their World Cup qualifier group, three points behind China. Up against a side who made the round of 16 at the last World Cup, the Thais proved no pushovers. And once again, they are a reminder that Singapore football has some catching up to do to match up against Southeast Asia's heavyweights.
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