After being dominated in Hanoi, Lions need to up their game on Sunday
By
Wang Meng Meng
WAS the glass half-full or half-empty?
Singapore coach Raddy Avramovic certainly felt it was half-empty after the Lions came away with a 0-0 draw against Vietnam in the first leg of the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Yet his rare public rant, calling his defending champions' below-par performance at Hanoi's My Dinh Stadium the team's 'worst' of the tournament, is understandable.
Apart from scoring a disallowed own-goal, the Lions were dominated. Passes went astray, players had trouble holding on to the ball and gaps were exploited with ease by the Vietnamese.
Only an in-form defence ensured that Singapore will start Sunday's return leg at the National Stadium still on par.
Said centre-back Baihakki Khaizan, one of the few Lions who had a good game: 'The coach said we weren't playing and I don't think we can argue with that.
'There definitely needs to be an improvement on Sunday. We need to up the tempo of our game. I think not conceding a goal is still something we can take away and build on for the return leg.'
Indeed, part of Wednesday's objective was not to concede a goal. While that was accomplished, they did not meet the other target - scoring goals.
Avramovic's decision to field two defensive midfielders in Mustafic Fahrudin and Isa Halim - who came in for the injured John Wilkinson - failed as the duo sat too deep, rarely supporting the attack.
Wide midfielders Shi Jiayi and Muhammad Ridhuan were unable to come to terms with Vietnam's speedy wingers.
Vietnam found particular joy on the right, with Le Tan Tai threatening with his fine passes and striker Nguyen Viet Thang posing the biggest danger of all.
The 27-year-old livewire, who tends to drift wide before cutting in, came close when he ghosted past Daniel Bennett and beat Lionel Lewis with a low drive - only to see his effort rebound off the post in the 21st minute.
Yet, if there is one weakness the Vietnamese showed, it is that their strength can also be their Achilles' heel.
The Lions' best chances came from crosses from the flanks.
In the 66th minute, Noh Alam Shah headed just over from Bennett's cross. Eight minutes later, Mustafic's right-wing pass resulted in an own goal. The referee's decision to rule it out has been a bone of contention.
Avramovic was right to point out that the team sorely lacked a creative spark, naming Wilkinson, who was out with a calf injury, as the missing link.
Although the England-born Lion is a central attacking midfielder, he has done a commendable job on the left, creating chances with his crosses, free kicks and penetrating runs.
His presence is crucial for the Lions. It allows Shi to revert to his most effective central midfield position where his penetrative passing can cause most damage.
If the Lions want to stay on track to retain their title, they need to show more fight, as epitomised by Alam Shah. His second-half introduction for a lacklustre Indra Sahdan brought Singapore back into the game.
His direct style of play, harrowing opponents and making himself a physical threat, was just what the Lions needed to disrupt Vietnam's rhythm.
He summed it up best when asked about Sunday's game: 'We are still the champions and on Sunday, we will show Vietnam why.'
