SINGAPORE - Albirex Niigata ensured that the Lion City Sailors will not be running away with the Singapore Premier League (SPL) title just yet as they came from behind to beat the leaders 2-1 on Friday (June 24).
With the win, the White Swans have 25 points from 12 games and narrowed the gap on the defending champions to three points.
Albirex coach Kazuaki Yoshinaga, who won the SPL with the Japanese side in 2017 and 2018, said: “I’m not looking at the standings, I just want our team to keep winning every match. I’m happy with this win but we must keep improving.”
In a pulsating match at the Jalan Besar Stadium, both sides played some high-quality football to entertain the 1,821-strong crowd.
While the Sailors dominated possession, with Maxime Lestienne lively on the left wing, the White Swans were dangerous on the counter-attack as they cancelled each other out.
The Sailors took the lead when Kim Shin-wook headed in Shahdan Sulaiman’s corner in the 41st minute. But Masaya Idetsu whipped in a free-kick equaliser from a wide position just four minutes later.
Despite losing former Southampton forward Tadanari Lee to a left collarbone fracture, Albirex were more than a match for the Sailors, keeping their shape and patience.
They made the decisive breakthrough nine minutes after the restart, when Kan Kobayashi played a delightful clipped pass over Hariss Harun, and Kodai Tanaka lashed in a brilliant left-footed shot for the winner.
With his 13th goal in 12 games, Tanaka has also joined Tampines Rovers’ Boris Kopitovic at the top of the scorers’ list.
Yet, Yoshinaga said: “I’m not satisfied because we need more goals from him and more wins, and I’m sure he understands this too.”
The Sailors had a slew of corners in added time, but failed to make their chances count as Faris Ramli scuffed a late effort wide.
Sailors coach Kim Do-hoon apologised to the fans and accepted responsibility for the defeat.
He added: “We play Young Lions on Wednesday and it’s my job now to help the team shake off this defeat, prepare better and ensure this result doesn’t happen again.
“Today, we lacked focus in front of goal. You can say we have a jinx against Albirex, but we want to fix this and we will overcome it.”
Analysis
While the halfway point of the season has yet to be reached, it is increasingly clear that this is going to be a two-horse race.
Friday’s result not only quelled concerns of the Sailors sailing away with the title, but it also served as a wake-up call for the champions.
What is interesting is how Albirex’s youngsters have stepped up. None of their starters in this match was over 23, but their tactical versatility – playing possession football against weaker sides, and hitting on the counter against the seasoned Sailors – has been impressive.
At the end of the season, it could be decisive.
