On-Song Sailors through to last 16 of AFC Champions League 2

SINGAPORE – South Korea-born midfielder Song Ui-young showed Singapore coach Tsutomu Ogura just what he will be missing with a clinical hat-trick to help Lion City Sailors beat Thailand’s Port FC 5-2 at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec 5.

The 31-year-old’s treble helped his team to finally clinch a last 16-spot in the Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2) as Group F winners. The draw for the knockout stage will be held on Dec 12, with the two-legged round-of-16 matches taking place in February.

Talking about his sensational scissors kick to help his team lead 3-2, Song, who received Singapore citizenship in 2021, joked: “Actually I learnt it from Shawal (Anuar).”

He added: “Making history for the club and our country gave me a big motivation to score that goal. It’s like a miracle because I’ve never scored like that before, and I’m very happy.”

The Sailors could have advanced to the knockout rounds of Asia’s new second-tier club competition as early as Nov 7, and then again on Nov 28. But on both occasions, they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to Indonesia’s Persib at home and then 4-2 at China’s Zhejiang.

For 15 second-half minutes against Port, it looked like they were stuck in a nightmarish infinity loop as they threw away a 2-0 cushion again. Anything but victory would mean elimination if the other Group F match between Persib and Zhejiang produced a winner.

Many of the 2,375 fans were still streaming into the stadium when Song capitalised on Port’s inability to deal with a Lionel Tan long throw within the first minute to open the scoring.

He doubled that advantage in the 36th minute when he connected sweetly with Maxime Lestienne’s cross, after Shawal had robbed Tanaboon Kesarat, to sidefoot home with his right boot.

This was the fifth time in six group games that the Sailors had built a two-goal lead, and in the latest instalment, it evaporated in a flash after the restart.

Despite having already qualified, Port were fighting for top spot and looked set to punish the hosts when Felipe Amorim thumped past Izwan Mahbud in the 50th minute, before Frans Putros fired into the bottom corner two minutes later after some intricate passing.

Flailing his arms, Sailors midfielder Hami Syahin could be seen trying to rally his shell-shocked team.

To their credit, they ran themselves to the ground and responded in style when Song produced his moment of magic to volley in Lestienne’s right-footed cross in the 67th minute, before Shawal latched on to substitute Sergio Carmona’s through ball, rounded goalkeeper Chanin Sae-ear in a foot race and slotted home four minutes later.

Song completed the comeback when he picked out substitute Lennart Thy to round Chanin and score emphatically from a tight angle, sending his teammates and the home crowd into raptures.

In the group’s other match which was eventually inconsequential, Zhejiang won 4-3 at Persib to finish third.

Sailors coach Aleksandar Rankovic said: “I’m not a religious kind of guy, but I was thinking (after conceding twice), what did we do to deserve this? We played a perfect match, then they have two shots and they scored twice.

“We played very offensively, had a lot of chances and scored amazing goals. Song scoring the hat-trick in this kind of game is a great achievement, and I think we deserved to win.

“Considering how we lost the last two matches, I think finally karma was on our side and I’m incredibly proud of this group of players. We are a team from Singapore, we are first in the table, scored the most goals, and people should think a bit about that and give these guys a lot of respect.”

As the Sailors plot for further success in the ACL2, Asean Club Championship and Singapore Premier League, Singapore will miss Song’s goal-scoring prowess at the Dec 8-Jan 5 AFF Championship as he has to tend to family matters in South Korea.

It is understood that his mother is unwell, and while he did not elaborate, he said: “I have been here for many years and didn’t get to look after my family.

“I have been having personal issues with my family and I have to go to South Korea.”