SPL Team Of The Week

Hassan Sunny (Albirex Niigata)

The 39-year-old veteran has proven that he has aged like fine wine this season. Despite strong showings from the centre-backs in front of him, Hassan has played his part between the sticks. And against Balestier Khalsa, when his team needed him most, the custodian stood tall and strong to make superb saves in the first half. He recovered from a blip which saw him spill a cross which resulted in a corner to several sharp stops to deny the likes of Ryoya Taniguchi and Shuhei Hoshino.

Asahi Yokokawa (Albirex)

Against Balestier, he was deployed at right back in the first half and in midfield in the second. He initially struggled on the right flank against Darren Teh’s overlapping runs, but stood firm and did not allow his opponents to get past him easily. In the second half, he put in a much improved performance, controlling the tempo of the match in midfield and even scoring once and assisting another, with a powerful finish from inside the box and an accurate long ball over the top for Keito Komatsu.

Amirul Adli (Geylang International)

Throughout the season, Amirul Adli has been trusted by Geylang coach Noor Ali to play anywhere across the backline. The 27-year-old has been a reliable option whenever he was fit to play, especially with the team having to deal with suspensions and injuries. Against the Young Lions, he was his usual self, forming a good partnership with Rio Sakuma in the centre of defence and helping his side withstand the attack from the national developmental side, forcing them to take shots from outside the box at times.

Koki Kawachi (Albirex)

The 23-year-old and fellow centre-back Shunsaku Kishimoto had to take turns to attempt to stop Shuhei Hoshino from winning the physical battle up front and bringing his teammates into the game. Kawachi stood his ground against the striker, ensuring he did not have space to shoot or pass. He also covered for Kishimoto whenever the latter failed to stop Hoshino and the Tigers man was unable to find a way through.

Sho Fuwa (Albirex)

The left back, who has been a regular for the champions this season, was not given the freedom to roam up the pitch as much as he could against Balestier. But he defended well against Daniel Goh, who has tricks up his sleeves all the time. Fuwa timed his challenges well and marked Goh around the pitch, making sure the Tigers could not bring him into play and had to focus on attacking through the middle and down Albirex’s right instead.

Joshua Pereira (Geylang)

The Eagles skipper scored a rare brace against the Young Lions while helping his team take control of midfield at the same time. Pereira, who is not known for his goalscoring abilities, headed a corner home for his first before applying a left-footed finish into the bottom corner for his second. The 25-year-old has shown his versatility, playing in midfield and defence fairly well. That has helped his side massively this season, with key players absent from the squad at times.

Faizal Roslan (Tanjong Pagar United)

The 28-year-old has plied his trade in central defence throughout the most of his career, but was deployed in midfield in the recent two matches. And he looked the part against Hougang United despite his unfamiliarity in that position, showing his experience under pressure and even taking shots up the other end. And his determination paid off one minute into stoppage time when he smashed a shot into the back of the net inside the box to round off an impressive display in the middle of the park.

Farshad Noor (Brunei DPMM)

Farshad was quite literally everywhere on the pitch against Tampines Rovers, pulling the strings in midfield and contributing to both his team’s attack and defence. Given a daunting task as the only player who fits the foreign quota wearing DPMM colours on Friday, he carried out his task diligently. He drove forward to support the team’s offensive side whenever he could, and his goal from a set-piece and a smart pass while on the ground to set up his side’s second were crucial in helping them earn a point.

Seia Kunori (Albirex)

Kunori scored his 19th goal of the season against Balestier, pouncing on poor defending from a set-piece to head home an early opener for the White Swans. The 22-year-old striker’s traditional play includes dropping deep and gathering the ball before venturing forward, but that was not on show on Sunday. Instead, Kunori stayed higher up the pitch and caused trouble for Balestier’s defence, who struggled to contain Albirex as a whole. Kunori’s delivery for Yokokawa’s goal was another highlight.

Dorde Maksimovic (Hougang)

The Serbian striker may not have found the back of the net against the Jaguars, but he worked his socks off leading the line for the Cheetahs. He even earned a penalty for his team after being fouled in the area. Maksimovic also proved his unselfishness on Saturday, setting up Amy Recha for the second goal despite being in a good position and heading the ball back to an unmarked Nazrul Nazari for their third. 

Faris Ramli (Tampines) 

In what proved to be a disappointing night for Tampines’ attackers going forward, Faris was a bright spark, showcasing his quality with the two assists he notched against DPMM. Not only was he constantly making runs behind the Bruneian outfit’s defence, but he also made an important touch in the build-up to their first goal to bring the ball away from goalkeeper Haimie Nyaring, before a peach of a cross from the left that found Saifullah Akbar’s diving header.