Monday, October 11, 2010
Stars Favourites in Token SLeague
Etoile FC 30 19 7 4 47 18 29 64
Home United FC 31 18 9 4 54 30 24 63
Tampines Rovers 30 18 6 6 59 27 32 60
Tonight sees Tampines Rovers try to keep their dreams of SLeague glory alive as they face Geylang United in the less than firey East Coast derby and, rather like last season when DPMM were forced to withdraw by the Swiss bully boys, there is an anti climatic feel to the end of the season.
If there is a marketing team at the SLeague, and I heard there was one somewhere, then announcing the SLeague champions would not enter the AFC Champions League next season will go down as a gaffe along the lines of McDonalds saying they would go veggie. That announcement, along with the departures of two of the brightest talents in the league this season, Khairul Amri and Shahril Ishak, have pissed on the end of the season and possibly led to even more fans staying away from games.
And this in one of the tightest finishes in SLeague history when the marketing people should be pulling out all the stops to if not fill the stadiums then at least try and sell 300 tickets per game.
Home United won't be kicking themselves after their 0-0 with Balestier Khalsa, they would probably miss, but a look at the table above will show just how important those two dropped points are. And how much Frenchie imports Etoile must be singing merci merde.
With one game played more than Etoile The Protectors still have Gombak United away on 22 October followed by SAFFC on 10 November. Hardly who you would want to play when seeking six points to win the title.
Etoile have three games left, two of which are at home. First up are SAFFC on 14/10 and Richard Bok's men are no longer the looming presence they were just 12 months ago. Seven days later it's Young Lions, also at home and by the time they face Albirex Niigata on 8 November the Frenchies could be the first ever foreign team to win the SLeague and that would be another kick in the arse for Singapore football and it's much hyped Strategic Plan.
As for Tampines Rovers? At least the Stags are a 'real' Singapore football club as most people understand the term. Home are the police wrapped up in new packaging while Etoile are a French Foreign Legion looking for new clubs in the region.
Tampines have some tradition, some local identity and Aleksander Duric who believes after 300 odd goals the SLeague is his own personal trophy! But one win in their last four games, and seeing favourite son score an absolute gem on his Persiba Balikpapan debut, has left Tampines fans wondering whether success must wait a while longer to grace the team from the eastern suburbs.
Their last two games, on paper, are the easiest, away to Sengkang Punggol and home to Balestier Khalsa, but defeat to Geylang United tonight means it all could be academic. And of course Balestier Khalsa are no mugs as Home United found out recently.
Fans should be flocking to the games because it is still a great end of season...
# posted by Me @ 7:20 PM 
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"the Stags are a 'real' Singapore football club as most people understand the term"
- totally agree...
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- totally agree...
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