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| Lions XII player Agu Kasmir (C) dribbles past Kelantan FA players Subramaniam Sooryapparad (L) and Shakir Shaari |
COMMENT
This week, an MP reminded us that we should call a spade a spade. So here goes:
An utterly disappointing result, but an electrifying atmosphere to mark our return.
When the full-time whistle went at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday
night, my guess is there were very few LIONSXII fans among the capacity
crowd that didn't feel like the team deserved better than a 2-1 defeat
in their debut MSL game.
Given the team's energetic display in the first half, there was
expectation in the ground that perhaps the team could go on to seal a
fairytale return — much like that of Arsenal's Thierry Henry less than
24 hours ago.
There were also many out there who felt that the late penalty decision was at best soft, at worst, a miscarriage of justice.
Vice-captain Hariss Harun admitted as much when he said a 1-1 draw would have been a fairer reflection of the proceedings.
Disappointing result aside, there were few negatives to mark the
opening match in the 2012 Malaysian Super League season for LIONSXII.
Much to the credit of the 7,000-odd fans that turned up to back the
home team in full force, the atmosphere in the tightly packed stadium
was electrifying.
The "Kallang Wave", the stamping of the feet in anticipation, the
chants and cheers were all back -- bringing a strong sense of nostalgia
to those familiar with the M-League games back in the 80s and early
1990s.
The decision to erect new stands along King George's Street proved to
be astute, judging by the capacity crowd. With fans now on three sides
of the pitch, Jalan Besar definitely feels more like a proper football
stadium — a stadium worthy of hosting a team technically representing a
population of circa 5 million.
The atmosphere also left a deep impression with Peter Butler, coach of Kelantan FA.
In the post-match conference, the Englishman had nothing but praise
for the vibe generated during the game and stated that he's already
looking forward to returning to play here.
All said and done, the important thing now is for LIONSXII is to
start winning games with quality performances to match the roar from
the stands every time a team from opposite the Causeway comes visiting.
Best Moment of the Match: After putting LIONSXII in
front, Baihakki Khaizan could not contain his joy and jumped into the
newly erected King George's Street Stand to celebrate with the fans. A
moment of sheer joy and jubilation.
Most Heart-breaking Moment: Goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud
could not hide his disbelief and anger when he was penalised for merely
touching Kelantan striker Muhammed Gaddar in the box.
Man-of-the-Match: The two centre-backs enjoyed good
outings but I felt the performance of midfielder Isa Halim stood out. He
was covering every blade of grass on the pitch and his timely
interception early in the second half prevented a certain goal for the
visitors. His substitution with 20 minutes left was certainly
precautionary and tactical in nature and not at all a reflection of his
performance.
Boo-Boo of the match: Did no one tell the organisers
that Kelantan FA would be in Red? A red LIONSXII t-shirt was handed to
everyone who purchased the ticket and many fans were donning it for the
match, only to discover in horror that LIONSXII was in white and the
visitors were in the very same red. Wardrobe malfunction, anyone?
source: yahoo news
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