The opening day (9 July) of the Under-16 Boys’ competition for the Lion City Cup kicked off with crunching tackles and fierce battles, as both matches delivered high-octane football that thrilled a vocal crowd at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Singapore lined up in the evening game that kicked off at 8pm and the local boys got off to a lively start against the Philippines, carving out most of the early chances.
The hosts were in control for most of the 90 minutes, fashioned several chances but were undone by goals conceded against the run of play, falling 2-0 in a battling finish.
Despite the result, Singapore Head Coach Ashraf Ariffin was pleased with the “desire and effort” his team showed.
“The boys showed up and they competed. It was something that I wanted to see here, and that’s exactly what they did, they competed from start to finish,” Ashraf said.
“Definitely, there are a few things that we can build on like finishing in front of goal, and doing better in transitions.
“But other than not scoring today, there’s nothing much that I can fault them for. They showed us what’s possible for the future and how we can further develop our game,” he added.
The Singapore side showed their desire and attacking intent from the get go.
In the seventh minute, forward Lukyan Tan drew a sharp save from goalkeeper Reign Lewis Deomampo, before defender Aiman Eszuan Shah sent a glancing header narrowly wide from an inswinging corner moments later.
They continued to pepper the opposition goal with attempts from a mix of set pieces and through open play, but could not convert any.
Darwisy Johari wasted no time after the break, racing through on goal within the first 30 seconds. But with the keeper beaten, he failed to apply the finishing touch. From the resulting corner, the ball fell kindly to Aiman in the box, but he blazed his effort over.
Moments later, Reign produced a pair of superb diving saves to keep the scoreline level.
Against the run of play, substitute Joshua Gabriel Moleje pulled off a delightful chip over Singapore custodian Ilhan Rezal in the 65th minute. Joshua had his hands in the air as the ball trickled past the line and watched as the substitutes’ bench cleared to join him in celebration.
Singapore continued to press for an equaliser, creating several gilt-edged chances. With the clock ticking down, Darwisy blazed his shot off target after Reign palmed the ball into his path, a moment that summed up a frustrating night for the hosts.
Midfielder Lawrence Binalong put the tie to bed with a clinical finish in the 86th minute, wrapping up the 2-0 win.
“We’re very lucky to start the campaign with three points. We are aiming to get more and win this competition,” the 16-year-old said, underlining his team’s ambition to lift the title.
Philippines Head Coach Tetsuya Tsuchida was proud of his boys for their stronger showing in the second period.
“At half time, I explained to the boys how I wanted them to defend, and they showed good understanding in the second half and played well,” Tsuchida said.
While he was clearly disappointed with the result, Ashraf was proud of the composure the boys showed, despite falling behind and getting caught in some heated exchanges.
“They kept their heads together and rallied together to get the goal even until the end,” he said.
With one eye already on their upcoming match against Cambodia on Friday (11 July), Ashraf vowed to deliver a performance with “ten times more effort and desire,” setting a clear intent to go for the win.
The Boys’ tournament opener was played earlier at 5pm, with Hong Kong, China and Cambodia locking horns in a fiercely contested clash that saw neither side giving an inch as they entered the break deadlocked at 0-0.
“The Cambodian team was very difficult (to play against) and (it was) not an easy game,” Hong Kong Head Coach Takuro Hosaka said, reflecting on both sides’ grit and intensity that persisted throughout the match despite the brutal afternoon heat.
Speaking on his side’s 2-0 victory, Hosaka added, “The most impressive things were the players. The team worked together even harder after the first half. They did well in the first half, but in the second half, I think they improved together.”
Hong Kong heaped on the pressure in the opening exchanges, with forward Zachary Yu making a darting run down the right flank before stinging the gloves of opposition goalkeeper Chhea Vuthy.
Cambodia eventually found their rhythm, drawing fouls and creating chances down the left wing. Defender Chorn Chanra came close with a curling long-range effort that flashed just wide of the far post.
But Hong Kong came out of the interval all guns blazing. Substitute Marcus Lai got the opener four minutes after the restart, side-footing a poorly cleared ball into the bottom corner.
“It’s really exciting to score. It’s a really important goal as well because we were dominating them in the first half. But we couldn’t find the net. It’s really important to take the lead first. So I’m really happy,” Marcus said at the post-match press conference.
Five minutes later, midfielder Wong Yat Hin latched onto a deep cross and squared it for Sephrey Ma, who turned it in from point-blank range to double the lead.
In the 88th minute, Yat Hin had a glorious solo opportunity but was thwarted by an alert Chhea Vuthy, who was quick off his line.
Cambodia’s Head Coach Nicolas Grezault, was impressed by Vuthy’s performance after the young keeper put on a mature display in goal and pulled off a string of key saves.
“In training, he shows that he is agile and decisive. But they are young and are in a learning phase. He kept us in the game. He did a fantastic job today.”
Looking forward to their next fixture against the hosts on Friday (11 July), Grezault added: “We need to improve on the principles of playing with the ball. We need to focus on decision-making in the moments when we have the ball.”
The Lion City Cup continues with the second round of matches in the girls’ competition on Thursday (10 July), with Korea Republic taking on Cambodia at 5pm, while Hong Kong face Singapore at 8pm.
Tickets are available from Ticketek and at the ticket booth at the North Gate of the Jalan Besar Stadium on matchdays.
