The disappointment on the faces of the Lion City Sailors players as they trudged off Jurong East Stadium on Sunday (25 August) said it all.
A 3-1 defeat to defending Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions Albirex Niigata (S) was not only their second loss in four days, after a 3-0 ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) Shopee Cup defeat by Borneo FC Samarinda in Balikpapan, Indonesia; it also meant the Sailors missed the opportunity to leapfrog BG Tampines Rovers at the top of the league standings.
Midfielder Bart Ramselaar acknowledged that the team had fallen short of their usual standards and ought to do better.
“That just wasn’t good enough from us,” the Dutchman said. “Of course, we travelled and had a game a few days before but it’s not an excuse at all. We had some good chances at 0-0 and things could have been different if we had put them away, but we should have done better overall.”
The two defeats were especially frustrating for Bart, who produced some promising moments in both matches and showed no signs of the muscular injury that had kept him out of the previous four matches.
“It wasn’t good having to watch the team from the sidelines, so I was really happy to be back on the pitch and I really tried to help the team get going,” said the former PSV Eindhoven man. “I think we were unlucky with the finish and the last pass; it’s important for me to be influential to the team with goals and assists, but I’m sure it will come again,”
“I’m feeling pretty good about my condition right now and the key is to settle into a rhythm and get that connection with my fellow attackers again. Ultimately, it’s not about myself; I want us to win games as a team.”
Make no mistake about it – the Sailors are hurt, wounded, and out to channel that frustration towards a much-improved display when they host third-placed Geylang International in the SPL at Bishan Stadium on Friday (30 August) night.
The Eagles are one of three sides that have taken points off the Sailors this season – in a 1-1 draw at Jalan Besar Stadium back in June – and Bart is determined not to let history repeat itself.
“Over the week, we’ve been analysing what didn’t go right for us and we know exactly what we need to do to correct those wrongs. The positive is that no one is blaming anyone and we’re all working in the same direction,” he said.
“We’re taking this responsibility as a team with a positive mindset, and it’s important that we are at our best to defeat a very good Geylang side.”
That is the main thing on the Sailors’ minds right now: to put in a performance back at their Bishan den that the fans can be proud of.
“Our supporters are always there for us; they were singing and chanting for us all the way till the end at Jurong East, and I feel we really owe it to them. We’ll go out there on Friday to make sure we deliver a strong performance and good result for them,” Bart said.
“It’s important for us to stick together as one team – players, staff and fans – because we still have a long journey this season and there’s plenty for us to get excited about.”
