Singapore Liga

Closure

2010-10-09T15:46:00.003+08:00

Regrettably, this post will signify the closure of activities on this blog.

Just to recap on some of the highlights of the blog:

1) Hattrick: Analysis of my team's performances
2) Soccerproject: Analysis and Planning for my team's activities
3) Singapore Football National Team commentary
4) S-League updates and views
5) Euro 2008
6) EWal Prediction Series
7) World Cup 2010

I am really glad to have seen this blog through so many exciting events, including a friend-based soccer prediction series I initiated. To those who have read some of the stuff on this blog since its inception at the end of 2006, I hope I have offered some form of reading pleasure.

Thank You, and on a final note, I wish the best for Singapore sports.

3 horse race

2010-09-18T18:12:00.003+08:00

It's incredibly close now, with Etoile, Tampines and Home locked in a really close battle for the S-League title. It's now official that SAFFC has been dethroned, having won the past 3 or 4 S-League titles!

The sale of Duric and release of Therdsak Chaiman probably proved a crucial blow to SAFFC as they underwent a makeover for this season. They had to part with their ageing stars and give new players chances at some point in time, and this is just the price they have to pay. They are, however, in good position to finish 4th. But Richard Bok will have to do better to make a charge for the title next season.

Four games left, who's going to win it? A potential title decider is Tuesday's clash between Tampines and Home. The losers will probably lose the chance for the title. As it stands, Etoile has the best chance, and they control their destiny.

Even on the scoring table, Etoile's Frederic Mendy and Tampines' Duric are close. Duric is just a goal shy of being the first ever to reach 300 goals in all Singapore competitions. But Mendy's wastefulness in front of goal last night may prove disastrous if it continues into his last 4 matches, against stronger opposition and defences.

I am a fan of evergreen Duric, and seeing that Sharil Ishak, also high on the topscorers list this season for Home, is leaving after the crunch match against Rovers for Indonesia, I think it's Tampines' chance to nail the title.

Closing Ceremony

2010-08-26T17:36:00.003+08:00

I had been busy, so I haven't been able to deliver any concrete posts regarding events of the YOG... so I hope to round up with something more.

Sure, we couldn't win a gold medal. But some of our athletes have won us Singaporeans over with their spirit.

Sure, the Singapore Cubs should have defeated Haiti to reach the final. A below-par game killed that hope. But winning the bronze, which meant bouncing back from the setback, shows the spirit and resilience of the young players, which I think must really be applauded.

And there's Isabelle Li, who delivered a surprise silver medal in the girls' singles. With my best friend Kenneth, I watched Isabelle and Clarence Chew in the deciding match of the mixed team quarter-finals, with scores tied at one apiece. From 2 sets down, the pair fought back to win the next 2, though ultimately falling short. Though left slightly disappointed, I believe the paddlers did enough to win our hearts and faith.

Local born heroes. Who says the Foreign Talent Scheme had no use? Without the table tennis upheaval in Singapore, there wouldn't have been increased investment to facilitate the training programmes for these future stars. And let's not forget the role of role models the senior players occupy, giving advice and guidance to these up and coming players eager to make their mark in the future.

Tonight, the inaugural Youth Olympic Games closes. It has been a great, new experience for the nation, from the torch relay across the nation, to the lighting of the cauldron, and to today's shutting of the Olympic flame... let us always have this YOG etched in our memories. Catch the closing ceremony tonight.

It's been a great deal of a moment for all of us Singaporeans.

Cheers for Singapore athletes

2010-08-24T19:10:00.002+08:00

To all athletes, well done!

Special mention to table tennis player Isabelle Li, who surprised herself to make it to the final and secure a silver medal in the girls' singles event!

And the taekwando team which has brought us medals!

And the soccer team which has brought many of us Singaporeans together to display the kind of spirited unity at Jalan Besar we seldom ever see, except for some important Singapore National Team matches.

Can we win a gold medal?

YOG Opens!

2010-08-15T18:07:00.002+08:00

Beautiful ending to the Opening Ceremony of the 1st ever YOG!

The Olympic anthem was very nicely done by the choristers (includes HCJC's choir!!). Then the torch is great. Of the Youth Olympians, Darren Choy probably deserved most to carry the torch to light the flame, as he is our biggest medal hope, as a 2-time world champion and gold medallist at last year's precursor Asian Youth Games.

The cauldron is special with the lighthouse design and the tornado effect of the flame. Cool stuff :D

And I would like to applaud one person in particular: IOC president Jacques Rogge. He is the brainchild of this extension to the Olympics, and one part of his speech genuinely struck me.

He talked about the vast difference between being a WINNER and a CHAMPION.

Very on the spot. (Y)(Y)

JYOF

2010-08-10T19:21:00.002+08:00

I will be witnessing part of the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame tomorrow! So excited :D

After National Day, it's the YOG and let us rally together for Singapore to host a successful inaugural Games!

At least the theme song Everyone sounds good and uplifting :D

YOG

2010-07-27T18:22:00.004+08:00

I haven't been updating as much as I would like to.

But well, I am back to just give an overview of things to come.

Firstly, the YOG is looming! It starts in the middle of next month, and it's the first of its kind in the world, in SINGAPORE!

I won't be involved competitively nor as a volunteer, but I will immerse myself in the spirit and would aim to spread this spirit to the people around me.

This is arguably our biggest sporting moment to date and probably for a long time to come, and we must make full use of it to make it a huge spectacle.

It's a good sign that many are contending over the YOG cheer, and a contest is even started to challenge Singaporeans to come up with a better cheer than JJ Lin's energetic but probably rather superficial and uninspiring cheer. A Facebook group expressing dislike for the official YOG cheer got thousands of Likes. Even Ris got into the act. Even former NMP Eunice Olsen got involved.

This just shows that passion runs high, though whether this can translate to very enthusiastic sentiments, it rests on us Singaporeans.

Make us so proud! Haha.

Delight

2010-07-13T17:29:00.003+08:00

I didn't want to make any voiced prediction over the result of the World Cup final, because it really seems like whoever I back will crash out of the competition.

It's probably more down to my inadequate prediction skills (unlike Paul the Octopus) than any relation to bringing bad luck. I am not that 'influential'.

France crashed out. Cameroon, which I backed as most likely the best performing African side, was the first to be eliminated. Then England was defeated after I backed it to overcome Germany (and Argentina). Then backing Argentina and Brazil for q-finals, both crashed out. Germany, who defied my expectations, won me over after the Argentina spectacle. I took it as my choice for the title. They crashed to Spain.

My choice was Spain. I'm glad they won. They peaked at the right moment. Though they were never clinical in finishing, they were consistent in their game.

The Spain now brings back memories of the France a decade ago. France emerged in 1998, winning the WC title on home soil before claiming the Euro 00 after it. Spain won Euro 08, then followed with WC 10. Both countries in both periods were in some sort of a golden era. Think the likes of Barthez (yes), Zidane, Thuram, Petit, Henry... Then Casillas, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa.

The difference that can possibly prevent Spain from slipping off the radar like France did in 2002 is the immense strength in depth (allowing for bench players to rotate with the first-team players without decreasing quality) and good managers. Vicente del Bosque is a great manager which Real Madrid didn't appreciate and his Spanish team has just delivered the first ever title (also their first semi-final or better appearance with the exception of the 1950 low turnout edition).

The rough antics of the Dutch failed, and beautiful football (albeit not clinical throughout the competition) won. All neutrals, you may cheer. For the team that produced the best quality of football (Germany pale only in style though) deservingly won.

Buildup to finale

2010-07-07T12:12:00.003+08:00

Netherlands have made the World Cup final! Third time in their history; they only managed a best showing of 3rd in the heights of the Total Football era.

Spain has made the semi-finals for the first time with a creditable competition (they managed to be in the Top 4 in 1950 where only 13 teams participated). Incidentally, Uruguay won that edition, but this time round they are stopped at the semi-finals after a comparatively easy run of matches including South Korea and Ghana.

Compare this to Germany, who faced England and Argentina, winning both games by scoring 4 goals. Now they have Spain to contend with.

This year's World Cup seems to have proceeded extremely fast, without much positive drama. The only major positive note this time round is Germany's efficient performances coupled with some degree of flair and youthful exuberance.

Pre-tournament favourites Spain and Brazil have been far short of living up to expectations, with Brazil ousted by a Dutch comeback and Spain just sneaking past with Villa's goals and the midfield playmakers' reliability. Even Netherlands, with a scintillating lineup of attackers, have not translated their potential to convincing results.

Although the octopus predicts a Spain win (it got its 5 previous predictions for Germany all right), it should be an error like the only one it has made to date: Germany to defeat Spain in Euro 08. This time, the tables should be turned.

Quick predictions

2010-06-26T23:41:00.004+08:00

With the top 16 settled, here are my predictions for the teams making the final four.

Ghana to beat South Korea to reach top 4.
England defeats Germany and Argentina to reach s-finals.
Brazil edges Netherlands in q-finals.
Spain smoothly through to s-finals.

The 2nd prediction is very close, and I am choosing England like in a 51-49 tilt over Argentina. And 55-45 over Germany.

Spain and Brazil are both starting not very strong, but this could be favourable for them to peak at the right time. But in fact, none of the teams except Argentina can be said to be peaking. But the arduous path means that England, Germany and Argentina will have to fight hard to get to the s-finals.

And as much as I like the Netherlands team lineup, I have more confidence and faith in Brazil to pull it off, with their newly developed defensive strength useful against the hot Dutch attack.

England will need to improve tremendously, and the only way they can match my prediction is to possess a very strong defence and be clinical in finishing. The defence is especially needed against quality opposition from the industrious and united Germans to the Messi-led Argentine scintillating attack. Argentina have the odds in their favour, and I won't be surprised if they are the ones into the s-finals.

Let's see how it goes. Argentina seems very strong, and if they are clinical and didn't pick too early (we shall observe), then they should get to the final.

Shocks galore

2010-06-19T15:47:00.003+08:00

Brazil struggled to a 2-1 win over North Korea (credit to latter).
Netherlands were unconvincing against defensive Denmark.
Spain crashed to an opening defeat to the Swiss.
France crashed to Mexico and no longer have their fate in their hands.
Germany, after a 4-0 win, lost their next match.
England held to a 2nd consecutive draw, against Algeria this time.

To now, only Argentina has truly made a good impression. Which means there might still be a chance we can see a World Cup 2010 final between North Korea and Algeria.

Woah.

France can only blame themselves. Most of the players didn't play with their hearts united. Under an eccentric coach will inexplicable tactics, most notably leaving Thierry Henry on the bench and Govou and Anelka on the field. The only way to salvage some pride is for them to set the foundations for Blanc's incoming reign, by performing convincingly against the hosts, regardless of whether they can proceed to the next round.

Pride can be better salvaged with a great performance but elimination, rather than an unconvincing performance but luck to proceed. Of course I do hope a miracle can happen, but the foundations can only be laid if Domenech starts listening to the whole world, and bring Henry into the team. That's a first step. There are many things to correct Some, like the team spirit, can only be rebuilt under Laurent Blanc, but for now, focus all efforts on the final group game. Don' crash out humiliatingly without scoring a single goal and with a single point like in 2002, when they were defending champions.

Greece surprised me with their win over Nigeria, though Nigeria was a man down for long periods of the game. It would take a lot for Nigeria to proceed, like France. But Argentina is doing well despite a seemingly inadequate coach in Maradona, unlike France. Unlike Domenech, Maradona remains sort of a hero thanks to his achievements as a player himself.

England is astounding. In one of the easiest groups, they are struggling for goals and could not beat arguably the weakest team in the competition. It's unbelievable to see Slovenia top of the group with 4 points, but England of course can still right the wrongs by winning against the group leaders to progress. Unlike France, they still have their fate in their own hands.

Let's wait to see how pre-tournament joint favourites Spain and Brazil, as well as dark horses Netherlands, fare in their upcoming matches.

Asian hopes

2010-06-15T17:37:00.000+08:00

It seems to be coming.

South Korea won against Greece 2-0.
Even Japan defeated Cameroon, my tip for best African performance, 1-0.

Can North Korea do it against Brazil? Highly unlikely though. Brazil is several notches higher than Greece and Cameroon, and North Korea doesn't seem to be as good as South Korea.

The biggest hope is without doubt South Korea, but following Japan's surprise win, there is now a good chance for them to progress to the next round.

Australia crashed to the biggest defeat of the tournament thus far, to Germany 0-4, but there are some who says Germany is benefiting because they are accustomed to playing with the ball in the Bundesliga having been introduced by sponsors, so on... we will see if the supposed advantage can lead them far, and there's a good chance we might even see Germany vs England right in the next round.

For now, the African teams are not really doing well despite huge fan support. They have to buck up in the next 2 group matches.

And what's an exciting match today?
GMT+8 Singapore 10pm Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) vs Portugal

After 2 days

2010-06-13T19:57:00.002+08:00

5 matches played. Goals scored in each match: 2,0,2,1,2.

More goals are needed! Come On!

I have watched 3 of the 5 matches to date, and my favourite is actually the Uruguay vs France goalless draw. Many commentators have derided the match and the French team; no flair, no finishing, no creativity, no entertainment, etc.

But I actually felt France did pretty well. They pass the ball around fluently, they are faster than in the past attacking. They are lacking the creativity to create clear chances and they are lacking the finishing. A true playmaker that can deliver pinpoint balls and through balls or produce intelligent play, coupled with a clinical finisher will do the job for France, provided they can stabilise the defence.

Many times against Uruguay they have danger faced... but the pace of Evra and Sagna, and Gallas even, are encouraging. Gourcuff was however showing his lack of experience, and the team is probably right for lambasting Domenech. Diaby is a really strong option, I think he did best in the midfield. Toulalan doesn't bring anything to the attack, so I would expect him to shield the defence better.

As for the starting attacking trio, I am very disappointed. Ribery, for the whole match, was misfiring and terribly off-form it could have been awkward for him. Govou probably didn't contribute anything, while Anelka was only slightly better, but he can't just wait for the ball so much, especially when the killer supplies do not come.

Henry should start ahead of Anelka... although he hasn't been starting much for Barca and is not on top form, he is still the best attacking option nonetheless. In the 20 minutes he was on, he did more than Anelka or Govou or Ribery did. He, however, needs to go for the ball more because of, as I said, the midfield's inadequate supply.

From the next match onwards, I do hope Domenech listen to the players' words. Start with a midfield of Malouda-Toulalan-Diaby and an attack of Ribery-Henry-Gignac. If Ribery is still so off-form, move Malouda into his position and Gourcuff can fill the midfield gap, on the right, with Diaby shifting to the left.

I am finding African keepers rather good... first it was South Africa's, then Nigeria's Enyeama. Good performances from both. Messi is performing like on a Barca side, dominating the opportunities, being a little selfish. A bit wasteful sometimes, and well-saved sometimes.

I am now switching support from Nigeria to South Korea. South Korea has caught my attention of late with their good warm up performances, and they look a better bet to progress now. But it's still 50-50 in my opinion. Greece can say goodbye soon.

I didn't catch England's match, and have yet to see the highlights, but I think the draw justifies the inadequacies of the squad. They need Barry to hold the defensive midfield role, not Gerrard. Gerrard's more defensive role results in less attacking prowess. There isn't a very strong attacking threat apart from Rooney, unlike many other teams. Argentina has many to choose from. Netherlands has many too. Even Uruguay has Forlan and Suarez. And attack is made more important following the loss of Rio Ferdinand.

I can take a break for today's matches, because they aren't really exciting matches.

Update next time (:

Brief Overview of WC chances

2010-06-07T16:49:00.004+08:00

This World Cup is being talked up as one that could potentially be the most competitive one, and could also spring some surprises.

Spain and Brazil and clearly joint favourites of the tournament, while England is always talked up by the media. A very talented Argentina attack places them in the front as well, while it's never wise to rule out Germany, who, for the record, finished 2nd at the 2002 World Cup to Brazil, 3rd at the 2006 World Cup (Extra time loss to Italy) and 2nd at the Euro 2008 to Spain.

On the other hand, it's not very possible to find out who will be surprises; you won't call it a surprise if you expected it all along. But let me try to identify the potential surprises and shocks, and the potential winners.

This is the first time the World Cup lands on African soil, and it's good to start by looking at the African chances. But if you have noticed, I have already done that in my previous post. And my tip is Cameroon to go furthest, at the expense of Italy probably.

Though Italy can probably be regarded in a similar breath to Germany, it's hard to back them this time round despite their surprising run to the title last time round. Their buildup has been really unconvincing, and more importantly, despite their coach Marcello Lippi, the team is way too old. They cannot last through the whole length of the tournament, and their defence, as strong as a giant rock the last time, can be really rocky with the lack of pace.

Another country with a really poor buildup is, ironically, fellow 2006 World Cup finalists France. Unlike Italy, they are clearly not blessed with a really good coach. Domenech's decisions have been astounding to pros and public alike. He left Samir Nasri and Karim Benzema off the squad, and despite the clear scoring troubles in all 3 warmup matches, stuck with the same attack, without Thierry Henry.

However, passing the captaincy to Patrice Evra from Henry is a good decision. Henry doesn't thrive on the captaincy, as shown in his final season with Arsenal before moving to the Nou Camp. And the decision to shift to a more attacking 4-3-3 formation can be duly rewarded, provided Les Bleus can take control of it. They have the talents for it.

The frontline of Ribery-Henry-Gignac can prove to be exciting. Anelka and Cisse should be backup to Henry and Gignac. In midfield, Malouda-Toulalan-Gourcuff, with Alou Diarra backup to Toulalan and Diaby an alternate choice to Malouda or Gourcuff, France do have sufficient choices. And with the squad, it's not easy for 4 midfielders to play, as backup will be thin.

But then again, if France indeed proceeds to the semi-finals and beyond, it will be a huge surprise. But not impossible, provided the defence holds strong (Lloris is pretty reliable to date), and the attack gets clinical. There is still time, but I don't fancy Les Bleus' chances without Henry spearheading the attack. Domenech needs to make it right, real soon.

France is in a very group with no clear favourites. South Africa are on a hot run and have a much better chance of progressing than at 6 months ago. Thanks to Carlos Alberto Parreira, the former Brazil coach at the last World Cup. I have a feeling, given France's current woes, that South Africa will get the top spot in the group, while France finishes second. That is a possibility especially if France does not win their first game. I expect South Africa to win the opening game against Mexico in front of home support. But never discount Mexico or Uruguay. Nevertheless, I hope France makes it past the group stage and pick up their form.

England's chances may be badly hampered by Rio's loss to injury. Without Rio, there isn't an established 1st team central defender for the national team. Testing around needs to be done fast, within the group stage, which should be fairly easy. I have a feeling that the recalled Dawson, if given the chance, may perform well. But it will be a risk in big matches due to his inexperience. In those cases, Carragher should stand a better chance. And Rooney needs to stay fit throughout the tournament.

Germany, without Ballack, is similarly hampered like England. But the German team is traditionally a cohesive unit, a team with strong mental strength, and they will need strong opposition to be denied a long run again this time. But the title? Unlikely.

Spain is actually having an unconvincing buildup again, and despite their Euro 08 success, I am beginning to have doubts over whether they can build a brand like Brazil's. Could Euro 08 just be a one-off? It's likely that they are not going to win, for me, despite having one of the most talented lineups from defence to attack. They should proceed to the quarter-finals at least, but from there, depending on the opposition, I am not backing Spain to reach the final.

Brazil, however, is a really hot favourite this time because of Dunga. He has brought to the Brazilians the importance of defence, and with a fit Julio Cesar, and new faces in attack, though not so attention grabbing like Ronaldinho or Ronaldo or Robinho or Adriano, such as Luis Fabiano. And Kaka could be pivotal to their chances. I tip them to make it to the final.

And Netherlands. They are having a very hot buildup, and they have scintillating attacking talents on their team. But they could face one big problem. Teams which do extremely well in the warmup matches may have peaked too early. Just look at Argentina in the last World Cup. Their group matches were so brilliant, they were delivering fancy dream goals like the 24-pass one scored by Cambiasso, or Maxi's brilliant curling goal. But? They got stopped at the quarter finals.

Portugal are in the Group of Death, but in a change of mind, I think they will make it past the group stage nonetheless. They have been unconvincing through qualifying and warmup, but Ivory Coast are known as chokers despite having arguably the strongest African team. With Drogba doubtful, they might not progress.

There are some easy groups out there, and I can actually see New Zealand springing a surprise. There is even a small chance that 2 from NZ, Slovakia and Paraguay can progress, given Italy's woes. I just have no belief in this Italian team. They will have to stop Netherlands, though.

I know this is a very sketchy post, but I hope the summary will be better.

Brazil to make final
France to make at least semi-final
England/Germany to make semi-final
Spain to make quarter-final
Netherlands no further than quarter-final
Italy no further than Top 16
Portgual no further than Top 16
South Africa to make Top 16

WC2010

2010-05-30T12:19:00.001+08:00

World Cup 2010 is in fact shaping up similarly to WC 2006. Then, Italy was ridden by a matchfixing scandal and against all odds, they went on to lift the trophy. France was total outsiders at the start of the tournament following a poor qualifying campaign, but overcoming the slow start, they defeated Spain, Brazil and Portugal to the final, before losing a final they probably deserved to win. Both teams were hugely unfancied.

This time round, Italy are termed as 'too old'. France is suffering the same problem, with an even less convincing qualifying campaign that ended with a controversial goal, which I would choose not to mention. But more interestingly, Raymond Domenech, that eccentric astrologer-coach for France, is still in charge. And Marcello Lippi, who lifted the trophy 4 years ago, is back in the reins after a poor reign by Roberto Donadoni.

So it's hugely resemblant. But there are many things that have changed for the other nations.

Brazil has developed a defensive dimension under Dunga, and they have very good goalkeepers at their disposal (Julio Cesar of Inter, Heurelho Gomes of Tottenham). Compare that with Dida last time. Spain broke their underachievers tag to win the Euro 2008 and are rather irresistible at the moment. England hired a tactician in Fabio Capello and they looked to be more disciplined and cohesive and youthful already.

On the other hand, Argentina, who was a big favourite at the last World Cup due to their stirring group performances, are unfancied because of Diego Maradona. Ironic, but he has been unimpressive as coach, only managing to squeeze in to the WC by the narrowest of margins.

There is little attention on the Asian teams to surprise, as South Korea did as hosts in 2002. The attention shifts for Africa to replicate that success, with this edition in South Africa, in Africa for the first time ever.

African hopes lie with Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, the hosts and Algeria. After a 0-3 thumping by Ireland, Algeria looks increasing likely to be there to make the numbers having ousted bitter neighbours Egypt in the last stage of qualifying. My tip will not rest with South Africa, though they have a chance of making it past the group stage (Group A). Their group includes France, Uruguay and Mexico. Nigeria, if they make it past the group stage, will face a team from Group A. Their group includes Argentina, South Korea and Greece.

So in fact, if I am right, France may face Nigeria and South Africa face Argentina. Hardly easy to back the Africans. But it may well happen that the Africans match up and the giants too. But that's if we assume all 4 make it past the group stage...

Cote d'Ivoire are in a Group of Death with Portugal, Brazil and North Korea, and even if they make it past in 2nd, they most likely face Spain. Incredulously tough path to maneuver.

Ghana is also in a tough group, having to contend with the likes of Germany, Australia and Serbia. They have an outside chance of progressing, but they may face England next, and it's tough to see them moving to the quarters. And I doubt Algeria will edge out USA for 2nd, just like how I doubt Slovenia will do just that, behind clear favourites England.

Which leaves us with Cameroon. Cameroon is in Group E with Netherlands, Denmark and Japan. It's a very even group, with all 4 teams having the potential to progress. But if Cameroon does enough, they will face off against a team from Group F. That's Italy, Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand, probably the easiest group of all. Italy is not a totally impossible task to overcome despite Lippi's presence. But more than that, it is possible to avoid Italy and it will be actually a very easy match compared to what the other African teams have.

So I would probably stick with Cameroon to proceed furthest.

As for the contenders, it will be impossible to rule out either Brazil or Spain. England and Germany both have good chances, while I think France and Argentina, despite questionable coaches, can spring surprises given the vast qualities in both squads.

As a fan of France, I will be keeping my fingers crossed that France will avoid England, by finishing in a different position (ie 1 of them 1st and the other 2nd in their groups). That will mean France probably can face Germany instead in the q-finals. That's a preference, because I am interested to see how France and Germany fare against each other. It hasn't happened for a long while as I remember.

And I think England deserves at the least the semi-finals.

Okay that's all. To avoid the scenario where you blog readers want to read my posts other than the World Cup but cannot find it because of the World Cup cluttering, I will be thinking of a solution. A very likely one will be shifting all the WC posts to my other blog, while putting the main points on this blog still. Yup XD

Flat

2010-04-30T22:09:00.003+08:00

S-League has been a little flat of late.

SAFFC no longer seem capable of replicating their successes in the past few years, though they achieved history on the Asian level, defeating Henan Jianye for the first AFC Champions League win for any Singaporean team... which is of course the case since SAFFC has been the only Singaporean team in the competition (2nd time).

As for Singaporean national football, failure to qualify for the Asian Cup simply means there will be no excitement, no new excitement in the national football team. The only competition they will be looking forward to will be the ASEAN Football Championships, in whatever name that it is under this time round.

One opinion of concern is the lack of coverage given to Singapore sports. Even Singapore soccer, the most publicised sport in newspapers, can only be found on a regular basis on Today newspaper. The other sports are unlikely to be found most of the time. Except, of course, the constant off-field debate on athletics' problems.

Publicity needs to be given. Positive publicity, that is. And the performances need to match up.

The YOG publicity hasn't been raging that much (even more so for the World Cup, of course). More participation is required from Singaporeans in one way or another. It's the inaugural edition, and we need to grab the opportunity to make it a successful one, as a nation.

That's all, simply, for now.

Quietly Climbing

2010-03-20T18:41:00.003+08:00

It's been a long time, and a few gameweeks have been played in the S-League.

A lot of attention is on Etoile FC, the newly-arrived French-based club that has taken Singapore football by storm, playing pretty attractive football and winning the League Cup convincingly. They currently have 8 points from 4 league games and are sitting prettily near the top of the table in 2nd place. They next play Tampines Rovers, who have a 5 point lead at the top over Etoile having played an extra game.

SAFFC hasn't been performing very well, and it can possibly be attributed to the shakeup of the team, with Duric moving to Tampines and Therdsak Chaiman leaving the club, and the arrival of 4 new and tall foreigners, as well as some other local players like Indra Sahdan. They currently have 8 points from 5 games and sit 3rd in the table.

This season indeed promises more excitement, as clubs, local and foreign alike, look to break the recent monopoly by Richard Bok's men (who won the last 4 league titles with a largely unchanged team).

Based on the performances so far, a couple of teams are in with a shout. SAFFC cannot be written off (especially since they have a bad record against Gombak and losing against them this season does not say much, though their performances to date are rather unconvincing).

Etoile, with their good start to life in the S-League, quite easily possibly the most exciting foreign side to date, is definitely in with a shout.

Tampines Rovers looked reinvigorated this season, with evergreen striker Duric joining their ranks, and Qiu Li topping the scoring charts with 5 goals in 5 games.

So will it be like the table at the moment, SAF, Etoile and Tampines competing for the title?

What about Home United, traditionally a strong side? For me, I will boldly predict them to be out of the title race running. Not just because they sit 3rd from bottom at the moment (the table says little because so many teams all have 5-8 points now), but they do not look to have any players capable of leading their charge, as evident in their match yesterday against Beijing Guoan.

In fact, Beijing Guoan showed huge potential in that very same match, and this is what I want to talk about at the start. Beijing, especially in the second half, came out stronger than Home United, and displayed some good teamwork and good shooting ability, and their clinical finishes and good positioning, in attack especially, will put them in good stead. I won't be too bold with this one, but I think they will have a good debut season, a significant change from the other forays by Chinese teams in the S-League.

I wanted to wait a couple of matches before coming up with this season's predictions, and here they are:

Tampines Rovers FC
Singapore Armed Forces FC
Etoile FC
Gombak United FC
Beijing Guoan Talent FC
Geylang United FC
Home United FC
Sengkang Punggol FC
Young Lions
Woodlands Wellington FC
Balestier Khalsa FC
Albirex Niigata FC (S)

I haven't decided my choice for the league champions, so the top 3 is essentially a toss-up. I believe SAFFC will be distracted by the AFC Champions League commitments and will have a slower start, while Tampines have an exciting strikeforce of Duric, Qiu Li and Khairul Amri and a reliable goalkeeper in Hassan Sunny. Their problems will come if the strikers sustain long-term injuries. Etoile look to be a good bet for the title, but I think more time has to be given before we make our conclusions. They are exciting to watch in the S-League, but their finishing is far from clinical and they can be too aggressive at times, and their defence cannot afford to be lazy against quick counter attacks.

It promises to be a very open title race and SAFFC will have their work cut out to win this season's league title. Good thing is, even if a foreign team wins the league title, the AFC Champions League qualifying spot will still go to the best-placed local team.

So don't worry about not having a Singaporean team in the AFC Champions League :)

Gameweek 4

2010-02-10T14:01:00.001+08:00

This will be the last gameweek of this prediction series, with a twist. There will be no scoreline predictions, just outcome predictions. Meaning, the team to progress. The scope will be the UEFA Europa League. Each correct outcome warrants 2 points, each wrong outcome deducts 1 point. From Round of 32, to 16, to the quarter-finals. All predictions must be made before the start of the Round of 32 matches. So the carry-over effect takes place.

This is the draw:
Hamburg/PSV v Bilbao/Anderlecht
Rubin/Hapoel v Villarreal/Wolfsburg
Atletico/Galatasaray v Everton/Sporting
Hertha/Benfica v Copenhagen/Marseille
Panathinaikos/Roma v Liege/Salzburg
Lille/Fenerbahce v Liverpool/Unirea
Ajax/Juventus v Fulham/Shakhtar
Brugge/Valencia v FC Twente/Werder Bremen

Here is the accumulated point totals for this Gameround:
Szeyuan: 9.75
Zebra: 5.5
EWal: 5.0
Shiping: 4.5
Chunqi: 3.5
Cyr: 1.75
Soo Wee: 0.0

The predictions will be made in this manner: Remove the predicted loser from each Round of 32 match, shown by ___/___. 16 teams will be left, and then in each Round of 16 draw, bold the winner that will progress into the quarter-finals.

EWal:
Hamburg v Bilbao
Rubin v Wolfsburg
Galatasaray v Sporting
Benfica v Marseille
Roma v Salzburg
Fenerbahce v Liverpool
Juventus v Fulham
Valencia v Werder Bremen

Cyr:
Hamburger SV v Aletico Bilbao
Rubin Kazan v Villareal
Atletico Madrid v Everton
Benfica v Copenhagen
AS Roma v Red Bull Salzburg
Fenerbahce v Liverpool
??? v Fulham
Valencia v Werder Bremen

Szeyuan:
PSV v Anderlecht
Rubin v Villarreal
Atletico v Sporting
Benfica v Marseille
Roma v Liege
Lille v Liverpool
Juventus v Shakhtar
Valencia v Werder Bremen

Future of S-League

2010-02-06T18:40:00.003+08:00

It's coming. Oh wait... it has already started? Amazing... more publicity has to be done.

This season should be an improvement from the last at the very least. As for title contenders, don't expect much changes at all. SAFFC is of course favourite, but this is the season Richard Bok will be judged on more than any other following the release of veteran Warriors Aleksander Duric (now at Tampines) and Therdsak Chaiman. Most newspaper writers say Home United and Tampines follow behind, and then Gombak and Geylang. And Young Lions is in as a dark dark horse.

Well, anyone can say that. And they aren't wrong. The S-League cannot get more predictable than the past few seasons. Thus, I will back a plan for a promotion-relegation system in Singapore, a system which I had thought about since about 7 years ago. The problems would be infrastructural and financial. How do we ensure each team is sufficiently sponsored and can draw fans? After all, fan turnout is the biggest problem the previous season. The promotion/relegation system cannot materialise until there are solid match attendances and a solid level of interest in the S-League. Only then will the sponsors become more willing to invest in soccer clubs. And then can we be more assured that the lower division clubs can still survive.

With Singapore, despite soccer being our number 1 sport, it's glaring how our match turnouts fare against our regional rivals. Indonesia is famous for its atmosphere, but it isn't a good comparison because theirs is a very big country whose clubs represent big regions and is a symbol of loyalty. Ours is a small land, and allegiances can be easily switched. It isn't anywhere as easy to support our 'hometown' club. But nonetheless, we can do way better. Our stadiums can fit thousands. The comparatively bigger ones like Bishan Stadium can fit around 7000 spectators. But our average turnout last year was only slightly in excess of 2000. There is much space to be filled, clearly.

The fundamental problem here is the pace of life. Ours is a fast-moving society where every minute, if not second, counts. Many of us are simply unconvinced of travelling to the stadiums, even if its within walking distance, just to spend up to 2 hours watching a match with barely any atmosphere except for the beating of the drums. The quality of the football is also in question.

Steps have been done for this season, and hopefully, our footballers can deliver better soccer for us. There, however, remains no strong initiative to attract the fans. Currently, our league boasts 12 teams which compete 3 times with each other each season. The 12-team system is similar to that of the Scottish league. And the Scottish league has at least 3 divisions. So a promotion/relegation system isn't that difficult.

If each team has 30 players in the first team, there are 360 footballers required. It's not like there are only so few footballers out there. Other than quality of football, we Singaporeans are also concerned about our local footballers. With more foreign footballers, we really do expect more of our local-born footballers. And the standard must improve. Both local and foreign.

What I suggest is to use the Prime League and convert it into Division 2. It needs lots of work, of course, but in a way, it's like raising the profile of Prime League. No potential footballer's eyes will light at the thought of playing in the Prime League. Barely anyone knows about the existence of the Prime League or any of the Prime League players. So why not convert it into a Division 2?

But the problem is, the Prime League consists of the very same teams playing in the S-League. The Prime League is essentially a reserve league for the local teams at the moment. So if it is just converted to Division Two, it will not work out at all. The current match attendances for Prime League matches are 2-digits. So why don't we open up more slots?

Currently, all existing local clubs are hogging the local players. Apart from their first team, they possess 15-20 players, their reserves, to play in the Prime League. England has this system of a Reserve League as well. But playing in the Prime League doesn't provide much experience. Matches are played between reserve players in front of barely any spectators. So these players can be released and taken up by new clubs. There must be more people standing up willing to form professional management teams. And this could even be part of a government initiative by the MCYS, to promote soccer and soccer management as a career, and setting up these management courses in the universities and polytechnics. We must be able to convince people that soccer is in fact, really a feasible career path that provides solid income. And then parents will be more willing to let their children play soccer, more talents will be spotted and developed and in turn the fans will come and income will rise from match tickets and sponsorship, leading to greater wages and thus fuel the feasibility of soccer as a career. It works in a loop, and it has to start somewhere.

If our top footballers cannot warrant a monthly pay of $10000, with the S-League average wage at around $3000, then Prime League players who play in front of crowds of perhaps 50 probably get wages in just hundreds. Compared to all other sectors, soccer is currently not a choice at all for many people. It's education or nothing. Non-education sectors like soccer is severely underdeveloped to attract people as players, managers, coaches as well as spectators.

Thus, I will suggest only allowing some of the clubs to keep their reserve team. These clubs should be the one with no financial problems. These teams could start by playing in Division 2. For example SAFFC B. Clubs like the Yishun Super Reds should not just vapourise just because they missed out. They should retain their rights to exist. With the Division 2 in place, these clubs get to work out and potentially work their way up to the top of Singapore football. A Division 1 of 12 teams and a Division 2 of 12 teams.

Our current S-League lineup is made of 9 local and 3 foreign teams. If foreign teams finish in the bottom 2 or 3 of the league, they either get relegated or they can remove their team from our league, freeing up space for new teams. It could work on a 2 promoted/2 relegated system like the Scottish Premier League.

Foreign clubs must meet certain expectations because they are here to boost our standards and not make up the numbers. When they fail to meet expectations they will have to give way naturally. Help must be given to the clubs in terms of the scouting network and trials, etc. to allow sufficient players to fill the clubs.

When there are more clubs there can be room for more competition and with the pressure of an up/down sustem will allow for clubs to take things more seriously and for non-title contenders to feel more enthusiasm and excitement for the seasons. It's a thought too complex for me but I believe it can be worked out by FAS in the near future.

The foreign clubs in the league must always be limited to 25%, meaning 3 clubs out of 12, as it has been these few seasons. The persisting problem remains to be match attendance, and it must be improved to an average of 3000+ before any such plans can be considered. This is a pre-requisite, a condition for the expansion of the S-League into a more exciting and more competitive brand. Even then, management must be properly done.

If such a plan materialises and proves to be a hit, I will look back with a smile and really be happy that S-League has really bounced back from poor football with a bang. And we could really be sending our best players to Europe. That will make us proud.

To change public opinion, we must start now and develop a long-term plan and concrete goals to iron out all problems and counter them. There are plenty of possible solutions to every problem.

Excitement

2010-01-16T22:06:00.003+08:00

The new S-League season will begin next month if I am not wrong, and I sense that things are going to be better.

For one, SAFFC had made a couple of tall signings. This is a huge step forward.

For another, French-based club Etoile FC is given the nod. I have always craved for a European-based club to feature in the S-League, and I hope the team will give a tremendous fight for honours here rather than languish in mid-table.

With thanks to Today newspaper, there has been quite some information about the lineup of S-League clubs with the new signings. Having read articles about Home United and Geylang United, I believe there is hope that the scouting network is expanding into high quality grounds. This can only be beneficial for Singapore football.

Can't wait to catch some of these new players in action.

And where is Duric heading now? Who has any idea?

Singapore 1-3 Iran

2010-01-07T12:18:00.004+08:00

This performance is not a bad one from our Lions. However, it was a lesson, that at the Asian level, unlike the Southeast Asian level, it is pertinent to keep mistakes to a minimum. And to be honest, we could have lost by a bigger margin, as Iran broke through on counter-attack on quite a number of occasions. Their 3rd goal was a top-class goal. A great goal to score, on the counter-attack, through ball, cut in, and backheel for a lob.

It was not meant to be a historic performance for us, though we had a sniff of it. We were utterly unlucky to concede a penalty early in the match, as Precious' interception was not really a foul, and even if it is, it should be on the edge of the penalty area. The troubles doubled after a slack pass from Mustafic, and Iran pounced on it easily.

The Lions have to be credited for showing heart continually. Shaiful Esah's corner, missed by a seemingly random leg from someone which if made contact, would have been a wasted opportunity, was well put into goal by Alam Shah. Brilliant.

Had Amri, who came on for the hardworking Fazrul, scored that diving header, it could well have been a different story. Singapore would not have been eagerly attacking and exposed in counter-attack. The 3rd goal they conceded was right after a blocked shot from distance after the corner was headed out of the penalty area. Their defence was sorely lacking at the moment.

Following Thailand's stalemate with Jordan, Thailand is now placed 2nd ahead of Singapore on head-to-head and goal difference. Singapore must muster a better result than Thailand to progress in 2nd place. Iran had already secured top spot, while Jordan is one point behind the Southeast Asian rivals.

If Singapore can muster a win against Jordan once more, I do think their qualification should be justified. The team is much improved now.

End of 2009

2009-12-31T17:29:00.003+08:00

The year is ending, and here are some of the things I want to say.

Firstly, Singapore ended the SEA Games in 6th position, and nearly 7th, because hosts Laos had 33 golds like us. 33-30-35 is the exact figures. And 3rd place for Singapore football team.

Now the main thing. Soccerproject Season 32 has ended. Walcott United finished, as intended, 3rd, with 74 points, 10 short of 2nd place, 8 clear of 4th. 24W, 2D, 4L. 90 goals scored, only 5th highest in the league, and 28 goals conceded. GD of +62, 3rd best in the league.

And this season saw the most exciting run in the Soccerproject Cup in the history of the club, proceeding into the 6th round where the team eventually lost to an F division club which finished the season as their league's champions. Not bad for a G division team, eh?

Top club scorer is veteran RF Robby Doll with 21 league goals.

The targets for next season will be promotion to F division, having been through a strengthening season. There are still issues to be settled, like CB and CM especially. And an ageing first team.

Happy New Year to all!

Scintillating start

2009-12-10T21:35:00.003+08:00

Adding to that sole gold medal won by the water polo team, Singapore has delivered a stunning 10 gold medal haul in the first official day of competition!

2 from the table-tennis teams, despite facing some challenges from the Vietnamese men's team in the semi-finals (ended 3-2 in Singapore's favour) and Thai's women's team (forcing close scores in every set; they won zero sets though).

3 more from the shooting team, and 5 from swimming! It was close but just enough for the 4*200m freestyle team relay, Marcus Cheah eventually edging a charging Miguel Molina of Philippines in the final stages.

With 11 golds, we are currently sitting ttop.

Gameweek 3

2009-12-08T12:43:00.003+08:00

Fixtures:
8 Dec Juventus v Bayern Munich
8 Dec Wolfsburg v Man Utd
9 Dec Liverpool v Fiorentina
9 Dec Inter v Rubin Kazan
13 Dec Atletico v Villarreal
13 Dec Chievo v Fiorentina
13 Dec Sampdoria v AS Roma
11 Dec Hertha Berlin v B Leverkusen
13 Dec Wolfsburg v B Dortmund
13 Dec Lyon v Bordeaux

EWal:
9 Dec Liverpool 1-0 Fiorentina -0.25
9 Dec Inter 1-1 Rubin Kazan -0.25
13 Dec Sampdoria 1-2 AS Roma (Scorer: Mirko Vucinic) -0.25
13 Dec Lyon 1-2 Bordeaux (Scorer: Fernando Cavenaghi) +1.5
Total: +0.75

Szeyuan:
8 Dec Juventus 2-2 Bayern Munich (Scorer: Lukas Podolski) -0.25
9 Dec Liverpool 1-0 Fiorentina (Scorer: David Ngog) -0.25
9 Dec Inter 2-0 Rubin Kazan +2.0
13 Dec Sampdoria 1-2 AS Roma -0.25
Total: +1.25

Gameweek 2

2009-12-03T19:02:00.004+08:00

Zebra:
Sporting Lisbon 1-3 Heerenveen -0.25
AS Roma 1-0 Basel +1.5
PSV Eindhoven 1-2 Sparta Prague -0.25
Shahktar Donetsk 0-0 Club Brugge +2.0
Total: 3.0pts

Shiping:
Valencia 3-1 Lille (Scorer: David Villa) +2.0
AS Roma 2-1 Basel (Scorer: John Arne Riise) +2.0
Sporting 2-0 Heerenveen -0.25
Slavia Prague 1-0 Genoa -0.25
Total: 3.5pts

Sze Yuan:
Portsmouth 0-2 Aston Villa +1.5
Valencia 1-1 Lille -0.25
Anderlecht 0-0 Dinamo Zagreb -0.25
AEK Athens 0-3 Everton (Scorer: Mikel Arteta) +1.0
Total: 2.0pts

EWal:
Anderlecht 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb -0.25
AEK Athens 0-2 Everton (Scorer: Louis Saha) +1.0
PSV 2-1 Sparta Prague (Scorer: Otman Bakkal) +1.5
Shahktar Donetsk 1-1 Club Brugge +1.0
Total: 3.25pts

Can't wait

2009-12-02T14:39:00.002+08:00

SEA Games starting on 9th Dec, the birthday of Zebra (not the species). I am excited.

And can Quah Ting Wen do the 8-gold haul like Michael Phelps did? Albeit this being around 2 levels lower. Haha.

Looking forward to the swimmers as usual, at the SEA Games, and our Young Lions. Our U-23 team is kicking off against Indonesia this Saturday!

What about the athletics? Come on, for once, we can actually have some kind of faith. Stefan Tseng in a tough competition in triple jump. Some of our athletes in the Asian Youth Games are in it too! Jiayou. And James Wong looks set to return and win again. Somehow he thrashed the competition so many times before.

That's all for now.

GR 2 Gameweek 2

2009-11-30T11:18:00.003+08:00

Okay... here comes midweek and an easier score computation process for me XD

There are... no league matches, and there are... no UEFA Champions League matches.

This is a gameweek to savour for those who are keen to understand more of the young players of some of the English teams, or look at some of the intense competition going on in the 2nd tier of European football.

In addition, I announce the official departure of Cyr from the game. The reason, unspoken, is automatically understood, as I had already expected it. The exit of Soo Wee is unconfirmed. As such, the moderator may try to get new participants, but EWPS may end after 4 Gamerounds, in mid-January I think, and till then, the moderator's participation as a player is unconfirmed as well.

Selected matches
Dec 1 Carling Cup
Portsmouth vs Aston Villa

Dec 2 UEFA Europa League
Valencia vs Lille
Slavia Prague vs Genoa
Anderlecht vs Dinamo Zagreb
AEK Athens vs Everton

Dec 3 UEFA Europa League
Sporting Lisbon vs Heerenveen
AS Roma vs Basel
PSV Eindhoven vs Sparta Prague
Shahktar Donetsk vs Club Brugge

GR 2 Gameweek 1

2009-11-28T19:27:00.008+08:00

Chunqi:
Aston Villa 1 - Tottenham 1 +2.0
Everton 0 - Liverpool 2 +2.0
Barcelona 1 - Real Madrid 1 (Scorer: Thierry Henry) -0.25
Parma 1 - Napoli 0 -0.25
Total score: 3.5

Zebra:
Everton 1-2 Liverpool +1.0
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea -0.25
Valencia 1-1 Mallorca +2.0
Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid -0.25
Total score: 2.5

Cyr:
Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid (Scorer: Gonzalo Hinguain) -0.25
Valencia 3-0 Mallorca (Scorer: David Villa) -0.25 +1.0
PSG 2-1 Auxerre +1.5
Hoffenheim 3-1 Borussia Dortmund -0.25
Total score: 1.75

Soo Wee:
Total score: -

Szeyuan:
Aston Villa 2 -2 Tottenham (Scorer: Jermain Defoe) +1.0
Everton 0-2 Liverpool (Scorer: Dirk Kuyt) +1.75 +1.0
Arsenal 0-1 Chelsea +1.0
Hannover 0-3 Bayern Munich +1.75
Total score: 6.5*
*Record Gameweek Score
*Perfect Gameweek

EWal:
Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham (Scorer: Gabriel Agbonlahor) -0.25 + 1.0
Hoffenheim 2-2 Borrusia Dortmund -0.25
Udinese 1-0 Livorno +1.0
Atletico 0-2 Espanyol (Scorer: Shunsuke Nakamura) -0.5
Total score: 1.0

Shiping:
Arsenal 2-3 Chelsea +1.0
Total score: 1.0

SEA Games 2009

2009-11-26T17:19:00.004+08:00

Knowing the current affairs and sports nature in me, I obviously know long ago that this year's SEA Games will be held in Laos.

I remember there were some noises as the lack of equipment in the host country leads to sports like gymnastics being scrapped for this addition.

There goes our Nicole and Tabitha Tay's gold medal hopes, having thrilled us the last time we met them on the telly.

I look forward to the swimmers' performances once again. Singapore has established itself as a strong swimming nation within Southeast Asia, and this Games will show how some of our swimmers are faring as they prepare for a big splash in the 2010 Asian Games, where it is feasibly the biggest competition they can win.

The likes of Tao Li and Quah Ting Wen, coupled with many others, including the rapidly improving Parker Lam, will be something for us to fill our stomachs with, especially since Singapore has always won at least around 8 golds each time this biannual competition comes around.

Table tennis is a seeming walkover, with it probably the biggest beneficiary of the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme. I hope the association sends the youth players instead of our biggest stars. Reserve the likes Feng Tianwei, Li Jiawei for the Asian Games and Olympics. Leave the SEA Games for the likes of Pang Xuejie, Isabelle Li and Clarence Chew.

Whether or not we can deliver a satiating gold medal in soccer... it is another matter. But let us just sit back and enjoy all the action as it arrives for all of Singaporeans, as usual, on Ch 5.

Gameround 1 Ends!

2009-11-26T11:47:00.000+08:00

Gameround 1 Standings

1) Zebra: 6.0 + 3.25 = 9.25
1) Chunqi: 5.0 + 4.25 = 9.25
3) Soo Wee: 7.0 + 1.25 = 8.25
3) Cyr: 6.25 + 2.0 = 8.25
5) Szeyuan: 3.0 + 3.75 = 6.75
6) Shiping: 3.25 + 1.0 = 4.25
6) EWal: 3.75 + 0.5 = 4.25

In a dramatic final day of the Gameround, we saw Soo Wee getting all his remaining predictions wrong to drop to level on points with Cyr, who had already finished his schedule early. As this happens, Chunqi and Zebra both delivered, and finish level on 9.25points.

Congratulations to both of you, and may you continue your good work into the next Gameround. Be sure to feel good about winning this inaugural Gameround.

Noticeably, Szeyuan has done very well. Despite missing the first gameweek, he roared back to finish 5th. Thankfully, the moderator had company in finishing in joint last place. Jiayou for next Gameround.

Here are the Gameround 1 accolades:

Gameround 1 Winners: Chunqi, Zebra
Best Gameweek Score: Chunqi (GW4: 4.25pts)
Worst Gameweek Score: EWal (GW1: -0.5pt), Shiping (GW3: -0.5pt)
Correct Scorer Prediction: Cyr (GW3: Vedad Ibisevic)

GW 4 Predictions

2009-11-24T21:48:00.005+08:00

Debrecen vs Liverpool
Rubin Kazan vs Dynamo Kiev
Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Rangers vs Stuttgart
Alkmaar vs Olympiakos
Bordeaux vs Juventus
AC Milan vs Marseille
Porto vs Chelsea

EWal:
Debrecen 0-2 Liverpool (Scorer: Steven Gerrard) +1.0
Rangers 2-2 Stuttgart -0.25
AC Milan 2-1 Marseille -0.25

Cyr:
Rubin Kazan 2-0 Dynamo Kiev (Scorer: Sergei Semak) -0.25
AZ Alkmaar 1-1 Olympiakos (Scorer: Mounir Al Hamdaoui) +1.0
Rangers 1-3 Stuttgart +1.5
Barcelona 0-5 Inter Milan -0.25

Szeyuan:
Debrecen 0 - 3 Liverpool (Scorer: Fernando Torres) +1.0
Barcelona 1 - 1 Inter Milan (Scorer: Thierry Henry XD) -0.25
AC Milan 1 - 1 Marseille +2.0
Porto 0 - 2 Chelsea +1.0

Soo Wee:
Debrecen 0-1 Liverpool (Scorer: Fernando Torres) +2.0
Bordeaux 0-2 Juventus -0.25
AC Milan 2-1 Marseille -0.25
Porto 2-2 Chelsea (Scorer: Didier Drogba) -0.25
Shiping:
Debrecen 0-5 Liverpool* (Scorer: Steven Gerrard) +1.0-0.5
Bordeaux 1-3 Juventus -0.25
Porto 2-1 Chelsea -0.25
Barcelona 2-1 Inter Milan (Scorer: Zlatan Ibrahimovic) +1.0
*Allowed by moderator's special grant. However, there will be automatic 0.5point deduction.

Chunqi:
Debrecen 1-2 Liverpool (Scorer: Fernando Torres) +1.5
Barcelona 2-0 Inter Milan +2.0
Porto 0-2 Chelsea +1.0
AC Milan 2-1 Marseille -0.25

Zebra:
Rangers 1-3 Stuttgart +1.5
Alkmaar 0-1 Olympiakos -0.25
Bordeaux 2-1 Juventus +1.0
AC Milan 2-2 Marseille +1.0

Gameweek 3 Results

2009-11-23T15:28:00.003+08:00

In a week where my favourite teams, Arsenal and Barcelona, both spluttered, there are not many surprising results, except for Tottenham's astounding 9-1 victory over a Wigan side, which I suppose whose defending was disastrous.

Hereby revealing the net results for our players.

Cyr: 2.5
EWal: 1.5
Zebra: 3.0
Soo Wee: 1.0
Shiping: -0.5
Chunqi: 3.75
Szeyuan: 0.5

Chunqi has done exceedingly well this gameweek, same for Zebra. As for Shiping it's the other way round. Soo Wee had a weak gameweek, and now let's see the overall standings 3/4 into the Gameround.

1) Soo Wee: 7.0
2) Cyr: 6.25
3) Zebra: 6.0
4) Chunqi: 5.0
5) EWal: 3.75
6) Shiping: 3.25
7) Szeyuan: 3.0
8) Runze: -

Soo Wee maintains his lead, but at least we might see some interesting things happening in the final gameweek of the Gameround, with the UEFA Champions League matches. Cyr and Zebra are in prime position to steal the thunder and lightning from Soo Wee, while Chunqi has hauled himself into contention with this gameweek.

A reminder:
You cannot predict for your favourite teams as well. In addition, there are only UEFA Champions League matches this week.

Gameweek 3 Predictions

2009-11-21T19:28:00.007+08:00

Despite the email, I think I will just pick 20 matches for league gameweeks in future in the mail to faciliate easier handling by the moderator. Very tough one, you know?

My choices will be pretty random, 4 from each of the 5 leagues, and also will include at least one big team. Yeah and I will try to pick some sneaky, tough to predict ones. Remember the scoring. So strategy makes more sense from now on.

Cyr:
FC Cologne 1-4 Hoffenheim (Scorer: Vedad Ibisevic) +2.0
Stade Rennes 2-2 Le Mans -0.25
Auxerre 0-2 Monaco -0.25
Nice 4-2 Toulouse +1.0

EWal:
Stoke 1-2 Portsmouth -0.25
Burnley 0-2 Aston Villa (Scorer: Gabriel Agbonlahor) -0.25
Villarreal 1-0 Valladolid +1.0
Napoli 1-1 Lazio (Scorer: Julio Cruz) +1.0

Zebra:
Liverpool 1-1 Man City +1.25
Tottenham 0-1 Wigan -0.25
Deportivo 2-1 Atletico Madrid +2.25
Osasuna 0-0 Valencia -0.25

Soo Wee:
Liverpool 0-1 Man City -0.5
Hull 1-0 West Ham -0.25
Real Madrid 2-0 Racing +0.75
Tottenham 2-1 Wigan +1.0

Shiping:
Tottenham 3-1 Wigan (Scorer: Robbie Keane) +1.0
Fiorentina 2-1 Parma -0.5
Stuttgart 1-2 Hertha Berlin -0.5
Bayern Munich 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen (Scorer: Bastian Schweinsteiger) -0.5

Chunqi:
Liverpool 1-1 Man City +1.25
Tottenham 2-0 Wigan +1.0
Napoli 0-0 Lazio +2.0
Fiorentina 1-0 Parma -0.5

Szeyuan:
Bolton 1-1 Blackburn -0.25
Tottenham 2-0 Wigan +1.0
Stoke City 0-1 Portsmouth -0.25

GW 2 Review

2009-11-19T12:00:00.000+08:00

So France got through with a handball. I hand credit to the Irish for being hugely understanding of Henry, partly because they understood that action was common footballers' instinct and that they understood Henry was someone who was fired up by his loyalty and he is innately regarded a good guy in the football world.

His reputation may take a hit slightly but I think people should not be blasting him so much. Let him do the talking with his feet. I am eager to see him improve his game in all aspects and do his fervent fans proud.

http://sporting-politics.blogspot.com/2009/11/henry-handball.html

And Singapore fought back with a win in Thailand. So as it stands, Singapore is back to 2nd with 6 points, 1 ahead of Thailand and 1 behind Iran who have a game in hand.

Shockingly, Russia did not make the World Cup. I am hugely in support of the French team sacking Raymond Domenech and hiring Guus Hiddink, to have a good chance of showing their worth of going through. And Henry needs to regain his confidence that he can really return to his heady heights with a vengeance and convince everyone. Me included.

Results (including aet if necessary):
France 1-1 Ireland (Scorers: William Gallas, Robbie Keane)
Ukraine 0-1 Greece (Scorer: Dimitripos Salpigidis)
Slovenia 1-0 Russia (Scorer: Zlatko Dedic)
Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-1 Portugal (Scorer: Raul Meireles)
Thailand 0-1 Singapore (Scorer: Aleksander Duric)
Bahrain 4-0 Yemen
Malaysia 1-3 Uzbekistan
Syria 0-0 Vietnam
Indonesia 1-1 Kuwait

Okay now the prediction table. Gameweek 2 results are as below (Wrong outcome deducts only 0.25points under the new rules):

Cyr: 0.25pts
Shiping: 0.25pts
Soo Wee: 2.5pts
Zebra: 2.0pts
Chunqi: 1.25pts
EWal: 2.75pts
Szeyuan: 2.5pts
Runze: -

Current Standings
1) Soo Wee 6.0pts
2) Shiping 3.75pts
3) Cyr 3.75pts
4) Zebra 3.0pts
5) Szeyuan 2.5pts
6) EWal 2.25pts
7) Chunqi 1.25pts
8) Runze -

So Soo Wee is currently holding a big lead and what strategy will he employ as we go into club soccer next? Check it out, all on singaporeliga.blogspot.com.

Gameweek 2 Predictions

2009-11-18T16:55:00.000+08:00

The European WC2010 qualifiers go into the 2nd leg with everything at stake to deliver the nation to the biggest soccer spectacle in the world in South Africa. Advantage France, Portugal and Russia as it goes, and can they hold on to this and push themselves to the World Cup?

And can teams like Singapore, fighting for a berth in the 2011 Asian Cup, bounce back from their defeats and win against the same opposition to put themselves in a better position?

Here is what our players think:

Cyr (3.5pts):
Slovenia 1-2 Russia (Scorer: Andrei Arshavin)
Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-2 Portugal (Scorer: Simao Sabrosa)
France 2-0 Ireland
Ukraine 1-0 Greece

Shiping (3.5pts):
Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-2 Portugal
France 2-0 Ireland (Scorer: Nicolas Anelka)
Slovenia 0-3 Russia (Scorer: Roman Pavlyuchenko)
Thailand 2-2 Singapore

Soo Wee (3.5pts):
Thailand 0-1 Singapore
France 2-0 Ireland
Bosnia-Herzegovia 0-2 Portugal
Ukraine 1-0 Greece

Zebra (1.0pts)
Ukraine 0-2 Greece
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-2 Portugal
Slovenia 0-0 Russia
Malaysia 1-1 Uzbekistan

Chunqi (0.0pts)
France 2-0 Ireland (Scorer: Thierry Henry)
Thailand 2-1 Singapore (Scorer: Sutee Suksomkit)
Indonesia 1-1 Kuwait
Syria 1-2 Vietnam

Eugene (-0.5pts):
France 3-1 Ireland (Scorer: Thierry Henry)
Thailand 1-3 Singapore (Scorer: Mustafic Fahrudin)
Malaysia 1-4 Uzbekistan
Bahrain 2-1 Yemen

Szeyuan (-):
Thailand 4-1 Singapore (Scorer: Sutee Suksomkit)
France 1-1 Ireland
Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-3 Portugal
Slovenia 0-1 Russia (Scorer: Andrei Arshavin)

Runze (-):

GR 1 Gameweek 1 Results

2009-11-15T10:52:00.001+08:00

Here are the actual results:

New Zealand 1-0 Bahrain (aggregate 1-0)
Scorer: Rory Fallon

Ireland 0-1 France
Scorer: Nicolas Anelka

Greece 0-0 Ukraine

Portugal 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Scorer: Bruno Alves

Russia 2-1 Slovenia
Scorers: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (2), Nejc Pecnik

Singapore 1-3 Thailand
Scorers: Mustafic Fahrudin, Therdsak Chaiman, Sutee Suksomkit (2)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings
Cyr: 3.5 points
Shiping: 3.5 points
Soo Wee: 3.5 points
Zebra: 1.0 points
Chunqi: 0.0 points
EWal: -0.5 points
Szeyuan: -
Runze: -

Here is a 3 way tie for the lead after Gameweek 1. The prediction window for Gameweek 2 is now open, with matches mostly for the return legs of this gameweek's matches. Please remember that you are making the prediction for the 2nd leg alone, not for the aggregate.

The prediction window for Gameweek 2 will close just before the start of the respective matches.

Suggested matches (Matches on 18 Nov):
Ukraine v Greece
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Portugal
Slovenia v Russia
France v Ireland
Thailand v Singapore
Malaysia v Uzbekistan
Syria v Vietnam
Indonesia v Kuwait
Bahrain v Yemen

Singapore v Thailand

2009-11-15T10:00:00.004+08:00

It was a match that really showed Thailand's threatening pace and dribbling, and exposed Singapore's defensive frailities.

But it is hard to swallow considering how Singapore sort of lagged by 45 minutes.

In the first half, Singapore was pretty horrendous, creating barely any half-chances at all, and allowing Thailand to shoot with 4 good chances. It was really lucky that we remained only a goal down going into the break. The conceded goal is a penalty.

After the interval, Singapore broke out of their shell and started to find their more fluent style. The introduction of the speedy and tricky Khairul Amri is a good decision, and his passing and dribbling and hunger was for all to see.

Yet, the defence let the team up with 2 goals for the Thai team, one with a rooted Baihakki looking on and not noticing the dash by Therdsak, whom Shaiful Esah followed but could not stop. Therdsak skilfully shot in a volley from close range.

Then it was a one-on-one with a through ball for Sutee to score his second.

Singapore needs a miracle to claw back, and the penalty was the chance to get things going. Mustafic Fahrudin did not disappoint, with his powerful penalty kick into the top right hand corner of the net.

Despite having some good chances when the score was at 0-1, Singapore did not put in those chances and it came back to haunt them. It includes John Wilkinson passing a ball too hard and fast to Duric, instead of shooting, leading to the ball moving out to be cleared by the Thai defenders.

Some other chances include 2 free kicks, one from John Wilkinson and another from Shaiful Esah, both just scraping past the left post. Near the end, Duric was finally provided with a really good cross to his feet but he could not finish.

It summed up a disappointing night for the Lions. Yet, the 2nd half has provided faith that the Lions have the ability to go to Thailand and defeat them, as long as they can plug some gaps in defence and be clinical in their shooting.

We must beat Thailand come 18 November.

Debate

2009-11-14T14:32:00.006+08:00

As 2 of the playing members have voiced their opinion on the clause in the rules that states that every outcome that is predicted wrongly will lead to -0.5points.

As such, all 8 playing members will be called upon to give a vote on this issue. This may take a while, as we look into creating the notions for it.

For each change to be effected, 5 votes in favour of the change will be required. In other words, a majority decision.

Players are now welcomed to voice their opinions via Comments (Blog function).

Here are the possible scenarios:
1) Status quo. Wrong outcome = -0.5points.
2) Reduction. Wrong outcome = -0.25points.
3) Removal. Wrong outcome = 0points.
4) Complication. If Home Win is predicted, a Draw = 0points, an Away Win = -0.5points.

But regarding 4), it is complicated, and what if the player predicts a Draw?

Open for comments.

Changes, if enacted, will be in effect starting from the next Gameweek.

EW Prediction Series Gameweek 1

2009-11-14T11:38:00.014+08:00

This will just be a fun affair; I will ask some of my friends to make predictions to some key matches affecting us, and then I will post the predictions here.

Correct outcome warrants 1 point.
Incorrect outcome deducts 0.5 point. (Open for debate)
Correct winning margin warrants 0.5point.
Correct scoreline warrants 1 point.
Therefore, maximum score from scoreline prediction is 2.0points for each match.
The maximum number of predictions that can be made each gameweek is 4.
With every 2 predictions you can predict a goalscorer for any one of the matches.
A correct goalscorer prediction gains 1 point.

I will use nicknames to denote the characters:

EWal:
Singapore 3-1 Thailand (Scorer: Aleksander Duric)
Ireland 0-2 France (Scorer: Thierry Henry)
New Zealand 1-2 Bahrain
Portugal 1-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina

Zebra:
Singapore 1-2 Thailand

Cyr:
Singapore 2-1 Thailand
New Zealand 1-0 Bahrain
Russia 3-0 Slovenia (Scorer: Andrei Arshavin)
Greece 1-1 Ukraine (Scorer: Andriy Shevchenko)

Shiping:
Greece 2-1 Ukraine
Ireland 1-3 France
Portugal 3-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Scorer: Jose Bosingwa)
Singapore 1-3 Thailand (Scorer: Noh Alam Shah)

Chunqi:
Singapore 1-0 Thailand
Ireland 0-2 France (Scorer: Thierry Henry)
Greece 1-0 Ukraine

Soo Wee:
Singapore 2-1 Thailand
Portugal 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Ireland 0-2 France
New Zealand 2-0 Bahrain

As can be seen, the maximum score that can be gained every gameweek is 10 points, provided all 4 predictions are perfectly correct and both goalscorer predictions are correct as well.

There will be no score deduction for incorrect prediction of goalscorers. Thus the worst score from a gameweek: 4 incorrect outcomes, will lead to -2.0points.

After this international break, this game will probably move on to the leagues. Again, there can be up to 4 predictions and 2 goalscorers (depending on number of scoreline predictions).

However, the 'punter' is not allowed to predict scores for any of his favourite club teams. So I cannot predict for Arsenal and Barcelona.

There will be a cap on 2 games for any chosen league. The leagues that can be selected are the main European leagues: EPL, Spanish Liga, Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1.

The scores will be tabulated by me every fortnight (half a month). The number of gameweeks will vary, depending on whether there are matches in midweek.

For midweek gameweeks, there is a cap on 2 games for the Champions League and 2 on the Europa League, as well as for any domestic cup competitions.

There will be no prizes, but recognition for the winner(s) all in the name of good fun! ‘Punters’ are not obliged to post predictions with the moderator (me) every gameweek, but to qualify for the fortnightly tabulation, the ‘punter’ must have entered at least 2 of the gameweeks.

This prediction series will be the only thing that exceeds the boundaries I set on the blog; my analysis of teams, etc. for Europe leagues, and international teams, will remain on my main blog.

This prediction game is a strictly jovial affair with no real stakes involved.

Singapore double-header

2009-11-12T14:40:00.003+08:00

One of the most important Singapore football team dates.

Singapore vs Thailand 14 Nov
Thailand vs Singapore 18 Nov

Singapore, having lost to Iran but defeated Jordan in the Asian Cup 2011 qualifying group, is on 2nd position with 3 points, behind Asian powerhouse Iran, which could not make it to the World Cup 2010, missing out narrowly in a tight tussle for 3rd place at least in the group.

Thailand is on 2 points having drawn both of their previous matches. So as it stands the teams have 4, 3, 2 and 1 points.

This is in fact one of the easier groupings Singapore have been placed in among the recent groupings for qualifiers. The last time, it was Japan and Oman. Despite a late opportunity with a final qualifying group, Singapore disappointed and didn't enter into the actual competition.

But Singapore has become a regional powerhouse in recent years under the guidance of Raddy Avramovic, and with the aid of the Foreign Talent Scheme, the team is moving forward, despite talk of the S-League moving backwards.

With the 2 matches against Thailand, Singapore could well finally re-enter the regional competition and compete with Asia's best. Finally qualifying will mean that our nation has truly improved and is now ready to move out of just being one of the best in South-East Asia but also in Asia.

2 wins would put Singapore in a very good position to at least finish 2nd.

And it promises to be 2 very keen and fired up affairs between the rivals. Thailand are known for being fast and prefers passing on the ground, while Singapore looks to long balls to the strikeforce which are rather clinical.

Duric, at 39 (or 40?) years of age is still S-League's top scorer once again. His height will make a difference, but not to be forgotten is how he is adept at being a box striker. His partner, Noh Alam Shah, also packs a great heading ability. Remember him totally destructing the shorter Laotian defence last time in an 11-0 drubbing? He is also pacy, but will need to check his temper.

And this team has very strong backup. Khairul Amri is a very pacy forward and can score free kicks and more spectacular goals. His problem is his injury problems, but he has came back and will probably make some contributions as a substitute to turn things around when the match is not going well for the Lions.

The new central defensive pair of Daniel Bennett and Baihakki Khaizan looks rather solid. They do have some height among them, and Bennett, for years playing as a full-back, should be able to check pacy runs by the Thai attackers.

Shaiful Esah promises a lot with his set pieces especially. It is good to note I have appreciated his abilities since his substitute appearance in the defeat by Vietnam in the AFF Suzuki Cup in the semi-finals. He is long my first choice in his position.

Notingly, for all of Thai's attacking flair, they have yet to score a single goal in their qualifiers. They will look to put an end to that. I am expecting a close affair, with goals for both sides.

Singapore can rely on their attackers, with Duric, Noh, Amri, Agu all established scorers who can change games. The midfield is very exciting as well. Mustafic Fahrudin and John Wilkinson really plug the gaps in midfield with a steely presence and can threaten with powerful long shots, especially the former.

Players like Sharil Ishak will add pace, and Khairul Amri as well. It depends whether Avramovic will play him as a winger or a substitute striker, but I back him to feature prominently shall he play.

My prediction for the home leg on 14 Nov is a win for the Singapore Lions by 3-1, while I will make the prediction for the 2nd round of the battle after watching this first match.

Let us rally behind the Lions and roar them to victory!

Condolences

2009-11-02T21:50:00.002+08:00

I extend my condolences to all related to Singaporean football coach V Sivalingam who regrettably collapsed during a charity football match.

This piece of sad news follows soon after former national soccer player Dollah Kassim also had a similar case, and he is now still in a coma.

I urge the Singaporean football fraternity to impose stricter checks and also to possibly reduce the intensity of these elder, retired footballers, so as to ensure these sad news will not re-emerge.

End of season

2009-10-29T17:00:00.003+08:00

Walcott United fought and nearly did it.

The team finishes in a respectable 4th place with 69 points, just a point shy of the 3rd-placed team, which won against the league champions Prozna 2-0, the latter fielding a weakened team having already sealed the title.

Glad to say, Walcott United has stayed true to its attacking focus and finishes the season average 3.63 goals per game.

We congratulate both right forwards Robby Doll and Sevki Ghazali for scoring 22 goals apiece to be top scorers for the club, albeit needing to share most of the matches as they fight for the single RF slot.

There are a couple of young players as well. These promoted youth players are all French, as the source of production is led by a French scout.

Speaking of that, I will have to worry about staff contracts come the end of next season. The contracts are expensive, and I will need to decide whether to get new staff members for 3-season periods at undeveloped (thus cheaper) abilities.

For now, the management board is rather satisfied with the solid season of consolidation where finances have not declined and yet the number of players have increased, lending more weight to the team.

The team, as estimated, is set to receive about 360K of end of season bonus for finishing in the top 5.

Friends Status:
alvin88888 6th in F division
sp (still initials) 15th in F division

The team congratulates the promoted teams and will seek for an even better season in Season 32. Promotion remains not a priority, with the strengthening of team finances and adding more youth into the first team lineup being first on the priorities for the management.

Singapore wins

2009-10-25T11:57:00.002+08:00

Congrats to Singapore national soccer team for winning the tournament in Ho Chi Minh!

We can derive quite some positives from the performances. We do have some strength in depth. Although some of our players are absent as they ply their trade in the Indonesian league, like Noh Alam Shah and Mustafic Fahrudin, I think some other players have stepped up.

Sharil Ishak looks to be a good contender to start, while RB and long-thrower Shaiful Esah may well prove sufficient to dislodge Noh Rahman. I always thought Esah was a better player and the good thing is that he is younger.

Duric, at 39 years of age, still looks dangerous. Having topped the S-League goalscoring charts again he is one of the more definite choices for the 2 matches against Thailand in mid-November. Crucial to win both to get to the Asian Cup.

There are many other contenders though. Noh Alam Shah, Duric, Khairul Amri, Agu Casmir, Masrezwan Masturi, and whoever I missed out. I think Duric should be starting, because he is good with the head and his feet. His partner would best be Noh, since he is speedy to complement Duric. Amri is speedy but has just come back from injury and does not have the experience of Noh. But Amri will be a good choice for winger or impact substitute.

Agu will probably be up as a sub for Duric if Duric is shut out.

Let's hope Singapore will carry this success forward and shut out Thailand's hopes.

Hattrick Update

2009-10-19T16:58:00.003+08:00

Though I have not mentioned this game for long, this is always a permanent stay in my game repertoire (forgive me if I use this wrongly).

I have rekindled my passion for the game within today itself, placing 2 ageing midfield stars on the transfer list, and after quite some time of bidding, I managed to pull off 2 purchases that amount to 3.1million dollars. I am hoping the 2 sales will recoup at least 2.5 million for me.

The players I bought are much younger: in the range of 21-23 years. I am training Playmaking now, but have made the uncanny decision to actually play 3-4-3. But I am still doing it because some of my midfield stars are in awful form, while my strikers all deserve to be on the pitch (4 good strikers in my team).

I am currently in 4th position in my series of 8 teams, and the more laxing 1 league game per week will be crucial for me to make more informed decisions, and more time to make better choices in purchases instead of blindly splurging cash.

My aim this season is to finish in 3rd position or better.

Soccerproject Season 31 Update

2009-10-18T14:06:00.003+08:00

With 23 matches played, Walcott United is looking decent, challenging for the top positions. 17 wins of 23 in G division may not be the most pleasing record for the team in its history, having been crowned G-division champions twice before making swift returns by relegation.

However, this is a team in peril having been mildly managed the previous season. The target for the team this season is to consolidate and finish in the top 5, without promotion, so that the team finances can be boosted, as well as for the team spirit to be kept up with good results, as the team requires frequent shuffles.

FC Prozna is looking very strong, with a vast 7 point lead at the top of the table. Their manager must be determined to deliver swift results. As I had predicted at the start of the season (not penned down though), Dynamo Stranska has a stronger team than mine and should do rather well with proper management. Now they are sitting third, a point in front of my team before our crunch match on Monday.

I will put out a strong team, but the team is hampered by the absence of first-choice RM Jeff Cavanagh, always a strong presence in midfield, due to pneumonia. He will be out for 4 days. Whether or not we can win this, I think it is a 50-50 probability.

Moving on to the transfers made during the season, I think it has to some extent stabilised the financial stability. Just like how the real world is starting to move out of recession.

I had sold 2 players, an RF and an RM, for a combined profit of 1 million dollars. Both players are aged around 20-22, rather youthful, but only such players can be sold for some profit. As my team is already rather weak in numbers, I made 2 quick instant purchases for a total of 700K expenditure. Welcome LB Danielson and LF Marek Waga. Although both players are unlikely to be heroic for the team over the long term, they remain essential to boost the numbers.

I have purchased a 21-year-old Dutch CB whose skills have maxed already at 77% overall. This is rather decent, but again not a long-term solution when my first-choice CBs David Jindrisek and Thomas Lenko retire. But he cost quite a bargain at 250K.

I am still at 358K in finances, but a pending sale of a promoted youth player CB Damien Giresse to my friend, who manages the club "____". Not authorized to use his team name yet, but I shall call it SP. The sale would be 150K according to a pact we made, as I was in sympathy of his squad with just 15 players, grossly insufficient and weak finances as well. Unless an offer of 600K or above comes in, which is unlikely. I do think the player I bought is better than this I am selling :D

Moving on, I am happy with the progress of 2 of my youth players, namely CF Matt Idangar and RM Wilson Mathis. I hope they will be good enough to replace my ageing stars.

As a collective note, I apologize for the extended period of inactivity. An announcement will be that I will be expanding the scope of the blog to Singapore sports instead of just soccer! Good news I would say. And, Walcott United will be facing a testing stretch of 3 important games, which could mean the team finish 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th. I am targeting 3rd.

Down with Pride

2009-08-28T21:50:00.000+08:00

With a season total of 24 points, Walcott United is definitely relegated.

This season is periled due to my temporary loss of interest in Soccerproject.

However, ever since my return to the game on 3rd August, in the 14 league matches remaining out of 30, I recorded 5 wins, most notably my first after my return, a 2-1 away win against FC Prozna, and ending the season with a 7-0 thrashing of managerless Dinamo Murata and probably the best result in the final match of the season against SK Babi, a rather strong team.

The result is another 2-1 away win. This was very satisfying because my match ratings of:
Defence 38%
Midfield 37%
Attack 44%
with a 3-4-3 Kick and Rush formation is the best I have seen. This is the strongest group of attackers I have assembled, with RF Robby Doll being 2nd top scorer with 27 league goals (the best any of my strikers have ever done in any division), LF Shameer As'at adding 11, and CF Ratna Rahim adding 10.

Robby Doll however is 28, Ratna 27, thus within 3 seasons I would need to get replacements ready. Thus finance is important. I have really limited finance at the moment. Amazngly, RF Sevki scored 5 league goals, and 10 total goals in just 13 matches, many which should be friendlies since he is my 2nd choice RF.

SK Babi finished the season in 9th spot with 35 points despite the loss to Walcott United, with the 11th spot team with 34 points with a 9-1 thumping of last-placed Dinamo. The result did not change matters, but it was a significant achievement for Walcott United.

The win propelled Walcott United to a respectable 12th position, goal difference of -17. By number of wins, our team edged out SKP Strelci, who also posted a final day win and is on 24 points, and The Vastators which lost to division champions FC Grimaud 1-2 on the final day.

A season where the team's existence was threatened is revived but finances are still very vulnerable.

However, as I am writing this, there is good news filtering in. CF Brahim Munoz has finally been offloaded at a price of 280K. This money at least brings the budget to a safer level, though incoming transfers remain unlikely.

Thankfully, the squad is still sustainable.

Soccerproject

2009-08-08T13:00:00.002+08:00

I flirted with quitting the game, but the presence of friends playing is what drew me back.

Come on, I am now rebuilding my team. I don't possess great hope of doing the great escape. Though I feel as though I am a new manager thrown with the task of steering the team away from relegation.

But with my current players, and a weak finance, there is little I can do at the moment.

I bought a CF and an LB immediate on my return. From 2 million my finances dropped below 1 million. The CF is very so-so, a bench-warmer I would say. But I need him, although he is rated a meagre 76%. His strike rate is pretty decent; that's the reason I recruited him.

The LB is important because I had lost both of my LBs. Due to my inactivity. Apologies to Walcott United fans. And I got myself a so-so LB as well. But this is okay since my previous 2 LBs were only marginally better than this one.

I have since bought another player - a CM. This CM still has a couple of un-maxed skills. Meanwhile I am also selling 3 of my players.

One of them, my current first-choice RB, is confirmed leaving as someone had already made a bid of 50K. My instant-selling-fee is 170K if I am not wrong. A 20-year-old CF has not received any bids. I hope that someone will bid for 700K for this striker. I need the money. The last player is a weak CB I bought as temporary reinforcement the last time round.

I am selling the RB because I think the 2 developing RBs I have (promoted from youth team) will be as good if not better than my current first-choice. And another reason is because I want to start selling some of the older players.

I aim to finish respectably - perhaps at least 12th.

Singapore vs Liverpool

2009-08-02T16:20:00.003+08:00

Finally a strong EPL side has come to Singapore to play a match against us.

I generally think, based on the match, Lionel Lewis is still a better keeper than Hassan Sunny.

Although Lionel conceded 2 goals in just around 15-20 minutes, he was faced with a barrage of attacks, albeit definitely not the best of Liverpool. This is an exhibition match after all.

With the crowd roaring behind Liverpool, it is easy to forget Singapore is actually our nation.

But no shame to lose to a top EPL side. Singapore, despite all its improvement under Raddy Avramovic, remains limited in talents, very good talents, and would probably find it tough to muster a 2-match winning streak if placed in the English League Two.

Not that I know the qualities there.

Our focus remains in Asia. Who knows in the near future, Fandi may send his 2 talented sons to Singapore team and boost us? And how will Hariss Harun actually develop to? He has great potential.

At this moment I see the best players in the present national team to be Lionel Lewis, Mustafic Fahrudin and Daniel Bennett.

Only Lionel is not a foreign talent. We need more local talents.

We are essentially a nation and not a football club. We must make sure in the short future, our own homegrown talents can come up and oust some of the foreign talents in our national squad. Only then can we justify the foreign talent scheme.

Table Tennis may be showing signs of such a benefit. Isabelle Li and Clarence Chew were both pretty solid at the Asian Youth Games. Swimming has done so much with just foreign coaches, and local swimmers. Tao Li and Quah Ting Wen looks to blaze the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010 alight.

Football is our pet sport. Can we make this crucial conversion soon?

New Game

2009-06-22T17:55:00.002+08:00

Adding to Soccerproject, and the very good game of Hattrick, here is another game I recommend:

Championship Manager Online

Google search these words and you will find your way to the website.

Like Soccermanager, this is a soccer management game based on real life players.

Unlike Soccermanager, it is much more multi-dimensional, due to many skills contributing to the overall 'Judgement', grading from World Class, to Superstar, Star, Superb, Very Good, Good, Fairly Good, Decent, Fairly Decent, Average, etc.

The players can be trained simply under the categories, First Team, Reserve Team, Youth Team, Goalkeeper, Fitness or Rest. By training the players, positive influences may result in the Judgement of the player moving up, until a cap which is the player's maximum potential, based on a system used based on real life performances.

Very good game, after about 1-2 weeks at the game. I currently manage Game World 89 French League side Rennes, currently under me managing 2 league wins and 1 league draw, moving up to 6th.

Unlike Soccermanager, the game also follows the real life format well. The top teams in each league, following the rules for qualification for European tournaments, will participate in the elite Champions Cup (Real life named UEFA Champions League), and the Europa Cup (Europa League?). Some developments are still being carried out, leading to the Europa Cup name not yet used entirely; instead still called UEFA Cup, the real life current name.

My favourite player, favourite striker, favourite footballer, favourite sportsman, is Thierry Henry!!!!! Absolutely divine, world-class player.

If interested, join me in Game World 89!

My friends Yongrui and Seng Peing are also in the game, in the French League with me in Game World 89! But you might not be able to get a team in the French League now because most remaining unmanaged teams are 4star teams, and newcomers start the game only able to manage teams of 3 stars and below.

Positive match results will accumulate in the form of Manager Points, (not to be mixed with Experience Points, which are awarded for exploring features and doing things in the game) till a point where the manager can finally manage higher level teams.

The best teams, like Arsenal FC (GUNNERS!) and FC Barcelona, are 6star teams.

So join me now!

Crisis

2009-05-11T14:50:00.003+08:00

This period is by far the worst period my team Walcott United is going through.

And this isn't the disastrous 2nd attempt at F Division. I am now down to G Division, and currently sit 3rd with 5 wins out of 5.

However, the standings can only say so much.

The team is in financial crisis. At this juncture, the team finances amount to below 400,000 dollars. To boost finances, there are only some limited ways.

1) Advertising boards
The impact is minimal. The ad boards are getting increasingly bad for the team, with bad offers, like 9500dollars for display for >20 days. We are talking about hitting the team's safe region of >1 million.

2) Offload players
Currently, this is the most feasible solution. However, the squad currently consists of only 22 players, and I would never know when a new youth player will be promoted. My policy of recruiting older but better players are finally showing its cons. They can no longer be sold at a good price (ie. >300K). I have placed my star striker (29yo) on sale, as well as a promoted French youth striker (18yo). I hope these 2 players' sale will garner me at least 700K.

3) Offload staff members
Staff members' wages, due to a new game rule, has soared to around 10 times of their original value. This is a big reason my finances are increasingly stretched. However, many positions are crucial. Asst manger will deal well with the team when I am away, as I am, increasingly in this period. Coach is the most impt, as it helps in improving the skills of youth players. The doctor heals injured players, while the scout ensures supply of youth players. The groundsman keeps the ground in good condition, ensuring no fine and good performances from players.

The only remaining position is the physiotherapist, who reduces chances of players getting injuries. At this moment, his salary is 6K+, and offloading him will cost me 70K+, which is much less than letting his contract run out in 1.5season left on his contract. In this critical period, this is really a last-ditch measure.

As I have put 2 players on the transfer list, I still need to buy players to ensure the players don't wear out, and also because the injuries may be much more frequent due to the removal of a physiotherapist. With a mere 300+K left, I will not think about taking a loan yet, but instead invest in free players. I have bidded for about 5, and I will hope at least 1 will materialise.

I will update the situation maybe this weekend.

2009-04-21T20:42:00.003+08:00

Horrible season is finally ending.

How horrible? Just see how long I didn't have the mood to post.

Flunked transfers which are overpriced, poor decision to expand stadium size, costing 1.15million, has led to me resorting to extremely low money transfers days ago to make up the numbers.

Hope that the cheaper ones will prove better than some of the more expensive ones...

DPMM good start

2009-02-28T16:07:00.002+08:00

Very credible showing, exceeding expectations, dominating possession, and rescuing a draw in the dying seconds with a good counter attack with a great volley finishing the move.

Young Lions forced to a draw.

Match is played in Brunei's stadium. They defeat the Super Reds 2-1.

And all that from a team from a nation that doesn't even play in the biannual Tiger Cup or ASEAN Football Championships or AFF Suzuki Cup?

Great job, DPMM.

Back to Div F

2009-02-28T16:04:00.001+08:00

A new season, and many greater challenges.

My main targets:

1) Finish in Top 8
2) Reach 5th round of Cup

Much simpler than before. Had a honeymoon period in Div G, with a couple of dropped points at Div G showing that things could be much harder in Div F.

Will try hard to serve the good team justice in its 2nd stint in this division.

2009-02-22T13:52:00.001+08:00

Promotion!

S-League 2009

2009-02-18T15:54:00.000+08:00

Yes! It is here!

Dalian Shide is gone, Brunei DPMM is here. Sengkang is revamped, with additions of Singapore national team RB Noh Rahman, former national team captain Aide Iskandar, foreign signings like Wiredu of Canada and Diallo of Guinea, and possibly Indra Sahdan.

SAFFC is much the same, but it is undeniable Duric is starting to slow down, and may retire soon. The top scorer race may prove to be unpredictable.

Here are my predictions for the S-League season:

1st/2nd: SAFFC, Tampines Rovers
3rd: Super Reds
4th: Home United
5th: Geylang United
6th: Gombak United
7th: Young Lions
8th: Sengkang Punggol
9th: Albirex Niigata
10th: Woodlands Wellington
11th: DPMM
12th: Balestier Khalsa

These are grossly inaccurate as of now, because I need to see the teams playing before I know their standards.

May SAFFC go through to the AFC Champions League group stages at least!

Some names to look out for: Jonathan Xu (Defender, Geylang Utd), Hariss Harun (Midfielder, Young Lions), Park Tae Won (Midfielder, SAFFC), Shaiful Esah (Defender, SAFFC), Benoit Croissant (Defender, Tampines Rovers), Agu Casmir (Striker, Gombak)

Can Agu re-discover his great form in his first stint with S-League? Can Park win his first silverware with the club that denied him twice in the Singapore Cup final? Can former Sheffield United squad player (wonder how prominent he reached) be a defensive rock?

Jonathan Xu and Shaiful Esah and Hariss Harun are all upcoming youngsters whom are very promising. Xu may establish himself now that Aide is moved out of his way at CB position to Sengkang. I still think Shaiful is the best RB, not Noh Rahman. And Hariss Harun needs to be less injury-prone, and fulfil his great potential. His passing is very good.

Doing well

2009-01-31T19:14:00.000+08:00

As I have aimed, I regained my top position after a shock loss to initially 2nd ranked (and now 3rd) De Rouches. De Rouches... a few seasons ago was actually not as good as my team, then my managerial problems with team spirit allowed a cople of teams, including them, to overtake me. De Rouches was promoted the season before I did, then they got relegated the season before I did.

So apparently we are back on even ground and may both be promoted, but currently 2nd placed FC Prozna is worrying even me.

I have some youth players coming through, with LF Shameer As'at already near maxing his skills and looking a really good player, 2 RFs, the latter one which is promoted being extremely great in his primary skills shooting and heading. A CF is promoted too. Too early to see whether he has sufficient quality.

I await the promotion of players in CM and CB position. CM needs better young players, while I only have 2 CBs, allowing me only to play 343 as formation so as to keep their fitness up.

Generally I didn't make many transfers. Sold a few players. Will sell more, 1 CF and 1 CM (when 1 is promoted) is likely. Hopefully before end of the season, because my team spirit will be affected next season if I am promoted, because matches are tougher and wins are tougher to get.

Target is simple: 1st in league

And I did well in the cup for the first time, reaching the 5th round (never reached even the 4th round before) and exiting only on penalties. Overcome higher division teams twice before losing in the 5th round.

Soccerproject latest updates

2009-01-05T19:02:00.000+08:00

4W 1D 0L.

A pretty decent start to make my way to the top of the Division G.5, after a dismaying season ended in relegation the season before.

However, the position has a lot of strengthening to do. There are 6 teams hot on Walcott United's heels, with Valencia, whom we drew against in the first match of the season, on equal points, and the other 5 just a point behind.

The top 2 gets promoted. But my target is winning the championship, to repeat my feat 2 seasons ago.

I still remember languishing in mid table mediocrity for a couple of seasons in Division G. 8th, 8th, 9th. Then the squad started to improve, thanks to new players and a better team spirit, Walcott United finished 5th the following season, and won the title for promotion in the 5th season in Div G, and 7th season in the game.

Currently my jobs are to start replenishing players. Players coming out of the youth ranks are doing that pretty well. Shameer As'at may prove to be the best forward the club has seen. Asrit Ramadani is performing very well, to expectations, though he should be plundering more goals. Both are Left Forwards.

Thomas Lenko is a very good CB, but at age 29, it is better to get some money by selling him as his form starts to drop, and invest in a younger CB. So far, CM Saiful is sold for a higher price than expected. I made a bad transfer, but I still have 3 good Central Midfielders.

And I had bought an LM Lubomir Dvorak very good in his primary skills to replace retiring Muhd Akbar Rahim, who has been my best player from the initial batch.

And I have 2 youth RFs coming out of the youth ranks, and hopefully they can be the best RFs the club has seen.

That's all.

A Failure, But We Can Bounce Back

2008-12-22T14:17:00.000+08:00

Singapore dominated proceedings almost the entire match against Vietnam. But an error cost us dear.

But wait.

This is one of the greatest performances I have seen from the national team since Raddy took charge years ago.

Our finishing touch needs to be improved. This is a problem that is slowly finding its solution, but not just yet.

In this 0-1 reverse, a few players shone out.

1) Sharil Ishak
He made most of his return, and was fascinating in the first half, with smart and unexpected moves, good coordination with Agu Casmir, and his work should have been rewarded with more than a goal. Staked a strong claim to return to the starting lineup.

2) Noh Alam Shah
Although he did not score, missing more than a good opportunity, his commitment was there for all of us to see. He went in too aggressively at the start, but it underlined his desire, which showed even before the match, when he posted on Facebook he wanted to thrash Vietnam. Perhaps luck wasn't shining on him.

3) Ismail Yunos
Despite it being his error that cost the Singapore Lions, I was surprised we actually had our own Rory Delap. His long throws were surprising for me, and two of those throws nearly resulted in goals. If Duric, being such a tall presence in the box, was available, he would be able to direct them into the net.

I look forward to them facing stiffer opposition next month, as the Asian Cup qualifying campaign starts. Tough opponents in Iran and Jordan.

But Singapore football is worth believing in now. The quality is improving. The football is more pleasant to see now. With consolidation, we can compete with the big guns of Asia soon. This team would have matched Uzbekistan.

Woah

2008-12-10T18:01:00.000+08:00

Woah. The Singapore football team is really much better than years ago.

Against Cambodia, despite the opponents' bus strategy, Singapore struggled to get goals in the first half. It took till a first half injury time goal that was one of the most unglamorous ones I have seen. Like kampong football. Duric didn't score, when he should have scored at least 2. One unlucky, one miss. They won 5-0 nonetheless.

Then against Myanmar, I start to see the organization within the team, with good cohesiveness, and they won 3-1.

Against Indonesia, the same things, Indonesia is stronger than the previous teams, but they are really dangerous when they Attack On Wings, and I believe the right backs did well. Here are some opinions and impressions of players:

Agu: He positions himself pretty well, and he actually does have speed! But a little sluggish acceleration, he compensates with quick static movements then the speed takes him through. Could again be his tournament.

Alam Shah & Duric: Good aerial ability in both. Duric is really ageing, so Alam Shah is more useful as a tool for dribbling. Duric holds the ball well, but his age shows in him often being a box striker.

Precious & Baihakki: The central defensive pair for all 3 matches. Pretty consistent. Though susceptible to pacy and quick-footed opponents, Baihakki compensates with good tackling, and Precious good physical opposition.

Noh Rahman & Daniel Bennett: I thought Noh Rahman was, unlike what the commentators said, pretty inadequate in defending. Especially against Myanmar. But he showed his capabilities against Indonesia, when needed most. Bennett has good tackling, and attentive of the game.

Shi Jiayi & Mustafic: The North Korean (Oops, Chinese) born Shi, in my opinion, cannot hold the ball well, but he stays in the team because he has good speed and very good free kicking skills. Mustafic is of course a very good holding midfielder, and I have only appreciation for his good shielding of the central defence and powerful penalty kick.

Lionel Lewis: Lionel has not been at his best. He is punching a lot more balls instead of catching. And that is risky because while a good punch allows a quick counter attack, a mistimed punch would result in a precarious position. A pity Raddy didn't put Hassan Sunny on, so that I can compare.

Woah

2008-12-05T13:24:00.000+08:00

How long was that!?

Okay.

Singapore is starting the defence of their Asean Football Championship crown today against Cambodia. Then comes Myanmar on Sunday, and Indonesia on Tuesday to round up the group stage of this biennial (NOT BIANNUAL) competition.

A few things about this competition:

This is a competition full of change.
2004: Tiger Cup
2007: ASEAN Football Championship
2008: AFF Suzuki Cup

Must be swept up in the change cycle.

Another thing:

There is a qualifying phase, if you don't know (most probably). Since the only change from this year's edition to the previous one is Philippines (single L double P) being replaced by Cambodia. The inexperienced (maybe naive) Laos outfit comes back again.

But you may not know, there are basically 6 seeded teams, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar (not necessarily by order of merit). And 2 slots to fight for 5 teams.

Quite an acceptable situation, if you are qualifying for the World Cup. Or the Asian Cup. Not this. This, I feel dissuades football in these weaker nations. If Laos maintain their level of football, or improve (most probably since last time round they had a really young team), then there is little chance for the remaining 4, who fight out for the last slot.

Cambodia, Philippines are clearly better than Brunei and Timor Leste. How then?? These 2 nations shall never come back from the ashes??

I remember the surprise element in 2004 when we could see Timor playing. Thye played positive football, not the "Wall strategy" or "Bus effect", where you play ultra defensively for a draw. But that may not work, since you have seen the Wall Street crash despite John McCain referring to it as having 'strong foundation'.

So, well good luck to Singapore, and Raddy's Lions will achieve a cool feat.

Some time

2008-11-04T19:34:00.000+08:00

It has been some time since I have blogged here. I have mad a couple of shuffling changes ever since my promotion.

I bought a CB named Thomas Lenko, rated 86, very high for my team, and performs currently at a best of 69. An LF bought before the previous season's matches have ended is Ramadani, rated 84, best performance 68.

These are 2 of the top acquisitions in a big attempt to try and survive the season in Div F. I currently sit 12th, as seen above.

I have also boosted 2 positions, namely RB and RM positions. I have replaced a player from each position with purchases that are able to match my current first-team players.

And I have just collected 1 million bucks for sale of LF Vaclav Buldra, a very good player rated 82, and before Ramadani, regular first-team player. I bought him seasons ago for less than 10,000 bucks.

I will need to count on much of my game experience, and employ decent tactics, to survive in this challenging environment, and once I do, I know the only way forward is up.

I may boost the squad further later in the season, but as of now, I will focus on the current squad I have, the best I have had ever till now.

Soccerproject latest updates

2008-10-05T10:59:00.000+08:00

As you see, I am top of the league, and I am aiming for promotion as champions this season. This will be the end product of a 5-season plan, and I am aiming to stay in F division, and kick off another plan to work towards better results there.

I took 4 seasons to accustom to G division, when I finished 5th after mediocre seasons of finishing 8th, 8th and 9th. I seek promotion, and if I do, I will try to activate more managerial thinking to help the club establish itself fast in F division.

Thriving in new-found confidence

2008-09-05T17:39:00.000+08:00

I am now top of the table!

After 8-8-9-5 finishes in my past 4 seasons since my promotion to G division, I am now making a breakthrough, and is currently topping the table.

I aim for promotion as league champions. At first I set promotion as a target within 3 seasons, but I revised it to 5 seasons, and I am now doing well.

I am hoping to get a new RB to replace my ageing Zulaloglu, who is one of my first buys and is immensely experienced.

I also hope to get a young RF, as both my RFs at the moment are aged 30 and above. As for the other areas, my team has the capability of pushing for promotion and a good chance of surviving F division should I get promoted, as long as I maintain a good teamspirit (above 70) and make about 2 quality signings.

----------------------------------------------------------------

S-League is going to be fun going down to the final straight! If the Super Reds and SAFFC both win the games in hand, the top 3 (add in Home Utd) will be separated by a mere 1 point! With SAFFC being the one in 3rd place, it is even more exciting as I support them and they have a good record going into the final stretch of matches.

2008-08-03T15:07:00.000+08:00

Long long ago, I made a post. And now I am back.

I am 6th in the table, and things are rather rosy, except for the fact that for all my good form, I am still 5 points short of 5th place which means end of season money bonuses.

But that's all I have to say for now.

What next for Singapore football then?

End of year ASEAN Football Championships

Win it for us!

Soccerproject

2008-07-13T12:35:00.000+08:00

This game has now dropped one rank on my list of favourite soccer management games, but Freekick is still one rung lower, not to worry.

Not to be mistaken, this game is still very good, but it remains tough to progress further than Division G. The Division H level is an illusion to managers who may be conned into believing this game is easy to master and progress in.

I am in my 4th season in Division G.5 and only now has my club began to show signs of progress. I finished 8th, 8th and 9th in my past 3 seasons here, with point totals of 44, 50 and 47 respectively if I am not mistaken.

I currently sit in 7th position, 4 points behind the 5th placed team, a position which I had been targetting all along but had yet to achieve.

I am currently not planning any purchases, but I will be offloading more players from my still inflated 28 players. Sweepers are not at all useful for the lower levels of divisions, so I might sell both of them. Also, I will be deciding on which CF to sell, and a CB will have to go once my youth player had developed most of his skills.

Overall, things are looking slightly brighter, but there is still some work to be done before I can finally reach 5th position, which would be a landmark reached in my quest for promotion.

Spain to edge it

2008-06-29T21:14:00.000+08:00

I am coming, finally, to a decision for a prediction of the winner of Euro 2008.

It is hours to go before the spectacle rounds up. As much as I want Jens Lehmann to enjoy a good honour, I think Spain will edge it.

Spain is on the back of nearly a dozen straight victories. Their best player is their supersub till now, Cesc Fabregas, and not the injured David Villa. Villa has only thrived in the group stages, scoring a hat-trick in the first match.

It is Cesc Fabregas who is a real contender to be the player of the tournament. His influential performance against Russia in the semi-finals has outlined his major standing in the squad, and he is certainly one of the players who will be contenders for the top honours both as an individual and with their teams.

I still believe Thierry Henry's best is yet to come. If Wenger can see the light, and Henry see the interest, to come back to Arsenal for a couple of seasons will make this a truly memorable era for modern football. He could go to US when he is 38 years old. I am sure he can still make an impact.

Lehmann hasn't got much clean sheets this tournament. He won't get it in the final either. I am boldly predicting a scintillating match ending in a 3-3 draw. Fabregas may have yet another 2 assists. But Spain to win in extra-time. A better prediction will be a 2-1 or 3-2 victory for Spain, perenial underachievers no more.

Herald the arrival of a new big star.

Russia vs Spain

2008-06-26T15:27:00.000+08:00

This is one of the most evenly matched battles we are going to see.

Russia may have lost 1-4 to Spain at the group stage, but Russia with their targetman Arshavin, who introduces a creative side to the Russians' game, they are formidable and had even trumped pre-knockout stage favourites Netherlands.

Russia has already performed over the odds, thanks to Guus Hiddink. Now I am really impressed with this manager, whom I now regard as one of the best international managers in recent history, alongside Luiz Felipe Scolari and Marcello Lippi, with Jurgen Klinsmann also a great manager.

As for the best manager at this tournament... :

1) Guus Hiddink
2) Fatih Terim
3) Marco van Basten

Now to the match.

I think it will be as closely fought as the other semi-final, which as I had predicted, Germany clocked a 1-goal winning margin, in the dying seconds. Fabregas needs to start the game, as he creates opportunities and also shields his defence. He is really a Central Midfielder. Arshavin should spearhead Russia's challenge, as expected. He is turning into the star player of the tournament, with Lukas Podolski and some others among challengers.

Men to watch:

Andrei Arshavin
His contribution to the squad cannot be underestimated. Before he returned for the match against Sweden, Russia looked rather out of sorts. They were whacked by Spain. And then they squeezed laboriously to knock holders Greece out. Then Arshavin returned and outclassed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his counterpart, in the last group game. Then the win against Netherlands, whom had seemed unstoppable. He dictates the tempo and play of the game, and has a knack for creating chances and plundering goals when the time arrives. This is the kind of striker I like; able to score and assist, not like Ruud van Nisterooy and many others.

Cesc Fabregas
He scored the penalty that sent Spain through to the semi-finals of a major competition for the first time since 20 years ago. But make no fuss about that. Whoever else scored the penalty to send a team through is always overhyped as a hero. But Fabregas is starting to push for a spot in the starting lineup, which could cause Xavi Hernandez to be relegated to the bench, as Marcos Senna's defensive shield complements both of these 2 players. He is not a good scorer of goals; make no mistake. But he is really good at sliding the ball through for a teammate to get through on goal. A man to watch, especially if he starts.

Guus Hiddink
His tactical nous has been really impressive. He has a strong case for the best manager award. He has performed some sort of miracle at each of the nations he had coached in, namely South Korea, Australia, and now Russia. Don't include Netherlands, because Netherlands itself is a lready a strong soccer nation, unlike the rest. Guus is inspired by challenges, and that may well be the motivation for such miracles. Arshavin will surely be involved, but whether Russia will play counter-attacks, or any other strategy, we won't be sure. We will, however, be sure that Guus will not get it wrong like Scolari did against Germany.

So the big question. Who will win and face Germany for the highly coveted trophy. I would say the team with the greater desire will win this match. Spain wants to end many years of hurt. Russia wants to emulate Greece, and stun the whole of European football. The best motivator at the Euro tournament is by far Fatih Terim of Turkey. If Spain scores first, they may well go through. But if Russia take the lead in the second half, Spain may start to lose patience and lose. But whatever happens in the first half should not be too significant. This tournament, thanks to Turkey, has witnessed the most important events in the dying moments.

My prediction: 2-1 to Russia, or Spain to draw and win on penalties.

Euro semi-finals

2008-06-25T17:24:00.000+08:00

I made no posts about Euro 08 since France was booted out of the competition, but now I am back!

Germany vs Turkey

This is a fight between a good mixture of the traditional style of ugly football and modern style of attacking football, and a united team that is greatly depleted but will be led by a strong determination.

I have a feeling Turkey will make it tight, but it will be like the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup. Turkey are too depleted; their star players Nihat Kahveci, Arda Turan andd some others are all unavailable for the game. But it will be a really interesting moment to see a reserve keeper come on as a substitute in an outfield position. And Rustu Recber is the same keeper that faced Germany in 2002, but his counterpart will not be Kahn but Lehmann.

Players to watch:

Hamit Altintop
He is perhaps the most known name in the Turkey team that will be starting the game. A midfielder, he needs to perform at his best to try and contain the attacking midfielders like Ballack or Schweinsteiger or Frings, and try to penetrate Hizlsberger and Rofles who shields the defence.

Torsten Frings
He hasn't shone at this tournament yet, while at first Podolski, then Ballack, then Schweinsteiger stole the limelight. He is capable of scoring goals from distance, as does Phillip Lahm, a wing-back who enjoys going forward. I think Germany coach Loew will play it safe and tell Lahm to stay at his role and not go forward too much, so as the attention is on the others, Frings could surprise with a goal.

Jens Lehmann
Lehmann was a revelation at the World Cup 2 years ago as Germany hosted the big event. This could be his last hurrah and he will be working hard to ensure a clean sheet. It will be tough to break the German defence shall Loew decides on a defensive game, but he should make it a good game with an attacking mentality. Germany will put in goals at the front, but Lehmann could win it for his nation if he produces good saves to deny the Turks.

Soccerproject latest updates

2008-06-16T12:08:00.000+08:00

I realised that the primary skills of the players are very important, so I started buying players and selling again. My team spirit is at 56% at the moment, but it should drop to around 40%, then (-10% of current) which happens at end of every season. So it should be around 35%.

Team spirit is very important. I finished the season in a dismal 9th place, with 47 points. I am targetting 5th spot for the coming season, with 55 points. Regardless of how I perform the coming season, I am certain I will be aiming for promotion the season after.

I initially set a three-season plan, but this is the 3rd season and I had made little headway. However, I had made some shrewd signings, but at the expense of the team spirit for the 2nd season in a row. Thus, I will be aiming for top 5, nothing more.

I hope my new signings will do me real proud, and I hope to be able to offload some of my players to decrease my wage bill, which is eating off most of my stadium ticket revenues.

Way to go

2008-06-15T16:35:00.000+08:00

France got whacked 1-4 by Netherlands. But Thierry scored, as I expected!

I must admit my predictions went awry. France drew with Romania 0-0, and Henry did not even play. Italy got thrashed 0-3 by Netherlands. Greece was defeated 0-2 by Sweden. But I got the margin corect for Czech vs Portugal and Swizerland vs Turkey. And Spain did win against Russia...

So, I will come up with more predictions!

Turkey vs Czech
If it is a draw, bank on the Czechs to go through because of Petr Cech's heroics. But I think it would be 1-0 to the Turks.

Swizerland vs Portugal
Portugal has secured a place in the knockout stages, so Scolari should be fielding a weakened team against the co-hosts. But their half-hearted display will allow the co-hosts to leave with something, and don't bet against a victory.

Poland vs Croatia
Poland would have to hope that Germany do not win the other match and they would have to win this encounter by some goals. However, they lack enough quality to overcome this Croatian side. It should end in a draw, enough for top spot for the Croats.

Austria vs Germany
The Germans have their backs against the walls now, but you can expect they are not going to flop against the lowest FIFA-ranked team in the tournament. A 2-goal victor for the pre-tournament favourites.

France vs Italy
The arch-enemies meet again, this time in dire circumstances. Both teams have aged, but expect Henry to be fitter, and score a brace and inspire the French to victory and the knockout stages. The Italian defence could not even hold off Romania, so what chance do they have against a strong attacking firepower in the French. If the attackers find their form, they have potential to be a match to the Dutch. Bank on Henry and Ribery to combine to devastating effect. Possibly a 4-2 victory for France, as both sides are desperate.

Netherlands vs Romania
Romania may have gotten the better of the Dutch during qualifying, but this side is different. There would be a couple of changes to the lineup, but the Dutch would not worry about the Italians and French making the knowckout stages, since they had beaten them, so it should be another solid victory for the Dutch team. This leads France to second spot and the quarter-finals.

Russia vs Sweden
Guus Hiddink have another chance to prove his miracle skills. But if Ibrahimovic is fit, and Ljungberg finds his form, the Russians have no chance. A narrow victory for the Swedes.

Greece vs Spain
Spain are assured of top spot, and Greece are dead out of the tournament. The spanish will ring a wholesale of changes, so Fabregas should start. We could then see how much strength in depth is in this Spanish team. The reigning champions will not want to exit the competition with no points, so they will be extra motivated. A draw is on the cards.

Couple of predictions

2008-06-09T22:15:00.000+08:00

I won't be saying much; just giving some predictions.

France 6-1 Romania

(I am influenced by the game I played; exact score) (Thierry Henry to score a hat-trick, and 2 assists)

Italy 0-0 Netherlands

Spain 2-1 Russia

Greece 0-0 Sweden

Czech Republic 0-2 Portugal

Switzerland 2-2/1-2 Turkey

I will see how many I hit... And if you want, go to http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/ and play their fantasy games. I recommend the Predictor and McDonald Fantasy Football!

Euro Group D

2008-06-07T13:19:00.000+08:00

Greece

Shocking champions at the last edition, defeating France, Czech and hosts Portugal in the knockout stages. I believe their defence will remain capable as a wall, and Nikopolidis will be a solid keeper, not the best, but solid. They are one of those teams that function more as a team, so it is perhaps normal to recognise few names in the lineup. Even if you do, you probably hadn't heard of them for the past seasons in club football. But they remain a threat, and they have the quality, as a team, to make the knockout stages.

Spain

Favourites of the group. They have flopped at the big stage numerous times, often ousted at the first knockout stage. They should progress rather comfortably, with Fabregas and Torres providing a good attack, and Casillas with Puyol a good defence. Well balanced team, but they will need to overcome the mental barriers. They won't win the title, but they should be good enough for the semi-finals, if they win the group, and avoid France, who defeated them 3-1 at WC 2006 in the Top 16 round.

Sweden

A shaky team. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a good striker, but requires more consistency. I rate him alongside Turkey's Nihat Kahveci, as strikers that can change things at the group stage, but not beyond it. Freddie Ljungberg is a shadow of his old self since leaving Arsenal, but he should do well to help the goals come.

Russia

Guus Hiddink is the star of this team. He had performed miracles with under-performing national soccer teams, such as South Korea and Australia. He also did well with Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. Can he do it one more time? I have a feeling this Russian team will not make the knockout stages. There isn't much talents, and it can already be considered a miracle to see them at a major soccer event, after previous failures. But they should register some points.

This is the most evenly matched group, and any of the teams can make the next round. However, expect Spain to emerge above the rest, and it will be a close and hardly-fought battle between the other 3 teams. All of the teams will finish with points.

Euro Group C (Group of Death)

2008-06-06T15:26:00.000+08:00

France

I idolise this team because of 1 man: Thierry Henry. I think they are favourites. They have always had a solid defence, and I believe Thuram and Gallas could still work out well, with Makelele and Vieira being able shields in front of them. They have improved since the last World Cup, with exciting attacking talents. Thierry, as usual, is the main threat. After a so-so season at Barca, where he was put on the left forward position, Raymond Domenech must put him in the CF position to achieve maximum impact. Benzema would be an able deputy, and could help finish the goals that Thierry would set up. That's how dangerous King Henry is, because if you don't mark him, he will punish you, and if you mark him, you are opening up the gap for Henry to slide a ball through. Of course, Ribery and Nasri will be good performers i the centre of the park. Ribery was an Arsenal target, and Nasri is close to finalising a deal at Arsenal. Expect to trust Arsene Wenger, and perhaps Les Bleus will win the group with maximum points. There is strength in depth, with Toulalan, Lassana Diarra and Malouda on the bench with Anelka. Sagnol and Abidal should do well.

Italy

A shaky defence now that Cannavaro is ruled out. No Nesta, Maldini, both of whom are still solid readers of the game. Materazzi is more likely to scream vulgarities than make a good, clean tackle. Grosso is not a consistent performer. Chiellini should perform above expectations. Luca Toni may be a huge disappointment, but it will be masked by the good form of Alessandro Del Piero. Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso would be able midfielders who could make long range shots, but this midfield will not dominate against the French midfield, where there are 2 extremely effective defensive midfielders, and 2 good attacking midfielders. They have a good chance of the quarter-finals.

Netherlands

The strength lies in the attack. The weakness lies in the defence. As simple as that. Ruud van Nisterooy, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie. Jan Huntelaar, van der Vaart, Ryan Babel, Dirk Kuyt. All are attackers, and they together create probably the strongest frontline in this European championships. They have strength in depth in the attack, more than France. However, France's defence is the best in this big event. If they cannot score, they will lose, because their defence looks totally able to concede in every single match they play, unless Edwin van der Sar can produce perhaps 5 great saves every match. Most crucial match will be against Italy. If they can penetrate their defence, they can progress in this competition.

Romania

Weakest in this group, but not in this tournament. They are unlucky to be drawn in this group, after finally being able to qualify for a big event. The most recognisable names are Adrian Mutu and Christian Chivu. They are, however, hardly the best or near the best. Romania may do well to keep the score low, with Lobont in between the posts, but it will be an achievement if they get away with any points. However, if they do, they could well be the factor that decides who progresses and who do not.

This is a real Group Of Death. I expect France to qualify for the quarter finals as group winners. Romania should get a point. I have a feeling it will be from their match against world champions Italy. France should win all their matches. They should get 7 points at minimum, maybe a draw with Italy or Netherlands. Netherlands' match against Italy is most crucial, while France's match with Netherlands should be most exciting.

Euro Group 2

2008-06-05T12:13:00.000+08:00

Austria

Hosts for this edition, but arguably the worst team of this star-studded field. Interestingly, looking at the squad list, I know 1 from every position. Alex Manninger, once a Gunner, Emanuel Pogatetz, who is a Boro player, Andreas Ivanschitz in midfield and perhaps most crucially Ivica Vastic in attack. Perhaps the only team I am writing off is this team, but I believe home ground advantage will ensure them to finish with at least a point.

Croatia

This is the team who stunned everyone by denying England an entry to this big event, despite being through already themselves. Although missing MVP Eduardo, they are still a good team. The Kovac brothers, Niko Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka, who had experience in the EPL, are the stars behind the frontline. However, the frontline, despite without Eduardo, looks to be the strongest amongst all areas. Mladen Petric and Ivica Olic are threatening, while Ivan Klasnic with experience from the German Bundesliga should all help supply the goals. The question is whether they will keep the back tight.

Germany

Definite favourites for the group. This is the team rejuvenated by Jurgen Klinsmann, and followed up by able deputy Joachim Loew. Most of the team that finished 3rd in the World Cup 2006 remained. The notable addition is Mario Gomez of Stuttgart, and I believe he will perform rather well. There is not much to say, but they have a good chance of opening the tournament with 3 group wins.

Poland

This is a mystery. How they will perform is a mystery. This is their first time in the Euro Championships. That is pretty a mystery, considering they had been to the World Cup a couple of times. But the star man of the team is not any of the players, but the manager Leo Beenhakker. They have few star players, which include Smolarek and Zurawski, but no matter which keeper they field, it can be expected their matches will be low scoring. Artur Boruc is established as a keeper having been great in the SPL. Tomas Kuszczak is 2nd choice to Man Utd, while Lukasz Fabianski is elevated to 2nd, after Lehmann declared leaving Arsenal. But Boruc should start. The other two is for the future. The future is bright, in defence at least.

On the whole, Germany should sail through, with Croatia most probably following. I don't see a potential Greece team here.

Singapore versus Uzbekistan prelude

2008-06-01T18:57:00.000+08:00

What a match it shall be! Singapore will need to thrive on this occasion to put themselves in a good position to progress to the next round! This is a home match the Lions simply can't afford to lose!

I have confidence in our Lions.

I believe Aleksander Duric, with his experience, could penetrate the Uzbek backline and score a goal or 2. I believe Khairul Amri could score his trademark free-kick at this crucial time. I believe Lionel Lewis will perform heroics and get a clean sheet.

So, I believe we can fly! I believe we can touch the sky! And so I believe in now that, we will triumph 2 to 0!

Euro Group A

2008-06-01T10:22:00.000+08:00

Switzerland

As hosts, the Swiss have an outside chance of making the knockout stages of the tournament. They need to bank on home support AND luck. They will have to rely on veteran Alexander Frei to pump in the goals, but it seems unlikely in a group with Ricardo and Cech, top keepers, providing stiff opposition. Cech is an established name. Ricardo was a star performer at the WC 06. Instead, the Swiss' defence will have to step up a notch. Defenders Senderos and Degen will have to be at their best. Senderos is prone to blips, and he really got to shave off that to aid the hosts' bid for progress, as they will be facing opposition from Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal

Probable favourites for the group. With exciting attackers in the form of red-hot Cristiano Ronaldo and former Catalan Deco, and a stiff defence provided by Ricardo Carvalho and goalie Ricardo, there is reason to be optimistic. If Ronaldo can carry on his form, translate club form to country, Portugal have a good chance on emulating their final appearance when they hosted the competition 4 years ago.

Turkey

Very minor chance of making the quarters. They would have to be able to break down the opponents' defence to have any chance, because they have the weakest defence of the group. Thankfully, they should be able to bank on strikers Nihat Kahveci and Hamit Altintop, both of whom have gathered relative experience and success on the European stage. The Portuguese have a reliable backline, the Czechs have a great goalkeeper, while the Swiss have managed to keep the scores low for the past few years (look at their qualifying campaigns for the WC and this Euro). Turkey is hardly the team that made the semis of the World Cup 2002, but they must not be dismissed. They have a frontline that can match the Swiss and the Czechs', and possibly even the Portuguese.

Czech Republic

I would say this is an ageing team. Jan Koller is imposing but not at all fast. His only chance is to wait in the box for the crosses and passes to come, but at least he provides a good header. This is better than Milan Baros. Baros thrived on the last edition, but what a difference 4 year make! He had been switching clubs like sandwiches, and now I am not even certain where he will settle temporarily at for the next football season. The defence, marshalled by Cech, is strong, but the backline is not quick. Niko Kovac is 35 years of age. That is hardly young. And Jankulovski is also over 30 (I think 33). The Czechs will struggle against the Portuguese, and it will be Cristiano Ronaldo versus Petr Cech. But Deco will be free, and this is where the Czech team may fumble. Tomas Rosicky may find the boots of Pavel Nedved hard to fill, but he may well be the star performer for this team, who will need a good midfield to protect the defence and aid the attack.

Verdict:
I expect Portugal to breeze to the next round, and followed by either Turkey or Switzerland in 2nd. The Czechs, I feel, will flop. My sense tells me that the Turks are more talented and will progress.

How's Euro 08 going to be?

2008-05-25T15:45:00.000+08:00

After laborious work, it is finally the 75th post; a milestone.

For benefit of those who don't know, these are the groupings of the Euro Championships 2008, coming in 2 weeks.

Group 1
Switzerland, Czech, Portugal, Turkey

Group 2
Austria, Croatia, Germany, Poland

Group 3
Netherlands, Italy, Romania, France

Group 4
Greece, Sweden, Spain, Russia

As the event draws nearer, I will be giving pre-analysis of the groupings, and as the tournament progresses, more detailed analysis will be provided with insights from me.

Euro 2008

2008-05-19T14:12:00.000+08:00

Euro 2008 is coming.

I shall be blogging about it in a rather specific manner, as long as I want to.

So as the major soccer competition approaches, do look out!

For a start, currently I think it will be Spain and France in the final. That's just my initial prediction.

For my depth and analysis, visit in future regularly!

But as the competition progresses, I will still be posting about the WC qualifiers in Asia, so it will be action aplenty on this blog!

Floundering

2008-05-18T17:11:00.001+08:00

I was overseas for a week and could not arrange my team lineups for 4 matches. I got these results:

Lose 2-3
Draw 0-0
Win 5-2
Draw 0-0

I am now floundering in 9th place, precariously just 3 points ahead of the relegation zone. With half of the season gone, I have collected a paltry 22 point total. If I repeat this form it would result in a point total 6 lower than the season before, and equal to my first foray into Div G.

My target is to better the 50 points I garnered the previous season, and to finish in better than 8th position. Specifically, I would be happy with a 6th spot. Derveld is a good scorer, so is Franko. I aim to sack Dominic Olfers, sell Ridwan Kim Wee, and see what happens. I need to trim my inflated squad.

It's been some time since I talked about Singapore football. The WC qualifiers are coming again the coming month. I wish the Lions all the best to finish in the top 2 of the group, possibly ousting WC regulars Saudi Arabia. And there is a new talent I see in the newspapers, a 17-year-old called Afiq. I hope you will be a fantastic local talent, to boost the local scene, and balance the equation of foreign and local talents. That would be beneficial, with Hariss Harun already blossoming to a regular.

Duric is ageing, and within 2 years we will need a striker. By then, Indra and Noh Alam Shah will be about 30, so youth must rise! That's the goal!

Paying for boosting squad

2008-04-30T12:31:00.000+08:00

In paying I do not mean the money I used to facilitate the purchase of new players.

But, as I said in an earlier post, my team spirit got trampled by transfers in and out of the squad.

My team spirit, after 1.5 weeks of the new season, stands at a meagre 33%.

This is certainly untimely, as I am aiming to offload some strikers. I have an inflated squad size of 27, and an incredible 9 strikers. The maximum number of strikers I can field in a match is 3, hence this is doing my players' morale no good.

This is exactly reflected on what you see at the top of the blog. I am in the danger zone --- relegation zone. 11th position was not what I was aiming for, after 2 consecutive seasons in 8th place. Although I had revised my promotion target to next season, I am aiming for 5th, which results in an end-of-season bonus. It's not the money, but the sense of achievement.

The teams in this series now are all quite equal except Horni SK, at the top, and IF Caldas, a managerless team, at the bottom. And I have the embarrassing tag as the only team to have lost points against 2nd bottom FC Dolphins. That is a good team, but the manager clearly does not put much effort into preparing team lineups according to the opponents, which I do.

But I am guilty of employing really unwise tactics which cost me points. And that's why I have 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, and just 8 points.

I am really aiming to soar high, so perhaps I will not make any transfers till the end of the season.

(My team rating stands at a record high for me: 74%. But team spirit is at record lows, so it balances up the equation, and my team is currently ordinary)

New season approaching

2008-04-19T17:42:00.000+08:00

Well.

I just realised I misinterpreted a rule.

I had always thought that the team spirit for a team will be reset to 90% upon a new season. Hence I made super lot of transfers. And guess what?

I realised and confirmed that it actually meant reset to 90% of the team's current team spirit.

Which means my team spirit now is <40%. And team spirit is important.

This is an early setback for my team's bid for promotion this coming season. But nevertheless, I had gotten better players; perhaps I will start on even ground with last year...

Season 22 roundup

2008-04-13T20:03:00.000+08:00

It is the end of the season. It seems as though I had made no improvements, staying in 8th place yet again. However, I did improve.

I had increased my season tally from 44 to 50 points. I had managed to do well despite a teamspirit that is constantly below 80 (reset to 90 at start of every season; affects how well team performs).

In this close season, I had made several signings and sales. I had bought 3 Centre Forwards and sold 1, while the other one I had originally for the season is on the way out too.

I regard this season a transition season. Next season, I am aiming for something special. I am aiming for promotion to Division F. I remember I had set a target 2 seasons ago, for a three-season plan. The plan is simple: Promotion in 3 seasons. This is a lofty target, but I must remember that I have a long way to go. I need to take every opportunity.

And I believe the time is ripe. I had, till now, 7 buys and 6 sales throughout the course of this season, and I am set for at least 2 more sales. I have been investing in a lot of younger players. Currently my target age is 21 to 23 year olds, more so than 20 and below. They cost cheaper prices. Nevertheless, I had broken the bank. My finance stands at 2.09million at this moment.

I think I had broken my team buying record, amounting to 765K for a single player. But, it is noteworthy that I had once sold two young players at1.3million and 1.25 million. The one sold at 1.25 million is a gem; his rating now is 85%, which is impossible for me to find at a bargain price or develop one of such talent at the moment. It's a shame, but I am convincing myself that his departure is helping me in buying much more players now.

I finished the season quite well, with a win against a team who was occupying 5th but ended 6th, and lost to a team who is now promoted as 2nd place.

May Walcott United roar on the coming season!

The final stretch for SP

2008-04-07T16:27:00.000+08:00

SP stands for Soccerproject. The season is ending. My hopes of getting , which comes with an end-of-season bonus, are all but over. I had temporarily occupied 5th spot for a couple of rounds of games, which will be inspiring for the next season.

I am currently, as you can see, in 8th. My next match will be against the team likely to get 5th. In an earlier match with this team, I won 3-2, so I will bank on my chances to pull off yet another shock, to finish higher than last season's position, 8th.

I have made a couple of signings. I paid very little for a LF that looks increasingly like he was going to be my star striker of the future. (Only young striker with Global Rating of >76 for me.)

As I am writing this, I had signed a CM, which has only 3 skills unmaxed with Global Rating at a measly 64. I hope I don't regret it. May this player's GR reach 75. The good thing is that the previous owner didn't train the 3 skills at all.

Other signings this season include a CB and a RB. Their futures look bright, particularly for the RB.

And I am investing in a lot of young players aged 20 and below. Future is definitely bright for Walcott United.

And for info, I have confirmed my decision of quitting Freekick, which is TOO complicated.

Win, but not enough?

2008-03-27T17:01:00.000+08:00

In a competitive group like this, with Uzbekistan and World Cup regular Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in this group, obviously Singapore will have to take their chances, and must be able ot cope with any types of scenario.

Yesterday night, we witnessed our Lions not exactly dominating. Lebanon were better at the opening exchanges, and it was against the run of play that Singapore scored in the 8th minute. Duric got the goal, but he should have finished the match with a hat-trick.

When Singapore scored again, it was not after the scorer, Fazrul Nawaz, had missed a total sitter, with an open goal a metre in front of him, he blasted over. This is exactly the kind of shot I would have probably made when I was not in the best of luck.

And second half... it makes me sad to talk of it, because Duric was really unlucky in striking the far post once, but he had an opportunity liek Fazrul's miss, and he couldn't quite make the stretch to make good contact and score. Sharil Ishak also totally wasted a chance. Mustafic's moment came when he lashed perhaps the only good shot from outside the box, but the keeper was equal to it.

On the whole, it was good to keep a clean sheet, but on account of the number of wasted chances, Singapore really should have taken the chance, be sharper in front of goal and win by 4 goals.

And the defence was dismal. Especially so for Precious Emuejeraye, who made no tackles, and looked lost, short on pace, unable to stop any Lebanese. Indra was off-colour in front.

There is still much room for improvement before we can survive to the next stage.

Blog reform?

2008-03-24T15:38:00.000+08:00

I am considering reforming this blog slightly to make it more engaging, but till now I have no ideas.

So for now, Singapore football...

Singapore is playing against Lebanon soon on Wednesday night (Singapore time) for an Asian World Cup qualifying Round 3.

Info: Singapore lost the 1st group match to Saudi Arabia, 0-2

I am really amazed at Aleksander Duric. He makes the national team at an old age of 36! And now he is proving to be an asset. A total exception from Raddy's policy of fielding youth players. And rightfully so.

Duric is showing he is no fluke, with 4 goals in 5 league games, which currently helps SAFFC to sit second, having played a game less than surprise package Super Reds. Both teams have perfect record till now.

I am looking forward to seeing the Duric-Indra partnership up front bear fruit. Ever since Duric got his PR status, this is the duo I am most happy with. Noh Alam Shah's temper is suspect, while Khairul Amri does a lot of dribbles, he lacks a little bit of confidence and experience to do as well as either Indra or Duric.

I am going to root the Lions for a 3-1 win over Lebanon, with Duric and Indra getting a goal each.

Soccerproject policies

2008-03-17T17:52:00.000+08:00

As you can see from the top, I had hit a good stretch, with consecutive wins over teams like me, which are battling not for promotion, not exactly for survival, but for as high a position as possible. I am still short of the 5th place target I had set for myself, but I am near.

My next match will be against a managerless team, which always means a huge win for me. That could boost my goal difference. In the bottom division H, I can rest my best players when I am facing a weaker team. But the challenge gets big here, when you aim to get something out of a match against a promotion-worthy team, and you want to win by as big a margin against the worst teams. Hence, I am aiming to get better players. I have already been adopting a rotation policy, worse than Benitez', as you will probably see no single player play 2 matches in a row.

Why so? Morale. I need to keep their morale up to get good performances from them. This tactic will not allow me to get the best from all of my players (I don't field them when their morale is 100), but I will be getting near-peak performances from all of them though.

In order to reduce rotation, I will be aiming to reduce squad size. Another reason for this aim is to reduce overall players' wages. I have been struggling to break even in finances for matches; counting everything from a match, usually I lose money. I had increased capacity of the arena to 7000 seats from 4000 seats, and I am able to get >5000 in my stadium nowadays. So I earn for home matches, but as for away matches, I will keep losing money, but I treat that as a given.

This is probably all I will update on. Will be back soon.

S-League update

2008-03-10T09:59:00.000+08:00

Wonderful.

This season is going to be exciting. I believe it will be remembered as the season when we witnessed a change of powers.

Last season showed a clear, distinct difference between Tampines and Gombak, 3rd and 4th respectively. The top 3 fought till the last round of matches, eventually resulting in a 2nd consecutive title for SAFFC Warriors, 1 point ahead of Home Utd and another ahead of Tampines Rovers.

SAFFC 77 pts
Home U 76 pts
Tampines 75 pts

How near, and how far for the others. But this season, we are witnessing a shift in power.

The Dad's Army, Tampines Rovers, is slipping off the radar. They saw 3 of their top strikers leave. Peres Oliviera left for Home Utd, Noh Alam Shah was banned, and S-League's all-time top scorer, Mirko Grabovac, left for strugglers Sengkang Punggol.

No more natural finishers, and this could result in Tampines ending the season in mid-table.

Here we see a new and transformed team called Super Reds. Super Reds? The team with a measly 18 points last season? Yes, Super Reds. They have now won 4 matches out of 4, and are joint top with SAFFC, just inferior in goal difference. They had won all their matches by a 1-goal margin, but that's surely better than getting whacked 4, 5 or 6 goals right?

I tip Super Reds to break the Big Three's threshold. They won't win the title, but they have the ability to better Albirex's 5th place, for the best finishing by a foreign team. Why not 2nd or 3rd?

Soccerproject new season

2008-03-02T14:30:00.000+08:00

I have updated my targets on the right side. Yes, 55 points.

It won't be easy but I will try to use my tactical brain and make shrewd transfer moves.

Farhan Kamsan shouldn't stay for too long, Kim Wee is ageing, so is Sharif, so this season will be one that provides a complete makeover for my frontline.

As for the midfield, I have given up on M Amir, so I am plannng to sack him real soon. No one wants to buy him on the transfer market! Twice already! And Stancioiu, who has done pretty well, but never getting past a match rating of 55, will soon prove to be not good enough for the squad. It will be good if he can fetch some price.

Defence-wise, I am quite satisfied with what I have on the left, in the middle, but not on the right. Bartholomeusz has a global rating of 71. Zulaloglu, one of my earliest signings, has a global rating of 73. Their performances will NEVER push past 60, which is why their positions in the squad is not secure. This is further consolidated, as I bought Fernando Gomez Perreira, and he is proving to be a great player whose global rating should be >75. Denis Iensci could be sold, as I have too many players in his position.

Overall, this season is one for renewal, and I hope I can excel and be in the top 5, so as to be on track for my promotion hopes next season.

S-League

2008-02-24T17:11:00.000+08:00

It's a long time. And now it coincides with the return of S-League.

I am going to save much elaboration, and keep it really short.

Teams to watch:
Super Reds
--Rejuvenated fresh faces

Dalian Shide
--Will they break the curse of Chinese teams?

Tampines Rovers
--3 targetmen gone...

And here's my prediction of the season. I hope it is more accurate than last season's...

Last Season's (Prediction, Team Name, Actual Position)
1 ) SAFFC 1st
2 ) Home United 2nd
3 ) Woodlands Wellington 7th
4 ) Tampines Rovers 3rd
5 ) Young Lions 5th
6 ) Korean Super Reds 12th
7 ) Albirex Niigata 8th
8 ) Geylang United 6th
9 ) Gombak United 4th
10) Liaoning Guangyuan FC 10th
11) Sengkang Punggol 11th
12) Balestier Khalsa 9th

This season's:
1) SAFFC -- Always the case for me
2) Home United -- Makes it close for SAFFC
3) Geylang United -- Breakthrough
4) Tampines Rovers -- Decent
5) Albirex Niigata -- Breakthrough
6) Super Reds -- Breakthrough
7) Dalian Shide -- Good start
8) Gombak United -- No more surprise element
9) Young Lions -- Amri might leave and affect team
10) Woodlands Wellington -- Big drop
11) Sengkang Punggol -- Always languishing
12) Balestier Khalsa -- I never trusted or liked this team

Soccerproject Season 21

2008-02-11T15:28:00.000+08:00

It is the end of the season!

I had done above expectations.

Here are some statistics.

Walcott United
Played 30 Win 13 Draw 7 Lose 10
Points: 46 points
Position: 8th

This good tally is in part of a late-season surge, as my team managed to steer off the relegation zone, and ease any relegation fears. I finished a whopping 13 points above the drop zone, which was not expected, as throughout the season, it seemed that I would need around 40 points to survive. I guess it is due to the few managers who decided that they were not good enough and had quit the game, and replaced by managerless teams which are easily beaten. That in turn helped my goal difference to soar to +29 in the end.

Here are plans for the transfer market:

Make some buys, invest in little unknowns with global ratings of <60%, and train them.
Why?
This is in view of the fact that the expensive buys had all maxed their skills, and that some of my best players are either my original players or the players I bought at bargain prices.
Benefits?
Save lots of money, as the players wages will be <$1000 if rating is <=60%. And amount of money used to buy these players will be much lesser.
Disadvantages
Unpredictability. The players' maximum potential is unknown, hence it is extremely tough, to figure out how much these players will improve upon acquisition. My basis: Look at player's current primary skill level; like for defenders it is heading and tackling. Make sure those values are already satisfiable. Then, look at morale. Buy players whose morales are low yet performances are decent enough, i.e. best performance 30. Then buy!

I have already bought 2 Sweepers, so I will be selling a Centre-Back. Will sell a RM, a LM, and buy LF.

I hope my style will pay off!

African Nations Cup 08

2008-02-11T14:56:00.000+08:00

So, the African Nations Cup ended. It's Egypt again.

Seriously, I have no real idea how did Egypt repeatedly defy the odds, and surprise much more fancied teams like Cote d'Ivoire, and Cameroon.

To be honest, this is how I rate the African teams.

(In order of merit)
Cote d'Ivoire
Nigeria
Ghana
Cameroon
South Africa
EGYPT
Angola
Tunisia
...

Of course, an Asian wouldn't rate African teams too well. However, Cote d'Ivoire seemed very strong to everyone. When they are the favourites to win the competition this and last edition, twice they failed, twice they fell to Egypt.

Ghana's coach said he found in the team a desire that can match the great Cameroon side in the 90s' under his charge. And they ended up 3rd. Cote d'Ivoire, with Didier Drogba and Kolo Toure, should do well both in front and at the back, but they ended up 4th. Cameroon perhaps had done above expectations, and we saw glimpses of Alex Song from Arsenal. Could be a good acquisition by Wenger yet again.

I think I shall just summarise things.

Egypt and Angola performed above expectations.
Cote d'Ivoire, South Africa, Senegal, Ghana performed below expectations.

Not updating

2008-01-28T15:31:00.000+08:00

African Nations Cup news are limited and I know not many of their players, hence I think I cannot say much...sorry.

Meanwhile, a commercial related to the issue here. Enjoy:

Update on Soccerproject, Freekick

2008-01-21T15:31:00.000+08:00

The Freekick season has ended, with my team finishing 12th for senior squad, and 11th for youth squad, though my youth league points were not gotten by my team myself.

Meanwhile Soccerproject's season is 20 matches old, with me languishing in 10th position, one above the relegation zone.

I have 7 wins, 6 draws and 7 losses. Not too bad. 27 points from 20 matches. I am on track to pass my target of 40 points.

So that's it for now.

African Nations Cup

2008-01-20T12:20:00.000+08:00

Today is the day where the cream of African football gather for this competition, hoping to bring glory to their nation with football.

Africa's biggest asset, or rather, biggest interest, is football. Hence, let me start talking about it.

I believe Ghana is a sure bet to progress to the next round, with a rather easy group, and wowed on by home support.

In Group B, Nigeria and Ivory Coast are the sure favourites, with Mali likely to be third.

Cameroon, with Samuel Eto'o, should progress, while the winners of the previous edition, Egypt, should also progress.

In Group D, which I regard as the group of death, have no clear favourites. However, I shall rely on my instincts, and just predicting, I think it shall be Senegal and South Africa.

That's all for now. Let the contest begin.

Back upon a week.

2008-01-12T21:09:00.000+08:00

Hello.

Interestingly, Sam Allardyce had already been sacked before this post. Sad for him, but I won't remember him as manager of Newcastle.

The sense of fraud in the Singapore football fraternity is worrying. Specifically, shame on Liaoning.

This upward trend of sporting corruption has affected sports greatly. The reat thing to note is that even sports like golf, where drugs will not aid the golfer, have started anti-drug campaigns.

Bribing...saddening truth. The human mind is made up of a good and a bad mind. The human himself will control which will preside over the other. Some of them had allowed the bad mind to control them, and this causes major mistakes like match-fixing.

I appeal for a clampdown on these evil mindsets, which will lead to evil intentions, evil actions, and disgrace whatever and whoever is related.

Hopefully, the cliche 'Good will always triumph over the evil' will apply well in sports.

Back in 08

2008-01-06T16:32:00.000+08:00

Hello. It's 2008. Around a week has passed since my last post.

Firstly, I would like to comment about the English FA Cup. Amazingly, there are so many shocks in the 3rd round. Championship and League One sides defeating some decent EPL sides.

Most notably, Oldham's win over high-flying Everton and Blackburn's 1-4 loss despite fielding a strong side, to who? I can't even remember.

Credit to these teams who believe. At least the best sides in England prevails, with Chelsea edging past QPR albeit a little undeservingly, and Manchester United beating a strong Aston Villa of the EPL.

I believe Arsenal will win comfortably with some of their first-team players set to play, in order to send a fresh second-team to face Tottenham in the League Cup a few days later.

Oh yeah, it was Coventry who thrashed Blackburn. Notably, they were the team that knocked Manchester United out of the League Cup.

And back to the issue, it seems as though Arsenal's Championship opponents are better than Tottenham. If Arsenal win both matches, it would be extremely sweet. Against their bitter London rivals.

So, all the best for Arsenal. And hoping things get much much better for Thierry Henry at Barcelona.

Future updates

2007-12-30T10:41:00.000+08:00

I shall be updating this blog soon. It should be in 2008, though.

So, I wish everyone in the world a Happy New Year.

And I wish Arsenal to secure a Quadruple. And Thierry Henry to win the World Footballer of the Year and Ballon d'Or at least twice each in his career.

And I hope, I really wish, that Thierry Henry will return to Arsenal in the new future. He is not progressing much at Barcelona. I hope Wenger still sees talent in him, and let Titi finish his career on a great high at Arsenal.

Soccerproject

2007-12-20T17:00:00.000+08:00

Soccerproject update:

My team, Walcott United, has hit a rogh patch upon promotion to Division G. In the 1st 3 league matches to the season, my team has collected just 2 points, with 2 goalless draws and a 1-3 defeat. Since I had some bonuses from being champions the previous season, I guess this sudden shocking big challenge will need me to make some new signings for really talented players, and produce match-winning tactics in order to survive this season and avoid direct relegation back to Division H, where games are very easy.

This sudden leap in standard had left me wondering. What should I do? My 1st team players' performances are all usually rated 50 and above, and sometimes there a few players getting 60+ ratings. The transfer market is really tight, hence I would need to scrimp and save and buy some free or low-priced players, to avoid falling into the trick of overspending finances.

My current target on the right bar shows my target as promotion to Division F within 2 seasons. I am going to change it to survival for this season, then reach top 7 for next season, top 5 for 3rd season, and challenge for promotion and be promoted by 5th season. 5-season plan, which will require lots of buying and selling.

It's a tough challenge, but I am aiming for better player morales, and have a whole squad of players that will produce 50+ ratings for matches. Toast to the progress of Walcott United!

Singapore 5-0 Vietnam

2007-12-15T20:52:00.000+08:00

Wow. What an emphatic scoreline! Especially impressive. However, it was definitely much aided by a Vietnam backline that were awful in defensive positioning.

However, Fazrul Nawaz probably had needed a dose of confidence after his penalty miss and dreadful performance against champions Thailand, and when he got it, he showed what he can do, with a hat-trick.

Agu Casmir was becoming better with each passing game, and I often believed that his passing and crossing were much much more accurate than many other players, even the supposedly creative midfielders. This is especially visible in the first half, when Singapore wasn't obviously dominating the match yet.

Anyway, Singapore couldn't have gotten a bronze medal if they weren't brave and committed, and I will definitely applaud them for thier gigantic efforts.

I can't comment anymore, since many players would not be in the eligibility for Young Lions.

So all the best, and as the Korat SEA Games closes (Actually closed when I am finishing this post), let's hope Laos will hold a good satisfiable SEA Games 09 in its 25th edition.

Singapore 0-3 Thailand

2007-12-12T14:55:00.000+08:00

No fairytale run for the Singapore football team as they were thumped by the hosts and favourites Thailand. However, I can be pleased that at least Singapore has managed to reach the semi-finals, and again, Vietnam will be their opponents.

Against Thailand, Hassan Sunny did not match his previous matches, with a blunder that helped concede the first goal of the match. Then, Baihakki's absence told, as Ismail Yunos held the ball incredibly long before Thaialnd snatch the ball and it was 2 Thailand strikers against a keeper and a defender who is behind the strikers. The 3rd goal was well-deserved.

No fairy tale for Agu Casmir, but he did okay, with him able to hold the ball, pass the ball, and cross the ball. However, no one gave him the ball to shoot, or they were often unable to. I doubt Fazrul had a good match. He was often robbed of the ball, and his dribbling skills were hardly seen. His passes went astray and he lost too much possession.

Thailand had deserved to win, so we will just have to move on with life and look to secure a bronze.

Against Vietnam, Singapore cannot count on own goals to win it anymore. However, they must be safe with the knowledge that they can definitely beat them. Although 2 were own goals in the group match, it must be noted Singapore were playing with 10 men for more than an hour. Here are some small tips:

Defence:
Hassan Sunny and the defenders should train defending against set-pieces. Hassan Sunny should command the defence better, and teh defence must be totally focused and not display slack defending.

Midfield:
Lack creativity once more. Often defence pumps long balls, so their involvement is severely limited. As I have said, if Harris Harun is fit, play him. Needs to produce accurate passes to attack.

Attack:
Needs to produce more opportunities like the ones at the start of the match against the Thais.

That's all, and good luck.