It's time to wake up, FAS!

When I read that the match between Singapore and Philippines for the South-East Asian Basketball (SEABA) Championships was sold out at the OCBC Arena, I realised Singaporeans are avid sport fans deep inside, regardless of the sport as long as Singapore athletes play at their best at the highest level of competition available. Hence there is no excuse for saying our fans are not supportive and certainly no reason why football cannot do better for them. So my question to the FAS is: 

"Why are some of our best young players playing in M(inor)-League when they should be playing in bigger leagues and tournaments? The Malaysia Cup days are over; done and dusted, so please stop romanticising about it. The standard of M-League is no better than our S-League so stop wasting resources on LionsXII. The national coach should also look at players beyond LionsXII who are willing to work harder and potentially better."

Singapore 0-5 Liverpool F.C.

I went to the Singapore National Stadium (yes, the one that is supposed to be demolished last year) to watch Liverpool Football Club played our national team. Well, Singapore played well for the first half but all was crumbled and lost after the first goal was conceded at the end of the first half. When Liverpool unleashed its big guns later on, the flood gates opened.

The game showed two things. One, Liverpool's second team is no where as good as its first team and Liverpool needs to toughen up its bench to challenge the long season to come. Two, Singapore needs to be able to concentrate for a much longer period of time and plays its stated formation strictly and not give away the ball cheaply. Singapore is playing Thailand this November and there can be no silly mistakes.

Following are some pictures and videos I took of the stadium's crowd.

No taxis on ECL days

Having difficulty in getting a taxi during peak hours is not news in Singapore anymore. I had not more than once needed to wait for up till an hour to catch one in the evenings just to go to the nearest MRT station. It became near impossible to get one this morning and I suspect it had something to do with the European Champions League football matches being played earlier. More people getting up late for work :)

Selected football matches results I am concerned of:

ECL
FC Porto 1-1 Liverpool FC

AFC Cup
Tampines Rovers 1-2 Al-Faisaly
Shabab Al Ordun 5-0 SAF FC (disgraceful siah)

Singapore 0 - 3 Australia

The scoreline didn't do credit to the game. Singapore played well and with heart and tenacity. Yes, Australia is definitely a class or two better than Singapore in terms of quality on paper and eventually on the field at the end of the game. But for much of the time in the first half and start of the second half, Singapore matched Australia possession for possession and attack for attack. Australia was supposed to have it easy but Singapore's resolute defense and goalkeeping did manage to frustrate the Socceroos. The scoreline would have been more respectable if not for Indra Sahdan's header off the bar and Khairul Amri's strike against the post. Oh well, The Lions fought admirably with a spirited display and though they lost the game which they are not expected to win, they won the fans with a marked improvement.

Liverpool FC 1 - 2 AC Milan

Sad, sad, sad. My Liverpool lost! We were unlucky to concede the first goal though we shouldn't have given away the free-kick in the first place. And we deservedly lost the second one. The defenders lost track of Inzaghi. Gerrard and Pennant should have scored...

OMG... Liverpool sux!

Losing to the same opponent twice in a row in less than a week is absolutely inexcusable; what is happening? Liverpool fans must be really hurt and disappointed. Ay... "you'll never walk alone"; we never walk alone but the road sure is hard to follow on...

What a letdown!

Le Bleus has fallen, and they have fallen in a bitter manner. What was Zidane thinking? I don't know what insult the Italian player had thrown at him but I am sure it must had been something extremely awful, judging from the reaction. However, it still doesn't warrant a violent action which is out of plain stupidity. Eight more minutes and he could have shown that Italian who's boss by winning...

Australia was robbed!!!

In no way was that last piece of action of the game amounting to a penalty. Yo referee, read my lips: "It was not a penalty!" Use you brain, use your brain.

Liverpool FC has won the FA Cup!!!

Liverpool: 1 own-goal down soon turned into 2 goals down. Steven Gerrard created one and scored one to pull the team back. But disaster striked again to make it 2-3. At the last few minutes of the game, he popped up again to make it level and extra-time. A sensational goal! Extra-time yielded no other goals and shootout began. Reina saved 3 shots and Liverpool lifted the cup. What a match!

Cups

Brazil has won the Copa America. Now we just have to wait and see who wins the Asian Cup. This will complete the major tournaments of the various continents, though short of Africa.

European Cup

YEAH! Greece has won the European Cup. They are the champions of Europe. Now that Euro 2004 is over, what's next? Copa America that is.

Euro 2004

Yes! Euro 2004 is finally starting today. Nothing beats soccer and beer :p

A Home United Win

Yes! Home United of Singapore has beaten Happy Valley from Hong Kong 5-1 in the inaugural AFC Cup. It was a wonderful match for the fans.

A Geylang United Loss

Ay... Geylang United lost to East Bengal yesterday. What a farce! Can't even win on home ground to make the country proud. Oh well, just have to see how Home United fare against Happy Valley. (For more info, click here.)