January 9, 2005

Tiger Cup final first leg (Indonesia)

Indonesia	1	3	Singapore
Mahyadi Panggabean 90’			Daniel Bennett 4’ Khairul Amri 39’ Agu Casmir 69’

Singapore have one hand on the Tiger Cup thanks to a thoroughly deserved 3-1 win over 10-man Indonesia in the first leg at Utama Senayan Stadium, Jakarta.

First-half goals from the outstanding Daniel Bennett & Khairul Amri, making his first start of the tournament along with a second half strike by Agu Casmir silenced the 110,000 passionate fans in the cavernous Utama Senayan Stadium before Mahyadi Panggabean struck for the home side with the last kick of the game to give Peter Withe’s side a lifeline ahead of next week second leg.

Indonesia, Tiger Cup runners-up in 2002 & 2000, are by no means out of this tie, prove when they came from behind to beat Malaysia in the semi-final, that they are more than capable of overturning the deficit at the National Stadium. 

But to do so, they will have to find a way past a Singapore defence which were rocks at the back & it held firm until Mahyadi’s last-gasp long-range effort. Adding to Indonesia woes is that they also have to do so without centre halves Mauli Lessy, who was sent off early in the second half for two yellow cards, & Charis Yulianto, who picked up his second booking of the knockout stage thus serving a mandatory one-game suspension.

Helping them though is that Singapore, who have yet to taste defeat in the tournament,  also need to make do without an important member of their side, Noh Alam Shah. His first-half yellow card coming on top of a booking he picked up in the semi-final meant his one-match ban will keep him out of the final. It was the only stain on a superb evening for the Lions.

Indonesia, playing in their third consecutive Tiger Cup final, showed one change from the side which started the second leg of the semi-final against Malaysia, coach Peter Withe dropping right back Ismed Sofyan & bolstering his attacking options by giving Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto only his second start of the tournament. Ilham Jaya Kesuma, the tournament’s leading scorer, was his partner up front in a 4-4-2 formation. 

Raddy Avramovic also reshuffled his pack with Itmi Dickson, who had started every game of the tournament, making way for Khairul Amri for his first start of the tournament. Up front, Noh Alam Shah was again preferred to Indra Sadan, whose heroics over the two legs helped the Lions beat Myanmar in a tempestuous semi-final.

In a frenetic start to the game, Singapore took the lead after just 3 minutes & never looked back. Hasrin Jailani touched a quickly-taken free-kick into the path of the Singapore left-back, who looked up & pulled the trigger from 25 yards. His powerful shot looked to be heading towards Hendro in the Indonesia goal but the ball glanced off Firmansyah on the edge of the box looping over Hendro into the far corner of the goal to give Singapore a dream start. 

Indonesia though should have pulled level a few mere minutes later as Elie manage to get the better of Bennett & cut the ball into the box from the by-line to into the path of Salossa. The Singapore defence along with Lionel Lewis, the Singapore keeper, tried to clear the danger but it ended up with everybody getting into each other way causing much confusion as the ball was like a ping pong ball bouncing here & there. S.Subramani bounced the ball off Lionel Lewis, who was trying to gather & it fell to Salossa whose snap-shot grazed the outside of the post with the goal gaping.

Had that gone in, it might have been a very different evening but with Singapore surviving, the Singapore defence started to grow in strength & helped further when Indonesia suffered a huge blow as the rampaging Boas Salossa was injured in a tackle by Baihakki & was withdrawn. Firman Utina stepped into his place on but he does not have Salossa’s pace & Indonesia’s lost their cutting edge down the left flank.

Singapore then nearly doubled the lead through Noh Alam Shah when he sneaked behind the Indonesia defence to get on the end of Bennett’s flighted free-kick. His header lacked power & the ball fell into the hands of a grateful Hendro.

It was not long after that Singapore doubled their lead when Khairul hammered home at the far post after Hendro parried Noh Alam Shah’s low drive from the right into the path of the Young Lions midfielder. The move started when Singapore counterattack with Casmir continuing to fight for the ball despite appearing to lose the ball & it pay off as once he got the ball, he play it infield from down Singapore left to Hasrin who immediately relayed the ball into Alam Shah’s path. The Indonesia defence was now caught cold as they had only left 3 players behind in their haste to get the equalizer & Alam Shah was allowed the freedom to take the ball forwards a few steps to the edge of the box before unleashing his shot that lead to the goal.

That moment for Khairul was his last act of the game with coach Avramovic withdrawing him from the fray after the 19-year-old has had the wind knocked out of him by Elie.

But the damage were already done by Khairul with the second goal appearing to deflate the Indonesians.

In the second half, Indonesia’s chance of getting back into the game were dealt a further massive blow within minutes of the restart when Mauli Lessy was sent off for his second yellow card. The Indonesia defender was tussling for the ball with Itmi Dickson & as both fell down, Mauli Lessy elbowed Dickson. It was silly as the referee had already indicated Dickson had fouled the Indonesian defender.

This forced Withe to shuffle his pack again

Singapore then should have a 3-goal advantage when Singapore caught out the Indonesia defence again like in the first half as Indonesia left themselves short in numbers at the back. Agu Casmir pass the ball as a on rushing Itmi Dickson came in from the flank & the midfielder once behind the Indonesia defence pass to an open Noh Alam Shah to score but his celebrations were short as the lineman signal for offside but it was the case as shown by TV replay.

Still there was no stopping Singapore as moments later Itmi Dickson again threaten down Indonesia right. The Singapore winger managed to hold off the attentions of Firman & cut a ball into the box for Casmir, who was shockingly left all alone, to touch home from three yards out.

It appeared all over for Indonesia & the Tiger Cup looked to be heading for Singapore shore as Indonesia could not find a way past the Singapore back four until added time when Mahyadi struck with a free-kick that was deflected off a Singapore player looping over Lionel Lewis to breathe new life into a tie that looked to have slipped out of Indonesia’s reach.

Singapore team - Lionel Lewis (GK), S. Subramani, Baihakki Khaizan, Aide Iskandar (C), Daniel Bennett, Shahril Ishak, Hasrin Jailani, Goh Tat Chuan (Noh Rahman, 46’) Khairul Amri (Itimi Dickson, 41’) Agu Casmir, Noh Alam Shah (Ishak Zainol, 87’)