DPMM FC fall despite late heroics in 8-goal thril

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 28, 2013

TEN-man DPMM FC went down fighting in last night's Singapore Cup quarter-finals after coming back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 against Filipino side Global FC.

However, it was still the end of the road for Brunei's only professional club as they lost 5-4 on aggregate after Global won the first leg 1-0 via a 96th minute goal on Wednesday meaning that DPMM FC will have to continue their hunt for a semi-final berth next season.

Defender Pg Sallehuddin Pg Hj Damit was sent to the showers in the 87th minute after picking up his second yellow last night and DPMM FC head coach Vjeran Simunic felt that they could have evened things up had they not been at a numerical disadvantage at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

"If we didn't lose Salleh then we could have got it to 5-4... We needed a bit more luck," Simunic told The Brunei Times after the game.

"We left things very open as we pushed forward in search of a goal in the first half, but instead we failed to score and our opponents went on the counter-attack and punished us.

"We changed our tactics after we got Santos (Brazilian central defender Tales Ricarte dos Santos) on in the second half and that managed to help our comeback," continued the Croatian.

Carlos de Murga had a big impact for Global after he claimed a first half hat-trick.

According to Goal.com's play-by-play, the midfielder gave the United Football League runners-up the lead after heading home a cross by Jeffrey Christiaens in the 20th minute.

De Murga netted his second of the game after a 37th minute counter-attack when De Murga flicked the ball to Joshua Beloya just ouside the box, with the latter then returning it to de Murga who calmly put it in at the bottom corner.

He completed his hat-trick just before the half-time whistle after Paul Mulders put the ball neatly into the box and de Murga made no mistake to slot it past Wardun Yussof in between the DPMM FC sticks.

De Murga provided Global's fourth goal after his cross from the right was headed home by Rufino Sanchez in the 55th minute, the Spanish forward also scoring the winning goal in Wednesday's first leg.

Lithuanian Arturas Rimkevicius started DPMM FC's comeback in the 62nd minute with a volley that went in off the underside of the bar after a knockdown from Brazilian attacking midfielder Rodrigo Tosi.

Dos Santos, who was on the pitch for literally 10 seconds and was playing as a striker, headed in an Azwan Salleh corner to make it 4-2 in the 68th minute.

Eduard Sacapano was sent on in place of Global's first choice goalkeeper Roland Sadia at that point, but that didn't prevent DPMM FC from scoring two more.

Rimkevicius scored his second after sliding home a through ball to make it 4-3 in the 82nd minute and Portuguese forward Joao Moreira got his name on the scoresheet three minutes later to tie things up at 4-4.

The Brunei Times

DPMM FC to see extra action in August

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, July 27, 2013

DPMM FC will be playing three extra games in the Singapore League (S-League) next month.

S-League announced the rescheduling of matches from September to August due to overlapping schedule arising from fixture changes to the Merdeka Cup yesterday.

The game between Brunei's only professional team and Balestier Khalsa FC at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas scheduled for September 4 has been brought forward to August 21.

Another home game against current League leaders Tampines Rovers supposed to be played on September 8 will be contested on August 25.

DPMM FC will then play Warriors FC at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium in Singapore on August 29.

It was initially scheduled for September 12.

DPMM FC currently sit in eighth position of the 12-team table with 23 points from 18 matches.

The Brunei Times

DPMM FC eye redemption

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWANContinued on Page A40

Saturday, July 27, 2013

DPMM FC are looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Global FC in the second leg of their Singapore Cup quarter-finals tonight.

They succumbed to a late loss on Wednesday after Global's Spanish forward Rufino Sanchez headed home with the last touch of the game for the only goal at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore, and it was heartbreak for DPMM FC considering that they failed to put away several chances that could have given them the advantage before the defensive lapse in the 96th minute.

Captain Rosmin Hj Mohd Kamis said that the team has erased memories of their first leg loss against the Filipino outfit and are focused on winning tonight's tie, which will see them through to the semi-finals for the first time.

"We have no other choice but to win the match," said Rosmin in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"We are motivated since we still have hope to advance to the semi-finals.

"It's disappointing after losing in the last minute since we dominated most of the match, but we have already forgotten about it and are in high spirits for tomorrow's (Saturday's) match," he added.

After the loss DPMM FC head coach Vjeran Simunic said that he couldn't have asked for more from his players and felt that they performed well and didn't deserve to lose.

Rosmin agreed with the Croatian and knows exactly what is needed from the team to conjure up a victory.

"I also asked the assistant coaches after the match and they said we played well," said the midfielder.

"We will need to score at least two goals and work hard to keep a clean sheet.

"We know that Global FC are a strong team and we must be aware of their counter-attacks," he added.

According to the S-League website, Simunic was not pleased with the performance of foreign strikers Joao Moreira and Arturas Rimkevicius.

The former, who is the team's top scorer, had missed some good chances in the past few matches and according to Simunic, Rimkevicius has yet to get accustomed to the artificial pitch at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

He also mentioned that he was missing the services of injured striker Shahrazen Said, the forward set to sit out another three or four weeks with an injured knee.

Despite not being in Singapore, the striker believes his teammates have the ability to make history by getting into the semi-finals.

"We just need to play normally, but we will require 100 per cent teamwork upfront to score goals because that has been lacking in the forwards' position this season," said Shahrazen.

"Nonetheless, I know that the guys can make history for this Singapore Cup," he added.

The match kicks off at 8pm.

Last night's sole match saw Balestier Khalsa through to the semi-finals after winning 4-1 on penalties against Hougang United FC at the Toa Payoh Stadium in Singapore.

Hougang United won the first leg 2-0 but Balestier levelled things after two quick goals in succession through Qiu Li and Kim Min Ho in the 54th and 56th minutes respectively.

The Brunei Times

Brunei football deep into SEA Games preparations

Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, July 27, 2013

NATIONAL football coach Kwon Oh-son is pleased with the progress of his players as they step up their preparations for December's Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

"We (national Under-23 team) managed to prepare quite early for the SEA Games this year and I feel that we are progressing well and steady," said Kwon yesterday.

"We have trained every day since April and the players are in good condition.

"When we first started training we had 40 players with us, but now we only have less than 20.

"Most of them are from the (Under-21) team that won the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy (HBT) last year, while some of them are new players from local clubs in the national league," he South Korean.

Kwon added that three DPMM FC players Adi Said, Azwan Ali Rahman and Md Fakhrul Zulhazmi Yussof will also be a part of the squad for the SEA Games.

"Key players such as Adi, Azwan and Fakhrul are currently training with DPMM FC (and) I have no worries about these three players as they are training and playing with the best club in Brunei," said the coach.

"I hope that we will be able to welcome them to train with the rest of the squad by the time DPMM FC finish their Singapore League campaign (in September).

"We will try hard and give our best, and I hope that we will be able to achieve a good result for Brunei this year," he added.

Brunei failed to progress past the group stage at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia, where they played out to one win, one draw and three losses.

Brunei started their campaign with a 2-1 loss to Timor Leste before drawing 2-2 with Laos.

They then fell 4-0 to Myanmar and 8-0 to Vietnam before winning their last match against the Philippines 2-1.

Brunei is working on a friendly game with the Indonesian SEA Games team scheduled for August 14, a match against the 2011 runners-up which, if works out, Kwon will welcome with open arms.

"I heard about the friendly and it will be a very good opportunity for the players if it happens," he said.

"Indonesia are currently preparing for the SEA Games too and they are one of the best teams in the region, so it will be a very interesting match.

"Over the past few months we have only been focusing on physical and tactical training and this friendly match will give us very good match practice," he added.

Kwon's last international outing was in October for the AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2012 qualifiers in Myanmar, where the senior team finished with six points from two wins and two losses.

The Wasps started off with a 1-0 loss to hosts Myanmar, bounced back with a 3-2 victory over Cambodia and followed that with a disappointing 3-1 loss to Laos.

The Sultanate then went on to put in a convincing performance to stun Timor Leste 2-1 in their final match of the tournament.The Brunei Times

Matches key to improving

Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 26, 2013

THE National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) Under 15 national coach Liew Chuan Fue believes that football practice alone is not enough to prepare the national football team for a bigger tournament in the future.

"During the football practice, the players will have the chance to improve their skills and techniques, but the most important thing is to be able to adopt it during the competitive football matches," said Liew in an interview with The Brunei Times recently.

"Match experience is very important in football. It is only by playing competitive football matches that you will be able to get the real football matches environment, atmosphere and pressure. Those experiences are precious and valuable," he said.

"I am very happy that we are able to compete in the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)-Frenz Under-15 ASEAN Champions Trophy this year, this will be a very good experience for the team"

The NFABD Under-15 have not been enjoying a great of form currently as they are now lying at the bottom of the table with only a point to their name.

"We knew that we haven't won any games in the tournament yet but we talked about this earlier that our primary aim is to get as much experiences as we can from this tournament," continued Liew.

"What we trying to achieve is to provide opportunities for players to become more tactically aware and be educated in how a game is actually played," he added.

"The tournament also provides a realistic environment where players are able to practise and improve their skills under game-like conditions," said the coach.

"We knew that it is painful for the fans to see our national team losing in the games, but they are giving their best in every game and I can assure you that this team is the best that we have in the country.

"We need to keep this team. They have played nine competitive matches and they have experienced it together. Those experiences are very important and it will benefit them in the future tournament," he explained.

The Under-15 team 6-0 defeat to Frenz Indonesia at the Janda Baik Stadium in Pahang, Malaysia on Sunday was their eighth defeat in the tournament.

The national team will have their last chance to record their first win in when they play Lao Toyota FC at Chaoanouvong Stadium in Vientiane Laos in their final game of the tournament.The Brunei Times

Brunei U-23 hoping for Indonesia clash

Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 26, 2013

THE national football team manager Hj Feisal Hj Eusoff is hopeful that the match against Indonesia's U-23 squad, slated for August, will push through.

The Sultanate's Under-23 team will test the waters against the Indonesian side who is aiming to strengthen their lineup in preparations for the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar in December.

"This will be a very good opportunity for the young footballers in the country, and for Brunei football in general, as Indonesia is a very good team. It will be a very good experience for us," said Hj Feisal in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"So far we have not yet confirmed the date and venue of the match but I hope everything will go through. And I would like national coach Kwon Oh-son to be involved in selecting and coaching the team for this game," he said.

Coach Kwon created history for the country by leading the Under-21 team to victory in the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy after defeating Indonesia 2-0 in the final in March last year.

Asked who will be lacing up for the national side in the friendly, Hj Feisal said: "The majority of them will be from the HBT squad last year, but it will not be the full squad as we are looking to add some new players in the team."

According to the Asian Football Federation (AFF) website, the Indonesian U-23 side have scheduled a friendly against the national team on August 14, right after the Raya holidays.

"To play against Brunei Darussalam (on 14 August), we will bring the players together just three days prior," said Rahmad Darmawan, the chief coach of Indonesia U-23.

"We still have several players whom we have not seen yet even after the first two selection process due to the fact that the league schedule is too tight," he said.

Indonesia beat Brunei 5-0 at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas the last time both countries met in September last year.The Brunei Times

DPMM FC's heartbreak

Yee Chun Leong


BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN


Thursday, July 25, 2013

IT was heartbreak for DPMM FC after they let in a last second goal to lose 1-0 to Global FC of the Philippines in the first leg of their quarter-finals encounter of the Singapore Cup last night.

A freekick was sent from midfield and, with the DPMM FC backline caught napping, Spanish forward Rufino Sanchez headed in the game-winner in the 96th minute at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.


DPMM FC head coach, Vjeran Simunic, didn't know what hit them and was disappointed to lose the game after seeing his charges put up a good performance.

"We did really well for the whole game and we deserved at least a draw. To let in a last second goal is very frustrating and can be difficult to understand," said Simunic in an interview with The Brunei Times after the loss.

"We have been attacking the whole game and had better chances. We should have scored after a good chance by Arturas (Rimkevicius in the second half) and we really missed Shahrazen (Said) at the front tonight (Wednesday)," he added.

Global FC had the better start to the game and had their first chance in the 18th minute after Carlos de Murga fired a header over the bar.

The Filipino outfit should have taken the lead just before the break in the 44th minute. A freekick was deflected off wall resulting in De Murga heading it towards goal but DPMM shotstopper Wardun Yussof was on hand to block his attempt.

Global captain Ben Starosta pounced on the rebound but was off target.

Brunei's only professional team came out storming after the interval and had a good chance to score in the 55th minute.

Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Tosi had connected on a freekick but saw the ball wide of the post.

In the 71st minute, Global almost broke the deadlock but Jeffrey Christiaens could only head over the bar from a Sanchez cross.


DPMM FC had their best chance of the matchup seven minutes later after Tosi fired a shot from outside the box which required a good save by Roland Sadia in between the Global sticks.

An unmarked Arturas got the rebound but could only see his shot over the bar.

The Brunei side almost stole it in the 89th minute off a corner resulting in an attempt from outside box which required another Sadia save.

The referee indicated four minutes of extra time which would explain why DPMM FC never saw the final goal coming in the 96th minute.

Simunic expects his players to move on quickly and focus on the next meeting against the Philippine team.

"We will need to forget this game quickly. I couldn't have asked for anything more from the players," said Smunic.

"What happened had already happened. We know that it won't be easy but we will have to focus on our next game," concluded the Croatian.


They will face off in the second leg at the same venue on Saturday.

The Brunei Times

DPMM FC calm and ready for Global FC challenge

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

DPMM FC aren't worrying about tonight's opponents.

Brunei's only professional team will take on Global FC of the Philippines in the quarter-finals of the Singapore Cup at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore, the first of two legs with the second to be contested at the same venue on Saturday.

DPMM FC advanced to the quarter-finals after cruising to a 4-0 victory over Lao Police FC at the end of May, but they have yet to progress further in the competition in three attempts.

On the other hand, Global are coming off a 2-0 win over defending champion Warriors FC (formerly Singapore Armed Forces FC) in the previous round in June.

DPMM FC head coach Vjeran Simunic knows all about their opponents but is more focused on how to beat them.

"We aren't thinking too much about them," said Simunic in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"We know they are a strong team but we have to think about ourselves.

"We hope to have a repeat performance from our last game (a 1-0 win over Geylang United FC in the Singapore League last Friday).

"I watched their last game against the Warriors but it is different now that they have added some new players to the roster.

"An advantage could be that they haven't been playing alongside each other as much to be at full strength, but we know for sure they are prepared to play," continued the Croatian.

DPMM FC will once again be missing the services of the injured duo of Brazilian defender Tales Ricarte dos Santos and striker Shahrazen Said.

However, Simunic trusts his local boys to be able to turn it up a notch for the encounter against the United Football League (UFL) side.

"The local players will have to step up," stressed Simunic.

"They will be under a bit more pressure and will have to take responsibility. It is a good challenge for Brunei with more locals seeing action.

"We respect our opponents because we know that they are one of the favourites of the competition.

"It will be a good game... A 180-minute match, and there can be many things to decide who will win it," continueed the reigning S-League Coach of the Year.

According to the S-League website, Global boasts several Azkals in their squad, including Jason De Jong, Misagh Bahadoran and Carli De Murga.

They have also acquired Spanish striker Rufino Sanchez for the matchup.

Sanchez is on a one-month loan from fellow UFL side Stallion FC and was the league top scorer for the recently concluded season with 18 goals.

Kickoff is at 8pm.

Meanwhile, Home United defeated 10-man Geylang International 2-0 at the Bedok Stadium last night.

The Brunei Times

Brunei U-23 to play Indonesia U-23 in friendly next month

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

THE Brunei Under-23 football team is set to play a friendly game against the Indonesia U-23 team next month.

According to the Asian Football Federation (AFF) website, the Indonesian U-23 side have scheduled a friendly match against the Wasps on August 14, right after the Raya holidays.

The friendly will be part of the preparations for the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar in December.

"To play against Brunei Darussalam (on 14 August), we will bring the players together just three days prior," said Rahmad Darmawan, the chief coach of Indonesia U-23.

"We still have several players whom we have not seen yet even after the first two selection process due to the fact that the league schedule is too tight," he said.

The last time the Sultanate had a friendly against Indonesia saw the latter cruise to a 5-0 victory at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas in September last year.

In March last year, the Under-21 team defeated the Merah Putih 2-0 in the final of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy.

The Sultanate made their return to the SEA Games U-23 football in 2011, after an absence of 10 years.

The Brunei Times 

Simunic showers praises on DPMM FC

YEE CHUN LEONG
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 21, 2013

DPMM FC can breathe a sigh of relief as they are finally back to winning ways in the Singapore League (S-League).

Brunei's only professional team edged Geylang International FC 1-0 at theJalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Friday after captain Rosmin Hj MdKamis scored his second goal of the season when he rifled in an 81stminute free-kick which needed two deflections.

It was a much needed win for the Brunei side, their first victory in the S-League in a six-game period which has stretched over two months.

It was their fifth straight triumph over the Eagles in all competition stretching back from the previous season.

More impressively, they did so in style with head coach Vjeran Simunicwatching from the stands as he served his suspension from the touchline after being sent off during their last game against Tanjong Pagar United FC last Friday.

In addition, they were missing the services of the injured duo of Brazilian defender Tales Ricarte dos Santos and striker Shahrazen Said.

Simunic was delighted with the win, especially since he had to bark instructions to his players from the stands.

"We knew that Geylang were a good team and we have always had tough games with them and have good movement amongst ourselves," said Simunic in a post-game interview on the S-League website.

"It was a tough game and they defended well against our two strikers (Joao Moreira and Arturas Rimkevicious) and we could not do much but we hit the post from Moreira," he added.

Simunic was full of praise for midfielder Azwan Ali Rahman, who he sent on in the 67th minute for Portuguese Moreira.

It may be a questionable move for some but the introduction of Azwan, who has spent the most of his debut season on the injured list, proved to the game changer with Simunic going on to predict he would shine in the league.

"I had planned something new and I had previously said that our No 2 (Azwan) will be the new star of the league," said Simunic.

"But he played against Tampines and then was out for three months after a challenge from Mustafic(Fahrudin).

"But did you all see how he played? Was he good?" asked Simunic rhetorically.

On the other hand, Eagles head coach V Kanan felt that they should have taken something out of the encounter.

"We do not have firepower going upfront and our midfield was young and inexperienced and they can't combine well with (Shotaro) Ihata and Stefan (Milojevic)," said Kanan.

"That was why we did not have many chances on goal but we defended well and the young boys did their best.

"We were missing four regulars and even without them, we still played well and I should say I am happy but a draw would have been a fair result," continued Kanan.

Kanan revealed that he intentionally set out for his team to soak in the pressure in the first half and wanted to go on the attack after the interval.

However, he conceded that his counterpart read his tactics well.

"We wanted to close them down and wanted to come out (attacking) in the second half but they had their game plan too," said Kanan.

"We did well defensively and restricted them to long shots and it was not easy for them to penetrate ourdefence.

"We gave away too many free-kicks but they are experienced players and know how to win it," concluded the Geylang head coach.

The win sees DPMM FC leapfrog Geylang into eighth spot in the 12-team table with 23 points from 18 games.

Geylang are on 21 points but have a game in hand.

DPMM FC will now turn their focus to the quarter-finals of their Singapore Cup campaign next week, where they will play two legs against Global FC of the Philippines on Wednesday and Saturday at theJalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

The Brunei Times
 

DPMM FC record first victory in over two months

Saturday, July 20, 2013

THE wait is finally over for DPMM FC.

Brunei's only professional team picked up their first win in the Singapore League (S-League) in six games over a two-month span after edging Geylang International FC 1-0 last night at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

After a dominant second half performance, DPMM FC finally broke the deadlock in the 81st minute via a freekick by captain Rosmin Hj Md Kamis which needed two deflections to end up at the back of the net.

The goal was all it took for the Bruneian side to snatch all three points.

The ball had deflected off the wall and floated to the left corner of the post.

Geylang goalkeeper Takuma Ito managed to get a hand to it but it hit the crossbar and bounced off his back.

"I just kicked it. I took responsibility for the team and I kept in my mind that I must score. Not only to win the game but for the whole team since we have waited a long time for a win in the League," said Rosmin in an interview with The Brunei Times after the triumph.

"I just kept going from the beginning. I had a bad delivery in the box (in the first half) but I didn't care. I failed once but it doesn't mean that we will fail all the time," he said.

Geylang United got a good start to the game, forcing DPMM FC goalkeeper Wardun Yussof to come up with a crucial save in the second minute.

DPMM FC should have taken the lead in the 15th minute through Joao Moreira.

The Portuguese striker had skipped past his defender for a strike on the right but was denied by the post.

Brazilian Rodrigo Tosi had another chance for DPMM FC in the 24th minute but saw his shot fly wide.

Geylang had a good chance to score in the 38th minute after two of their players failed to connect on the ball inside the box.

The Eagles had another chance just before halftime after Taufiq Ghani fired on target but was denied by Wardun.

DPMM FC came out in the second half with more urgency and were on the attack.

They had good chance just three minutes in and followed that up with another in the 53rd minute.

Lithuanian forward, Arturas Rimkevicius, had connected on a header from a corner but saw his attempt off the mark.

Tosi fired one from range in the 71st minute after given space by the Geylang backline but was disappointed that it was off the mark.

Geylang substitute Andrew Tan shot on target two minutes later but Wardun was on hand to save it.

DPMM FC were left on the backfoot after grabbing the lead as Geylang tried in hunt for an equaliser but to no avail.

The win sees DPMM FC leapfrog Geylang into eighth spot in the 12-team table with 23 points from 18 games.

Geylang are on 21 points but have a game in hand.

DPMM FC will now turn their focus to the quarter-finals of their Singapore Cup campaign next week.

They will play two legs against Global FC of the Philippines on Wednesday and Saturday at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The Brunei Times

SEA GAMES 2013: Indonesia line up Brunei and Timor Leste

JAKARTA (19 July 2013) – After two matches against their Singapore counterparts, the Indonesian national Under-23 side has lined up friendlies against Brunei and Timor Leste, just after the Raya holidays.
The plan is for the Indonesian U23 side will play Brunei Darussalam on 14 August while the tie against Timor Leste has yet to be confirmed.
“To play against Brunei Darussalam (on 14 August), we will bring the players together just three days prior,” said Rahmad Darmawan, the chief coach of the Indonesia U23.
“We still have several players whom we have not seen yet even after the first two selection process due to the fact that the league schedule is too tight.”
In the two matches against the Singapore U23 team, the Indonesian squad was held to a 1-1 draw in Solo before losing 1-0 in Singapore.

aseanfootball

DPMM FC brace for Geylang

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, July 19, 2013

DPMM FC will be looking to turn their Singapore League (S-League) campaign around when they take on Geylang International FC today at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.

It will be an uphill battle as they will have to do so without the injured duo of Brazilian defender Tales Ricarte dos Santos and striker Shahrazen Said.

The former picked up an injury early in their 1-1 draw against Tanjong Pagar United FC last Friday.

Shahrazen, who came off the bench for the game, picked up his injury in the final minute of the game.

DPMM FC are currently in ninth position of the 12-team table with 20 points from 17 points. Geylang are a point ahead but have played one game less.

Vjeran Simunic, the DPMM FC head coach, will not be on the bench for the matchup after being sent to the stands in the first half of the match against Tanjong Pagar.

However, he felt that the team is prepared for the game and he hopes that results will go in their favour.

"Every match is important for us now and we will always go out to play our best possible," said Simunic in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"Shahrazen is one of my best players so it might be a problem. (Pg) Salleh(uddin Pg Hj Damit) came on and did a good job in place of Tales in the last match and made no mistakes," he said.

The Croatian highlighted their biggest problem now is finding the back of the net and he hopes that his charges will be able to change that.

"We created a lot of chances but we just can't seem to score. We had like six chances in the second half against Tanjong Pagar but failed to score. We could have won," said Simunic.

In addition, his side have given up eight goals in the last three matches but the coach was satisfied with the backline in the last game.

"I thought the backline did well in the last game. We want to go out and do the same against Geylang. We have been playing with more players upfront and on the attack," added the Croatian.

Geylang are in good form as of late, winning two of their last three matches.

According to the S-League website, skipper Jozef Kaplan will miss the encounter having picked up a red card in the last game against Hougang.

The league's joint topscorer and player of the month for June has been splendid upfront and will be missed.

Defender Kharulhayat Jumat is out due to suspension while midfield Fabian Kwok is injured.

However, they will welcome the return of Stefan Milojevic to the lineup.

Meanwhile, Tampines Rovers came back from a goal down to beat Hougang United FC 3-1 at the Hougang Stadium last night.

The victory extends their lead at the top of the table for the defending champions with 40 points from 17 games.

The Brunei Times

Tanjong Pagar coach puzzled over added time

Jason Thomas
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, July 18, 2013

PATRICK Vallee was left fuming after DPMM FC's last-gap equaliser in last Friday's 1-1 Singapore League draw with Tanjong Pagar United.

The Jaguars coach saw his side go ahead after a Kamel Ramdani free-kick at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore, only for DPMM FC's Brazilian import Rodrigo Tosi to deny the hosts a win with a 96th minute header.

"I don't want to complain but (someone) must show me where the five or six minutes (of) added time (came from)," Vallee told the S-League website in reference to the equaliser, which was scored a minute after the allocated injury time.

"I can't be upset or angry, just a bit disappointed (as) at the end it is frustrating... But I am happy with the performance of my team and their fighting spirit.

"Yes, I feel we were unlucky, but we can't complain because we got chances to score the second goal and I am disappointed that we did not, which could have secured us the win.

"But that is football, and I think we deserved to win. But a draw is a good result too.

"We are still in top position (in the top half) and July is a tough month (so) we will see how next Tuesday (against Albirex)," added the Frenchman.

Their clash against the Japanese outfit ended in a goalless stalemate, a result which still leaves Tanjong Pagar at third in the 12-team table where they trail Albirex by four points.

DPMM FC, who finished second in the league to Tampines Rovers last season, would be more than happy to be on third after a campaign filled with injuries and import concerns has them languishing in ninth.

After starting the season as title-contenders, DPMM FC will now be satisfied with a top-six finish though they are still in the running to defend their Singapore League Cup and win the Singapore Cup for the first time.

They face Geylang International at the Jalan Besar Stadium tomorrow, and might do so without Vjeran Simunic on the bench, the Croatian sent to the stands in the first half of the match against Tanjong Pagar.

"About the sending off, I apologise for it," the DPMM FC coach was quoted as saying on the S-League website.

"It was a reaction because I saw a punch to Hendra (midfielder Mohd Hendra Azam Mohd Idris) and one player (going into a challenge) with a high leg.

"Next time, I will not make any reaction."The Brunei Times

Search continues for U-15s

YEE CHUN LEONG
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, July 14, 2013

THE slide continues for the National Football Association of BruneiDarussalam (NFABD) Under-15 team, who have yet to win a match in the inaugural tournament.

The side succumbed to yet another defeat in Group B of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM)-Frenz Under-15 ASEAN Champions Trophy after losing 4-0 to Myanmar Mandalay Academy at the Aung San Memorial Stadium in Yangon yesterday.

They are still in search of their first win with only one point to their name after seven games coming when they drew 2-2 with Myanmar Mandalay Academy in Brunei last month.

The hosts took a 1-0 lead at half-time before netting another three in the second half to claim all three points.

"We were equally matched in the first half but ran out of steam in the second," said NFABD Under-15 coach Liew Chuan Fue.

"The players lost their focus and got tired.

"The field was muddy with the heavy rain and our opponents played well," added the former national captain.

It was the fourth game in a row that the country has failed to find the back of the net, and the 1999 Malaysia Cup winner hopes they can turn things around quickly.

"Our chances at goal were very limited," explained Liew.

"We don't have a good midfield to help create chances for our strikers to score goals, but this is also because of a lack of experience," said Liew, who nonetheless is proud of the squad's efforts since they only had three weeks to prepare for the competition.

NFABD U-15 still have four more games left to try and conjure up a win.

They will next play Frenz Indonesia in Indonesia on Saturday.

Lao Toyota Academy, Philippines Global FC Under-15, Frenz Malaysia B are the other teams in Group B.

The Brunei Times

Late Tosi goal forces draw

YEE CHUN LEONG
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, July 13, 2013

DPMM FC salvaged a point in their matchup against Tanjong Pagar United FC in the Singapore League (S-League) after Brazilian Rodrigo Tosinetted in the last minute to share the spoils for a 1-1 draw last night.

It looked like Brunei's only professional team were on their way to their fourth straight loss in the S-League before Tosi rose the highest and headed home a freekick for the equaliser in the 95th minute at the JalanBesar Stadium in Singapore.

DPMM FC head coach, Vjeran Simunic, who had to watch the second half from the stands after being sent off late in the first half, was pleased to snatch a point out of the match.

"We were playing against a very good team that can challenge for the title. I'm happy with draw because it is better than nothing as we needed points. But of course it would have been better had we gotten all three points," said Simunic in an interview with The Brunei Times after the game.

"We scored a good goal starting from a freekick. I'm happy that we managed to score against one of the best goalkeepers in the league (Aurelien Herisson)," he added.

Tanjong Pagar's Ramdel Kamdani, who was previously reported to be suspended for the match after picking up his fourth yellow card in the competition, eventually started the match.

He made himself a factor after scoring the opening goal for Tanjong Pagar in the 40th minute after firing in a freekick to beat Wardun Yussof in between the DPMM FC sticks.

DPMM FC had a rough start to the game, having lost Brazilian defender Tales Ricarte dos Santos through injury in the 10th minute.

Veteran defender Pg Sallehuddin Pg Hj Damit was sent on in his place in the 15th minute.

Simunic felt that the loss of his import player was a huge blow for the team.

"We lost Santos through a bad injury so we had to make a change early. It disrupted us as we made quite a number of mistakes," said the Croatian.

"I had also prepared the team to play against them without Kamdani having read that he wasn't playing.

"We gave away a foul from 16 metres out and he (Ramdel) scored a fantastic goal. I knew that giving away the foul would result in a goal," he added.

"But we did create a lot of chances as well but were unlucky that we couldn't score. I guess the grass was a problem but we have to start scoring," continued Simunic.

DPMM FC remain in ninth place of the 12-team table with 20 points from 17 games. On the other hand,Tanjong Pagar are in third with 29 points.The Brunei Times