Azwan’s late strike seals win

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, June 19, 2014

AZWAN Ali Rahman was the hero for DPMM FC last night after scoring a late winner against the Young Lions in their 3-2 Singapore League (S-League) victory.
According to the official S-League facebook page, the 22-year-old unleashed a powerful strike in the 92nd minute to beat Young Lions custodian Rudy Khairullah at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore – the result against the Singapore national Under-23 team earning the visitors their first win in five S-League games.
The win also helps extend DPMM FC’s lead atop the 12-team standings to four points over Warriors FC and three-time defending champions Tampines Rovers FC.
“It was an unbelievable goal for me,” said Azwan in an interview with The Brunei Times.
“We deserved to win tonight (Wednesday night) and now we are back on track.
“Most important for us tonight is that we gained all three points,” continued Azwan, whose goal was his fifth of the season.
The visitors started out on the wrong foot after Sairol Hj Sahari put the ball in his own net in the seventh minute.
DPMM FC almost responded three minutes later but the goal was flagged off for offside.
Croatian Roberto Alviz levelled the match after finding the back of the net in the 26th minute and Brunei’s only professional team took the lead through Rodrigo Tosi after he headed home his 15th goal of the season in the 37th minute.
Young Lions equallised after a long distance strike from outside the box by captain Sahil Suhaimi in the 86th minute and both teams looked to be headed for a point before Azwan’s late drama in injury time.
Stand-in captain Hj Mohd Subhi Abdillah Hj Bakir felt that they deserved the win after what was a tightly contested match.
“We deserved all three points after a hard fought game. It was a tight second half as expected with the home team pressing us with a goal down,” said Subhi.
“But overall the performance was good and it is great that we are back on track,” he added.
DPMM FC next face Harimau Muda II (Malaysian national under-21 football team) at the Pasir Gudang Stadium in Johor, Malaysia, on Sunday before meeting Albirex Niigata (S) FC in the Singapore Cup on June 29.
Albirex beat Tanjong Pagar United FC 2-1 at the Queenstown Stadium in Singapore in last night’s other S-League tie.
Kento Nagasaki opened the scoring in the third minute for Albirex and the lead was doubled by Keisuke Ota in the 59th minute.
Monsef Zerka notched a consolation goal from the penalty spot for Tanjong Pagar in the 83rd minute.

The competition continues today with two more matches.
Geylang International are up against Harimau Muda II at the Bedok Stadium in Singapore while the other game pits Tampines against Hougang United at the Clementi Stadium.
Kick off for both games is at 7.30pm.

The Brunei Times

DPMM FC eager to get back to winning ways

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 14, 2014

DPMM FC are looking to right the ship in the Singapore League (S-League) as they take on Geylang International FC today at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.
Brunei’s only professional team are experiencing their worst spell of the season, having lost three consecutive matches in the competition.
Fortunately they continue to lead the 12-team standings after 10-man Home United FC fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hougang United FC last night at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore.
DPMM FC are on 31 points, tied with Warriors FC and Tampines Rovers who edged Harimau Muda (Malaysia national under-21 football team) 1-0 at the Pasir Gudang Stadium in Johor last night.
Home United slipped to fourth on 30 points while Hougang United follow in fifth spot with 28 points.
DPMM FC had played out to a 1-1 draw against Geylang in their first meeting at the Bedok stadium in Singapore on March 28.
Head coach Steve Kean expects another tough encounter but has put in the work to ensure the team can bounce back.
“It will be a tough game since we drew the last time we played. I got to watch them play against the Young Lions (Singapore national under-23 football team). They played well and should have won the match (which ended 0-0),” said Kean in an interview with The Brunei Times after their training session at the Jerudong Mini Stadium yesterday.
“Good thing is that we are on our own pitch and the staff at the stadium has done a great job in maintaining the smooth surface.
“We are looking to pass the ball more and gain control of the game early on,” he added.
“We seem to be a little bit more spread out now so we’ve worked a lot on that the past couple of days with and without ball to be more compact,” continued the Scotsman.
DPMM FC suffered a scare after Brazilian Rodrigo Tosi, who is the league’s joint topscorer with 14 goals, was taken off on the hour mark in their 2-1 loss to Tampines at the Clementi Stadium on Tuesday.
Kean was looking at the bigger picture and decided to preserve his striker for the taxing schedule.
“He was feeling his groin and when Joe Gamble got booked, we knew that he would be suspended for the next match,” explained Kean.
“Wanted to protect him (Tosi) as we didn’t want anything worse which could have led to him being out for more games,” he added.
“He is too important for us and now he is fit to play,” continued the former ex-Blackburn Rovers manager.
His counterpart Jorg Steinebrunner expects a tough outing but is heading into the matchup with confidence.
“It will definitely be a tough game. DPMM FC are a good team and they have a good coach with Steve Kean,” said the Geylang head coach.
“I’m sure they want to make amends for the last three games. We know how it feels as we had the same spell and tried to turn things around.
“It is not easy to come to Brunei as the home team always put up a good performance and get good support,” he added.
“As a team over the last three months, we have come together and steadily improved. We managed to get some good results especially beating Tampines a couple of days ago.
“The team are at full confidence and we come here not to play defensively but to win the game. It doesn’t matter if you play at home or away, we are looking to score goals,” continued the German.
Asked on what his charges will have to look out for, Steinebrunner replied: “DPMM FC foreigners are above average compared to years before but we cannot forget the local players.
“A team cannot depend on two or three players for successful football. You need the whole team to play on a good level and they have done so constantly. It is not for nothing for them to be on top of the league,” he concluded.
Geylang are at full strength as they welcome back Argentinean midfielder Franco Chivilo back from a one game suspension.
Kick off is at 8.15pm.

The Brunei Times

MS ABDB gun down LLRC FT

Syarif Rasani

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 14, 2014

THE Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council (MS ABDB) thrashed Liang Lumut Recreational Club (LLRC) FT 6-2 in their DST Super League clash last night.
MS ABDB have now accumulated 31 points in 14 matches to sit three points behind league leaders Indera SC, who boast two games in hand.
LLRC FT remain in fifth on the table with 20 points.
It was a one sided match from the start with MS ABDB playing in LLRC FT’s half.
Their dominance however did not translate into goals as they found themselves down 2-1 at half-time at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
LLRC FT scored the opener after a series of passes in the box finally ended up at the foot of Hakeem Keri, who slid the ball in to the bottom left corner in the 27th minute.
LLRC FT goalkeeper Md Fakhrul Amin Sanif picked up a red card in the 31st minute following a dangerous tackle in the penalty box on MS ABDB’s Mohd Nazirul Hazim Hj Mahadin.
MS ABDB’s Suhaimi Hj Md Yussof stepped up to the spot to equalise the score at 1-1 with a simple shot to the right hand corner.
LLRC FT’s Ak Md Haffiz Pg Suhadi managed to restore his team’s lead after receiving a perfectly timed through ball before knocking it into the back of the net seconds before the half-time whistle.
The match became more lopsided with MS ABDB taking full advantage of their extra man on the field.
They eventually equalised through Mohd Mazazizi Mazlan, who was on the receiving end of a deflection off LLRC FT’s goalkeeper before pelting his attempt past him in the 60th minute.
Mazazizi helped his team take their first lead of the match after sending in a low cross into the box to Mohd Khairuddin Abd Kadir, who finished it off with a slight tap in the 65th minute.
MS ABDB’s Mohd Fadhli Hj Awg Salleh went on to assist an unmarked Mazazizi with his second goal of the night by sending in another low cross past the keeper before it was tapped in during the 70th minute.
The barrage of goals didn’t stop there as Mohd Safari Wahit tried his luck from 30m out with a screamer to further their lead to 5-2 in the 85th minute.
Khairuddin finished off the game with one last goal after finding an opening in the 89th minute.


The Brunei Times

YouTube : Great Eastern Yeo's S League: Brunei DPMM FC vs Home United FC

Shahrazen set to start

SHAHRAZEN Said (pic) will be handed his first start of the season when DPMM FC host Home United FC in the Singapore League (S-League) tonight.
The match at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas will also be the first time the free scoring duo of Rodrigo Tosi (12 goals) and Roy O’Donovan (11 goals) will not start alongside each other as the latter is suspended having picked up his fourth yellow card of the season in their 1-0 loss against Warriors FC at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium in Singapore on May 22.
Shahrazen, who was DPMM FC’s top scorer in the 2012 S-League season with 13 goals, has been given the chance to fill the void.
Though there is plenty of work to be done, the 28-year-old is ready to shoulder the load.
“I’m feeling a bit of pressure as there is a big gap for me to fill,” said the DPMM FC forward in an interview with The Brunei Times after yesterday’s training session at the Jerudong Mini Stadium.
“I’ll need to play at the level of Roy because he has been doing his job brilliantly.
“I’m confident though, especially having got on the scoresheet in the last game (against Global FC in the Singapore Cup on May 31).
“I’ll take any chance that I’m given.
“I hope that we will be able to play like how we did against Global in the second half (when DPMM FC scored all seven goals) and gain all three points tomorrow,” continued the 28-year-old.
The only S-League goal that Shahrazen has netted this season was in a 4-0 victory over Tanjong Pagar United at home on May 9 when he came on as a late substitute.
DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean feels that Shahrazen is in good shape and is ready for the challenge.
“It is always difficult when you lose a striker and we have been working with Shahrazen this week,” said Kean.
“We are encouraging him to play on the shoulder of the last defender and do what he is good at… by using his power and strength.
“He has got a good bit of confidence after coming on the other night and scoring a good goal,” added the Scotsman.
DPMM FC beat Home United 3-0 in their last meeting at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore back in March.
Kean feels that it will be a different ball game tonight though, and expects a tough outing against the fourth-placed side.
“We are expecting it to be another tough match. Home United are a good side and are in good form,” said Kean.
“We have to make sure that we start off the game like how we were in second half against Global. We need to approach it with the same intensity where we had over 500 passes and 20 shots in the match,” he added.
“We dominated and overpowered them (Global). That is what we intend to do against Home,” continued the former Blackburn Rovers manager.
Croatian Roberto Alviz will be fit for the game having recovered from a hamstring injury and Azwan Ali Rahman is well rested after missing the Cup tie against Global.
Speaking to The Brunei Times, Home United head coach Paul Lee is expecting nothing less than three points but knows the level of difficulty for the encounter.
“DPMM FC are a strong side and have very good foreign players. They may be missing Roy, but we will also be missing (Sirina) Camara due to suspension as well,” said Lee.
“It will be a tough game but we cannot afford anything less than three points.
“There is no choice for us but to win in order to close the gap to the leaders.
“DPMM FC’s strength is in their attacking and we’ve been working on our defenders to cope with them.
“Hopefully we will be able to do well and provide high quality football,” he concluded.
Kick off is at 8.15pm.
Meanwhile, the gap at the top of the S-League has been closed to one point after Warriors FC defeated basement dwellers Harimau Muda (Malaysian Under-21 football team) 4-2 at the Pasir Gudang Stadium in Johor last night.
DPMM FC are on 31 points while Warriors are now on 30 having played one game more.
The other match last night saw Hougang United FC edge Albirex Niigata (S) FC 1-0 at the Jurong East Stadium in Singapore.

The Brunei Times

Indera SC seal comeback

Syarif Rasani

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, June 5, 2014

LEAGUE leaders Indera Sports Club boosted their undefeated streak to 12 games in a row after taking out Wijaya FC 4-2 during their DST Super League clash last night.
Wijaya looked like they were going to take the game home after a well-played first half that saw them lead 2-0.
However, Indera were the stronger and more offensive side during the second half at the Balapan Track and Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas, scoring four unanswered goals to take the tie.
Indera lead the table with 34 points in 12 matches with four games remaining, ahead of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council who sit in second with 31 points through 14 games.
Indera SC manager Rosdin Hj Abd Aziz said that the players came back strong after an uplifting team talk during half-time.
“The important thing is that we must believe, that is the key,” Rosdin told The Brunei Times after the game.
“We must believe that we could do it in the second half because the game was 50-50, so the chances were there.
“For the first 15 minutes we told our players to attack, and if we could at least score one goal, anything can happen. The second most important thing was the three points, so now we are still unbeaten,” noted Rosdin.
Indera’s consistent attacks paid off when Md Nur Ikwan Othman sent in a bullet from outside the box, which found its way through a tight gap in the 54th minute.
They then equalised in the 63rd minute with a header from Reduan Hj Petara, with credit going to Md Khairul Anwar Abd Rahim’s cross.
The momentum didn’t stop there as Indera’s captain, Sahrin Momin, sent in a free-kick from the corner flag which Md Nur Ikwan headed in to the back of the net in the 69th minute to go up 3-2.
Indera managed to add one last goal through Md Zulkhairy Razali, who made a precise run to reach Md Khairul’s through ball before sliding it in to finish at 4-2 in the 84th minute.
Khalil Saab scored both of Wijaya’s goals, the first in the fifth minute and the second in the 20th minute.
Khalil’s opener came from some classy play as he played a one-two with Ak Anaqi Sufi Pg Hj Omar Baqi, who then laid off a perfectly timed pass that saw Khalil surge ahead of Indera’s defence before tapping in the ball.
His second goal was thanks to Jamrin Johari’s free kick which he directed into the back of the net with a flick of his foot.

With just four games left to play, Indera manager Rosdin said they want to try and maintain their defensive record and keep their undefeated streak rolling.
“The players were really tired because we only had two days rest since our previous match (Indera thrashed Jerudong FC 6-0 on Sunday),” said Rosdin.
“They gave 100 per cent, and our belief tonight was that we could do it again after what we did against Kilanas FC last time,” added Rosdin. Indera SC were down 3-0 in their game against Kilanas on May 4 but managed to fight back to secure a 4-3 triumph.



The Brunei Times

RHB Singapore Cup: Global FC vs Brunei DPMM FC