Even better result

Singaporean S-League club, Tampines Rovers drew with the UAE team who are now competing for the Asian Cup. The game ended 1-1 at Tampines Stadium last Monday.

By Paul Green
info@sleague.com

The friendly game was a chance for the UAE’s coach Bruno Metsu to take a look at some of the players who had not featured much in the other games his side had played on their tour of Singapore.

The outing would also have proved invaluable for the S.League side which faces challenges in its AFC Cup campaign with opponents from Jordan.

Tampines were still without their ace striker, Noh Alam Shah, who is recovering from a knee injury and Sutee Suksomkit who is away with the Thailand team preparing for the AFC Asian Cup.

Mustafic Fahrudin missed the match after sustaining an injury in last Saturday’s international friendly against Australia and Tan Kim Leng also sat this one out.

“It’s not too bad,” he reported as he watched the game from the stands. “I had a scan today and while there is a small tear I should be back in a couple of weeks.”

“Alam Shah could be back in time for the AFC game,” revealed some of the other players when sleague.com spoke to them before the game.

The first half of the game was relatively uneventful but sprang to life after the break.

The Emirates’ lively midfielder Hassan Ali had a couple of good chances but nothing came of them.

He was brought down on the edge of the box by Santi Chaiyaphuak in the 39th minute but the free kick from the visitors’ dead ball specialist Nawaf Mubark cleared the bar narrowly.

A minute later, a crisp cross from Hassan Ali set up a chance for Faisal Khalil but he could not get in his header due to the pace of the ball and the chance went begging at a time when the UAE had Tampines on the ropes.

The UAE continued to attack with purpose after the break and went close in the 49th minute.

Nawaf Mubark was through, wide on the left but the angle was tight and Tampines keeper Rezal Hassan was able to stick out a leg and block the shot on the line.

Tampines had enjoyed some rare moments of possession, too, their venture up-field in the 57th minute yielding them a penalty when Peres De Oliveira was brought down in the box by big UAE defender Ali Msarri.

Penalty ace Sead Muratovic showed that his long lay off had not dimmed his skill by planting the perfect spot kick past the keeper.

UAE rallied after that and finished the game off very strongly

They won a free kick 30 yards out on the left and that same dead ball specialist Nawaf Mubark equalised with a brilliantly-delivered low shot that found its way into the bottom left corner of the net.

Ridhuan Muhamad, who came on at the break for Nazri Nazir, caused the Asian Cup-bound visitors some concern with his speed on both flanks but his team mates had by that stage had enough so his crosses could not find their men.

It ended with an 85th minute glancing header from Saeed Al Kas that narrowly missed the target.