Photo by Disaster Week for Lion City Sailors
This past week has been an unmitigated disaster for Lion City Sailors in the Singapore Premier League (SPL). They suffered a crushing 0-4 defeat at the hands of defending champions Albirex Niigata, which was made even more painful by a contentious VAR decision that saw their midfielder M. Anumanthan sent off in the 16th minute. To add insult to injury, their key striker Kodai Tanaka suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury during the match.
Defending champions Albirex Niigata in action
The Sailors were reduced to 10 men early on, and their situation only got worse from there. Defender Lionel Tan deflected a cross into his own goal in the 30th minute, and Albirex fullback Ryo Takahashi finished off a sweeping move with a powerful shot seven minutes later to put the Sailors 0-2 behind at the break.
The second half was just as brutal, with Albirex rubbing salt into the wounds of a demoralised Sailors with two late goals via Riku Fukashiro and Seia Kunori.
Tampines Rovers Take Top Spot
Meanwhile, Tampines Rovers swept to the top of the SPL table with a comfortable 3-0 win over the Young Lions. Veteran Singapore national forward Faris Ramli continued his hot start, scoring for the third consecutive match. His 34th-minute strike was sandwiched between Taufik Suparno’s 31st-minute opener and Ong Yu En’s 82nd-minute tap-in.
Tampines Rovers in action at the Jalan Besar Stadium
The Rovers replaced Geylang International at the top of the league, after the Eagles suffered a 0-2 defeat by Tanjong Pagar United at Jurong East Stadium on Friday.
Entertaining Match of the Week
The most entertaining match of Game Week 3 came at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Friday, when Balestier Khalsa snatched a dramatic late winner to beat Brunei’s DPMM FC 4-3 for their second win of the season.
Balestier Khalsa fans celebrate their team’s late winner
It’s been a wild week in the SPL, with plenty of drama and excitement on display. As we head into Game Week 4, fans can’t wait to see what’s in store.
