Singapore Losing Football Leader & Talent to Thailand
The news of our former Football Association of Singapore (FAS)’s deputy director of development & planning, Benjamin Tan moving up north to lead the Thai Premier League as the deputy CEO & director of club licensing, spread like wild fire after Today published the article on Sunday.
Having spent 8 years with FAS (before returning to FAS again from AFC last year), 7 years with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and heavily involved in the South Africa World Cup 2010 as one of the key AFC representatives, undoubtedly this is an opportunity which a passionate football lover like Benjamin would not resist. This dream move does sound like a progression from his current role in FAS but we think it’s way more than that - this appointment is an ultimate recognition of a man’s effort and talent.
The next question we have in mind is are we losing our talents due to the inability to recognize them? Or simply we just do not cherish the talents at home?
Much could be debatable but let’s put everything into perspective. If Thai Premier League, widely regarded as the best football league in Southeast Asia, would appoint Benjamin and tasked him to help lead Thailand National Team in their quest to qualify for the World Cup, it’s certainly not a secret that Benjamin is not there to sell jersey.
We wish Benjamin all the best of luck.
Today’s article on Benjamin moving to Thai Premier League, Click Here.
A young footballer emerged in Myanmar and has created a new wave of football evolution in the name of Kyaw Ko Ko. The Yangon United & Myanmar International striker has the pace and mentality to break the old style of football in the Country and he’s ready to take on the World. So how does he cope with the pressure, what he thinks of the current situation of Myanmar football and who he looks up to for inspiration? The star striker speaks to Junpiter Futbol in Yangon.
JPF: At the current age of just 23 years old, you have been rate as the most promising player in Myanmar. How do you cope with that status?
KKK: I am coping well, I do not feel any stress at all. However, I would like to use this recognition as a form of motivation to do well for Myanmar, especially in the upcoming AFF Suzuki Cup campaign.
JPF: You have been scoring consistently since you broke into the scene as early as a 18years old playing for Zeyar Shwe Myay before moving to Yangon United in the Myanmar National League, however we understand that Striker is not your natural position?
KKK: Haha yes, although I play as a Striker in my professional football career, I have always been a Centreback at amateur level!
JPF: You have won the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) Player of the Year Award at the age of just 19 years old. How has that Award help you in your football career?
KKK: Receiving that Award is a great recognition for my hardwork. Of course, more people started to recognize me after that. But then again, that Award also spur me to want to work even harder to achieve more both individually and as well as with my club and country.
JPF: Yangon United has a Collaboration Plan signed with J.League’s Yokohama F.Marinos, do you see yourself playing in Japan in the near future?
KKK: I definitely hope that I can have the opportunity to play overseas, not necessary has to be J.League. Having said that, I am going to work extra hard, giving not just 100%, not 200% but 300% in every training and game.
JPF: You have scored against Singapore in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2014 at Singapore National Stadium and undoubtedly a constant threat against Singapore again in the International Friendly last month (March 2016), able to share with us your experience playing against Singapore?
KKK: Singapore is a team with great teamwork and there are a couple of really outstanding players like that No-14 (Harris Harun). Then again, personally I think that the level of play between Myanmar and Singapore is not that far apart.
JPF: Myanmar football is certainly on the right track and especially with Myanmar U20 went on to play in the FIFA World Youth Championships in New Zealand last year, that further proven the nation’s progress in the sports. In your own opinion, what are the challenges which are preventing Myanmar football from continue to move forward?
KKK: The lack of football infrastructure in Myanmar is the huge challenge. Currently, Yangon United is the only club in the country which has a training facility. No other club has come close to what we are enjoying at the moment. Without training venue, gymnasium and adequate equipment, youth football development will not be able to function and run properly, let alone forming an elite team to compete at the highest level. Thai Premier League’s Chonburi is a good example of a club with great training facility and an established youth football academy. If Myanmar football can move towards the similar direction as what the Thais are enjoying, give us 5 years, a good 5 years will see Myanmar National League be on par with some of the best ASEAN leagues.
JPF: Able to share with us how do you prepare yourself prior to every match?
KKK: Actually I do not have any specific preparation prior to each match, but because nowadays I have my own personal trainer, I concentrate a lot on my fitness, For diet, I have my “special” noodles before match day!
JPF: What’s your dream?
KKK: I hope to be the best footballer in the history of Myanmar football.
JPF: Prior to our arrival in Myanmar, we were told that you are the Cristiano Ronaldo of Myanmar?
KKK: Haha.. No, very different, Cristiano Ronaldo is way too good. I do not have an answer for your question but with respect to Cristiano Ronaldo, my favourite player is actually Ronaldinho!
JPF: Able to share some tips with our readers on how to be a good football like you?
KKK: Once I have read an article on Cristiano Ronaldo from a football magazine, he said that if you want to be a striker, you have to work hard. If you want to be a good striker, you have to work extra hard. And if you want to be the best striker, you have to work extra, extra hard.
Thank you Yangon United FC for hosting us. Thank you SingaCup for making this trip possible. Thank you Puma Singapore for the apparels. Thank you Steve Lim (Epilogue) for the Images.
Persib’s Head Coach Dejan Speaks His Football Stories
Although Indonesian football is kept in the cold by the FIFA ban, there is a football coach who refused to leave the country. Head Coach of Persib Bandung, Dejan Antonic, also the former Head Coach of Hong Kong’s Kitchee SC and FIFA World Youth Championship winner shares his stories with Junpiter Futbol in Indonesia...
JPF: Knowing Indonesian football is currently in the wildness, what makes you continue to stay in the country?
DA: This country holds a special place in my heart as I have played here in the League from 1995 to 1998 and now I am here coaching for the past few years. I know everyone wants to leave the country due to the instability of the League but I feel like I will be betraying the football here if I am going to leave as well. Honestly, I have overseas offers but I have decided to stay back, hopefully I can do my part in lifting Indonesian football up again.
JPF: You have been in Indonesia for so many years and have also enjoyed successes in the country. Able to share with us how’s the football scene in Indonesia in terms of its infrastructure & players developments?
DA: Most of the stadiums in Indonesia are fantastic. The biggest problem here is the lack of facility for training or football camp. In this country, there are lots of lands but somehow there is no proper training facility in place to house the young players. Having said that, Persib noticed the importance of what has been missed out and already had a big plan - building of a Sports Centre with 2 artificial pitches, a gymnasium and a restaurant starting later part of this year. This is really a good example for all the clubs in Indonesia. And with more of these Sport Centre coming up, I am very sure that the football in Indonesia will be growing very fast.
JPF: How has the FIFA ban affecting the football in the country?
DA: It’s very bad. It’s not just affecting the coaches and players, the ban is affecting all the people involving in the football scene like the fans, the people who are selling the shirts, the food and many more. We really need to fix this problem as soon as possible just to restart everybody’s livelihood in Indonesia.
JPF: Beside coaching in Indonesia, you have also coached (Kitchee) in the Hong Kong Premier League, at one point of your career; you also took charged of Hong Kong National Team. Please share with us your coaching philosophy.
DA: Personally, I have learnt a lot as a coach in both countries as both countries offer me a totally different experience. Indonesian football is more aggressive and fast and the people here are crazy over football. You can easily see 25,000 - 70,000 crowd at the stadiums. In Hong Kong, we do not have that kind of crowd, probably only a few thousands at most. But technically, Hong Kong players are much stronger than the Indonesians. Training wise, I always demand nothing short of 100% from my players as I believe how they perform at training will be a direct reflection of how they are to perform during match day. My biggest achievement as a coach are the trust, friendship and respect which I have forged and earned from the players. You can’t buy that and I thank God that I have earned that maximum respect as a coach.
JPF: You have spent many years with Kitchee as an outfield player, gradually as the Head Coach, tell us more about your Kitchee days.
DA: I have been playing for Kitchee and also captained the team from 1999 to 2002. The following year, I moved on to Indonesian league and eventually retired in 2003. After which, I contacted my good friend, President of Kitchee, Mr. Ken Ng and we reunited in Hong Kong. Together with him, we revamped the club, had the name of the club changed, started building the small team from the scratch & engaged coaches from Spain. Effort paid off, we won 2 trophies in our first season! Nobody believed we could do that but we did not just stop there, we won trophies again in the next season! Those years of building up the team from 2005 were tough and i’m glad that I am part of it. We worked really hard and I am grateful for the confidence and support which Mr. Ken had given me. (JPF: Your best moment?) If you are referring to my playing days, of course it will be winning lots of trophies. But if you are asking me as a coach well it has to be the satisfaction of seeing your own players, for example Ka Wai (Lam), Kwan Yee (Lo) and Gao Wen just to name a few, moving up the rank and representing the country on the international stage. Now they have all become big stars.
JPF: Tell us more about your FIFA World Youth Championship in Chile, 1987.
DA: Although Serbia won the Championship last year too, the team which I was in back in 1987 was really the Golden Generation. Then, we had players like Igor Stimac, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki, Predrag Mijatovic and Davor Suker. I was one of the younger players in the squad. Nobody believed that we would even get past our group games but you know what, we were extremely ambitious and we wanted to prove everyone wrong. Our team trained tirelessly for 4 years before we went for the tournament. Eventually, we beat Germany in the Final to lift the Cup.
JPF: You used to play for one of the top Eastern Europe clubs, Red Star Belgrade for a long time but why the move to Asia?
DA: Yes, I was with Red Star for a long time and we even won the UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup in 1991. After spending near 7 years with Red Star, I went on to play in Belgian League with Beveren. 2 years into my 4 years contract with the Belgian team, the war started and we had difficulties in getting our working permit. Hence, many of our players started moving out of Europe to Japan, Republic of Korea and even Malaysia. (JPF: So why Indonesia for you?) The agent of one of my good friends, former AC Milan’s Dejan Savicevic told me about Indonesia. He said there was a fantastic league in Southeast Asia which not many people knew about and he recommended me to go and give it a try. The moment I arrived in Surabaya, I fell in love with the country and its football. Then of course, gradually I met my wife, an Indonesian and I settled down.
JPF: In this modern days of football, which type of characteristic in a player do you look out for?
DA: I like hardworking players. Even when I was young, my dad who was also a former National Team player, used to tell me that hard work is the only way to success. So I like players who work hard, and having said that it’s not just working hard for himself but for the team. If I have 11 star players who just want to play for themselves, it’s pointless.
JPF: We are from Singapore, how much do you know about Singapore football or S.League?
DA: I know a lot about Singapore! Haha! I have many good friends playing in Singapore and you know at one point, I almost sign for Home United in 1999! I was there in Singapore but both the club and myself couldn’t reach an agreement so I moved on to Hong Kong instead. I also know one of my good friends, Radojko (Raddy) Avramovic did well for the Singapore National Team too. Personally, I like Singapore a lot, it’s just like an European town, but you never know, maybe I will have an opportunity to work in Singapore in the near future.
JPF: Message for Coaches & young players?
DA: For coaches, work towards a direction where there is trust between you and the player. Let them believe in you to lead them to where they want their football career to be. Time is important for the young players. Do not push them, do not rush them, give them time to adapt and grow. For Singapore football in particular, Singapore does produced good player along the way all these while so keep it up. For young players, you have to be disciplined. You have to follow and learn from the senior players. Most importantly, you must work hard.
Former Home United’s legend, Peres de Oliveira (photo: extreme left) expressed his interests in returning to Singapore but this time round, he is looking at contributing to the local football scene as a coach.
The 2013 S.League Player of the Year Award winner is currently based in Vitoria, Brazil where he is still actively involved in the football scene as a football agent. Apart from managing footballers under his care, the fit-looking 41yrs old Brazilian, who keeps himself in shape by participating in football tournaments regularly, also does youth football coaching at some public schools.
“I have been in Singapore for a long time and during my stay in Singapore, I have learnt a lot. I understand how the football culture and S.League work. Regardless I am back with a football academy or with any S.League club, I believe my experience and knowledge will be useful in nurturing the next generation,” said Peres.
“In fact all these years, I have always been following the progress of Singapore’s football even though I am back in Brazil. I know that S.League has not been doing well in recent years. I hope I can be back and contribute something to Singapore’s football,” Peres added.
Profile:
Peres de Oliveira. 41yrs old Brazilian. Midfielder/Striker. Home United (2001-05 & 2008-10). Tampines Rovers (2006-07). S.League Player of the Year 2003. S.League Top Scorer Award 2003.
Dejan’s Views on AFC Cup Match - Balestier X Kitchee
After Tampines Rovers have convinced Singapore football fans that they are in for a real business in this year’s AFC Cup campaign with a 4-0 win against Bangladeshi Premier League champion, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi, another S.League club, Balestier Khalsa is going to give the similar tournament their second shot this coming week.
A quick visit to Bandung where we chatted with former Kitchee & current Persib Bandung’s head coach, Dejan Antonic, the former FIFA World Youth Championship winner is expecting nothing short of an exciting match.
“I am still following the progress of the team (Kitchee) very closely here in Indonesia. Apart from the change of coach, the team changed a little of their playing strategy this season as well. Although they are a couple of points behind Eastern Sports Club in the Hong Kong Premier League, the team still has what it takes to produce a good show in Singapore,” said Dejan.
“For my good friend Marko, I believe he and his team will be more ready and prepared as compared to last year since both teams have played against each other previously. They will be able to analyse their opponent much better now. Then again, sometimes football is like when you wake up on the right side of the bed, everything will be right. Having said that, I am still certain that will be a good and exciting game comes Tuesday,” added Dejan.
Before the Persib Bandung’s head coach left the training field, he has got a final message for his good friend, Balestier Khalsa’s head coach, Marko Kraljevic...
Helping his Club to win its first League title in 47 years, the once record holder of being the youngest ever, at the age of just 15yrs old, to play at the highest level of football in Hong Kong, the former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year & Hong Kong International opens his heart and shares his football with Junpiter Futbol...
JPF: Beside being the Captain of the team, undoubtedly you are also the “Icon” of Kitchee SC all these years. How do you feel about that?
LKY: I have been with the Club since 2007 and have seen the progress of the club and also learnt a lot over the years. Honestly I am very happy to be known as the icon of Kitchee. I know all these do not come easily, I am grateful and thankful for the support.
JPF: Like you have mentioned, you have been with the Club for so many years, where do you see the Club in the next 3 years?
LKY: We set targets & goals every year so as to continue to improve. If you ask me, perhaps AFC Cup is the ultimate target as I feel that our team has the quality & capability to do well in Asian level.
JPF: In year 2011, both Lam Ka Wai and you were stripped of captaincy by the Club as a form of punishment for participating in an amateur futsal tournament which resulted Ka Wai suffered from a mini fracture, hence sitting out an International match for Hong Kong. Able to share with us more on that?
LKY: Both of us have always enjoyed small-sided game since young. So that time, a friend of us approached us to join them for the futsal tournament, both of us agreed. Unfortunately, Ka Wai injured himself because of that. Eventually, Club got to know about that and we were punished. Thereafter, both of us worked very hard and finally we got back our Captaincy roles again.
JPF: Hong Kong did extremely well against China in the recent World Cup Qualifying matches. Able to share with us what was the strategy deployed by Hong Kong?
LKY: Actually we did not deploy any special strategy, it’s really just pure teamwork. It was obvious China was a much stronger team than us but that did not prevent us from wanted to get a good result from China’s games. From the bench to the First Eleven, every player showed great spirit and the team’s morale was high. We just wanted to go all out to win the games for the supporters!
JPF: You have played against S.League teams as well as Singapore National Team on numerous occassions, in your opinion what do you think of Singapore football?
LKY: The level of Singapore football standard is almost identical to Hong Kong football to be honest. Singapore players are also quite experienced and skilful. (JPF: Which Singapore player gives you the strongest impression?) Yes, that forty-over years old forward (Aleksandar Duric)! The way he moves with the ball, his attitude and etc, he is just very special. Basically, he just stand out from the rest of the players.
JPF: How about Balestier Khalsa FC? You have played against them a couple of times in AFC Cup and you are meeting them again this year.
LKY: Surprisingly, I realized that they (Balestier) play a very fast game of football as compared to Kitchee. In terms of playing level, both of our teams are not that far apart. Just a matter of which team can play to its full potential on the match day. (JPF: Any message for Balestier Khalsa since Kitchee is playing them again this year in the AFC Cup?) Be wary of Kitchee!! Haha!
JPF: You have represented Hong Kong and Kitchee for so many years, which are your most memorable games?
LKY: Having represented the country since 2007, the most memorable games have to be the most recent China games in the World Cup Qualifying rounds. Although the opponent was tough, the support we received from all the Clubs, the fans and everyone in Hong Kong were amazing. I really enjoyed the support and the games in which eventually we achieved good results. Well for Kitchee, it has to be our first league title in 47 years in year 2010-2011. It’s an unforgettable moment for not just me but everyone in the team.
JPF: In your opinion what is the thing which is holding Hong Kong football back, thus preventing Hong Kong from becoming one of the powerhouses in Asia?
LKY: Football facility - Match venue (Stadium). A good match venue can enhance the players’ play and ultimately raising the standard of play. We have a good training ground (artificial pitch) here at Jockey Club Kitchee Training Centre but as far as match venue is concerned, I think we might still need more bigger natural grass pitch for games considering Hong Kong has only got 1-2 such Stadiums for major games.
JPF: As a defender, you do not really have a huge physique but you are playing extremely well in your position for both the Club and Country. Able to share with us how you compensate the lack of physique in this modern days of football?
LKY: I do not engage in any specific training but I try to improve the reading of my game. I observe the surrounding, the movement of my opponent, for example before they could reach a certain position to receive his ball, I will be there to cut off his supply first. (JPF: Diet?) I do not follow any strict dietary routine and especially with my child now, you have to eat almost everything! Haha!
JPF: You used to hold the record of being the youngest ever player at the age of just 15yrs old to play in the First Division in Hong Kong, able to share with us how you coped with the pressure then?
LKY: At that age, I remember I constantly had to fight for playing time as there were too many seniors and good players in the team. Scoldings from the seniors were common but then I told myself, I would have to get past that phase if I were to improve and develop as a footballer. So I underwent lots of additional training. I’m glad that I did well then.
JPF: You have achieved a lot in your career, is there any other thing which is still left undone for you at this level?
LKY: AFC Cup. I always feel that our team has the capability to lift this Cup. Although we have new players joining every year, it will take times to get everyone to gel together, I am still confident that our team can achieve more than what we have now. And especially now that we have accumulated experiences from the past editions, our future is extremely bright and positive.
JPF: Tell us more about your good friend and teammate, Lam Ka Wai?
LKY: Ka Wai is actually quite an unique and rare footballer in Hong Kong. To me, he is a completed player with a very good left leg. His ability to pass under tight situation is also something you seldom get to see in Hong Kong. And I think he’s the best midfielder in the country in that aspect.
JPF: Any advice for the young footballers who aspire to be a professional footballer like you?
LKY: Most importantly, do not give up easily. If you have identified football as your dream, train hard. There is no room for one who gives up easily so if you want to be a good footballer, you have to work hard! Remember, there is no shortcut to success!
An annual Asia-wide club tournament second to the Asian Champions League, the AFC Cup kicks off in early February where a play-off round containing eight teams decides the final four group spots. Preceding the draw held in Kuala Lumpur teams were allocated a position in their respective groups for the tournament with either a first, second or sometimes third place finish in their national league. Malaysia side Johor Darul Takzim surprised in taking last year’s Champion position after defeating Tajikistani Champion Istiklol in the final. This year’s final is scheduled to take place on November 5th. From Southeast Asia, Selangor and Johor Darul Takzim from Malaysia are teams to watch who are looking good leading up to the tournament.
AFF Championship (Suzuki Cup)
Joint-hosted between Myanmar and the Philippines, Southeast Asia’s biggest football tournament returns this year where eight of the biggest footballing nations form the region battle it out for the title. This year, current champion Thailand will be eager to get the AFF record of most Championship titles with five, beating Singapore’s four titles. Last tournament, in a disappointing performance on home soil, the island nation crashed out in the group stages with a loss to rival Malaysia. This year, Singapore will need to dramatically improve from recent results if they are to defend their tournament record. As of now, Indonesia is not scheduled to compete in the tournament due to the Indonesia FA’s suspension from FIFA.
Asian Champions League
Last year’s edition of Asia’s biggest club tournament finished with Chinese Champion Guangzhou Evergrande named the victors. The recent Japanese Emperor’s Cup final, where Gamba Osaka defeated Urawa Reds, has put Japanese giants in a group with Guangzhou. This came within a month after most teams competiting in the tourament were allocated their spots in a groups through a draw held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The remaining vacant group spots will be filled following the qualifying round in February. From Southeast Asia, Buriram United from Thailand and Becamex Binh Duong are teams to watch who are looking good leading up to the tournament.
AFC U-23 Championship
Taking place in Qatar currently, with the final in Doha, Asia’s biggest youth football competition is currently in full swing with Quarter-final matches just completed. The home nation is off to a flying start as they have already booked a spot in the semi-final against South Korea. In another semi-final clash, Japan will play Iraq.
FIFA Club World Cup
Once again held in Japan, in December the leading clubs form each confederation and one from the hosting nation will compete for the Club World Championship. The most recent installment took place last month, where Asian Club Champions Guangzhou Evergrande was held scoreless in their semi-final loss. And Japanese side Sanfreece Hiroshima lost their Semi-final clash to Argentinian giants River Plate. This year, the J-League and Asian Champion for 2016 will compete - James Gow
Indonesia football in 2015 entered the dark age of the Indonesian football history. The whole episode started when a government intervention on Indonesian Football Association, PSSI occurred , and subsequently all major and official competitions under PSSI came to a stop. Indonesia football has since died for several months.
This mess up started in April 2015 when BOPI (Badan Olahraga Profesional Indonesia) or Professional Sport Committee of Indonesia prohibited Arema Cronus and Persebaya Surabaya to participate in the Indonesia Super League after BOPI had given them more time to finish their legality but both the clubs failed to do so. Although BOPI’s decision to stop the competition is firmed, PSSI ignored and continued to allow both Arema Cronus and Persebaya Surabaya to participate in the competition. PSSI had even decided to kick start the league on 4 April 2015.
Indonesia Youth and Sport Minister, Imam Nahrowi sent warning letter to PSSI twice, first on 8 April 2015 and second on 15 April 2015. Then on 16 April 2015, the Minister banned Arema and Persebaya to participate in every official Indonesia football activity. To ensure his instruction to the Indonesian football fraternity is fully understood, on 17 April 2015, the Minister banned PSSI from organizing all football activities or activities under PSSI’s umbrella. All clubs and fans were affected by the impact of their domestic football ban. Players became jobless overnight.
Eventually, FIFA finally came into the picture and levied a punishment by banning PSSI over the conflict. According to the FIFA letter signed by FIFA General Secretary Mr. Jerome Valcke, all Indonesia clubs are prohibited to participate in International match under FIFA, AFC and AFF. But fortunately, Indonesia still can participate in the SEA Games in Singapore but sadly, that participation was also the last International tournament for Indonesia National Team.
FIFA is preparing to lift the ban provided PSSi can take back their authority and ensure there will not be any further intervention from Indonesia government. FIFA also arrived in Indonesia on 2 November 2015 with their three representatives, Kohzo Tashima, H.R.H Prince Abdullah & James Johnson with AFC representatives consisted of Mariano Araneta, Sanjeevan and John Windsor. Should the situation not improving, FIFA will take it up to the Annual Congress which is to be held in February 2016. And that means the football ban could last longer than expected. On the other side, FIFA has also appointed an Ad-Hoc Committee to look into the current Indonesia football situation. This Committee, led by Agum Gumelar and Vice Leader IGK Manila, consists of representative from PSSI Indonesia government, APPI (Indonesia Professional Footballer Association), KONI (Indonesia National Sport Committee), KOI (Indonesia Olympic Committee), Indonesia Super League and Women football.
Unfortunately up to this point of time, Indonesia government and Indonesia Olympic Committee have not elected their representatives yet. Regardless, a much smaller team was still formed by Indonesia President’s recommendation, Joko Widodo.
During the period of the football ban in Indonesia, there were 2 unofficial tournaments held to entertain all Indonesian football lovers. First, Kemerdekaan Cup 2015 which was held from August to September 2015, was launched by Mr. President in Tangerang on 15 August 2015. The tournament consisted of 24 clubs with group stage system and eventually, PSMS Medan, a team from North Sumatra emerged as Champion after defeating Persiwa Ngawi from East Java 2-1 in the Final. PSMS Captain, Legimin Raharjo became the hero after he scored the winning goal in the dying minute of the game.
Next is the Sudirman Cup which kicked off with 15 teams from 10 November 2015. Currently, the tournament is still in the Semi-final stage where Mitra Kukar FC, Pusamania Borneo FC, Arema Cronus and Semen Padang are still battling out. The first leg on 9 January 2016 will see Arema Cronus play against Mitra Kukar and on 10 January 2016, Pusamania Borneo FC will play against the only team from Sumatra island, Semen Padang. The second leg will be held on 16 January 2016 and 17 January 2016 respectively. Lastly, the Final will be played on 24 January 2016.
Apart from the Sudirman Cup’s upcoming Semi-finals, Indonesia will also have a classic match, PSMS Medan as Kemerdekaan Champion to play against Persib Bandung as Indonesia Super League Champion from last season. This match will be played in 2-legs basis. First leg will be held in Medan on 3 January 2016 and second leg will be held on 8 January 2016 in Bandung. Some people label this match as “El Classico” and certainly that is going to be an extremely entertaining match for both supporters and Indonesian football lovers though that is only a friendly match.
Tournaments such as Kemerdekaan Cup & Sudirman Cup are always a good platforms for young players to show off their skills. Febri Haryadi from Persib Bandung is one of them. The winger came through the rank (Persib U21) and successfully established himself in the first team notwithstanding the fact that he has to compete with other more senior players such as M.Ridwan and Zulham Zamrun playing in the same position as him.
After having led Indonesia U19 to the AFF Championship 2013 title, 20yrs old Evan Dimas Darmono also raised to the occasion where he is now a regular at Surabaya United as a playmaker.
Beside these players who are making waves back at home, Indonesia does have players who are plying their trades abroad too. Rumoured to be the highest paid Indonesian footballer, Andik Virmansyah plays for Selangor FC in the Malaysian Super League. Probably the most well known Indonesian footballer in this era, Irfan Bachdim plays for Consadole Sapporo in Japan League Division 2.
As we wait for things to turn better in Indoneisa, we hope that the banning of football in the country can be lifted as soon as possible. Once again, we wish for no racism, no violent and more respect for one another because Indonesia has this very famous slogan, Unity in Diversity - Andi L Pananrang
Well, it’s FC Barcelona trending on twitter after winning FIFA Club World Cup 2015 but few hours later, something else accompanied them to make it a perfect day for football fans. What is it? It’s Indian Super League Finale on the same day just after few hours of FIFA Club World Cup Final.
Two finals on the same day is a treat to watch for hardcore football fans. After a thrilling and energetic 90 minutes of action, Chennaiyin FC won the season-2 of the Hero ISL (Indian Super League) on Sunday evening. Well, it’s obvious that this final was far more exciting unlike FIFA Club World Cup where only Barcelona were the clear favourite.
So how did the Indian Super League performed this season? Not at all ordinary, it was extraordinary season! They just outclassed every single match and concluded with an astonishing finale. Never we seen people filling up the stadiums to watch a football match like this throughout the season. It’s not surprising to say that it is the fourth most popular league in the world after Premier League, La-Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga. The people following Hero ISL were people who had no affinity for football before.
Now let’s see how did the Hero ISL teams and players performed this season. Starting from the first match where Atletico De Kolkata defeated Chennaiyin FC in the inaugural match. Koltaka side was more confident throughout the season and remained in the top four spots most of the season. Iain Hume was the player to watch as he kept his goal coming for Kolkata and was even at second position for Golden Ball race behind Steven Mendoza of Chennaiyin’s. Apart from Zico’s FC Goa and Atletico Kolkata, all other teams remained in fight for occupying position for semis till the end of campaign and Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin FC finally landed in top four after a roller coaster season.
Few teams like Mumbai, Kerala, Pune and North East kept their hopes alive and were fighting till the very last match though it was not enough to be among the top four in this highly competitive league. Few players did perform well such as Sunil Chhetri (Mumbai FC), Nicolas Velez (North East United), Chris Dgnall (Kerala Blasters) and Kalu Uche (Pune City).
The Hero ISL finale on Sunday evening was probably the best game of the season. At the start of the match, Chennaiyin pressed hard on Goa but after the first 15 minutes, Joffrey showed his classic moves and also won few free-kicks which helped Goa in boosting themselves. Though Dudu injured himself in the first half, Joffrey and Moura pair up exceptionally well to make few good moves near the penalty box.
After the goalless first half, second half was breathtaking. Mendoza was brought down in the box and Chennaiyin’s Bruna slotted home coolly to give his team the first lead.
In the 59th minute, Goa’s second half substitute Haokip equalized after receiving a low cross from Romeo from the right flank. The match came alive after the game was leveled. Minutes later, Chennaiyin was awarded with another penalty kick but Mendoza’s effort was well saved by Goa’s custodian Kattimani.
It didn’t take long for the next goal to come. In the 87th minute, Joffrey scored from a free-kick just right outside the penalty box to give Goa their first lead in the game! However, Goa’s celebration did not last long. Chennaiyin scored twice in the next two minutes to send the whole stadium into eruption! Goa’s Kattimani mishandled a long ball which was launched into his box and that resulted to a goal. The very next minute, Chennaiyin’s Mendoza bulldozed through the low-moraled Goa’s defence and scored the winner! Final score, Goa 2 Chennaiyin 3. Chennaiyin FC is the 2015 champion!
From the bottom of the league to Champion, what a story it has been for Chennaiyin. At one point, Goa fought extremely well and it certainly looked like they were going to win the game with minutes left to the final whistle. However, Golden Boot Award’s winner, Steven Mendoza ensured the script was written in Chennaiyin’s favor when he scored deep in the game.
Goa’s Joffrey was awarded Player of the Match after the game. Golden Glove goes to Chennaiyin’s custodian, Edima Edel Bete and the Emerging Player of the Tournament is presented to Jeje of Chennaiyin’s. Not forgetting the Fairplay Award, it goes to Mumbai City FC. Lastly, the most anticipated Player of the Hero ISL 2015 goes to Iain Hume of Kolkata.
This edition of Hero ISL was even more successful than the inaugural season and each season it just got better and better. Indian football is rising and the Blue Tigers are coming out of their den which is obviously a good sign of development for Indian football. With this second season concluded, Indian football fans are gettig more excited and definitely looking forward to season 2016. But for now, it’s Chennaiyin FC who got the ultimate Christmas gift - Raviraj Sinh Jethwa.
A double from Luis Suarez and an earlier goal from Lionel Messi earned FC Barcelona their third Club World Cup in Yokohama, Japan.
Messi and Neymar returned to the FC Barcelona lineup after missing the club’s 3-0 drubbing of Guangzhou Evergrande due to injuries. Thus, removing Sergi Roberto and Munir El from the squad. There was no notable pre-game news from River Plate as the Argentinian giants enjoyed an extra day of rest before the final kicked off.
As the underdogs for this clash, River began the fixture looking promising. Earning the first corner kick of the night through a deflection off Javier Mascherano, and not being pressured to sit back in their own half by Barcelona, unlike Evergrande in the semi-finals, were both testimony to this.
River midfielder Matias Kranevetter, showing no signs of holding back from targeting Lionel Messi, received a yellow card in the opening ten minutes. Early into the fixture, Messi was already making what wouldn’t be his last advance towards the River goal.
Mere minutes later, goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero sprung into action for River to defend a shot from Messi, who had received an assist within the penalty box from Andres Iniesta.
Midway through the first half, River began trying their luck at goal through long-range shots, testing Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo. Lucas Algario and Rodrigo Maro both had attempts at goal picked up by the Chilean shot-stopper.
Following a sequence of advances towards goal from Luis Enqrique’s men, Barcelona netted their first goal of the evening through striker Lionel Messi. As the result of a well-aimed header from Neymar, this goal was testimony to the importance of Neymar and Messi’s inclusion to the attacking force of the European champions.
Iranian referee Alireza Faghani distributed yet another yellow card in the 42nd minute. Ivan Rakitic’s tackle was just another result of the tense atmosphere that prevailed on field throughout the first half. However, the vast majority of the free kicks were against River. With a large and loud army of supporters in the stands as encouragement, River were playing a fierce and passionate game, even having conceded sixteen free kicks by the time Rakitic made his tackle.
The second half began with Luis Suarez doubling Barcelona’s lead. The Uruguayan striker beat Marcelo Barovero in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper through a powerful strike. He could’ve done it again in the 57th minute when he came face-to-face with Barovero once more, but this time Suarez was chased out of the penalty area by the goalkeeper after he left his shot too late.
In the 68th minute, Suarez made the score 3-0 and got his fifth goal in the two games with a brilliant header off a Neymar assist. Despite being well organized for the majority of the game, cracks had shown in the River backline during the game in times like these.
River, however, had not lost motivation to get one back even with the chances of a comeback had been almost eliminated. Argentinian forward Lucas Alario was privotal in setting Claudioa Bravo into motion during the late stages of the game, with two of his attempts on goal being enough to worry the Catalan club’s backline.
But by full time, the stronger side in FC Barcelona held onto their second 3-0 win of the tournament. Achieving a historic victory that sees Barcelona presented not only their third major trophy this year, but their third Club World Cup title, a new football record.
Taking the tournament’s bronze medal prior to the final kicking off, Japanese club Sanfreece Hiroshima made an enthralling comeback to defeat Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande 2-1. A double from Brazilian striker Douglas in the second half helped the home team overcome Paulinho’s earlier goal for the traveling Chinese powerhouse - James Gow.
Suarez Hat-trick Seals A Spot in Final For Barcelona
The second installment of this year’s Club World Cup semi-finals saw Luis Suarez’s goal-scoring prowess lead FC Barcelona to 3-0 win over Guangzhou Evergrande in Yokohama, Japan.
In a clash between between the champions of Europe and the champions of Asia, Barcelona controlled the game through maintaining the majority of possession and a mass amount of passing which allowed them to tire their Chinese opponents.
Headlining the news before kick-off, FC Barcelona vice-captain Lionel Messi was removed from the squad at last-minute due to abdominal pains. As the top-scorer for his club this year, Lionel Messi’s injury had rattled the Spanish side before the game had even begun. To replace him, Spanish football-prodigy Munir El-Haddadi stepped into the vacant striker role. FC Barcelona forward Neymar was listed on the sidelines as he recovers from a groin injury, which has seen him miss recent fixtures for the Spanish side. And occupying the Brazilian’s usual starting position was Sergio Roberto.
Barcelona began the fixture with the majority of possession, allowing Luis Enqirue’s men to make inroads upfront as they pressed Evergrande into their own half.
The first opportunity at goal came in the 9th minute when a shot from FC Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta flew over the crossbar and into the stands. By then, Barcelona had three-quarters of possession and was already showing positive signs of nearing first to get on the scoreboard.
Evergrande centre-back Feng Xiaoting was handed a yellow card in the 15th minute after a tackle on Luis Suarez near the penalty box. The Uruguayan striker had been making a run towards goal before Xiaoting collided with him.
Li Shuai made his first save in the 23rd minute, when the Evergrande goalkeeper dashed to collect the ball from an oncoming Munir El-Haddadi inside the penalty box.
In the 34th minute, Zou Zheng was forced to leave the field in a stretcher, due to an injury sustained to his leg while contesting for a header with Dani Alves. Li Xuepeng was then brought on as the Evergrande defender’s replaement.
Shortly after play resumed, Luis Enrique’s men were in front as Barcelona put the ball in the back of the net through Luis Suarez.
It came after Li Shuai met Ivan Rakitic’s shot at goal, however, the Evergrande goalkeeper was unable to get a grip on the ball that then reached Luis Suarez, who made no hesitation to strike the ball into the goal.
Evergrande quickly responded with an attempt to equalize through Brazilian striker Elkeson. Claudio Bravo’s first save of the game was then made, as the Evergrande forward’s header met the Barcelona goalkeeper.
The Chinese side managed to remain on the attack until half-time, forcing Barcelona’s backline to clear the ball on multiple occasions as the Champions of Asia tried desperately to level the scores before half-time. But by the commencement of the break, the two-time Club World Cup champions were still ahead.
Stunning the opposition only four minutes into the second-half, Luis Suarez scored his second of the night off an magnificent assist from Andres Iniesta. The goal played out with the Barcelona captain providing a beautiful ball over the Evergrande backline and into Suarez’s control, allowing the Uruguayan forward to slide the ball past Li Shuai.
Barcelona continued to maintain the majority of possession, and did so in similar form to the first-half where they would retrieve the ball from an Evergrande mishap, before playing it through their backline who wait patiently for an opportunity to bring the ball into the opposition half.
Evergrande’s night got even worse when Luis Suarez became the first player to ever score a hat-trick in a Club World Cup fixture. After Evergrande midfielder Huang Bowen brought down Munir El-Haddadi in the 64th minute, Suarez stepped up to the penalty spot and converted to give Barcelona their third goal of the night.
Andres Iniesta handed his armband over to Sergio Busquets in the 80th minute, due to the Barcelona captain being substituted off for 20-year old Sergi Samper, who then played one of his first games for the Champions of Europe.
Evergrande failed to make any real threat at goal in the final stages of the fixture, while Barcelona continued to boost their number of shots on goal through the likes of Sandro Ramirez and Munir El-Haddadi.
The full-time whistle blew and Barcelona is officially into what could be a record-breaking final on December 20th. Up against Argentinian club River Plate, a third Club World Cup title will certainly be the goal for the Spanish side. And for the five-time consecutive Chinese Super League title-holders and Asian champions, Guangzhou Evergrande, they meet Japanese side Sanfreece Hiroshima in the 3rd place play-off, which will takes place prior to the final on Sunday - James Gow
Sapporo Consadole’s star midfielder, Shinji Ono & his Suna Shinji Soccer School, joint venture with his team mate, Sunakawa Makoto, are in town to conduct soccer clinics under the invitation of Global Football Academy. The former Feyenoord, Western Sydney Wanderers, VfL Bochum & Asian Player of the Year Award winner took a little time off his hectic schedule to meet up with Junpiter Futbol the moment he arrived. So how does he feel about playing in France 98, how he feels about Nakata & how he feels about playing Real Madrid? “O-No”! You shouldn’t miss these...
JPF: You are always seen playing football with a smile on your face, tell us what does football mean to Shinji Ono?
SO: Football is my life. It is important for me to play with a smile so that I can enjoy my football and perform to my best. Honestly, I do feel stress too but I do not want to show it to the supporters who come all the way to look at me feeling stress. I do not want them to be stressed or worried about the team.
JPF: You started playing football since young and signed with Urawa Reds immediately after graduating from High School. Able to share with us how’s your schooling day like?
SO: I am never a student who loves going to school (haha). I never want to learn another thing other than playing football. Football has always been the only thing I wanted to do. As I have already been representing Japan National Youth since young, I am very sure that all I wanted to do after I graduated was to play football which eventually I did by signing with Urawa Reds. With that signing, I turned professional and have never looked back since.
JPF: Which player did you look up to when you were young?
SO: No doubt, it has to be Diego Maradona! (JPF: Japanese player?) Ruy Ramos! Everytime when he had the ball, you knew that something magical was going to happen!
(Photo: Soccernews.nl)
JPF: You have played in some of the major leagues in Europe as well as in Asia, which club/league is the most memorable one?
SO: All. All the memories of all the clubs or leagues which I have played in are equally memorable and precious to me. Each club and league has its own culture, challenges and interesting parts which are all different and unique. I can’t single out any one.
JPF: Compared to your playing time at Feyenoord as an Asian, was playing for Western Sydney Wanderers more pressuring for you as you are signed as a marquee player?
SO: Not exactly. I have to admit I was feeling nervous before I joined Wanderers but that was because both Emile Heskey and Alessandro Del Piero were also going to play in the A-League as marquee players too. Those two have won and achieved more in their careers than me. So to be classified as marquee player, similar to both of them, it certainly made me nervous. However, when I have settled down, I started to enjoy my football, everything went well.
JPF: How do you prepare yourself prior to every game?
SO: I do not have a specific routine but prior to each game, I focus a lot on my training. I would visualize every training to be a match and practice my move hoping that I could perform my best in the very next game. Not so much on my diet too. I eat almost everything that I like but I keep track of my weight.
JPF: Able to share with us more on the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship where you led Japan to the Final eventually losing 4-0 to Spain. What happened in the Final after the impressive run in the tournament?
SO: Maybe it’s because I did not play in the Final, haha! I picked up my second yellow card in the Semi-final and I missed the Final. I am not sure if the score would be different if I were to play but credit must not be taken away from our team. Most of us in that team were already training together since we were 15yrs old. To defeat big teams such as England, Portugal, Mexico and Uruguay in the tournament was extremely great achievement, it’s considered effort paid off.
(Photo: Sportingjournal.com)
JPF: Being the youngest ever to represent Japan in a World Cup at just 18yrs old, can you still recall how you felt and how you coped with the expectation and pressure?
SO: All the players whom I have been training with are usually those whom I have seen from the Television. Never did I imagine that I would be training along with them one of these days. Of course I am very nervous as I was the youngest in the squad. Because of that, I have gathered huge attention from the media. Fortunately, the seniors in the team helped me a lot. Gradually, I became relaxed. I was able to adjust myself and perform normally.
JPF: Were you surprised to learn that you have made the final team to represent Japan in France 98 considering key players such as Kazuyoshi Miura and Tsuyoshi Kitazawa were axed?
SO: Absolutely. I never thought that I would be in the final squad especially knowing that experienced player such as Kazu was left out. Another thing which surprised me was the jersey number which they presented to me - number 11. That’s a “big” number for Japanese football which sometimes I thought that I had to do something magical or creative since I was given that jersey number! Anyway, I was only involved briefly in France 98 but I enjoyed the experience.
JPF: How challenging it was for you to constantly have to fight for a First XI spot in the National Team especially you are born in an era where they are many good midfielders such as Shunsuke Nakamura, Junichi Inamoto & Hidetoshi Nakata?
SO: Well, all of us have different playing styles and I respect all of them very much. For that, I leave it to the coach. If the coach selects me to play in the starting line up, I will definitely do my best though I feel that I am always ready and confident to be the First XI in every match.
JPF: Let’s talk about Nakata, in your opinion how different (play) are the both of you?
SO: Nakata has good skill, good technique, strong mentality and most importantly he’s smart. I think I am also an intelligent player too but Nakata is more of a complete player to me. (JPF: Do you think that you are born in the wrong era where there were so many good midfielders around?) Maybe....
JPF: Who is the toughest opponent you have ever played against in your career thus far?
SO: The toughest player I have played was Claude Makelele. Both Feyenoord and Real Madrid met in the UEFA Super Cup. Then, Real Madrid had all the big players, Zidane, Figo, Raul, Carlos and with Makelele, it’s really tough for us and me.
JPF: What do you think of the current Japan National Team?
SO: I think the current team has all the good players to make it work. Players like Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa are outstanding. With their experiences in Europe, they are getting more confident and certainly have the ability to lift Japan up to another level.
JPF: You have played against Singapore on a number of occasions, for example in year 2000 Asian Cup Qualifier & year 2004 World Cup Qualifier. Do you still remember those games?
SO: Yes, especially the 2004′s game. Singapore did well with their defending and we only managed to score late in the game to secure the victory. In general, it’s always tough to play against fellow Asian countries or Southeast Asian countries. Every team tends to deploy the same tactics when they play Japan, which is to defend deep in their halve then strike with counter-attack. The defensive tactics make it very hard for Japan to play.
JPF: You have won the Asian Young Player of the Year Award in 1998. 4 years later, you bagged the top honor, Asian Footballer of the Year Award. Tell us more about how it feels to receive such accolade.
SO: I am very happy and honored with the Individual Awards. My playing time and achievements with Feyenoord certainly helped in contributing me receiving the Asian Footballer of the Year Award. Those Awards are not just Awards, they have given me great motivation to work even harder to repay all the faith and trust which many people have given me.
JPF: Together with Sunakawa Makoto, you have launched Suna Shinji Soccer School. Able to share with us more on your School?
SO: After so many years of playing the game, I think I wanted to share my experience which I have gathered over the years to the next generation. I want to show the young players how to improve themselves by sharing and coaching them the proper technique and control. Initially, we started this in Japan but an opportunity in Singapore to collaborate with Global Football Academy came, here we are.
BONUS QUESTION
JPF: Christmas is round the corner. Can you make a quick Christmas wish for Japan National Team? A Christmas wish for Singapore football? And lastly, a Christmas wish for yourself?
SO: For Japan National Team, I wish that they can continue to improve. Ultimately target is to go all the way to win the World Cup one day. (JPF: Christmas wish for Singapore football?) Once Japan has won the World Cup, I wish Singapore will win the World Cup in the following edition. (JPF: Christmas wish for youself?) Erm... I wish that I can watch Japan vs Singapore in a World Cup Final!
The best way to end the year on a high note is to organize a tournament like FIFA Club World Cup. The champion clubs from all the six continental confederation as well as the national league champion from the host country will fight to achieve the FIFA Club World Cup trophy.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2015 will be the 12th edition and it will be hosted by Japan from 10-20 December 2015. The first edition was held in Brazil in 2002, and it stayed with Japan from 2005-2012, after which it was hosted by UAE in 2013 an Morocco in 2014.
According to new format with removal of quarter final and play-offs, replacing it with two round robin groups of three teams, consisting of two teams from the host nation and the champions of AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and OFC, with the group winners advancing to the semi-final to play the champions of CONMEBOL and UEFA.
Among the seven teams, the two clear favorites for the final are Barcelona and River Plate. The MSN trio (Messi, Suarez & Neymar) creates the most destructive force in the world and truly deserves the trophy after a treble this year by winning all the major trophies. Copa Libertadores champion River Plate will take a selection of South American stars like Javier Saviola, Rodrigo Mora, Lucho Gonzalez and goalkeeper, Marcelo Barovero.
Auckland City are returning to the FIFA Club World Cup for the seventh time after their remarkable run at the tournament in Morocco 2014. where they finished third. They are undoubtedly the dark horse of this tournament after their remarkable display from last year by winning the bronze medal at the big stage.
Star defender Mario Bilen and forward Ryan De Vries are confident enough to leave a big mark at the Club World Cup. Auckland City FC will be without club standouts Ivan Vicelich goalkeeper Tamati Williams when they begin their Club World Cup campaign against the Japanese host on 10 December in the play off for quarter final.
(Photo: Club America FB)
Club America meet AFC Champions League holders, Guangzhou Evergrande in the first quarter-final on 13 December. The CONCACAF has an impressive Mexican Internationals, such a Oribe Peralta, Moises Munoz and Paul Aguilar, along with USA defender Ventura Alvarado and Ecuador attacking midfielder, Michael Arroyo.
Meanwhile, the Asian champions, Guangzhou have an arsenal of China PR talent, including Zheng Zhi, Gao Lin and Zhang Linpeng. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is also bringing some fellow Brazilians to Japan with Paulinho and Robinho both making the trip. Perhaps the jewel in the crown, however, is Brazilian striker Ricardo Goulart who was recently named AFC Foreign Player of the Year after finishing as the AFC Champions League top-scorer.
TP Mazembe, Africa’s reigning champion, will square off in the other quarter-final against the winner of the play-off between the tournament host and Auckland City. The Congo DR side have players from around Africa, such as Cote d’Ivoire's Roger Assale, Tanzania striker, Mbwana Samatta, Zambia midfielder, Rainford Kalaba and Congo DR goalkeeper, Robert Kidiaba.
Though the tournament from 10 December will be mixed with ups and downs from different confederations, UEFA Champions League holder Barcelona will surely show their sheer class on 17 December. Not to forget, that’s a highly motivated team with Ballon d’Or shortlisted contender Neymar and Messi, with their fellow team-mates like Suarez, Dani Alves and Gerrand Pique to name a few.
Now let’s have a look at the top 5 players to watch at this year’s FIFA Club World Cup: -
(Photo: Guangzhou Evergrande FB)
1) Ricardo Goulart - The 25 year old Brazilian sensation has been inspirational since he joined Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015 for 15 million euros transfer fee on a four year contract. He is a player with enough talent and with fierce shooting skills. While playing for Cruzeiro in a friendly against Major League Soccer (MSL) side Chivas USA, he scored a goal from his own half which was a reminiscent of a similar goal scored by Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. While in AFC Champions League, he was the top scorer of the tournament winning the Most Valuable Player and Foreign Player of the Year 2015. It will be exciting to watch him on the pitch in Japan 2015.
2) Ryan De Vries - The 24 year old star of Auckland City FC who also received an International called up for New Zealand this year will be a player to watch as he will strike for the team. He played a key role in last year’s Club World Cup for Auckland to win bronze medal. Ryan De Vries’ fairytale rise from Bentleigh to Auckland City FC reminds us of Jamie Vardy of Leicester City.
3) Carlos Andres Sanchez - If it comes to experience, then this Uruguayan is a key player to watch in Club World Cup The 31 year old attacking midfielder performed extremely well in Copa Libertadores 2015. With speed, explosive power and experience, this playmaker can shook any team with his displays.
4) Neymar Jr - One of the top contenders for Ballon d’Or. With amaing skills, speed and ball control, he was the key player for Barcelona to win the treble this year. It is not a surprise when he was nominated alongside his team mate Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or race. Currently, the on-form Brazilian also received La-Liga player of the month which surely boosted his confidence to light up the big stage this December.
5) Lionel Messi - One of the bet players in the world. The three times Ballon d’Or winner just came back from injury and displayed his sheer class during the El Classico. Messi has won everything this year and adding the FIFA Club World Cup to his showcase will be his next target.
Die hard fans across the world are keen to watch their stars play on 10 December and no matter which team reaches the final in Yokohama ten days later, there will be plenty of stars to dazzle those watching this prestigious tournament - Written by Raviraj Sinh Jethwa
Former Barcelona & Brazilian International, Ronaldinho will be in Singapore on 10-11 Dec 2015.
Five-time S,League champions, Tampines Rovers FC and International Football Group will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Brazilian legend Ronaldinho Gaucho to jointly establish his Ronaldinho Football Academy in Singapore.
The Brazilian star will also be launching his E-Scooter on 10 Dec 2015 at ION Orchard shopping mall. On 11 Dec 2015, Ronaldinho will visit ITE College Central for a Meet-and-Greet.
Having represented Netherlands National Futsal Team for 120 times, Netherlands’ Captain, Samir Makhoukhi is currently the 4th highest International-capped player in Netherlands’ All-Time record, slightly behind the 11-aside’s Edwin van der Sar (130 caps), Netherlands Women’s Team’s Kiesel Griffioen (156 caps) and Stephan Lokhoff (173 caps) of Netherlands CP Team.
Junpiter Futbol caught up with the FCK de Hommel’s player exclusively in Singapore recently as he shared his futsal stories, how the futsal league in his country was like and his advice for Singapore National Futsal Team..
JPF: You have 120 International Caps under your belt, is there any other thing or goal which you have left undone at the International level?
SM: I take pride in representing my country so my goal is to always outdo what I am doing now. Even at the International level, I just hope to continue to represent my country for as long as I can, be it for the European Championship or World Cup. To be very honest since you are asking me this question, my very current goal is to overtake Edwin van der Sar’s 130 International caps.
JPF: Which has to be your most memorable futsal memory in your career so far?
SM: There are actually 2 memories. The first is the 2005 UEFA Futsal Championship in Czech Republic where Netherlands finished off in the 5th position. The second is in 2007 where my team, FCK de Hommel took home the National Championship. Incredible feeling.
JPF: We have met and interviewed players like Edward Van Gils, Issy Hitman (Ismael Hamdaoui), Khalid Hamdaoui, Jermaine Vanenburg and all of them have shared with us how wonderful playing futsal is, so in your own opinion can you share with us more about futsal?
SM: To me, futsal is everything a football lover will love and be passionate about. Futsal is a small sided game and because of that, all players will get more touches and that equivalent to playing more football which also enhance players’ skills. You can sit at an 11-aside game for 90 minutes but not seeing any goal or any action but that will not happen to futsal. Every attack, corner, goal-kick and defend, there will be something happening! It’s just a wonderful game.
Samir Makhoukhi (right) celebrating after Netherlands qualified for Belgium 2014 UEFA Futsal Championship
Samir Makhouhki (middle) in action for Netherlands National Futsal Team for 120 times
JPF: How have playing professional futsal changed your life?
SM: Playing professional futsal has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people and also see the World. I am traveling to some countries which I have never thought that I would be traveling to. For example, beside Europe, I have played futsal in South Africa during the World Cup 2010. I was in Dubai and Kuwait playing in some tournaments and I was even playing in front of 10,000 crowd in Brazil too.
JPF: You are currently playing for FCK de Hommel in the Dutch National Futsal League, able to share with us more about the Futsal League in Netherlands?
SM: Dutch National Futsal League is made up of 12 teams of 10-12 registered players per team. At the end of a regular competition, top 4 teams will have a Play-off with the 4th team playing against the 1st, 3rd will take on the 2nd. After which, there will be a best of Three series.
To keep the competition going strong, there are also 2 Division II, North & South where 1 Champion will emerge from these North & South, and will be promoted to the top Division.
Most of the teams have their own futsal academies in which they develop their own futsal players. Some even have women’s teams. Having said that, our League is still a semi-professional League where the players only train twice a week. Some of our players are also representing professional football (field) teams too.
Our Football Association (KNVB) is trying very hard to professionalize the Futsal League like what some of the other European countries are already doing but it is not easy. Futsal has to compete with Eredivise’s 11-aside game which obviously is a more popular game in Netherlands. All Eredivise teams see Futsal League as a competition but we hope to convince them that countries like Brazil or Spain also have professional 11-aside teams which has futsal division which it will only be a good thing for the players. It has also proven, futsal is good for the technique and tactics development.
JPF: Tell us more on how you feel about Asian futsal.
SM: I have played against many Asian countries such as Japan, China, Malaysia & Thailand, I actually see that Asians have the best attributes to excel in futsal. In another word, Asian players are the most suitable players to play futsal as they are light & fast. Not only that, Asians have this unbelievable match fitness which we, Europeans can’t match.
The Asians are always able to condition themselves very well that they can press their opponent very high and strongly throughout the entire match. By adopting such a high-pressing game strategy, it certainly gives their opponent a hard time. 2 years ago, we played against China in a tournament. Technically and tactically, we were more superior than the Chinese but physically, they were far more advanced. They were able to compete at a much higher tempo for a longer period of time as compared to us who were only able to peak a few times during the game.
Junpiter Futbol’s Jun Tan meeting up with Samir Makhouhki in Singapore
Samir Makhouhki presented Junpiter Futbol with one of his own Netherlands National Futsal Team training kits as souvenir
JPF: Currently, Singapore is in the midst of forming a National Futsal Team. Do you have any advice or suggestion for Singapore?
SM: Hire the right coach with the right knowledge to kick start the whole futsal development. One great example is Thailand. When we first played against Thailand 7 years ago, they were just an average team. After their Dutch coach, Victor Hermans took over since 2012, Thailand is a different team now - they have progressed and developed into one of the powerhouses in Asia. By the way, where Singaporeans normally play futsal? (JPF: Basketball court..) Excellent! That’s exactly the same as a futsal court, 40metres by 20metres. In that case, Singapore does have the right pool of futsal talents since most of them are conditioned and customized to play in the right court’s size - shorter distance, shorter passes and quick decision making are what futsal is all about. Lastly, have more training. I know some of the futsal teams in Japan’s Professional Futsal League, F-League trains up to 3 times a day. National Team might not have the luxury of time to have all the players together but training is an important criteria move the team up to another higher level.
JPF: Based on your experience of playing against Asian teams, what kind of play or strategy should Singapore futsal team be adopting?
SM: There are a couple of formations in futsal but probably the most popular one for European countries is 1-3-1, which is a Goalkeeper, 3 Defenders/Midfielders and a Pivo (target man) where all the ball will be passed to him and he will lay off to the rest of the running men. However, in Southeast Asia you might not get that kind of Pivo where he is huge enough to hold the ball upfront alone, especially playing against bigger European teams. So I reckon the most ideal formation for Asian countries is 1-0-4. Apart from the Goalkeeper, the four other players will constantly switching positions by running and passing and running again.
JPF: Any advice for a player who wants to play professional futsal?
SM: I think that’s really a good thing. Futsal is a kind of game where you will learn to make quick decision within a square metre and 2 steps in advance. Even if you are to switch from futsal to an 11-aside game, it will be beneficial too. Look at most of the top players from Barcelona, Real Madrid and etc, all of them started playing futsal before moving to the field game. Neymar, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, everybody is saying the same story of himself playing futsal and that made them who they are today. So who are we to say futsal is not good?
Photos: Junpiter Futbol & Samir Makhouhki’s Facebook
Junpiter Futbol Experience At Thai Premier League II
On a warm Saturday afternoon, we made our way from the heart of Bangkok to the home ground of the famous Bangkok Glass FC’s, Leo Stadium for a visit. Once again, we were privileged to have such an opportunity to be able to visit one of the best Stadiums in the Thai Premier League, especially on a match day.
Knowing that we would be covering the entire Stadium ground, we arrived 4 hours earlier at Leo Stadium so that we would have ample time to explore the whole property prior to the kick off of their League game against BEC Tero Sasana. But to our surprise, there were already football fans out there waiting eagerly to enter the Stadium at that hour!
While we were outside the Stadium, most of the temporary food stores were already in the midst of preparing for the wave coming up in a few hours time. By looking at the variety of the food which were being prepared onsite, you knew it’s going to take all the money from the fans in no time! Not long after walking ourselves through the food trails, we were ushered off for the official visit led by one of their Officials, Mr. Tong Tanakorn, after receiving our Media Passes. The admiration of one of the best Stadiums in Thailand began.
The very first stop we proceeded to the Press Conference room where all the pre-match or post-match conferences would take place. As we walked into the Press Conference room, immediately the very first description which came to our mind was Neat. Although the room did give us an icy cold feel because of the stainless steel legging chairs and the stainless steel-like white cladding wall, overall it was very neat, tidy and professional.
As we all know that Stadium tour to be conducted hours prior to kick off is almost impossible, let alone visiting the Changing Rooms of the players on a match day. Bangkok Glass’s Management had been extremely kind to us and granted us exclusive visits to both the Home & Away Teams’ Changing Rooms where some of the players and officials were already in the rooms!
First, we visited the Away Team Changing Room where BEC Tero Sasana had all their jerseys folded up neatly and their League passes hung up just above the jerseys for identification purpose. Obviously, we were feeling a little nervous as some of the BEC Officials were in the Room when we interrupted. The Officials were friendly though and even told us to take more photos! Next, we moved on to the Home Team Changing Room.
Compared to the Away Team Changing Room, the Home Team’s was certainly more packed with equipment and players’ personal items. Similarly, the room was all ready for action as we could see all jerseys were hung up neatly at each players’ cabinet. Apart from the usual jerseys, boots and medical sprays, some of the players also had words of encouragement for themselves written on their cabinet too.
So moving out of the Stadium, we were led to the Mega Merchandise Store where we could imagine many Bangkok Glass supporters would go crazy about. The variety of merchandises available was enormous ranging from baby rompers to adults’ wear. Not only that was a Megastore, that’s also a mini Museum displaying the history of Bangkok Glass’.
Bangkok Glass Megastore
Property Map at Ticketing Box
Bangkok Glass FC’s Team Bus
Newly opened Rabbits Cafe
Bangkok Glass hosted BEC Tero Sasana
Another interesting thing which caught our attention was their Ticketing Box. Over the years, Bangkok Glass’ fan base has grown rapidly. Response from all over Thailand and as well as overseas, such as us in this instance, were overwhelming that they had to enhance the whole ticketing process and experience. With the new technology installed, Bangkok Glass’ Ticketing Box was operating like how you would be buying movie ticket from the Cinema! Choose where you want to sit - straight forward and hassle free.
Before we got ourselves ready for the exciting match between Bangkok Glass and BEC Tero Sasana, we ended the Stadium tour with a quick peek inside Bangkok Glass’ Team Bus and the newly opened Rabbits Cafe (Club’s Official Cafe)!
The well-decorated Team Bus is equipped with refreshments, toilets and most importantly Wifi for the players to engage with their supporters. And the Team Bus is the team’s main mode of transport if any of the match venue can be reached within 4 hours of drive.
For the newly opened Rabbits Cafe, we were lucky to be there at the right time as the day of our visit was the very first opening day of the Official Club’s Cafe!
Last but no least, Junpiter Futbol was treated to an exciting game which saw the home team thrashed the visitors 5 goals to nil!
Special thanks to Bangkok Glass FC for hosting us, thank you Mr. Tong Tanakorn for the kind hospitality, thank you SingaCup for making this trip possible and thank you Puma Singapore for the Apparels.
More photos of our visit to Bangkok Glass FC, Click Here.
To read more about our Part I visit to Chonburi FC, Click Here.
Recently, Junpiter Futbol has concluded its visit to the Thai Premier League with the humble objective of visiting and understanding the football clubs and their academies achieved. Our first stop - Chonburi FC.
Upon our arrival at the busy Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Chonburi FC’s van, decorated with their famous Sharks’ logo stickers, greeted us and brought us to Chonburi Stadium that was approximately 90mins ride from the Airport.
Welcoming us at Chonburi Stadium were Vice President of the Club, Mr. Thanasak Suraprasert, Thailand football legend/Technical Director of Chonburi Football Academy, Mr. Withaya Laohakul and Chonburi FC’s Joe Patit. Pleasure was certainly ours to meet up with the club’s Officials and discussed about Thai Premier League as well as topics on youth football development at the club.
The 2007 Thai Premier League Champion was established in year 1997 as a province team. With big ambition for the club formed, the path and approach to professionalize Chonburi FC was spearheaded by 4 founders, Mr. Thanasak, Mr. Annop, Mr. Sonthay and Mr. Vidaya Kunplome. The four of them, who were also classmates from the same High School, took much effort to lead the club to flourish into a highly reputable football club not only in Thailand, but also in Asia over the years. Among some of the major names donning their jerseys previously were Worrawoot Srimaka, Natthaphong Samana, Adul Lahso, the Sukha brothers (Suree & Surat) and evergreen midfielder, 41yrs old Therdsak Chaiman who is still currently playing an important role in the club.
Although the Stadium belongs to the Chonburi province, the Mayor has been extremely kind and supportive in what Chonburi FC aspires to achieve. For overseas visitors like us, Chonburi FC and its Stadium could be just another club and facility. But once after having Joe walked us down the history of Chonburi FC’s, our impression of the club and its Stadium changed. We have convinced ourselves that we are looking at a piece of history and achievement which are crafted out by passion and the love for the beautiful game.
The new 8,700 seater’s Chonburi Stadium
One of the Chonburi FC’s 4 founders and also the Vice President of the club, Mr. Thanasak Suraprasert
Catching up with former S.League/current Chonburi FC’s evergreen Midfielder, Therdsak Chaiman.
After acknowledging good players were hard to be come by or purchased, that was when a 8-years youth football development plan was born in Chonburi. It is a development plan created by the club in 2009 to ensure the club continue to enjoy the success which they are indulging in at the moment. Part of the players-developing plans is to ensure 5% of the Football Academy players progress to first team and 1% to Europe which the club has been following well thus far.
Chonburi province has a sports colleague in which several sports’ elites are housed and trained. Football certainly does have its presence and office there too. For this trip, we were extremely lucky to be able to walk around the premises and even interacted with some of the local coaches in which we had been enlightened on all aspects such as their training facilities & players management.
The Ban Bueong district-based Football Academy of Chonburi’s is about another 30-45mins ride from the main Stadium. To reach the Academy from the main road, it will take another good 10-15mins of ride through a thick vegetation. On a second thought, there isn’t any activity that could distract the players at all at the vicinity making it easier for them to concentrate on their training.
When we finally arrived at Chonburi Football Academy, the first impression we had that set us thinking was the condition of the Academy. The simple single-story building looked old but the infrastructure greeted us was nothing short of impressive. Beside the standard dormitory arrangement, there were proper changing rooms, laundry rooms, a decent size swimming pool, an open-concept gym for some weight trainings, a lounge equipped with Television and Wifi, and an extremely well-maintained 11-aside football training pitch. The Academy might not be that sophisticated as compared to some of the other football academies which we have visited previously, Chonburi Football Academy does not shortchange any future talents’ needs. For a place where all the future talents eat, sleep and play football, it is more than sufficient.
All of the players will be picked up immediately after school and head straight to the Academy for training. We happened to be there at the Academy where a group of young players just finished their schools and were brought to the Academy. You couldn’t doubt their passion as you could see that all of them were eager to jump onto the pitch despite knowing there were overseas guests (us) moving around with cameras which probably was an unusual scene at their Academy. So another big plan is coming up for the Academy as the search and construction of a new Academy site is believed to be on its way. Junpiter Futbol hopes to be back then again!
Chonburi Football Academy
Future stars of Chonburi’s having a break at the Lounge
Training time at the Academy
Phanthong FC, an affiliated division II club of Chonburi FC’s is also a great platform for the youth players coming through the rank. All 17yrs old from Chonburi Football Academy will represent the club in the Division II competition. Apart from participating in a season-long competition, all 17yrs old Phanthong FC players will also get to play in the Thaicom FA Cup and as well as the Toyota League Cup. By doing so, all the young players will be exposed to a much more higher level of football by playing against some of the bests in Thailand in both the FA Cup and League Cup. And not just exposure, they will gain maximum playing times and opportunities which are essential for their football development. Undoubtedly, this is an absolute wise football developing plan by the Sharks.
So how does the Football Academy know if their players are progressing in the right direction after so much effort and energy have been pumped into the 8 years plan? The answer is as clear as crystal when you have got 8 of your players forming the core team of the Thailand U-16′s First XI participating in the AFC U-16 Championship!
The great hospitality which we have received at Chonburi was probably one of the best in our years of football traveling. We would like to thank Chonburi FC for welcoming us with opened arms, we would like to thank Mr. Thanasak, Coach Withahya, Joe & Pimpika. Thank you for showing us Chonburi FC!
Thank you SingaCup for the opportunity and thank you Puma Singapore for the apparels.
More photos of Junpiter Futbol at Chonburi FC, Click Here.
