Go Lions!

From The Straits Times:

Dec 17, 2004

SOCCER

S'pore look to avenge 2001 defeat

Beaten by Myanmar in SEA Games, Lions want to turn the tables in Tiger Cup semi-finals

By Marc Lim

THREE years ago, Indra Sahdan Daud predicted a place in the final of the 2001 South-east Asia Games in Malaysia for his Singapore Under-23 team.

TOP OF THEIR GROUP: The players from Myanmar are predictably happy with their progress to the semi-finals of the Tiger Cup, at Thailand's expense.

The captain had to eat his words after unfancied Myanmar beat his side 2-1 for a place in the semi-finals.

Come Dec 29, the class of 2001 are set to be reunited on Malaysian soil - this time, to vie for a berth in the Tiger Cup final after Myanmar beat Timor Leste 3-1 yesterday to top Group B and set up a showdown with the Lions in Kuala Lumpur.

Though both sides will include familiar faces from 2001, much has changed in three years.
Then, Myanmar were an inexperienced squad, up against the Singapore Goal 2010 side, who were to have formed the backbone of a Singapore dream team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup Finals.

Today, Goal 2010 has been shelved and the erstwhile underdogs from Myanmar are among the favourites to lift their first Tiger Cup.

'It was one of the worst nights of my career,' said Indra yesterday, recalling that night three years ago.

'It would be good to exact revenge. It'll be a different game, we have better players this time.'
Indra though, will have to hope for revenge from the sidelines - at least for the first leg on Dec 29 as he will be serving a one-match suspension for picking up his second yellow card in the tournament.

He said: 'I will be cheering the boys, because I can foresee it will be an intimidating atmosphere.'
Another who will be rooting for the team is Football Association of Singapore president Ho Peng Kee.

The Senior Minister of State (Law and Home Affairs) sent them a congratulatory message for meeting their semi-final target, before calling for greater consistency.

He added: 'We must improve as a cohesive fighting unit if we want to win the Tiger Cup.'
While the suspension of Indra, the team's top scorer with three goals, is seen as a blow to Singapore's hopes, it will at least force national coach Raddy Avramovic to re-look his strike force.

Singapore have been fortunate to progress to the last four without a potent attack. Indra and strike partner Agu Casmir may have scored five times but four were against minnows Laos.

With Indra out, Avramovic must decide whether to keep faith with Agu, move left-winger Itimi Dickson up front, or turn to substitutes Noh Alam Shah or Khairul Amri.

Finally!! SOME semblance of progress after years of not even making it to the semis of the SEA Games or Tiger Cup. And even better, Thailand is now out of the way. Pity I can't watch the game over here. But still I will be keenly waiting for good news.

Altogether now:

We are Singapore,
we are Singapore.
We will stand together,
hear the Lion roar!