Here we go again...

from (http://www.fas.org.sg/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=853)

So its back to the drawing board again for our national football team.
Sadly, it was not meant to be as we lost 2-1 to Jordan.
Sad.

Although, based on the match itself, we did not deserve to qualify at all.
Our team seemed to have been caught in the Jordanians web of weaving passes.
They were skillful too, pulling off the occasional backheel pass.

I thought that we seemed more intent on pumping all these long balls forward, hoping that Duric would somehow be tall enough to reach them, or that a very determined Alam Shah would somehow muster the sped and aggression to chase those loose balls.
Seriously, for them to have a chance to reach them, the balls need to be nearer to the strikers.
In fact, half of the passes seemed destined more for the corner flag rather than be heading towards the goal.

Our set piece delivery was also mediocre at best, showing how much we missed Shaiful Esah's left footed delivery.
Oh how we could have used some his sweet crosses to devastating results especially if put onto Duric or Bahhaiki's head.

Our foreigners failed to show up too.
Precious was horrible.
He's just this huge rock wall, who's extremely big and strong.
Speed is obviously not one of his key attributes as he got embarrassed by the fleet footed Jordanian forwards.
Besides, i think he did not beat the Jordanian forward to the header from which the first goal was conceded from.
Qiu Li started brightly though, but soon just faded away.
Did we really spend 5 years waiting for his citizenship papers to watch, this?

I remember thinking to myself 'Oh no, not again' when the first goal was conceded when the match had barely begun.
A sense of deja vu filled as i recaled the match against Thailand.

Our team has stagnated.
We need to bring in new blood now.
Forget the ASEAN Championships, lets aim higher.
Lets build on our SEA games success, and start blooding in some of these youngsters.
The older players should step down, and lets prepare for the current cubs to mature into Lions.

Come on Mr Avramovic!
You can do it!