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| FIXTURE HISTORY |
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| Season 55 | L | 3 - 4 | Tournament (Group Phase) | | Season 51 | W | 3 - 0 | Tournament (Group Phase) | | Season 50 | D | 2 - 2 | Tournament (Group Phase) | | Season 48 | W | 5 - 2 | Tournament (Group Phase) |
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Champions Resplendent
A Frankie Assessment
Be Champions FC gave Grilled no excuse to be upset with their exit from the Singapore Masters, with their rattling in of five goals past the hapless men in green. While statistical measures suggested a closer contest than the scoreline indicated, the scoreboard remained a damning verdict on the Birds' defence, or lack thereof.
It had been set up to be a titanic battle - BCFC arrayed all three of their national midfielders, quite a collection for any single team, yet kept to a cautious 4-5-1. Grilled's own playmakers were less capped, but a few years older, and perhaps just that bit wiser. Other than a pronounced disadvantage in the air, the difference, if any, was not insurmountable.
One could say that it was simply not the Birds' day, but that would be unfairly dismissing the chokehold that Champions' back four held on the game at times - Grilled shaded the possession, but despite some truly inventive setups by
Tian Yonghang, the opposing defenders simply had them in their pocket.
This did not apply at the other end - BCFC took their time getting forward, but when they did, they were pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it could be. Former pride of TeamRemy83 Agasthya Vaidhyanathan had his rush seemingly stopped by
Ling Fuquan... only for Ling to hash up his control, and give Foo Ah De a free follow-up to bag from.
That prompted much screaming and pointing from
Wong Tian Han, but the Grilled custodian would only be disappointed again. Barely four minutes later, nobody challenged Feng Shifang as he rose for a lofted ball, and the uncontested header was directed very nicely for Dutchman Bennie van Wijk to pot the second.
By the time Ali Ütkün banged in the third from a rebound off the wall, the writing was well on it, particularly as BCFC showed no signs of relinquishing their vigilance. A slick dribble by
Wong Ping Shun was foiled by a late Foo tackle, but
Zhao Jing Wei was unable to make the ensuing free-kick count, with Edmundo Ortega quick as a snake.
Ortega would prove Zhao's nemesis again after the break, as he beat the Grilled Number Five to
Lee Lee Hao's questioning pass. The immediate goal-kick was kept in the air as the BCFC players played on their height advantage, and Foo ended the sequence with a magnificent volley to make it 4-0.
Foo would complete his hat-trick two minutes later off a counterattack down the right, and it was telling that no-one bothered to chase him down after he went clear.
If a comeback was not on the cards, the remaining Grilled fans in the ground were still expectant of a consolation goal, but Ortega wasn't in a giving mood. Grilled looked superficially in control for the last half-hour, but neither Zhao nor Mohd Safri could get their efforts past the former Guatemalan international.
This left them with only
Wong Tian Han's fine deflecting save from Benoît Pouderoux to cheer halfheartedly about, as BCFC pocketed the ticket to the semifinals quite effortlessly.
