No Prizes For Guessing
If the selection of
Alex Fonseca as Player of the Season the last time round came out of the blue, there was nary a murmur this time when
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim stepped up in a tuxedo to claim the accolade for the second time, after a seven-season hiatus. The 25-goal man started all of Grilled's competitive matches, and was overwhelmingly nominated by both the panel and the fans.
"Well, we weren't expecting this!" invited presenter Quah Han Kok deadpanned, to appreciative chuckles. "But let's be serious. I've rubbed shoulders with some true masters in my time here - Martinsson, Rotteveel, Bögengang... but this lad, he frightens me. He can make it right to the top."
Tian Yonghang, who came in a distant second in the voting, could not help but agree. "When he's on, the team basically is on fire. I can't wait for the games to start again."
Leong Wan Kang, returned from stays at BDSM FC and in Italy, was the pick for Young Player of the Season, and while he did not score on his debut as widely expected, he made up for that oversight with two well-taken goals against Hougang Stragglers. "He has good potential." reserve coach Luis Alcántara remarked.
Niculae Stanca had one more announcement to make before commencing the dinner, that of installing
Gleb Dorogan as joint vice-captain alongside
Dexter Stacey, which brought some quips about the guys finally having a vice-captain they can talk to from the back of the banquet hall.
Quah, now head coach with Peruvian club Sport Tapasca, was soon engaged in animated discussion with newcomer
Djan Bacelar, with the rest of the squad generally far more interested in tucking in. "When the finances are healthy, we splurge more on the food." Stanca shrugged.
