BonGGie Blunder
Rotteveel Rues
BonGGie edged Grilled out with a late goal, as Grilled were left to regret their error-stricken play on an overcast day in Changi. The hosts' opener was on reflection a microcosm of the day for Grilled, as Shui Sun Tae slipped by the whole of Grilled's left defence unchallenged.
That would not have been fatal by itself, but it was followed up by indecision on the part of the central defenders, who each assumed that the other would cut out the cross. Admittedly, it bounced right between them. Finally, Valdir got into the act as Aw Rong Chin didn't make clean contact, yet it was still enough to drop the ball below the Brazillian goalie's reach.
That didn't do Grilled's confidence any favours, and their shakiness nearly led to more goals. The one bright spot was Sandor Deme's energy on the left side, as the Hungarian lad was eager to impress on a rare league start. The usually solid Daniel Esteves was worn down by Deme's madcap running, and eventually left enough space for Deme to whip in an inch-perfect cross that Rotteveel nodded home.
Rotteveel's increasingly physical approach has found him few friends among opposing defenders, with Su Xi Yuan the latest one to feel the effects of his commitment. Su had matched Rotteveel for pace in a straight dash for the ball, but hadn't counted on the Dutchman leaping the final metre feet-first. Su cleared but couldn't bail out in time, and was cut on the thigh. Bleeding slightly, he had to be replaced by Lyudmil Tzenov as Rotteveel escaped with a yellow card.
Grilled actually had the better, if fewer, chances, as the best that BonGGie managed for the first hour was a volley taken on the fly by Tay Da Long. A difficult technique to try at any time, Tay's effort was nevertheless applauded by the home fans, who had been screaming at their players to just have a go.
Nawaz Talib was booked for going in late on Moya in an attempt to salvage a poor goal kick, and then Rotteveel should have polished off a great pass by Penati that curled into his path. Grilled fans were to be surprised by the acceleration of the BonGGie goalkeeper, though, as Liviu Ungureanu managed his suicidal-looking run with a foot to spare.
That was to be the end of Grilled's dominance, as another comedy of errors left Goo Yong Chin free to knock in the winning goal. Lik-Tsun and Penati had a good look at each other after that one. Rotteveel's day then became even worse when he was judged to have backed into Xi Yuan as he angled for position for a high ball, and the second yellow that followed killed Grilled's faint hopes of turning the game around.
