Minimized At Home
Revived Interest
Grilled's reserves spanked the visiting Mimo's Rangers 8-2, but probably more significantly, the crowd of just over 5000 was the highest for a friendly at The Cooking Pot since it was renamed from Gamma Stadium, some twenty-three seasons ago.
Grilled had taken Chilean teams on their home ground before, and both times managed to come away with a narrow victory. There would be no such trouble this time as Grilled's two-man midfield of Back and Josefsson proved too good with Rangers trying an identical formation, with Josefsson getting the ball rolling with a cracker in the fifth minute.
Homegrown forward
Tian Yonghang, who has been overshadowed by his contemporaries ever since he set foot in the senior team, finally came into his own as he danced in the bright sunshine - Rangers winger Bernardo Bolaños got a yellow card trying to take him down. The Rangers coach decided that he had seen enough, and pulled off superstar Juan Antonio Alert to save his legs, replacing him with teenaged hopeful, Hilario Pérez.
With their main threat gone, Rangers couldn't pin Grilled back, and
Safri bin Mohamad quickly helped himself to a double, first with his speed, and then with his head. Not to be outdone,
Fan Xiuyu likewise plundered a brace before half-time, with
Ciro Penati getting one too. Poor Tian, who had participated in several of the moves leading to goals, just couldn't get one of his own.
Edvaldo Mourão came on for
Anders Josefsson in the 46th minute, taking over the armband, and failed to step into the Swede's boots. Mimo's Rangers worked hard, and were able to strike back in the 58th minute as veteran midfielder David Salvatici overlapped well down the left side.
Chua Qiang Dong and
Lim Chuan Heng got an earful there from their coach, right there on the pitch, for letting Salvatici through so easily.
Penati had to go off in the 73rd minute after pulling a muscle, giving
Lee Han Lai an opportunity to exhibit his attacking skills. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get much of the ball, and it instead fell to Tian to remind the spectators of his presence with an accurate header from Chua's cross.
Rangers made two more substitutions as the match entered its closing stages, which saw
Erik Back kick one in before Rangers' want-away youngster Alonzo Clavijo made it 8-2 with a tidy finish.
