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| FIXTURE HISTORY |
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| Season 51 | L | 4 - 3 | Tournament (Playoffs) | | Season 49 | L | 4 - 1 | Tournament (Group Phase) |
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Did Not Happen
Birds Croaked
Dodogado's hex over the Birds continued as they swamped Grilled 6-0 at Mox Arena to three-peat, as Grilled's attempts at saving their best players for the Singapore Community Cup showpiece were for naught. Romanian hotshot Toader-Vasile Ciobanu got his all-time tally to three, while national midfielder Dong Rongyong showed up his Grilled counterparts with an assured display.
With both sides taking a perfect 3-0 record into the match, it was slightly dismaying to have less than three thousand turn up, which certainly didn't do justice to the sheer abundance of potential on display. The hosts had likewise reserved their first team for the spectacle, and their depth was that national U-20 playmaker Leong Kang Soon was probably their weakest link, which said far more about the team than Leong.
The sides' weekend fates could not have been more different, as Dodogado enjoyed a 9-0 stroll against Dennis Wood, while Grilled were famously thrashed 7-0 by -= Manchester United =-. The Birds appeared to have put it all behind them by kick-off, though, and they were well eager to test Ştefan-Gabriel Popa in the Dodogado goal.
Their opening came in the 20th minute, after
Mohd Safri bin Mohd Kassim had his leg tied up by Pablo Gabriel Sena, just as he was about to break into space.
Wong Ping Shun lined it up, and Popa was left rooted as Wong rocketed the ball straight into his crossbar. That sparked the previously drowsy game into real life, and the mad scramble that followed saw the action transfer to Ángel Badillo at the other end in seconds. The Venezuelan hit it too wide, though.
The Birds never were going to maintain a clean sheet, and were pressing hard for goals. Unfortunately for them, Dodogado would get the first one in, as Ciobanu strode across
Qassem Madaini worryingly effortlessly. The Saudi captain cut a desolate figure as Ciobanu wheeled away in celebration, and the 35 year-old may have to admit that his best days are now behind him.
Dong Rongyong did nothing to dispel that judgment as he climbed over Madaini to convert a corner, though some thought Madaini had a case there. It was clear that Grilled couldn't bank on complaints to save them when Ciobanu soared unopposed to plant a header firmly downwards to the bottom far corner bare minutes later, however, and
Wong Tian Han had a right go at his defence for that.
It was more or less game over when Leong, who had up to then been nippy but somewhat lightweight, made the most of his agility to vault
Zhao Jing Wei's attempted shoulder charge to nick a fourth. To add insult to injury,
Woon Shun An twisted his ankle trying to chase after the youngster, but at least that gave
Low Aik Jia a run on the right wing.
Madaini would not be seen for the second half, as Luis Alcántara probably wisely decided to spare his skipper further embarassment.
Rashid bin Ahmad certainly looked like an upgrade, but Dodogado by now were in full flow, while the Birds not unreasonably looked short on confidence.
Ciobanu was denied a deserved hat-trick after his no-look shot clipped the bar in the 54th minute, but Marcos Luca de Tena could be counted on to extend the home side's lead, after
Ling Fuquan went on an ill-advised journey up the pitch.
Zhu Changchun tried to cover, but was ten metres behind.
Pablo Gabriel Sena capped a miserable week for the Birds by turning Rashid inside-out in the 75th, while Dong flirted with a sending-off with a completely unnecessary slide in on
Chow Ying Lee, which saw the two come close to butting heads. Badillo came close late on, but his team certainly didn't need that.
