Hardly A Stroll
Reserve coach Luis Alcántara gave littlehorse high marks for making it hard, and reserved special mention for Hong Kongese centreback Pau Hangze, whom he regarded as instrumental in keeping his team in the hunt for much of the game.
"Had we not taken them unawares early, it could have gotten very dicey." Alcántara summarized. "They were fiendishly tricky to break down after they settled, and this is despite us fielding two international-calibre forwards."
"Nowadays, every Cup game is a challenge and potential banana skin." vice-captain
Zhao Jing Wei, who struggled in the hole, agreed. "Even Penguins only won by the odd goal today, which was almost unheard of so early in."
Alcántara declined to reveal if Grilled would maintain a similar lineup against FC La Trappe next Wednesday. "There's Isle of Flames looming. That's a very big shadow to get by."
Tham Leng Teck's debut wish didn't come true, as Marina Bay Sands' Ling Yew Li scored a 114th minute winning goal to knock the Bunnies out. Regular time could only be described as dire, with neither side at all eager to expose themselves, and Sands' superior experience made all the difference as the match stretched on.
"It's a bit of a shame, but we did well under the circumstances." Bunnies gaffer
Elias van Dal opined. "All signs point towards a painful campaign going forward. The lads should be mentally prepared."
