Four Of The Best
Living It Up
If there were any fears at all that
Chan Ze Han had hidden shortcomings waiting to be exposed at the senior level, they were largely dispelled with his debut friendly against Icelandic fourth division side besta lið today. Almost machine-like in his effectiveness, Chan sure hit the ground running, and deservedly marked his debut to the pro game with victory, and moreover also a goal to the good.
As besta had not been encountering much challenge in the league - having won their previous five matches by blowouts, amassing 39 goals to none conceded - it was evident that the players were looking avidly forward to their midweek recreation.
Mohammad Ramli Saliman, fielded at left attack, happily obliged, and he gave Gabriel Marchiş something to think about with his agile dribbling right off the bat. Had he not then been crowded out by Marchiş' teammates, it could very well have been a goal.
There had been some speculation before the game, on whether there would be a symbolic passing-of-the-baton moment between
Tian Yonghang and
Chan Ze Han. The decision would be made for the coaching staff in the sixth minute, when
Islom Davlatov landed awkwardly on his back after contesting an offensive header, and winced trying - and failing - to sit back up. It was soon clear that he had legitimately been hurt and would not be able to continue, which allowed the 39 year-old Tian an in.
Age had certainly caught up with the Grilled legend, and although his mind was by all accounts as sharp as ever, he was too often second-best to incoming passes. besta made the most of this, and they would unexpectedly open the scoring in the 14th minute. Anders Lönnbeck put himself in a position to be bundled over by
Chirag Thevar, and besta's set-piece specialist Narfi Eyþórsson sent a formidable strike past
Krystian Rykowski, who had stepped off the wrong foot.
This was however a break from the norm, with the hosts otherwise having to scrabble for possession. Further, the Birds had brought an uncommonly strong lineup to Reykjavík, which afforded
Christopher Mauget and
José Luiz Velho rather more freedom than they were accustomed to. The latter would work his way down the left side in the 27th minute with the aid of
Kalki Parvathaneni's convincing dummy run, and this fed into his assist for
Moey Xin Seng's successful chip over Sigsteinn Sigþórsson.
One goal led to another, as
Mohammad Ramli Saliman added to Grilled's haul in the very next minute. besta's defensive line were on edge after being breached by Parvathaneni, but they adapted in exactly the wrong way, as they stood off Saliman instead. Sigþórsson saw what was coming, and yelled for anyone to get in Saliman's face, but too late - the former national youth player had neatly slotted it into the far corner by then.
While he had yet to score, all eyes were on
Chan Ze Han by this time, as he had the mien of an seasoned pro, leading the line. There were no hasty decisions, no rushes of blood to the head, as he picked what was on hindsight the right choice, nearly all the time.
Tian Yonghang was for one on the exact same wavelength, and only his physical limitations kept him from capitalizing properly.
But it was not that Chan could not mix it up, either; the half-time changeover had seen
Chu Xin Lee and
Jérémy Tarin enter for Parvathaneni amd Velho, and they were certainly tough to read. Picking his moment well, Chan would sell a feint to Spanish sweeper Marcos Huarte in the 53rd minute, and while Huarte nearly recovered in time, the extra second Chan bought was sufficient for him to make it 3-1 with a calculated finish stroked around the goalie.
A very classy first goal for a cultured player it was, and fine enough that large pockets of the home fans could not find it in themselves to jeer it. They would be compensated for this by a second goal, with Sigurgestur Þorbrandsson rampaging over
Mohd Jafni Abdul Majid in the 67th. No foul was called, and Guðmundur Flókason was on hand to supply the easy tap-in, as Rykowski was forced to cover wide.
The margin was probably closer than besta's possession should have allowed them, and they might yet have built on it, had Grilled not slammed the door shut seven minutes later. Chan was again in the thick of things as he played
Chu Xin Lee in with an understated header, and Chu left Sigþórsson no recourse with an instant volley.
