Yesterday was the official closing down of the National stadium of Singapore, and to make the day a memorable one, 2 matches was conducted, a match featuring Singapore's ex-internationals and Malaysia ex-internationals and another one between Australia and Singapore. I was more interested in the first match between the ex-internationals, the one between the Aussies to me was just like any match, friendly some more, no competitiveness surely, the one between the ex-internationals was special to me, because you can't get to see it ever again, as they are already ex-internationals. But i was disappointed, very disappointed. The match was a huge disappointment. Firstly, the match was scheduled to be only 50 minutes long and the match was a huge bore, other than a few slides, it was just a kickabout for them. Even watching primary school kids play soccer got more kick out of it. Ok, most of them are already quite old, cannot even run, but i did not expect it to be so boring. And the names in the squad are all relatively unknown to youngsters like me, the only players in Singapore's team that i saw playing before are Sundram, Malek Awab and David Lee. Got afew more well-known ones are Quah Kim Song, Dollah Kassim and Terry P. the captain. Whats the point of the match if many of them cannot even run and was out-of-breath in 15 minutes of walking? Only sundram, malek and Terry still got some moves. David Lee at least made a dive. But as it is the last day of soccer matches in National Stadium, why can't the organisers get some quality ex-internationals involved? Where is Fandi Ahmad? Why isn't there fit ex-internationals like Nazir Nasir and Subramani? Older ones like Lim Tong Hai leh? Kadir Yayaha leh? In all, the match was a joke. 50 mins only some more. Ok, maybe the players are old and can't run, but can't they get more fit players involved? Rolling sub is a good choice, a soccer match that is less than 90 mins is not a match at all loh. The keepers from both side did not even made a proper goal kick lah. The referee sucks some more, a dive earns the Malaysia side a penalty in the dying minutes after a early goal by number 7 of Singapore, dunno his name. Dollah Salleh of Malaysia then convert it to make it 1-1. And the biggest joke of the match is if the match ends in a draw, the winner is decided by a coin toss, which Singapore won. WHAT THE HELL!!! Might as well be scissors paper stone to decide the winner.
Then the weather was so hot somemore. As usual the food and drinks in National Stadium are damn ex lah. $2 for a cup of ice with a little drink. Then the proper match match starts, and the referee and linesman SUCKS big time lah. Especially the lines man. No offside, he can see offside, he must have been a writer. But in the first half, quite exciting, Singapore dominated and got 2 huge chances by Indra, but he missed both. The Aussies quite rough lah, but they are huge, so to them it is not rough, especially many of them played in EPL and Serie A. If you think only the keepers in the ex-international game dunno how to take goal kick, then this match will show that it is not only so. The second half was mostly 1-sided, the Aussies anyhow play and score 3. But the lines man really sucks, even Indra cannot take it, he was usually the nicest guy, but this time he made a vulgar sign at the linesman. Maybe the lines man is from China, so do not understand that sign, so he never got any punishment, if not surely a red card. Friendly match only some more, he can get so worked up, so this show how good the lines man is. The atmosphere was not bad, with the Kallang Wave and the "9 honks" followed by a malay word. Actually it is quite funny, in all the matches i had been to, always got this malay word one, but it was always shouted to the opposite team, but will them understand? The Referee Kayu always shouted to referees, but most of the time the refs are chinese, will they understand? Haha, stupid sia. The loudest cheer came when Harry Kewell came on and everybody clap and cheer. Singapore then lost 3-0, all from EPL stars, Viduka 2 and kewell 1.
When the final whistle was blown, 1 singapore player immediately rush to where kewell is and exchanged jersey with him, being typical singaporean- kiasu and EPL crazy. 5 players got exchanged jerseys and 4 were with EPL players, kewell, viduka, emerton and neil. After that, a closing ceremony was shown, and the stadium's floodlight was officially turned off. Very little fireworks were fired, quite cheapskate lah, only about 3 mins worth.
Good Bye, National Stadium, may the new stadium gives us memories as nice as yours!
PS: This might not be the last of soccer match in National Stadium, there might be another between Singapore and Malaysia, wth, this one so ex somemore, cheat our money sia.