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發表於 2010-9-28 10:03:36
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RHB Singapore Cup: Gombau plots spanner in Etoile works
Paul Green
[email protected]
On the face of it Etoile FC’s quarterfinal first-leg clash with Hong Kong visitors Kitchee SC at Queenstown Stadium is an RHB Singapore Cup match that should be a breeze for the Frenchmen.
After all, Etoile lead the Great Eastern-YEO’S S.League standings and are bent on going for the treble, having annexed the League Cup earlier in the season.
But the visitors are keen to spoil those ambitions, taking to the field for some intensive training within an hour or so of checking into their hotel, and the players looked both sharp and skilful as they enjoyed their first of two sessions, a day apart, on Sunday evening.
Kitchee might have surprised some with the manner of their preliminary round win over Beijing Guoan Talent at Yishun Stadium back in May, won by the visitors 2-1 after extra time.
Their coach, Spaniard Josep Gombau, was nonetheless firm in his belief that his side could win that opening match.
Since then the team had been further strengthened as the domestic campaign kicked off only three games ago, and new players were brought in for that purpose.
The spin-off is that a stronger side is here now, attempting to get past Etoile and move into the semifinals of the RHB Singapore Cup.
“We knew Beijing were a good side, but we felt we could beat them, even on their own ground,” said Gombau of his club’s first ever appearance in the local Singapore Cup competition.
Truth is, the mainlanders were reduced to ten men and played the extra-time period a man short after the sending-off of Yu Yang handed out on 90 minutes by referee P. Pandian, who had cautioned the player twice to earn him that dismissal.
Kitchee have recruited former Tai Po captain So Loi Keung, a Hong Kong-born midfielder, to boost their ranks, and have brought in three new Spanish players too.
They already had Spanish defender Ubay Luzardo, and have now added Fernando Recio to support him.
Two other Spaniards came in, one of whom, 34-year-old Roberto ‘El Chino’ Losada, travelled with the team, but will sit this match out, having suffered an injury during his team’s last game on Thursday, a 6-0 hammering of the hapless Hong Kong FC.
That is quite a blow as the veteran has seen action with Real Valladolid, Real Mallorca and Real Oviedo.
The other new player, though, is 29-year-old striker Jordi Tarres, who looked sharp during training.
Kitchee are currently sitting second on the Hong Kong First Division ladder with a draw and two wins from their opening matches, and were third last season in the ten-team competition.
They last won the league back in 1963-64, but were finalists in the Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield last season and are clearly a club on the way up again right now.
Gombau, who is with the club for his second season, explained that he works with assistant coach, 37-year-old Ricky Cheng Siu Chung, a former national team player and a star with Kitchee himself in his playing days.
Chung’s parents moved to Costa Rica from Hong Kong, but he later returned to settle in his homeland, and as a result is fluent in Spanish, English and Cantonese.
Working as a TV reporter for local Hong Kong station ‘NOW’ in his day job, Chung works closely with full-time senior coach Gombau, relaying the instructions given in Spanish to the players, who may not fully understand without his help.
As the team completed some highly sophisticated routines targeted mostly on team tactics and attacking drills, Gombau yelled out in English the players’ positions which they at least understood, like ‘left midfield’, ‘central defender’, ‘striker’, etc..
Not especially happy with the condition of the pitch at Queenstown, Gombau asked about his opponents, Etoile.
“They must be good as they are top of the league, but do you think they will rest some players against us?” he enquired hopefully.
Kitchee will not be short on height against a team boasting the lanky Frederic Mendy, as all of their Spanish players are tall and robust individuals as well.
They clearly appear to favour an attacking game.
“We will not play any differently in this game than any other,” said the 34-year-old fair-haired coach.
“Our philosophy is always to play positively, and we’ll continue to play that way in every game.”
One man who will not be around this time, as the RHB Singapore Cup preliminary round match was played at the tail end of the 2009-10 Hong Kong season, is winning goalscorer Cheng Lai Hin Michael, who has been snapped up by rivals and 2009-10 champions South China FC.
That should not be a problem, however, judging by the skills on show at training and the team bonding that looked strong, from a first impression at least.
As for their opponents, Etoile chairman Johan Gouttefangeas was wary of the Hong Kong side’s abilities.
“This game is a good opportunity for us to test ourselves against international competition,” he cooed.
“I have many contacts in football in Hong Kong and I am familiar with the standard there which is quite high. I saw some matches there and we must respect our opponents as it is a good league.”
The French team are likely to miss the services of recent recruit and utility player Stephane N’cho, who picked up a hamstring injury about a week ago.
Other than that the chairman, who had not spoken to his coach Patrick Vallee about his plans in any detail, could not say if Etoile would rest any players for this first leg game with the pressing demands of the S.League title race so much in mind.
“Matthias (Verschave) is fit, he trained since the last game without any difficulties,” said Gouttefangeas of his striker and skipper.
The captain, who scored the goal against Gombak United after coming off the bench at half-time, had been under an injury cloud more than once before some recent games.
It seems the elder statesman of the side is able to play his part to the full again, after those doubts had been removed with solid training performances.
It is possible that coach Vallee might well decide to give fringe players such as Jean-Charles Blanpin, Nordine Talhi and Anthony Moulin a run this time, though they may need to wait on the bench for some action as the game unfolds.
This being their first year in action, Etoile will not suffer from any suspensions carried over from last season and, apart from N’cho, have a full squad to select from.
A first leg at Queenstown and a second leg at their more fancied Jalan Besar Stadium look tailor-made for a fast-track into the semifinals for the French outfit.
But this is Cup football, and anything can happen, even over two legs. |
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發表於 2010-9-26 03:48:11
講一套做一套, 支持派兵但唔落場呀嘛...