The first team line up from DPMM FC

Woohoo.. I salute DPMM FC for their resilience. They are back in business. Few weeks ago, they suffered a minor slip which allowed other teams to play catch in the S•League. However, now they are on a roll. They are still on the summit in the S•League and now they are in the semi-finals of the S•League Cup after beating Woodlands Wellington 3-1.

Why I said resilient is because they came back from behind with 10 minutes left. Once again, prolific scorer Rodrigo Tosi scored twice, once the equalizer and the winning goal late in the game. DPMM FC were already on the verge of elimination and scoring away from home is a big ask especially with limited time left. DPMM FC finished off the job with substitute Adi Said adding the third goal in injury time.

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean praised both Tosi and Alviz for their performance two nights ago.

“Once we scored our first goal, we wanted to get it finished before extra time, and thankfully we did. They had their two strikers very wide upfront and that caused us some problems in defence,” said Steve Kean, who was slightly disappointed with his club after allowing Chang Jo Yoon to score in the 56th minute to break the deadlock.

Now DPMM FC will play Geylang International FC in the semi-finals which will be a tough one. Why? Because DPMM FC drew with Geylang International FC twice (home and away) with a 1-1 score line earlier in the S*League competition. Now this is a different ball game as winner takes all to go into the finals as the winner of this tie will meet either Tanjong Pagar United FC or Hougang United FC in the finals.

Good luck, DPMM FC, and it’s never easy for them especially those who are fasting during the month of Ramadhan. You can read more of the stories here and here.

Image courtesy of Haiqal.

Woodlands Wellington scored first before going down to DPMM FC

Tosi scored twice with the help of Alviz

DPMM FC in action against Woodlands Wellington

 

Steve Kean in cheerful mood after the close victory. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

Written by Phoon Jia Hui of S•League: Brunei DPMM left it late to beat Albirex Niigata (S) as they emerged narrow 4-3 winners over the Japanese outfit in the first leg of the RHB Singapore Cup quarter-final at Jurong East Stadium on Sunday evening.

DPMM coach Steve Kean felt that it was a deserved victory for his side and hailed match-winner Roy O’Donovan.

“I think there were good chances from Albirex but we stuck at it and Wardun’s [Yussof] made a few saves and obviously the woodwork came to the play a few times,” he said after the match.

“Even though we were physically dead, we still tried to keep the shape of the team and even at a time when we don’t play particularly well, the last 60 mins of the game and we still managed to win and that’s a good sign.

“When you have a player like Roy O’Donovan in the side, he can pop up and get a goal late on in the game like he’s showed today as he showed a bit of maturity and class at the end to find the target.”

However, it was a tale of two halves according to the former Blackburn Rovers manager who paid due credit to their opponents.
“Credit to Albirex, I felt they kept going,” he said.

“Like I said before the game, they are a technically good side and they play lots of good football. They came back but we showed the character.

“You’ve seen a total contrast in how the two halves were played, even the last 10 minutes of the first-half I thought it was all-Albirex and I thought they were better in the second-half.

“It’s only half-time, far from finished,” the 46-year-old concluded.

Albirex coach Tatsuyuki Okuyama on the other hand, admitted they put a poor defensive showing and stated that this was an area they had to work on.

“For the first 15 minutes, DPMM were very good offensively and defensively we just could not cope,” said the Japanese.
“We allowed them to attack from the first half and we could not push up the defense line and gave them too much space in midfield that’s why we conceded three goals in 15 minutes.

“Of course im not happy with today’s result, but throughout the season we need to improve on our defence. As for offence, we need to score when we can and we have got strikers who can do that.”

DPMM FC line up last night. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

Boris playing his defensive role. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

Good to see Gamble in the score sheet. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

DPMM FC’s bench. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

The celebration from DPMM FC players. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

 

Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hassan scored a brace in DPMM FC 4-1 win over Harimau Muda. Image courtesy of Alson Ong of S•League

DPMM FC extended their lead at the top of the Singapore League (S-League) to five points after triumphing 4-1 over 10-man Harimau Muda II (Malaysian national Under-21 football team) last Sunday. Brunei’s only professional team continue to lead the 12-team table and are now on 38 points from 18 games.

Ak Fakharazzi Pg Hassan, who was given his first start and only his second appearance for DPMM FC this season, notched a brace in the win at the Pasir Gudang Stadium in Johor, Malaysia. The midfielder gave the visitors the best of starts after finding the back of the net as early as the 10th minute.The lead was doubled after Rodrigo Tosi netted his 16th of the season from the penalty spot five minutes later.

Ak Fakhrazzi made it 3-0 just three minutes after the interval and Irish striker Roy O’Donovan made it nine straight goals for DPMM FC – dating back to their first meeting of the year – without reply against the Malaysian basement dwellers. Akhir Bahari scored a consolation goal for Harimau Muda in the 73rd minute and a red card for Nurshamil Abd Ghani four minutes later summed up the outing for the hosts. Tosi’s strike puts him at 16 goals for the season, his goal leaving him level with Albirex Niigata (S) FC’s Kazuki Sakamoto as the league’s joint top scorers.

DPMM FC will now shift their focus to the Singapore Cup where they will face Albirex in the quarter-finals on Sunday. Text by Yee Chun Leong of The Brunei Times.

Alviz in action against Harimau Muda. Image courtesy of Alson Ong of S•League

Rodrigo scored from a penalty. Image courtesy of Alson Ong of S•League

The table so far

 

What a great run by Geylang International FC! They have beat Tampines Rovers and drew against Harimau Muda before gaining a much needed point against DPMM FC at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Their run have improved gradually and it wasn’t an easy feat to get points of DPMM FC’s home turf and Geylang International FC managed to do it.

DPMM FC were heading into this match with a 3 losing streak in the S•League and the head coach Steve Kean wanted to turn things around. However, DPMM FC had to settle for a goalless draw instead. It could have been all three points for the home side if it wasn’t for the three goal bound efforts that hit the post in the second half.

Geylang International FC keeper Siddiq Durimi was in top form to deny Roy O’Donovan and Roberto Alviz late in the first half. However, the visitors was a much better side in the first half as they dominated possession and proved more hungrier of the two sides. The home side lacked conviction and the partnership of Hendra and captain Bobby in midfield couldn’t control the midfield with ease especially when playing at their home turf.

It was definitely a forgettable first half for DPMM FC and the head coach changed the tactics after the second half, putting Alviz back in a much more central role. Tosi Rodrigo, Roy O’Donovan and Roberto Alviz came very close in breaking the deadlock after the break. It was a much better performance from DPMM FC but the result wasn’t favourable enough as this match was a much needed win for DPMM FC.

For me, the star of the night was Geylang Internatioanal FC’s Aliff Shafaein who was instrumental in his side’s attack. He had a few efforts on target and his penetrating runs made it difficult for DPMM FC to defend as he opened up gaps in their defence. He lifted Geylang’s confidence and bossed the midfield but he ran out of steam in the middle of the second half as he was substituted.

Though it wasn’t a defeat for DPMM FC, Steve Kean believes this is a change of momentum after a run of 3 defeats and this shift will be more favourable in the upcoming matches for DPMM FC. Their next game will be against Courts Young Lions this Wednesday at Jalan Besar Stadium.

Despite the draw, DPMM FC still lead the table with a one-point lead over Warriors FC and defending champions Tampines Rovers. They can extend their lead to four points if they beat Courts Young Lions this Wednesday. All the best, DPMM FC.

DPMM FC vs Geylang International FC

It was good to see kids concentrating till the final whitsle

DPMM FC finally has a clean sheet at the expense of a draw

Great defence by the visitors as well

Go-proing with fans after the match

The media waiting to interview the head coach of DPMM FC

 

Catch this match on Saturday, 14th June

Three in a row in the S•League. That wasn’t the script as planned for DPMM FC. One stage DPMM FC was 7 points ahead in the summit. Today their cushion has been cut to just one point after 3 consecutive losses in the S•League but Home United can overtake the leaderboard should they win tonight against Hougang United.

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean is confident that DPMM FC can bounce back against Geylang International FC tomorrow night (Saturday) at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

“It might 3 league losses in a row but we have a big win in between. So it’s two defeats in a row but it’s never nice. I still feel we have enough qualities. We played too deep against Tampines Rovers and it gives us something to work on and we just had some training session to get things right. I think the worrying thing is you don’t know why you lost and you don’t know why you didn’t play. This one we know we were far too deep,” shared Steve Kean.

“We will definitely pick up from our previous game and we actually have against Tampines. We know these were gonna be tough games. If we get a good game against Geylang, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be back to where we started.”

Geyland International currently sits at 8th place in the S•League and the last time DPMM FC played them at Bedok Stadium, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. So let’s hope for a victory for DPMM FC tomorrow night.

DPMM FC’s last three games in the S•League

Warriors FC 1 DPMM FC 0
DPMM FC 2 Home united 3
Tampines Rovers FC 2 DPMM FC 1

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean having a word with the players after training

DPMM FC recent 2-1 loss against Tampines Rovers FC. Image taken by Halim Zul Hakim.

The standings so far

 

[Report by Yee Chun Leong]: Their Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel and Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim laced up their football boots to participate in a football clinic conducted by Singapore League (S-League) leaders DPMM FC yesterday.

Two sessions were held for two different batches at the International School Brunei (ISB) in Berakas – the first for Years 1 to 3 and the second for Years 4 to 6.

Each session consisted of three 10-minute drills, and once completed, the students competed in a 10 minute game.

Speaking to The Brunei Times, DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean felt that the standard of football in the school is good.

“Technically, the children are very good (and) I was mentioning that to the management and players,” said Kean before the start of the second session yesterday.

“What is good is that we have split the kids into positions where we have attackers, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers – so we have our players that play in those positions doing some individual coaching.

“It was really good for the kids to spend time with their favourite players – especially those that play the same position,” continued Kean, who handed out pesambah in the form of jerseys to the two princes.

Other students also had the opportunity to meet Kean and DPMM FC players as well as grab their autographs during a meet-and-greet session mid-way through the event at the school’s hall.
Brunei’s only professional club also handed out 100 tickets for their S-League match against Home United at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas on Friday.

DPMM FC had previously visited the Sports School in April and Muda Hashim Secondary School in Tutong in May. However, only question and answer sessions were held then.

Images courtesy of ISB.

His Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel

His Royal Highnesses Prince ‘Abdul Muntaqim

Signing ceremony

Steve Kean speaking to the students

DPMM FC are looking to carry their Singapore Cup momentum into the S-League after demolishing Global FC of the Philippines 7-0 in their Singapore Cup opener at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore on Saturday.

DPMM FC continue to lead the S-League standings with 31 points from 13 matches.

Warriors FC closed the gap to four points after beating the leaders 1-0 at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium in Singapore on May 22, the result ending DPMM FC’s seven-game S-League winning streak.

Three-time defending champions Tampines Rovers follow on 25 points while Home United are further adrift by a point.

Albirex Niigata FC (S) round off the top five on 23 points.

Group photo

 

Report by Syarif Rasani of The Brunei Times: DPMM FC tasted sweet revenge as they thrashed Global FC 7-0 to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Singapore Cup at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore last Friday.

Their previous clash in last year’s edition of the tournament saw Global FC of the Philippines knocked them out 5-4 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

DPMM FC’s goal scoring machines – Roy O’Donovan and Rodrigo Tosi – were again on target as they shared a total of five goals between them in a game that proved the total dominance of the Bruneian club.

O’Donovan capped his stellar performance with fine a hat-trick scoring in the 59th, 78th and 89th minutes to make him the leading scorer in the Singapore Cup.

Tosi, who is currently the top scorer in the Singapore League with 12 goals, hit the back of the net in the 57th and 70th minutes.

The remaining goals were knocked in by Azwan Salleh in the 80th minute and Shahrazen Said in the 90th, who was a late substitute in the 82nd minute for Tosi.

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean felt that his boys played a fantastic game in the second-half.
“I felt that in the first half probably our players were all too wide,” Kean told the media.

“We were making it very easy for the Global FC’s full backs, so what we did after half-time was play very narrow on the pitch because I felt that Global FC’s two holding midfield players were getting on the ball too much.

“We really turned the middle of the pitch to our advantage so that Joe Gamble, Hendra Azam and Rosmin Kamis could control the game from middle, making it difficult for the two central players of Global FC.

“I also pushed another player up front because I wanted Tosi to drop in midfield a little bit when we didn’t have the ball. I told to him just stay up as a striker and let’s just try to win the ball in the middle and then play off the front end quicker and squeeze the game much higher.

“Historically, we don’t have a good record in this competition but I don’t believe that history comes in always because every year you have a new team.

“I think the main thing for us is that we just have to keep trying hard to keep clean sheets both in the S-League and now in this competition.

“I said at the beginning of the season I think that we have a competitive squad that can compete in the three competitions, so why not win this competition because it’s a fantastic one to win,” added Kean.

DPMM FC will be joining Tanjong Pagar United, Balestier Khalsa, Geylang International, Albirex Niigata (S), Tampines Rovers and Home United in the quarter-finals.

The DPMM FC line up against Global FC at Jalan Besar Stadium. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.

Goal celebration after Tosi scored. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.

Najib in action for DPMM Fc. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.

Great clearance by Subhi as he clears the ball for a corner. Image courtesy of Great Eastern Yeo’s S League Facebook Page.

Roy scored a hat-trick while Tosi scored twice.

After the match

DPMM FC celebrated at the dressing room

 

Steve Kean ain’t going anywhere and he is happy in Brunei

You may have heard about the ongoing rumours on goal.com where Steve Kean was rumoured to make a move to Thailand Premier League club but the news were all false and DPMM FC head coach has assured the management and fans of DPMM FC that he is staying put. In yesterday’s interview, he dismissed claim and he shared that these kinda of rumours or football news are pretty common during his reign in the English Premier League years.

Kean shared that he never been in contact with any other club and he believed that such news could be a deliberate act to disrupt the momentum of DPMM FC who are leading the pack with a 7 point cushion. However, that lead could be shortened to just four points as S•League chasers Warriors FC beat DPMM FC at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Singapore. A win for DPMM FC will surge them 10 points ahead of the pack.

Steve Kean did mention that the four games (Albirex, Warriors, Home and Tampines) are the biggest matches within this two weeks. Victories in all these matches, according to Kean, will determine the course of their season. The return of Boris Raspudic is a major boost for DPMM FC but defender Aziz Tamit was ruled of tonight’s game through a minor ankle injury. The other worry for DPMM FC tonight is three of their import players Rodrigo Tosi, Roberto Alviz and Roy O’Donovan are one yellow card away from being suspended. So it’s important on the intensity of the match the players will play tonight.

Will the RT combo strike force of Roy and Tosi bring another crucial away points tonight and increase their winning streak to 8? We shall find out tonight when Warriors FC (2) takes on DPMM FC (1) at Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Singapore.

The highlights between Warriors FC and DPMM FC last night

At one stage, DPMM FC were 10 points ahead in the competition as they were on a hot streak with seven consecutive victories. Last night, Warriors FC handed DPMM FC their second loss of the season with a narrow 1-0 victory. The goal was courtesy of a set-piece in the first half through Hafiz Rahim. DPMM FC were missing Aziz Tamit who was nursing an ankle injury as Shahrul took his defensive duties with the return of Boris Raspudic in defence.

DPMM FC had an early chance to grab the lead. Perhaps it was the best chance of the game when Roy O’Donovan raced unchallenged with only the keeper to beat but Warriors FC keeper Hassan Sunny foiled his attempt. The keeper was up to the task to parry off Roberto Alviz’s free kick a minute later. Warriors FC had plenty of scoring opportunities as well but Wardun made many crucial saves.

A great job by Warriors FC defence led by captain Daniel Bennett who was partnered by Marin Vidosevic to keep a clean sheet against the highest scoring team in the league. The victory now puts Warriors FC four points away from league leaders DPMM FC. No wonder Steve Kean said the four big games (Albirex, Warriors, Home and Tampines) are vital.

DPMM FC head coach said, “Warriors played better in the first half. We were a little bit slow to push forward and Warriors won a lot of second balls.”

DPMM FC next game will be next weekend when they take on Global FC in the RHB Cup in Singapore before their crucial match against Home United FC on Friday 6th of June at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

Images below courtesy of Abel Khoo (Singapore).

DPMM FC line up last night

DPMM FC in against Warriors FC

Warriors celebrating Hafiz Rahim’s winning goal

DPMM FC coming close in scoring the equalizing goal

DPMM FC fans from Brunei Shell Marketing and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (Brunei)

Warriors FC with their supporters

 

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HRH Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (R) and HRH Prince ‘Abdul Malik (L) and other members of the Royal Family during last night’s Singapore League match between DPMM FC and Albirex Nigata at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas. Image taken by Saiful Omar of The Brunei Times.

The game seemed familiar. When I covered the first match where DPMM FC took on Albirex Niigata (S) FC a few months ago in Singapore, the Japanese club was relentless with their possession and mounted series of attack on DPMM FC’s goal area. Last night was no different story. Albirex gave it their all last night and they gave DPMM FC fans a little scare as the visitors were more adventurous (in the first half). DPMM FC came back from a goal down to beat a resilient Japanese team 2-1 with goals courtesy of Roy O’Donovan and Rodrigo Tosi.

In the first half, DPMM FC found it hard to settle down as the visitors had more possession and control in midfield. Wardun Yussof was the busiest goalkeeper of the two and he settled the nerves of the home supporters with his heroic saves. DPMM FC mustered a few scoring opportunities too but the Japanese keeper Kazuki Kishigami was up to the task, thwarting Roy O’Donovan twice from close range shots. DPMM FC could have stolen the lead as well when their set piece from a corner hit the frame of the post.

DPMM FC looked nervy at the back at times and they surely were missing the experience of Boris Raspudic who was suspended for this game. However, all that changed in the second half though it was the visitors that broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute through a defensive error and Itsuki Yamada gave a much deserved lead for the visitors to the disappointment of the home fans.

To be title contenders, you need to have character and guile. DPMM FC showed those qualities right after they conceded the goal. I noticed Steve Kean changed the formation to counter the possession game that Albirex were enjoying in the first half. It proved fruitful as Kean deployed Rosmin Khamis and Joe Gamble in midfield and pushed Roberto Alviz wider than his usual role.

One of the reasons for DPMM FC’s 32 goal tally was the club marquee player Roy O’Donovan who is perhaps one of the fastest S•League player and the first goal, the equalizer, was a result of his pace as he stole possession of Albirex’ scorer and raced from midfield before delivering a thunderous drive for a 1-1 score line.

O’Donovan was again instrumental in the winning goal as he was brought down in the box and referee had no choice but to point to the penalty spot which Rodrigo Tosi took the honours in the 72nd minute. DPMM FC began to search for another cushion goal but it never came as Steve Kean opted his players to slow down the game and maintain the slender lead.

The lads celebrated after the final whistle and it was indeed DPMM FC’s toughest test to date at their home ground. The match could have gone either way but Steve Kean’s tactics proved to be the winning formula for last night’s match. Now DPMM FC enjoy a 10 point cushion lead in the S•League with 32 goals scored and 6 goals conceded. This is the best run that DPMM FC have experienced ever since they join the S•League.

The next three games – Warriors FC (away 22nd May), Home United (home 6th June) and Tampines (away 10th June) will determine DPMM FC’s season if they are title contenders or title pretenders.

The winning goal celebration after Rodrigo Tosi scored from the penalty and he has scored 12 goals in the S•League campaign. Last night DPMM FC beat Albirex Niigata (S) FC 2-1 at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium.

Steve Kean, DPMM FC head coach, was in jubilant mood after Tosi scored the winning goal

The Yes Chants still going strong

Tosi taking photo opportunity with fans

Selfies from the crowd

DPMM FC merchandise on sale at Gate 12/13