DPMM FC vs Woodlands  

Let’s not take the lead for granted. DPMM FC can increase the gap to four points should they bag all three points tonight against Woodlands Wellington. So far the visitors are ranked 10th in the 12 team league and on paper, DPMM FC must grab all three points.

There are only two more games left before they proceed to the third round. So it’s best that they avoid any slip ups and end of a high positive note in the second round of the S•League.

Tampines Rovers FC had the chance to overtake DPMM FC last night but only managed a 2-2 draw against Albirex Niigata FC. DPMM FC won’t be taking Woodlands very lightly.

Steve Kean shared that the team has been training vey hard and hope they won’t be any individual errors.

It’s good to know that Roy O’Donovan and captain Rosmin Kamis will be back from suspension though Joe Gamble will be missing due to suspense.

Adi Said who has been on hot scoring form will start again and he has been scoring for DPMM FC for the last three matches.

So do catch DPMM FC vs Woodlands Wellington FC tonight at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. For your info, the grandstand seating area will not be available and all the tickets will be sold for $5.

DPMM FC training yesterday at Jerudong Mini Stadium. Image courtesy of The Brunei Times.

 

Another stalemate  

The first team line-up for DPMM FC against Balestier Khalsa FC last night
BALESTIER KHALSA FC 3 (Kim Min Ho 3, Goran Ljubojevic 21, 70)

BRUNEI DPMM FC 3 (Adi Said 50, Rodrigo Tosi 65, 73)

Report by REDZWAN KAMARUDIN (Correspondent for rano360.com)

DPMM FC returned to action by coming back from two goals down to snatch a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Balestier Khalsa at the Toa Payoh Stadium last night.

The league leaders were clearly missing their captain Rosmin Kamis and marquee signing Roy O’Donovan through suspensions, as the team clearly lacked the hunger and bite in front of goal.
After the match, head coach Steve Kean said he was impressed by how hard his team fought to come back from behind, but admitted his defense could have done better.

He said, “We put too much pressure on ourselves, if we have to score four goals away from home, that’s not good.

“We were slow in the first half, and we conceded poor goals. The back four were quiet and we let ourselves get bullied in the air and in the box.

“When you miss your most experienced player like Bobby it’s difficult because you look to him for guidance and we really missed him tonight.

“We normally score goals, but we’ve got to stop leaking the goals. We’ll need to work on our defensive showing for the future games.”

The Tigers were up 2-0 at half time courtesy of goals from Kim Min Ho and Goran Ljubojevic, but like they’ve done so many times before, they stormed in the second half, and managed to score three goals.

Right after the second half whistle, DPMM came out of the blocks with all guns blazing, with Adi Said, who replaced Awangku Fakhrulrazi at half time, opened the scoring in the 47th minute and Rodrigo Tosi’s looping header in the 65th minute leveled the scores. For Adi, he has bagged 8 goals in 6 games where the last five matches were from his heroic performances in the recent Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy 2014 tournament.

Ljubojevic thought he had sealed all three points for his side after scoring Balestier’s third goal in the 70th minute, but Tosi again denied the home side as he rifled in his second goal of the night, and DPMM’s equalizer just three minutes later.

It was a pity that the game ended with a sending off of Syed Taha of Balestier and Joe Gamble of DPMM FC. This would mean a suspension for Joe Gamble in the next game.

While the result strengthened DPMM’s lead atop the Great-Eastern Yeo’s S.League with 40 points, title rivals and defending champions Tampines Rovers are only two points behind and have a game in hand. They could take over Steve Kean’s charges if they beat Tanjong Pagar tonight.

“I’m pleased that we changed our game from the very first minute of the second half. We could have won the game, but we need to improve our defending. We need to get those clean sheets again.” Kean added.

Photos taken by Alfie Lee of S•League.

 

Balestier keeper in action 

A six goal thriller between Balestier and DPMM FC 

Rodrigo Tosi, once again, proving to be a threat upfront for DPMM FC

 

DPMM FC squandered points at home  

 It wasn’t a big turnout last night at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Maybe the Raya festive season is not over yet.Adi Said was the star of the night but it was Hougang United FC who stole a point with a late equalizer. This can become a familiarity area for DPMM FC to give away points in the dying minutes. Previously Tampines Rovers FC scored in the dying seconds to change the course of the game. Last night was no different. Hougang United FC are one tough cookie and they celebrated the draw as if they won the match.

If DPMM FC just disciplined themselves late in the game to hold the game, it would have been a great three point effort match especially coming back from behind and furthermore, they played at their home. In the dying minutes, Geison Moura broke the hearts of DPMM FC as he scored the equalizer right after a great throw-in effort by the visitors. The match ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw but the first half was kinda forgettable indeed. DPMM FC were toothless upfront and they didn’t look as hungry as they were during the training I observed a couple of days ago.

After the break, Hougang United FC drew first blood through Nurhilmi Jasni in the 53rd minute, right off a counter attack and caught DPMM FC’s defence napping. It was definitely a wake up call for DPMM FC after the visitors scored. Before the goal, DPMM FC looked more dangerous in attack and they could have broke the deadlock earlier on. Roberto’s close range shot drove over the bar in the 51st minute and that miss proved costly as the visitors scored immediately from a run of play.

DPMM FC’s Maudadi had a great performance on the field in the first half before being replaced by the star of the evening, Adi Said who scored a brace. In the 75th minute, Adi Said benefited from a corner as his header went past the keeper with ease in the 75th minute. However, it was his second goal that was a piece of magic. He collected a pass of his teammate and he made a rasping drive past the keeper from a diagonal angle. As you know, he was not certain to play for DPMM FC as he is listed for the upcoming Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy. It was good that he was made available for this game and that made a lot of difference when both Donovan and Rodrigo couldn’t find the net.

Rodrigo could have made it 3-1 late in the game. It could be even contender for goal of the season. He flicked an incoming pass with the side of his boots and then volleyed a dipping shot from 30 yards that rattled the bar to the relieve of Hougang’s keeper. Even I couldn’t believe that wasn’t a goal. That would have put the game in the bag with a valuable three points for the home side.

Shahrazen also had one or two efforts that would add more cushion on the lead. In the end, Geison Moura’s goal overshadowed Adi Said’s heroics as a super sub and DPMM FC had to settle for a point.

The result meant that DPMM FC are now one point ahead of Tampines Rovers FC in the S•League. With three games left in the second round, DPMM FC must focus on their training as they have a three week break before the league commence.

 

Roy O’Donovan was just unlucky not to get a goal or two 

Adi Said scored two goals but wasn’t enough to steal all three points 

A minor scuffle that could have gone bad 

 

 

DPMM FC to extend lead  

DPMM FC will take on Hougang United FC tomorrow night at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Finally the S•League has commenced after a long break due to cup matches. Tampines Rovers and the rest have caught up with DPMM FC winning their respective matches and now the pressure is back on league leaders DPMM FC to maintain or even increase the lead.

Tampines Rovers are now level on points with DPMM FC though DPMM FC can restore their lead soon tomorrow night. So do come and support DPMM FC tomorrow at the stadium and you can also stand a chance to win a ticket to KL and Jakarta sponsored by Royal Brunei Airlines.

What Steve Kean has to say for tomorrow’s match.

RA: How’s the intensity between the Singapore League Cup and (now back to the) S•League?

Steve Kean: “It’s a different intensity (the S•League and the Cup matches) and it’s good that we are back in the league now. We have a positive experience from the Singapore League Cup and we are looking forward to the next four games. But we don’t want to look far ahead and make sure we get the results tomorrow and hope a great game.

RA: Tampines Rovers are now same points with DPMM FC. Your thoughts?

Steve Kean: “Yes, they are on the same points but we are ahead on goal difference. That’s gonna happen usually at the end of the season that teams are gonna play before us and put the pressure on us. It’s not really about them but it is about us maintaining the standards. If we keep the standards, we can beat anybody.”

RA: Will any of the loaned players to HBT be featured in Sunday’s game?

Steve Kean: “It is a possibility that they are made available and the U-21 are playing against Sabah later and we gonna see if we can borrow some of them. Of course, when the competition starts for real, we are not gonna get them.”

RA: I realised the training has vastly improved over the season.

Steve Kean: “I said that on a number of occasions that you have the advantage to see them training live but the supporters will see the intensity, the technique, the passing. I think everyone has improved and this is a good thing as everyone wants to play and everyone is challenging for position.”

RA: Aiming for a big win or a clean sheet?

Steve Kean: “Just a win. At this stage, it’s all about getting wins, however it comes. It doesn’t matter if we just score one goal against any opposition. We always like to get a clean sheet but we will try to increase the intensity of the game really quick and control the game. In the cup competitions, we have at least 60% possession and we want to maintain that intensity and we will have a successful evening.

 

DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean’s training scheme has paid off over the months 

DPMM FC players have gelled immensely as a unit, physically fitter and mentally prepared for challenges. I’ve noticed the difference in their training yesterday at the Jerudong Mini Stadium. 

Both keepers of DPMM FC had a good training session. 

  

 

Crown Prince lifts trophy 

 

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at Prime Minister’s Office and DPMM FC chairman during the doa blessing on the handover of the trophy

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at Prime Minister’s Office and DPMM FC chairman, was happy with DPMM FC’s progress so far this season. The Crown Prince showed his satisfaction over DPMM FC’s recent triumph during the Singapore League Cup where the club won its third Cup last week (after winning in 2009 and 2012).

The handover presentation took place last Monday as the Crown Prince received the trophy from DPMM FC vice-chairman YAM Pg Maharaja Setia Laila Diraja Sahibul Irshad Pg Anak Haji Abdul Rahim Pg Indera Mahkota Pg Anak (Dr) Kemaludin Al-Haj, DPMM FC head coach Steve Kean and DPMM FC manager Ali Momin.

All present during the handover was the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and representatives from NFABD and also the sponsors of DPMM FC club and the management and players of DPMM FC at the Jerudong Mini Stadium.

Steve Kean aims at completing all three cups (Singapore League Cup, Singapore League and the Singapore Cup). For your info, Singapore League leaders DPMM FC are also in the semi-finals of the Singapore Cup.

DPMM FC will be taking on Hougang United FC this Sunday at 8pm at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium. Let’s hope of them to extend their lead at the S•League. The visitors have proven to be a hard team to beat and unpredictable as well.

 

The handover of the Singapore League Cup over to the Crown Prince

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, The Crown Prince was all smiles last Monday

Also in attendance were the representatives from the Ministry, NFABD and sponsors

Group photo with the Crown Prince

Representatives of some of the sponsors during the handover

DPMM FC players witnessing the handover

Sairol with the trophy
 

 

DPMM FC gets warm reception 

 

Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid Hj Mohd Jaafar (pic) , the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and representatives from NFABD and senior officers of MCYS welcomed the champions of the Singapore League Cup 2014 DPMM FC at the Brunei International Airport. Click image to enlarge.

DPMM FC in high mode

The Hadrah boys welcoming the DPMM FC players upon arrival

The proud players of DPMM FC and well deserved for the trophy

Captain Rosmin “Bobby” Kamis taking photo with a fan

Blessing the arrival with a doa selamat

Roberto Alviz’ son eager to see his dad

Mingling time with the players

Boris Raspudic has scored two goals for DPMM FC but he said he preferred to score on the big stage and he did when he scored the opening goal against Tanjong Pagar United FC in the finals of the Singapore League Cup. Brunei won 2-0 to lift the cup for the third time.
 

 

Title number 3  

The first eleven of DPMM FC

DPMM FC are on a roll. Even during Ramadhan, they were still able to perform to their best and that shows a lot about the mental strength and the physical aspect of DPMM FC players and being on the road for almost two weeks is not an easy feat for the players. It takes a lot of focus and being present and achieve their goal step-by-step. What more can you ask for and a big shout out to Steve Kean who slowly build up the team from Day 1 (pre-season training) and you can see how much they have improved immensely over the course of the period.

Last night DPMM FC made it history for winning a hat-trick of Singapore League Cup. Tanjong Pagar United FC were considered the underdogs as they were up against two-time champions then DPMM FC and furthermore, DPMM FC also have a psychological advantage as they beat Tanjong Pagar 4-0 back in May at Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium in the S•League matches.

However, last night was a different matter as it was a winner-takes-it-all match. I knew DPMM FC will have the edge due to their experience factor and their on-going momentum heading into the finals. DPMM FC were on the verge of defeat as their semi-final match was stretched to a penalty shoot-out but Wardun Yussof became the hero with two crucial saves.

In the final match, DPMM FC opened the scoring through a Boris header off a corner in the 35th minute. Tanjong Pagar United FC did have their chances but were wasteful upfront. After the break, Adi Said who deputized for the suspended Rodrigo Tosi made it 2-0 for DPMM FC in the 47th minute. Tanjong Pagar have themselves to blame for not converting their chances and it could be the nerves that got the better of them.

Kudos to the DPMM FC players and also the management and the people involved in guiding the club to greater heights. Let’s not forget the 12th man of DPMM FC and that is the fans of DPMM FC. They do make a difference in bringing up the morale of the players and thank you for believing in them too.

DPMM FC will be touching down later today in the afternoon at 2:15pm and you all are more than welcome to greet them at the Brunei International Airport later and celebrate their success. Images taken by Alson Ong of S•League

 

Adi Said repaid his faith from Steve Kean and scored a goal 

Adi Said showed his athletic skill as he avoided a tackle  

Boris Raspudic was in fine form, for scoring and holding a clean sheet in defence 

A close effort by Tanjong Pagar United FC but they found it hard to break the walls of DPMM FC 

Reliable Captain Rosmin “Bobby” Kamis led the team with his great leadership presence 

Azwan Salleh attempting to block a cross 

Roy O’Donovan had a superb campaign in this tournament 

A big hand to the runners-up of the tournament 

DPMM FC – Singapore League Cup champions 2014 

Wardun Yussof’s a happy man 

Now let’s take a selfie 

Steve Kean has turned DPMM FC players around from last season’s failure into a success 

The DPMM FC fans last night at Jalan Besar Stadium 

 

The highlights of the final of Singapore League Cup between DPMM FC and Tanjong Pagar United FC

 

 

Almost there…  

Wardun Yussof the hero with his team mates after the victory. Image courtesy of Wardun

Both sides couldn’t defeat one another. Another two draws (home and away) in the S•League, this was more like a decider of who are the better of the two. Geylang International FC are not pushovers and they have improved from last season and they even made it to the semi-finals of the Singapore League Cup. But they can only be one winner since it’s a play-off tournament.

After a stalemate match that went on for 120 minutes, there was no other choice than the lottery of the penalty shootout. This then became the battle of the goalkeepers with Wardun Yussof the important key player for DPMM FC. He became the hero of the night thwarting two penalties from Geylang International FC, first from Leonel Felice and Hafiz Nor while Khairulnizam smashed his effort onto the crossbar.

Then Irish Joe Gamble had the less pressure of the lot as he scored the winning penalty to make it 3-0 on penalties. Roy O’Donovan and Alviz have earlier converted their penalties.

Here was what Wardun Yussof had to say during the interview with The Brunei Times.

“I’ve seen the first penalty taker before in a previous game,” he told The Brunei Times after the triumph. “I knew that the first save was important because it is a big confidence booster for the team. Overall I thought we played well. Geylang were very stubborn in defence and looked to go on counterattacks.”

Now DPMM FC will face Tanjong Pagar FC in the finals of the Singapore League Cup after they defeated Hougang United FC through penalties. The finals will be played some time this week at Jalan Besar Stadium.

 

Roy O’Donovan couldn’t find net in 120 minutes but he scored the first important penalty during the shoot-out. Image taken by Abel Khoo. 

Joe Gamble made it certain that DPMM FC reach the finals. Image taken by Abel Khoo 

Celebration in order. Image taken by Abel Khoo 

DPMM FC fans in jubilant mood. Image taken by Abel Khoo 

Can Steve Kean win his first silverware in his first season? Image taken by Abel Khoo

Highlights between DPMM FC and Geylang International FC

 

 

 

DPMM FC in semis  

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

Highlights of the match between DPMM FC and Woodsland Wellington

  

 

DPMM FC left it late  

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.