SPL : An 8-goal thriller led to Albirex Niigata's downfall in final game of the season!
(Albirex Niigata settle for 2nd place finish - Image from Live stream)
By Sadat Osman
On the final matchday (10 Oct) of the 2021 Singapore Premier League (SPL) season, where defending champions Albirex Niigata FC (ANFCS) needed a big win to secure the league title, it was their opponents from Tanjong Pagar United FC (TPUFC) who fought hard and delivered one of the greatest comeback stories in the league's history! Final score was a 4-4 draw at the Jurong East Stadium on Sunday evening.
In shocking fashion, the Jaguars took the lead in the 12th minute when the SPL’s Goalkeeper of the Year made a mistake with a misplaced pass. After receiving a back pass from a team-mate, Albirex custodian Takahiro Koga played the ball directly to TPUFC's Anaqi Ismit. The striker took advantage of the opportunity and launched a left-footed effort into an empty net from long range. 1-0 to the Jags!
(Tsuboi scores for Albirex - Photo by Football Assn of Singapore)
It didn’t take long for the White Swans to level things. 8 minutes after conceding, Kiyoshiro Tsuboi scored his first of the evening after he connected with Takahiro Tezuka’s cross from the left-hand side. In an unusual fashion, the striker used his chest to direct the ball past Zharfan Rohaizad, who was left stranded.
2 minutes later, Jaguars defender Shahrin Saberin’s clumsy challenge against Tsuboi inside the box saw him concede a penalty as the former also earned a yellow card. Tsuboi stepped up and found the bottom corner with ease. Zharfan guessed the correct side, but the power in the shot ensured he had no chance. It's 2-1 to Albirex.
(Tsuboi puts Albirex 3-1 up - Photo by Football Assn of Singapore)
With a minute left of regulation time in the first half, Tsuboi picked up his hat-trick. Ong Yu En did well to spot Tsuboi’s run and he released a peach of a through pass to give his colleague a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. Then, the ANFCS forward picked his spot and slotted past the onrushing Zharfan to make it 3-1.
And just when we thought the first half was over, the White Swans’ rampant attack didn’t stop there. In the 47th minute, Fikri launched his umpteenth cross from the left wing. Tsuboi managed to time his run correctly to beat his marker to the ball and score from close range. It's 4-1 at the halftime break!
(TPUFC's Fathullah scores from long range - Photo by Football Assn of Singapore)
After the interval, instead of piling on the same pressure, it looked like ANFCS took a foot off the pedal, and this allowed the Jaguars to begin their comeback. In the 63rd minute, Fathullah Rahmat started a darting run down the middle before linking up with substitute Khairul Amri for a one-two. The 19-year-old latched onto the return pass, saw Koga off his line and decided to go for the spectacular. His dipping effort almost 15 meters outside the box, beat the flailing custodian and found the net. Score was 4-2.
The White Swans were in clear disarray, especially when they thought they got their 5th goal of the evening. After strong protests from the Jaguars side, the referee reversed his decision and disallowed Tsuboi’s effort, as he was adjudged to have pushed Jags defender Faritz Hameed in the proceedings that led to the goal.
With the wind knocked out of ANFCS’ sails, Anaqi bagged his brace in the 73rd minute, after he managed to control Shodai Nishikawa’s cross with his chest and fire home from close range. Score was 4-3.
(Reo Nishigushi scores for TPUFC - Photo by Football Assn of S'pore)
The White Swans were still fighting to score more goals, as they needed to overcome the massive goal difference against the Lion City Sailors, but they were constantly denied. This allowed a dogged TPUFC side to claw back and finally score the equaliser 4 minutes from time. Reo Nishigushi started a move from the middle of the park and his Leo Messi-esque run saw him beat all oncoming defenders. He drifted into the middle before curling his effort past the goalkeeper to level the score at 4-4.
With the final whistle, the White Swans finish the season in 2nd place with 46 points - conceding the SPL title to the Lion City Sailors (48 points), while the Jaguars sit at 5th spot with 22 points, 2 above Geylang International FC.
Sadat Osman had a 10-year career in the publication industry, where he covered several beats including current affairs, food, fishing, music, and football. As the former chief editor at Goal.com and a fan of Newcastle United FC since 1996, Sadat also had a trial as a goalkeeper at Tanjong Pagar United FC. But today he remains a frequent social player of the game, who fancies Lionel Messi. However, Sadat's playing style is unfortunately similar to that of Titus Bramble!
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever, BlogPost 80700409988 Strength Training for Seniors, BlogPost 137536455174 Age Gracefully, Start Strength Training, BlogPost 145856643584 FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers: Singapore vs Korea Republic, BlogPost 144608971564 ActiveSG Football Academy sets up centralised development centres to broaden base for young players, BlogPost 144605361831 Hafiz Osman & sons' love affair with the beautiful game, BlogPost 137536455236 The Golden Years, BlogPost 142676085686 Singapore crowned Mirxes Nations Cup 2023 Champions!]