By Aimi G.
The Lion City Sailors danced into the Asian Champions League Two quarter-finals with a 4-0 win over Thailand’s Muangthong United at Jalan Besar Stadium on 20 February.
Following the strategic plan to attack, the Sailors created history.
Shawal Anuar was the star of the night, orchestrating all four goals like a maestro conducting a symphony of goals.
The emphatic win sealed a 7-2 aggregate and a tidy US$160,000 (S$214,000) prize purse.
Next on their dance card: a showdown with J1 League’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who blitzed Vietnam’s Nam Dinh with a 7-0 aggregate.
With Thailand’s Port Football Club and Bangkok United bowing out, the Sailors now stand tall as South-east Asia’s last hope.
Coach Aleksandar Rankovic couldn’t help but grin.
“I think if you see the two matches that we played against them, it was obvious that we are the ones that deserve to go through.”
“Of course, we started the match amazingly and it’s not the first time. You can be lucky one time, but we are always training for these kinds of situations and we have players who can provoke these kinds of goals. I’m happy with the win,” said Rankovic to The Starts Time.
Under the floodlights and in front of 2,749 roaring fans, the Sailors wasted no time.
Fifteen seconds in, Maxime Lestienne earned a penalty after Muangthong goalkeeper Kittipong Phoothawchuek collided with Shawal.
Lestienne sent Kittipong the wrong way with a penalty kick that sent the home crowd into a frenzy, setting the tone for a glorious night.
Muangthong tried to find a way back, but Singapore’s defensive wall was impenetrable.
Shawal set up Bart Ramselaar for an easy finish after receiving a long pass from Lestienne, making it 2-0 and they continued to dominate in the second half.
Shawal’s moment came in the 63rd minute when Captain Hariss Harun’s lofted pass found him in space as he lobbed Kittipong with composure to extend the lead to 3-0.
He added his second in the 88th minute, pouncing on a rebound to seal the victory.
“I’m proud of myself, to be able to contribute to the team, we worked together and that’s why we could get the result tonight,” said Shawal.
PHOTOS: LCS