ASEAN SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL (FIRST LEG)

Singapore 1 Malaysia 1

Watched this tie with my little bird last night.

Singapore was crap in the first half... er, wait a minute. Singapore is crap in ANY half any time of the year but especially crappy in yesterday's first half.

Couldn't string three passes in a row, couldn't tackle, couldn't head the ball out of defence, couldn't even shoot the ball straight into the net from like ONE metre (Mr Khairul Amri the culprit).

We came back stronger in the second half but the Tigers' Hardi caught us by surprise with his fluke cross which curled leftwards into our net from our right flank after a quick throw in.

Thank goat Noh Alam Shah equalized. At least that gives me more incentive to go and support them LIVE at the Kallang Stadium this Saturday for the second leg with my little bird.

Then Mr Aide Iskandar got his second yellow card minutes before the final whistle for dissent and promptly got sent off. Not sure what happened but I think he tried to be a smart ass by re-joining play so quickly after seeking treatment for injury on the sidelines without the ref's permission.

He was asking for it. The whole match he showed how his old legs couldn't keep up with the Tigers' speediness. He pulled and tugged their shirts to stop them and certainly deserved it. Obviously he should just retire and take up mud wrestling as a new career path.

Thank goatness he will not be featuring for us again in this tournament. He may be the captain, but there are other leaders on the pitch like Noh Alam Shah, Daniel Bennett and Lionel Lewis. Besides, Baihakki Khaizan's younger legs could better cope with the Tigers' pace.