Group B table-toppers, Singapore Football Club (SFC), secured itself a Cosmo Cup quarter-finals place on Saturday, with one group game still remaining.
Playing at the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Sports Centre, SFC overcame the early set back of a Tim Walter own goal, to beat CBD Wanderers with a 4-1 win.
Matt Zatto, having answered an emergency call-up to solve SFC’s goalkeeping crisis, looked resplendent in canary yellow between the sticks, at kick-off. Sadly, for the Stars & Stripes pin-up, that was the only similarity he could muster for his hero, Jorge Campos.
In the fifth minute, SFC was distinctly “cattle class” as they fell behind. Swiss midfielder, Walter, went to close down CBD’s TJ Moriarty, but instead, the ball ballooned up from his foot and into his own net. SFC 0 CBD Wanderers 1. Game on.
Fortunately for SFC that was the last time a foot was put wrong.
For the remaining 85 minutes, it was all first class. DJ Dashnyam brought some much-needed calmness to a boiling hot day, and scored a beautifully taken goal after a quick one-two, to bring the sides level. “La forme est provisoire, la classe est eternelle” he purred to Andrew Hutcheon as they celebrated. 1-1.
In the second half, having settled down in the sweltering conditions, SFC was rewarded with three further goals.
Man of the Match, Liam Shotton scored two either side of an excellent headed goal by Gabe Myong. The young Korean getting on the end of some sublime service from Ross Plain, as the somerset speedster delivered an impeccable cross from the right-wing.
Having taken a three-goal lead SFC then chose to activate the autopilot, and continued to control the match, before lowering their landing gear as the whistle was finally blown.
Meanwhile, over at Turf City later in the day, Gaelic Lions beat TGA Rangers by the same scoreline. The two results guaranteeing both SFC and Gaelic a route to the Cosmo Cup quarter-finals. The remaining game to be played on Saturday, 7th March being a “winner takes all” for Group B.
Group B standings after two games played:
