Commentary: More than just a draw, Singapore's hard-fought comeback against China feels significant

SINGAPORE: It was never just about the result, but the heart.

On Thursday (Mar 21), Singapore came back from two goals down to hold China to a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium.

A Wu Lei first-half double seemed to have dashed any hopes of Singapore picking up any points in the third match of their World Cup qualifying campaign.

But substitute Faris Ramli gave the Lions a route back into the game before Jacob Mahler also came off the bench to smash home a late equaliser.

What stood out was the Lions' desire to prove their mettle. And this was a thoroughly encouraging performance amid what has been a difficult few years for Singapore football. 

Impressively, Singapore showed no signs of being overawed by opponents bigger in stature and higher in the world rankings.

Just ask Lionel Tan, who spent the wee hours of Friday morning getting 15 stitches for a busted lip. Or look at custodian Hassan Sunny, who was unfazed against the experienced Wu Lei and saved a penalty.

Midfielder Shah Shahiran snapped into every tackle he possibly could, while Safuwan Baharudin seemed to cover every blade of glass for almost 100 minutes.

There was also a dynamism which had been missing in recent times.

This came in the form of Singapore's younger players - with half-time substitutes Jacob Mahler (24) and Harhys Stewart (23) providing an instant injection of energy.

Their efforts did not go unnoticed.

"Well played Lions!! All we ever wanted was to see you guys play with heart!!" said one commenter on the Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) Facebook page.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong chimed with a post noting that the team had shown "grit" and "fighting spirit".

Also noteworthy was Singapore new head coach Tsutomu Ogura's tactical nous. While he proclaimed that he is no "magician", his changes showed a level of wizardry.

Down two goals to the good, the Lions did not fold or shut up shop to limit the damage. Instead, just as he preached to his charges to be brave, Ogura threw caution to the wind.

Both of the Lions' goals came courtesy of his substitutions and it can be argued that Singapore could have even grabbed a winner should a clear penalty have been awarded late in the match.

And Ogura never stopped urging his players on.

I AM NOT SATISFIED: OGURA

Former Japan assistant coach Ogura took over the hot seat just last month after a string of dismal results and the sacking of Takayuki Nishigaya.

He clearly demands excellence. Instead of basking in the joy of a point well-earned after the match, Ogura's focus was on the two dropped.

“Somebody said to me (after the match), ‘congratulations’. (I asked) why? I am not satisfied. I told the players this also," he said at a post-match press conference.

“Please don’t say (congratulations). If we got another goal in the last moments, that is congratulations."

It is this mentality that is refreshing. Singapore aren't just interested in getting the moral victory, but the three points as well.

At the same time, there are clearly areas for improvement. For one, striker Ikhsan Fandi largely fed on scraps up front and could do with a lot more service.

There are also things to improve on defensively.

In particular, former Espanyol striker Wu Lei's opener was a reminder that the Lions will get punished the moment they switch off. They will also need to find an answer to the tricky Fernandinho during the return fixture.

Given the level of support China enjoyed in Singapore, one can only imagine they will be backed by a vociferous home crowd in Tianjin next week. The Lions will need to show courage once again.

A "SMALL STEP"

Given that local football has been in the doldrums, this result feels significant. After the familiar and bitter taste of defeat over the years, a good result tastes all the more sweeter.

While they have a valuable point, the Lions remain rooted to the bottom of their World Cup qualifier group, three points behind China.

"It's the beginning. We've only worked one week with the coach, everything takes time and we're slowly getting into the hang of how he wants us to play," Mahler told CNA's Aslam Shah post-match.

Under previous coach Nishigaya, Singapore lost their first two matches last November, with a 1-3 home loss to Thailand and a 5-0 away drubbing by South Korea.

While Singapore's result against China undoubtedly raised eyebrows, Thailand's 1-1 away draw against group leaders South Korea was the headline-grabber. 

Up against a side who made the round of 16 at the last World Cup, the Thais proved no pushovers. And once again, they are a reminder that Singapore football has some catching up to do to match up against Southeast Asia's heavyweights.

But Thursday showed that the Lions can hold their own. There is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, a sense of optimism in the air.

"We want to play a good brand of football, we want to ... bring back the golden days where we used to be the kings of ASEAN and even further," said Mahler.

"This is a small step and hopefully we can continue on this."

Singapore's die-hard fans will hope he is right, and that this will be the start of a brighter footballing future.

Matthew Mohan is a correspondent at CNA. He specialises in sports reporting, and has covered the Olympics, World Cup, and a number of Southeast Asian Games.