Just A Few Things: Selangor Vs. Pahang

Credits: Pahang FA

Different Tempo, Same Result…

In the FA Cup final between these teams about two months ago, Pahang deservedly beat Selangor after they overrun their entire defensive line-up. Here, they didn’t replicate the same energy that tore the Red Giants apart and yet, they again showed they deserved to win here. Why they haven’t fully repeat the same performance may either be due to the return of Selangor’s Willian Pacheco or the absence of Patrick Cruz. Still, they looked much brighter and incisive of the two sides. They displayed their attacking presence well and often kept Selangor on the backfoot. Give credit to Selangor though, they looked much more composed compared to that final.

But, it was two decisive set-pieces that were needed to put away their opponents. Muslim Ahmad, the unlikeliest player to score, got the ball rolling on the 30-minute mark when he jumped tremendously to even beat Willian to head in Nor Azam’s free-kick for the opener. Then a goalmouth scramble ensued that lead to Norshahrul Idlan Talaha bundling the ball in. But on this night, it wasn’t the attack that was the main factor for Tok Gajah’s victory.

… Same Defensive Performance (Especially For One Man)

The way Pahang defended was the same way they kept out Selangor in the FA Cup Final. Muslim & Zubir Azmi did well to intercept the passes Selangor are known for. Pahang kept a tight leash on Selangor’s attackers so well that only Joseph Kalang Tie’s curling effort was the only decisive chance the Red Giants has. They anticipated how dangerous Selangor were on the counter by keeping three men at the back and also crowd out the space surrounding whoever has the ball for Selangor.

For Muslim, he even continued where he left off at Bukit Jalil where he won most of the aerial battles and kept Rufino Segovia in his pocket. Pahang once again never let Selangor in easily. Muslim may as well deserve the man of the match award after a great display. Doing his job to keep the back-line tidy and a goal to boot: A great night out for the central defender.

Lack Of Depth Becoming More Obvious

This was already said in the Selangor/PKNP article, but this needs to be said again and with much more detail. When the team news came out, three central defenders lined up for Selangor’s backline. Other than Willian Pacheco’s comeback, Alfonso De La Cruz & Razman Roslan all started with Razman slotted as the right-back. With only Amirul Ashraf as the back-up right-back who actually started off as a centre-back in their final league match last season versus Penang, this position is severely lacking for the Red Giants.

That’s not all. They were sorely missing a creative game changer that would’ve given them hope. That’s how much they missed Evan Dimas as when he came on during the final, there was more dimension to Selangor’s attacks with his vision and passing. He would’ve helped tremendously here. And even though he’s been the subject to some frustration, Ilham Armaiyn at least would’ve given much more tenacity down the left-wing as well as Syahmi Safari down on the right side of the field. It’s a sad state where none of Selangor’s bench options look like they could change the game.

Saiful The Rare Spark

If there’s one positive from this match for Selangor, it’s their midfielder Saiful Ridzuwan Among the darkness, Saiful offered a bright display in the centre of the park. He was tasked as the destroyer where his job was to regain possession, close down on his opponent whenever they have the ball and also distribute it to Amri Yahyah, their main source of creativeness. Unfortunately, some of the plays he started were letdown by horrible final passes.

His work-rate was excellent throughout the night. Saiful looked energetic and was by far the best Selangor player in this match. It’s a shame that his teammates couldn’t emulate it where it needed the most.

Focus Somewhere Else

This is going to sound harsh, but with the way Selangor are now: They can forget about going into the next stage of the Malaysia Cup, let alone having any chance of winning it. Instead, they may as well look into next season when it comes to making crucial team changes. Selangor’s season has gone alarmingly downhill since they made the FA Cup Final.

Head coach Nazliazmi Nasir did his best to steady the ship and did well to guide Selangor to that final. But he may not be the answer for the long-term. Selangor is linked to their former head coach, Mehmet Durakovic according to Football Tribe Malaysia. But Sealngor may need to rethink that since Perak is currently having experiencing a dip in form in their opening two Malaysia Cup matches. Like how the management was shuffled, the team also needs to be addressed. At least provide some short-term fixes in their weakest areas while looking for options to improve their youth system.