Just A Few Things: KL Vs. PKNS

Photo Credit: Malaysian Football League

Early Confusion

The game barely started when controversy erupted after just three minutes. Following Gabriel Guerra’s cross from the right, Romel Morales was by the far post and his header was deflected in. That’s when the confusion happened. From the grandstand angle, the ball looked like it definitely went in. For some reason or another, the linesman felt it was a corner.

Cue protests by PKNS players and the decision was overturned. But this begs the question, if the ball truly went in via normal means, why was someone sent to KL’s goal to fix the side netting immediately after the goal was given? Was it a ghost goal like Stefan Kiessling’s goal in 2013 when the ball went in via the side netting? The video highlight of the goal provided by MFL Live on Twitter was inconclusive.

However, sports journalist Devinder Singh tweeted out that KL’s Ashri Chuchu confirmed Romel’s header hit him and went it normally. So the goal it turns out wasn’t a ghostly one and it will go down as an Ashri own goal. But you have to wonder why the linesman flagged for a corner in the first place.

(Author’s note: Yes. I did raise the possibility of a ghost goal. Would like to apologize for stirring up more confusion as the match went on.)

Decent Determination

Despite the bewilderment, KL responded well and gave a good account of themselves. Guilherme De Paula had a good shout at least two times but saw both of his searing low shots wide of the far post that certainly made PKNS keeper Zarif Irfan worried. However, KL had a massive scare when their new midfielder Darko Markovic accidentally deflected K. Gurusamy’s low shot towards the bar that had Sharbinee Allawee rooted.

KL didn’t exactly overrun the visitors but they made them think about the impending danger. Though PKNS defender Rodney Celvin was up for the task to stop that. But there was nothing they could do for the first goal. Paulo Josue’s free-kick came in where Guilherme’s headed flick was weighed perfectly for the incoming Indra Putra who timed his run well into the box to bundle in the equalizer and continuing his fine goalscoring form.

It got even better for KL on 56 minutes. Left-back Azmi Muslim scored his goal for KL albeit in fortunate circumstances. Having space just outside the box on the left, Azmi decided to go for it with a low shot. Zarif got a hand to it, but to his horror, the ball was crawling slowly and into the net that ultimately became the winning goal. Though it could’ve been so much different had PKNS made use of their own attacks early in the first half when they were leading.

Impact-less Subs

With the score even at half-time, PKNS head coach K. Rajagobal made a sub to bring on forward Chan Vathanaka for Alif Haikal. But Cambodia’s best player sadly was unable to influence anything up front. PKNS night went bad after Kpah Sherman was bought off perhaps due to still feeling the effects of an injury he caught early in the first half. As a result, the much maligned Jafri Firdaus Chew replaced him and he too can’t make an impact.

With Sherman, PKNS’ attack became even more blunt. Last roll of the dice for Rajagobal is to bring on P. Gunalan for Gurusamy late on. But perhaps as expected, nothing changed. It didn’t really help that KL only made their first sub after Gunalan came on that goes to show how comfortable KL has been. The most impactful turned out to be Guerra. He had the chance to equalize at least three times late in the 2nd half, but saw two of his searing shots narrowly go off-target and the other saw him shooting straight at Sharbinee when he had a clear sight on-target.

Width Needed

There is one avenue that PKNS has to invest in order to improve their style of play and the depth in that position makes it all the more glaring following this defeat. PKNS has a severe lack of natural full-backs. Both of their starting full-backs, R. Surendran & Tommy Mawat are primarily wingers despite having a natural one in K. Kannan on the bench while Nicholas Swirad was absent.

With Rajagobal usually playing inside forwards like Guerra & Vathanaka, it should be the full-backs providing the width on the overlap. But here, the width is almost non-existent with Morales having to drop by the flank from time-to-time. They have to find another full-back or two and once they do, they’re all set for the rest of the season.