FAS WSL 2021 | Week 1 : Crisp November evening

Radia Arena was bright as always - they have picture perfect amazing lighting but last evening it was brighter than usual. The air was filled with laughter, excitement and passion. Both inside and outside the arena, everyone was eager to watch the kick off of the first week of FAS Women’s Super League.

The first two matches kicked off at 8pm with Leapord vs Rhym Rovers at Padang B and Swat vs The Four Souls at Padang A. 

Leopard has the youngest squad of all the ten teams with an average of 18.2 years old with their oldest player being 29. It was mind blowing to see them fight with full strength against Rhym Rovers and finished with 4-0.

Swat and The Footsouls had a very interesting opening and their first match was witnessed by over 40k viewers on FA Selangor Facebook live. This sends a strong message that our women’s teams are ready and the WSL is certainly a good platform to begin with for women players who need the long overdue playing time. Swat and The Footsouls ended sharing points as the final score was 3-3. However, both teams ended their evening differently. Swat had a birthday cake surprise on field for 3 of their members while The Footsouls had no reason to celebrate as one of their team members was injured and had to be taken to the hospital. 

The weather was rather nice - crisp winds, I had managed to exchange a few words with Coach Jacob and he said thankful that it didn’t rain. 

The second match kicked off at 9.30pm with SA United vs MBSJ on Padang B and First 11 vs UITM on Padang A.

By just looking at the squad list, MBSJ certainly had a plus point with national players in the squad. However, even though MBSJ finished with a good 6-0 against SA United, recognition must be given to SA. The players may be new, but the coaches were patient and more than willing to develop and teach them. Both teams had team spirit and it was definitely a sight to behold.

The UITM team came in the UITM bus which did manage to get heads turning as it created quite an impressive arrival. It gave the team an official look and a one with a mission to compete, and UITM did just that throughout the match. UITM had a young coach while First 11 had a senior coach and both were full of enthusiasm when guiding their respective teams. The night wrapped up with UITM winning 3-0 against First 11. 

What interests me more is how FA Selangor runs the whole event. They have organised it very well that in every area a woman is positioned in the specialist area and there is a mentor or a person for them to refer to and learn from. All had very positive welcoming faces and the environment was where women not only felt safe but also comfortable working in. However, of all the good memories, the best I share treasure is the 8 referees on Padang A and B. They did make mistakes but they tried their best and had not shown any nervousness in making their decisions. Well done! 

Written by Mutiara of Women In Football Malaysia