Rilek1Corner

Tag: Richard Tardy

  • Ikhsan Fandi Gives Singapore U23 A Win Over India In SEA Games Boost

    Ikhsan Fandi Gives Singapore U23 A Win Over India In SEA Games Boost

    A penalty by Ikhsan Fandi helped the Singapore Under-23 national team claim a 1-0 win against their India counterparts in a friendly at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Wednesday night.

    The result is a morale-booster for Richard Tardy’s charges before they depart for the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers next week, and it was achieved without injured key players Irfan Fandi and Adam Swandi.

    The Young Lions put up a starkly improved performance compared to a 1-0 defeat to the same opponents on Sunday, and could have scored as early as the seventh minute.

    Haiqal Pashia Anugurah went through on goal, via Hami Syahin’s pass, but the left winger’s goalbound shot was cleared off the line.

    The Young Lions created another good opening midway through the first half. Haiqal sent Ikhsan in the clear, but the latter was superbly closed down by India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.

    India responded when towering forward Manvir Singh sending his header straight into Zharfan Rohaizad’s arms on 26 minutes.

    Singapore could have broken the deadlock six minutes before half-time, but Ikhsan’s 25-yard free kick sailed wide of the left-hand post.

    The Young Lions earned a penalty in the 51st minute with substitute Syahrul Sazali being felled illegally in the box.

    Ikhsan, second son of Singapore legend Fandi Ahmad, stepped up and slammed the resulting spot kick in off the bar to put the home side 1-0 up.

    Tardy’s charges could have doubled their advantage seven minutes later. However, captain Illyas Lee’s spectacular volley from outside the area went inches wide.

    Singapore’s intensity dropped towards the end with India almost finding an equaliser on 76 minutes.

    Manvir’s fierce snapshot from inside the area seemed destined for the bottom right corner, before Singapore substitute goalkeeper Hairul Syirhan pulled off a stunning save to tip it around the post.

    The Young Lions’ 1-0 win bodes well for the upcoming AFC U23 Championship qualifers in Mynamr and next month’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

    Singapore Under-23: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK) (Hairul Syirhan 46′), Darren Teh, Lionel Tan, Amirul Adli (Shahrin Saberin 62′), Faizal Roslan (Syahrul Sazali 46′), Illyas Lee (C) (Hafiz Sulaiman 80′), Hami Syahin, Muhaimin Suhaimi (Zulqarnaen Suzliman 65′), Hanafi Akbar (Taufik Suparno 89′), Haiqal Pashia Anugurah, Ikhsan Fandi (Amiruldin Asraf 70′)

    India Under-23: Vishal Kaith (GK), Nishu Kumar (Davinder Singh 46′), Lalrutthara, Ranjan Singh (Sairuatkima 75′), Germanpreet Singh, Nikhil Chandrashekhar, Manvir Singh, Lalhlimpuia Daniel (C) (Alen Deory 75′), Lallianzuala Chhangte (Hitesh Sharma 46′), Jerry Lalrinzuala, Anirudh Thapa

     

    Source: http://www.espnfc.com

  • Wanted: Thinking Footballers For The Lions

    Wanted: Thinking Footballers For The Lions

    An important piece in the plan to fix Singapore football was put in place on Tuesday (Jul 21) with the appointment of Richard Tardy as head coach of all the national youth teams from under-18 and below.

    The 65-year-old Frenchman, who has extensive experience coaching youth sides and worked with former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier in France’s triumph at the 1996 European Under-20 championships, has been contracted by The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) for two years.

    But the most impressive item on his resume is talent-spotting and helping to groom French footballer Zinedine Zidane, who went on to inspire the national team to World Cup victory in 1998.

    Tardy’s job in Singapore is to work with the respective age-group coaches to implement technical director Michel Sablon’s blueprint to reverse the poor state of youth development, cited as a major cause of Singapore’s current football ills.

    Making the point that he shares the football philosophy of Sablon, the Frenchman served notice that the axe will fall on youth coaches who resist the new master plan.

    “I am the boss of the youth national coaches,” said Tardy. “So they must think and do what I want. I must adapt the quality of the players and team, but I want to give them my philosophy of training and playing the game, and to talk to the players. If they are not okay with it, I will stay, not them.”

    In an interview with TODAY earlier this month, Sablon, who was appointed to the FAS post in April, pointed out that young children playing football are under too much pressure to win. They are also playing too many matches and have no time to learn the basics of football.

    Agreeing with Sablon, Tardy said the focus should be in building the mental toughness of the young players. The goal, he added, is to help them take the initiative to think and adapt to different situations that develop on the run of play rather than just following their coaches’ instructions.

    “My job is not only to helping a team to win but to push players to take more responsibility and have their own answers to what happens on the field,” he said. “This way may take more time but it yields better results in the long run.”

    Ultimately, players who make the national team must have three key qualities: Talent, intelligence, and motivation.

    He added: “We need to build the mental ability of our players when they are young, so that when they reach 18 or 20 it will be easier for them to think on what needs to be done to succeed on the pitch.”

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com