MUCH has been said and written about Sarawak’s 3-0 drubbing of Sime Darby in Kuching on Jan 28 – the Crocs’ first win in the Super League this season.
It was a fiery encounter which also saw Sime Darby reduced to nine men after referee Zamzaidi Katimin had sent Juzaili Samion and Fahrul Razi Kamaruddin off to take an early shower for showing dissent.
The win also saw the Borneo giants score their first goals of the season, although two came from penalties.
“At least we got what we deserved. At last we were ‘taken care off’. In previous matches we were denied of clear penalties,” Sarawak supremo Robert Alberts told sports247.my.
The Dutchman, however, is unhappy with his foreigners who have “yet to click” and this has hampered Sarawak’s cause in both the league and FA Cup.
In the win over Sime Darby, Sarawak rode on a Joseph Kallang Tie brace from penalties and a freekick by Hungarian defender Gabor Gyepes.
But all that take a backseat as they gear themselves up for another toughie – this time at the much criticised Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana Jaya – against former kingpins Selangor this evening.
Alberts’ men won the Premier League title with an unbeaten record last season, but have somewhat lost bite upfront without ace striker Muamer Salibasic from Bosnia Herzegovina, who is out injured for at least one month.
To make it worse, skipper Joseph is also injured and thus a non-starter today.
“It’s an afternoon match to be played on a rock hard bumpy pitch. We will take the field as underdogs but you will see a different Sarawak against Selangor.
“After two straight defeats in the league, the tide has changed for us. The big win over Sime Darby was on merit and it lifted the burden off our shoulders.”
In the first round, Selangor beat Harimau Muda C 2-0 while Sarawak edged Penang 2-1 in Kuching.
The winners of today’s match will play either Felda United or Sime Darby in the two-legged quarterfinals.
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