The Lion City Sailors fell to a heartbreaking loss against Sharjah in the AFC Champions League Two final. The opening game was played at Bishan Stadium. The home team eventually fell 2-1 in a tightly-fought game that belied the resilience and talent on display from the home side. The Sailors played tooth and nail to come away with the win. Unfortunately, they erred and missed an opportunity to bring home the club’s first ever historic crown.
The capacity of Bishan Stadium only holds 10,000 but the final attracted an impressive crowd of 9,737 pumped up supporters. From the opening whistle, the atmosphere was electric as supporters made it feel like an international soccer match. The game not only matched its expected hype for physicality, but produced a classic display of beautiful soccer from both teams.
Overall in the match, the Lion City Sailors controlled 50.5% of the ball, while their opponents from Sharjah held 49.5%. With 16 shots on goal, they showed they could definitely play on the attacking side. Sharjah stamped their authority and efficiency throughout the match. Their shooting accuracy allowed them to top the Sailors by placing more shots on goal.
A quarter of the way through the match, the first real chance came. Lion City Sailors’ Bart Ramselaar then followed with a brilliant low drive into the goal. The newly appointed Sharjah captain Shahin Abdulrahman pulled off a vital block to keep the Sailors at bay and avoid conceding an early goal. This would prove to be the opening salvos of a match packed with high stakes and near misses.
Just fifteen minutes later, Diogo Costa nearly opened the scoring with a long distance shot that forced Sharjah’s defense to work. The Sailors didn’t hesitate to keep looking for the next goal, attacking their opponents and forcing them to stretch the field in the first 40 minutes.
When the final whistle blew, both teams’ resolve had been tested. Boy were they hungry to take the gas championship title! It was the Lion City Sailors’ turn to battle back and do so as they equalized in injury time when Maxime Lestienne scored. His futuristic long drive flew by Sharjah goalkeeper Adel Al-Hosani. This goal sparked a wave of excitement among the crowd, allowing the underdog home team to catch a second wind.
When it looked like that battle would end in a stalemate, disaster struck for the Sailors. In a shocking conclusion, Marcus Meloni of Sharjah scored a beautiful shot in the 97th minute. He completed a cool, calm, collected finish that put the game on ice. His last-gasp winner turned defeat into victory for Sharjah. It capped their victory and sent the Lion City Sailors home dejected.
Sharjah won the contest 2-1 and capped a memorable upset with jubilant celebrations. The Sailors lead an ambitious and admirable effort that should be applauded. Sadly, they were unable to complete what would have been a monumental upset in the continental tournament.
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