By Song Sung Hai

This season’s past results
TPUFC 1-2 HGUFC
HGUFC 1-1 TPUFC

We come now to the first round of the RHB Singapore Cup and the Jaguars will play at home to our opponents from last week, Hougang United FC. The meeting last week ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Hougang Stadium but signs show that the Jaguars might have just that extra bit to nick this tie.

The RHB Singapore Cup will be a fondly thought of hunting ground for Head Coach Patrick Vallée as he led the lads all the way to the final last year, eliminating sides like Cambodia’s Boeung Ket Rubber Field FC and the Philippines’ Loyola Meralco Sparks and Global FC respectively along the way.

This year’s cup draw however have placed the Jaguars in an all Singaporean team pool with the exception of Harimau Muda but Patrick will be sure to not let that affect his desire to lead the team all the way to the final again and perhaps even exorcising the ghosts of last year’s Cup final defeat to Home United.

Having previously won the S.League title and the League Cup with Etoile FC, the RHB Singapore Cup remains the only tournament that Patrick Vallée has not won here. He has certainly got the team for the challenge but injury woes may yet be the team’s only hurdle.

Main centreback Anthony Aymard will still be doubtful for tonight’s match and he is followed in the infirmary by Sazali Salleh, Masrezwan Masturi, Hanafi Salleh, Nor Azli Yusoff and Zahid Ahmad, all regular starters.

Nonetheless, the Jaguars still pack strength in the depleted side with players like Ahmad Latiff and Kamel Ramdani back and impressing again. The likes of Sebastien Etiemble, Monsef Zerka, Asraf Rashid and Firdaus Idros have so much quality between them upfront that any sane opponents would pay dearly were they to be taken for granted.

Hougang United FC equalised through Lau Meng Meng late in the 83^rd minute and while some argue that had Meng Meng converted his further chances then the Cheetahs would have won last week, it can also be counter-argued that had the Jaguars taken their chances then the Cheetahs would have been buried early in the game.

A Cup match will bring a different set of equations to the fray though as each game will be treated like a Cup final by all participating teams and the Cheetahs still cannot be taken for granted. Diego Gama and Geison Moura can hit the back of the net with eyes closed on their day and they have other players eager to get their name on the scoresheet as witnessed last week.

As such, past forms will have to be thrown out of the stadium and it will be the moment on the pitch that will decide the outcome of this encounter. The Jaguars will always fight to the end but a feisty and plucky Cheetahs side will want to go far in this tournament. Queenstown Stadium tonight will be the venue of a fiery and explosive football between two sides who never know when to give up. Such a spectacle it will be.

So, see you there!