By Song Sung Hai

For the second year in a row, Patrick Valleé and his pack of Jaguars have reached a Cup final and this year, it is the Starhub League Cup final. It is in itself an achievement, given that the Jaguars have had a poor run in the league and surely no one in their right minds would have foreseen the undertaking and accomplishment of this feat.

Drawn into a group with the high flying Albirex Niigata (S) and NFL 1 defending champions, it may have been expected that the Jaguars will at least qualify for the quarter-final as group runner-ups. Instead, what culminated was simply defiance to form at its best.

The White Swans were the first to witness the wrath of a Jaguars side returning to full strength. Patrick Vallée had a complete roster to choose from and did he delight all in doing so. Captain Ahmad Latiff was played in a forward role and the natural striker showed that the hunter is in his element when he is allowed to hunt.

An inspired Jaguars side ran amok and pawed the White Swans senseless in a display of ferocity and guile as they romped away with a 4-0 victory, getting their first win against the Japanese outfit in all competitions for the first time under Patrick Vallée.

Next on the chopping board was NFL Division One defending champions, Police SA. The lawmakers were driven into the ground by Albirex Niigata in their first group game where they were routed with a scoreline of 13-0.

The Jaguars were expected to steamroll past the Policemen at Queenstown Stadium and they did not disappoint with a 7-1 victory. It also happened to be the only game in the tournament that the Jaguars conceded a goal. The win ensured that the Jaguars finished top of their group.

A wee bit of controversy accompanied the lead up to the quarter-final fixture when Warriors Head Coach Alex Weaver rested the bulk of his first team, having secured qualification to the next round, against the Geylang Eagles. They duly lost 4-0 to the Eagles and it had set tongues wagging, suggesting that Alex preferred to face the supposedly inconsistent Jaguars as compared to the normally astute Albirex outfit.

Refuting the allegations, Alex Weaver revealed how he was compelled by the gospel of Sports Science in doing what he did and that it was not in disrespect to any club in the S.League, saying that “it made absolute sense, not just at sports science, to not want to risk injuries for the players when we have already qualified for the next round[…]”

The move did not achieve its intended impact however as the Jaguars stepped up their gear to force the game into extra-time against the fresher Warriors. Firdaus Idros then came on to hit home a misery for the Warriors with only minutes left to the final whistle. The Jaguars were simply a joy to watch in that game as they matched the Warriors in all departments, from goalie to attacker, as the flow of the game weaved and ebbed in constant rhythm throughout the 120 minutes.

The Jaguars then had only two days of rest to face the exciting and of course fresher, Hougang Cheetahs in the semi-final. The clash, missing the suspended Ahmad Latiff, was an ode to attacking football as both sides took turns in offense and at breakneck speed. Once again the game went into extra-time, goalless after 90 minutes, but this time there were to be no late goals to settle it.

The lottery of the penalty shootout would prove to be the only way a winner could be determined and Aurelien Herrison turned hero on the night, saving two penalties whilst the Jaguars took all their shots well and won the shootout 4-2.

DPMM FC come tonight with a possibility to win a treble, a feat no club have yet achieved in Singapore. They have also made the Starhub League Cup final for the third time in the seven year history of the tournament, winning twice in 2009 and 2012 respectively.

Last year they were demolished 4-0 by Balestier Khalsa in the final and tonight will present to them the opportunity to wipe away that nightmare from their memories. Under Steve Kean, the Wasps have proven hard to beat and are currently the S.League leaders and still in the reckoning for the Singapore Cup.

Rodrigo Tosi will not be available however as he is suspended for the tie but Steve Kean still has several players he can count on, particularly Roy O’Donovan, the former Sunderland and Coventry City hitman. The Irishman is not shy in front of goal and will present the biggest threat to the Jaguars.

In their semi-final match, however, the Eagles showed everyone that DPMM can be stopped and it also took the penalty-shootout for the Wasps to scrape through to the final.

It presents a chance for the Jaguars to make history by winning the Starhub League Cup for the very first time in a competition where only three local clubs have been champions before. The Jaguars are now the only Singaporean team left to ensure that the Cup remains on the island and the final promises to be a spectacle for everyone involved so be sure not to miss it.

See you there!