FEATURE /
UNHAPPY NUS SOCCER PLAYERS TURN TO SUNDAY LEAGUES DARREN ONG |
21.10.2011
|
He takes to the pitch no less than six times a week, goes through an average of eight pairs of boots a year and adheres to a strict diet. Far from being the exorbitantly paid professional soccer player, Donavan Goh, 23, still shells out ten dollars every Sunday to play the game he loves.
While the roving central midfielder plays primarily for the National University of Singapore’s varsity soccer team, it is in the Sunday amateur league where he plays most of his competitive soccer. The match fee borne by players is “a token sum” that is invaluable in the “opportunity” it affords “for added match practice”, Goh says.
It is, however, an unspoken but acknowledged rule of thumb that varsity soccer players should not play recreationally outside of NUS-sanctioned activities. Traditionally, this concern is made explicit by coach, Arasu M. Suppiah, in the run up to major tournaments.
Yet, players often fall afoul from Arasu’s agenda of keeping a squad in tip top condition. Of the 22 squad players, 16 admitted to risking injury and fatigue with continued appearances in Sunday league matches.
Unfortunately, the embracement of Sunday league soccer is more a matter of preference than popularity. Players turn out for their amateur league outfits as a makeshift outlet to the frustrations with being part of the NUS team. This silent mutiny of sorts alludes to the larger problem of an underlying wave of dissatisfaction with the way the NUS squad is run.
A major bone of contention arises from Arasu’s player selection habits. One player, who declined to be named, lamented the drafting process as being less than meritocratic. “Coach tends to stick with the names he trusts more. Sometimes I wonder why we work so hard during training when we know we won’t be rewarded,” he said.
It is but the common plight of the fringe player. Of the 11 named as reserves in a Singapore University Games fixture played against Singapore Management University in September, four did not feature at all throughout the tournament. All four of them turned to Sunday league matches as a makeshift replacement for the playing time they were deprived of.
Amateur league escapades are welcome distractions not just to bit-part players. Arasu’s policy of cultivating a set of versatile players does not endear itself fully to his charges. His penchant for fielding players out of their preferred positions is hence met with silent but grudging acceptance.
Jeremy Tan, 23, an engineering student, is one of those who have bitten the bullet. The out-and-out striker by nature is currently shoring up NUS’s defence at the right fullback position. He presents a mixed bag of emotions, and says, “I’ve always tried to adapt to whatever role coach has for me. In a way, I’ve become a more complete player. But I do miss the feeling of getting forward and scoring goals. Playing for Team Kangtao on Sundays, I get that chance to attack when I play as the target man, or at least on the wings.”
The oddly named Team Kangtao is one of many teams that make up the local amateur soccer scene. Residing in the premier division of the Dare2Dream Sunday League since 2007, Kangtao’s ranks have since been graced by no less than 20 NUS players past and present. Team manager Samuel Ng, 23, is not surprised at their willingness to supplement their varsity team commitments with Sunday league soccer.
“It’s competitive football without the pressure. Nobody barks instructions at you, nobody expects you to come down when you can’t,” he said. “We believe in playing to the strengths of our players but most importantly, everyone is given a chance to play. In the end it’s all about having fun first and foremost.”
Enjoy their football, they most certainly do. Incessant banter, feints, flicks and step-overs adorn Team Kangtao’s swashbuckling, offense-oriented approach. This stark contrast to the conservative long-ball game Arasu subscribes to is particularly attractive to Damian Ng, 23, one of NUS’s right wingers.
“I can be more expressive in my approach, instead of always having to look for the safest option,” he said. The prolific attacker has already notched up seven goals in his last two games for Kangtao, while he has yet to score for NUS.
So is the proposition of an outlet where players can rekindle their passion for soccer necessarily adversarial to the varsity team’s interests? Goh was quick to point out the positives.
“Sunday soccer helps players who aren’t included (in the team) to keep match-fit. That includes maintaining the presence of mind in making split-second decisions. It’s not enough just to be physically fit,” he said.
Fittingly, it is team captain Lim Guoxing, 22, who gives Arasu a strong vote of confidence. Lim feels that in bearing the burden of accountability for results, the coach rightly expects players who don NUS colours to “ensure that the best team is always available for selection”.
Coach Arasu, ever the wily, wizened veteran with 25 years of coaching experience to his name, is a picture of calm. Nothing escapes his watchful gaze, least of all the transgressions occurring in his very own backyard. His response was largely non-committal. “I only put my foot down when I have to,” he said.
For an individual tasked with making unpopular decisions, he sets much store behind the maturity of his players in taking setbacks in their stride. During a recent post-training team talk, Arasu simply said, “If you are strong enough, march on with me.”
The master tactician is a man of few words, yet his quiet confidence is plain as day. His portfolio reads an array of achievements at the tertiary level, the prestigious Institute Varsity Polytechnic championship won in 2009 with NUS as one of the most outstanding achievements. Although he is well aware of the discontent brewing within his team, he never seems deposed of control.
Whether Sunday soccer continues to be a factor in the grand scheme of things is immaterial. Team NUS players would probably do well to trust in the renowned tactical nous that has always formed the bedrock of success for Arasu’s teams.
While the roving central midfielder plays primarily for the National University of Singapore’s varsity soccer team, it is in the Sunday amateur league where he plays most of his competitive soccer. The match fee borne by players is “a token sum” that is invaluable in the “opportunity” it affords “for added match practice”, Goh says.
It is, however, an unspoken but acknowledged rule of thumb that varsity soccer players should not play recreationally outside of NUS-sanctioned activities. Traditionally, this concern is made explicit by coach, Arasu M. Suppiah, in the run up to major tournaments.
Yet, players often fall afoul from Arasu’s agenda of keeping a squad in tip top condition. Of the 22 squad players, 16 admitted to risking injury and fatigue with continued appearances in Sunday league matches.
Unfortunately, the embracement of Sunday league soccer is more a matter of preference than popularity. Players turn out for their amateur league outfits as a makeshift outlet to the frustrations with being part of the NUS team. This silent mutiny of sorts alludes to the larger problem of an underlying wave of dissatisfaction with the way the NUS squad is run.
A major bone of contention arises from Arasu’s player selection habits. One player, who declined to be named, lamented the drafting process as being less than meritocratic. “Coach tends to stick with the names he trusts more. Sometimes I wonder why we work so hard during training when we know we won’t be rewarded,” he said.
It is but the common plight of the fringe player. Of the 11 named as reserves in a Singapore University Games fixture played against Singapore Management University in September, four did not feature at all throughout the tournament. All four of them turned to Sunday league matches as a makeshift replacement for the playing time they were deprived of.
Amateur league escapades are welcome distractions not just to bit-part players. Arasu’s policy of cultivating a set of versatile players does not endear itself fully to his charges. His penchant for fielding players out of their preferred positions is hence met with silent but grudging acceptance.
Jeremy Tan, 23, an engineering student, is one of those who have bitten the bullet. The out-and-out striker by nature is currently shoring up NUS’s defence at the right fullback position. He presents a mixed bag of emotions, and says, “I’ve always tried to adapt to whatever role coach has for me. In a way, I’ve become a more complete player. But I do miss the feeling of getting forward and scoring goals. Playing for Team Kangtao on Sundays, I get that chance to attack when I play as the target man, or at least on the wings.”
The oddly named Team Kangtao is one of many teams that make up the local amateur soccer scene. Residing in the premier division of the Dare2Dream Sunday League since 2007, Kangtao’s ranks have since been graced by no less than 20 NUS players past and present. Team manager Samuel Ng, 23, is not surprised at their willingness to supplement their varsity team commitments with Sunday league soccer.
“It’s competitive football without the pressure. Nobody barks instructions at you, nobody expects you to come down when you can’t,” he said. “We believe in playing to the strengths of our players but most importantly, everyone is given a chance to play. In the end it’s all about having fun first and foremost.”
Enjoy their football, they most certainly do. Incessant banter, feints, flicks and step-overs adorn Team Kangtao’s swashbuckling, offense-oriented approach. This stark contrast to the conservative long-ball game Arasu subscribes to is particularly attractive to Damian Ng, 23, one of NUS’s right wingers.
“I can be more expressive in my approach, instead of always having to look for the safest option,” he said. The prolific attacker has already notched up seven goals in his last two games for Kangtao, while he has yet to score for NUS.
So is the proposition of an outlet where players can rekindle their passion for soccer necessarily adversarial to the varsity team’s interests? Goh was quick to point out the positives.
“Sunday soccer helps players who aren’t included (in the team) to keep match-fit. That includes maintaining the presence of mind in making split-second decisions. It’s not enough just to be physically fit,” he said.
Fittingly, it is team captain Lim Guoxing, 22, who gives Arasu a strong vote of confidence. Lim feels that in bearing the burden of accountability for results, the coach rightly expects players who don NUS colours to “ensure that the best team is always available for selection”.
Coach Arasu, ever the wily, wizened veteran with 25 years of coaching experience to his name, is a picture of calm. Nothing escapes his watchful gaze, least of all the transgressions occurring in his very own backyard. His response was largely non-committal. “I only put my foot down when I have to,” he said.
For an individual tasked with making unpopular decisions, he sets much store behind the maturity of his players in taking setbacks in their stride. During a recent post-training team talk, Arasu simply said, “If you are strong enough, march on with me.”
The master tactician is a man of few words, yet his quiet confidence is plain as day. His portfolio reads an array of achievements at the tertiary level, the prestigious Institute Varsity Polytechnic championship won in 2009 with NUS as one of the most outstanding achievements. Although he is well aware of the discontent brewing within his team, he never seems deposed of control.
Whether Sunday soccer continues to be a factor in the grand scheme of things is immaterial. Team NUS players would probably do well to trust in the renowned tactical nous that has always formed the bedrock of success for Arasu’s teams.