KUCHING: The Sarawak team played a very composed game, observing positioning and tactical discipline to whip Kuching Selection 5-0 in a friendly match on Tuesday night.
POOR DEFENCE: Alberts expressed concern over the backline’s erratic passing.
But coach Robert Alberts is not too happy about the Crocs’ poor passing, especially in defence.
He said Sarawak would be in big trouble if they did that against Kelantan (in their Malaysia Cup opener on Sept 6).
The game, played on soggy pitch after a heavy downpour, saw both sides starting cautiously with play concentrated in mid-field.
The Kuching team, comprising mainly former state players, gave the Crocs a few scares in the first 15 minutes but their attacks were neutralised by the Sarawak defence.
The Crocs broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute through Bobby Gonzales to the cheers of the local fans.
The striker found the net again in the 34th 44th and 81st minutes.
Sarawak’s other goal was scored by substitute Khairul Azhar Idrus in the 75th minute.
Kuching were awarded a penalty in the second half but their powerful shot from the spot was saved by the goalkeeper.
A Kuching follow-up shot hit the crossbar and in the ensuing goal melee, the ball went out of play for a goal kick.
After match, Alberts expressed concern over the backline’s erratic passing that could get the Crocs slaughtered against Kelantan.
“Many passes did not get where they should. If you give away passes the way Shahril did that result in the penalty and if you do that against Kelantan – if they don’t get a penalty – they will kill you.
“There is a bit of concern over the poor passes made by the defenders – and the number of balls we lost,” he stressed.
However, Alberts thinks his charges have been overworked by the scheduling of the friendly matches.
The games against Police, Sime Darby and Negeri Sembilan all started at 10pm last week while that against Kuching on Tuesday started at 9.15pm.
“The boys were tired going into the match against Kuching after playing three friendlies last week. But what’s important today (Tuesday) is that we didn’t lose our position because normally against Kuching, the team tend to play different football – more positioning, keeping position and tactical discipline. But against Kelantan, there will be a lot more running and defending,” he said.
Although the Crocs defeated Kuching by a very big margin, Alberts believed the encounter was the most challenging in the run-up to the Malaysia Cup.
“Of all the local friendlies we played – from Betong, Sibu and Kapit– this is probably the toughest.”
When asked about the more than five easy chances wasted by the Crocs against Kuching, Alberts said that such errors were “part of the game.”
On injuries that sideline Chun Ken Hong for the final friendly, Alberts said they were not very serious.
“He should recover in two to three more days – no worries for the Malaysia Cup,” he said.