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Kelantan Look To Upset The Form Books And End JDT's Winning Streak In MSL
Kelantan must get their act together if they are to stop JDT from making it 13 straight wins in all competitions.
April 9th, 2016 | 11:33 AM | 1845 views
MALAYSIA
Malaysia Super League (MSL) games are coming at a rapid rate now, with a packed schedule for the next couple of months.
With teams finally able to create some momentum after a stop-start first two months of the season, here are three Round 7 games to look forward to:
1. JDT'S TRIP TO RIVALS KELANTAN
There's no love lost between Kelantan and Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), which means that, despite the form guide, the trip to Kota Bahru will be a severe test for red-hot champions.
The Southern Tigers are on a 12-match winning run in all competitions, and Argentine striker, Martin Lucero, looks like he is finally coming to grips with the burden of being Luciano Figeuroa's successor. Kelantan, in contrast, have just one win in the last five, and are coming off a confidence-sapping 4-2 pounding by newly promoted T-Team in midweek
But, as the banner says, 'This is Kota Bahru". The hue of Kelantan may be pinker, and the form poorer, but Kelantan do have big-game players, on paper at least. And this is a huge game for the Red Warriors as the pressure is building after a so-so start to the campaign. A repeat of the 4-1 drubbing that Kelantan inflicted on JDT at the tail-end of last season is unimaginable, but a Kelantan win would mean a fresh start for K. Devan's charges. Defeat, though, could be terminal.
The key task for JDT coach, Mario Gomez, is to keep the side focused. It is the classic mantra of "one game at a time". This trip to the Northeast is just the start of a road trip that sees his team take on Kelantan in the MSL before heading to Vientiane for an AFC Cup match against Lao Toyota FC, and then an FA Cup semifinal at Kedah two days later.
So there's a chance that the winning run will stop at unlucky 13.
2. CORNTHWAITE COMEBACK FOR SELANGOR AT FELDA UNITED
Having opened the season with a six-match unbeaten run, Selangor have collapsed in recent weeks with just one win in five and that was a very shaky 4-3 AFC Cup victory in Bangladesh. A porous defence, conceding 11 goals in those five games, will welcome back Australian Robbie Cornthwaite after a two-month absence due to injury. If he can help steady the defensive ship, Selangor may get their season back on track.
Felda United's record at their new home in Jengka is a perfect three wins from three starts. They have yet to concede a goal on their artificial turf, and have started to generate a decent fan base. It has helped them keep up with the torrid pace being set by leaders JDT.
Felda are reaping the on-field rewards that nearly always follow a stable off-field structure. Their gorgeous new home gives the club an identity that was previously absent and also brings into focus the emergence of a strong club infrastructure. Back-to-back victories over Pahang and Tuesday's thrilling 4-1 win at Terengganu sees the Fighters full of confidence ahead of the visit of Zainal Abidin Hassan's Selangor.
Two heavyweights will be going at each other with full strength squads. A point would help neither in their quest to keep pace with JDT at the top, but a draw is the most likely outcome.
3. DESPERATE PAHANG TRAVEL TO PERAK
Pahang's season has been something akin to a car crash. They are bottom of the table with just one point from six matches, four of which have been at home. The expectation was that Pahang's ravaged squad would struggle after losing eight of last season's regular starting side, but few would have seen just how much of a struggle it has been.
The Elephants have already changed coach and CEO, with once loyal fans turning against the club. On the pitch, the young team are coming to grips with a whole series of on-field problems: No goals in 310 minutes; five consecutive losses; the worst defensive record in the MSL, with 15 goals conceded.
On Saturday, they travel to Ipoh to take on Perak, who are closest to them in the table. It has been a strange season for the Silver State. A march to the semifinals of the FA Cup has overshadowed a bizarre league campaign in which they have a water-tight defence that has conceded just four goals in six matches, in contrast to an awful attacking record of just two goals scored.
If Pahang are somehow to avoid a relegation that, even at this early stage of the campaign, seems likely, then they simply must get a result in Ipoh. Even a draw just might stem the flow of negativity. The predicted defeat could spell a season of real woe for one of the recent giants of Malaysian football.
Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC
by Dez Corkhill
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