THE battle lines have been drawn.
Riding on a nationalistic fervour, Malaysia will be looking to give Singapore a torrid time in front of a sell-out crowd of 85,000 fans at the National Stadium today in a bid to overcome a 5-3 deficit in a World Cup Asian zone second round qualifying tie.
Little incentive is needed to get players and fans from both sides of the Causeway motivated as only a Malaysia versus Singapore clash can.
The equation is simple. Malaysia need to win by a two-goal margin to advance to the third round draw to be held in 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil on Saturday, as long a 5-3 scoreline is not repeated.
For Singapore, even a one-goal defeat is enough to send them through and the visitors understandably could be expected to tread a more cautious line in protecting the lead they earned at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday.
That could prove problematic for Malaysia, who have never enjoyed playing against a defensive-minded team, as the first round, first leg clash against Taiwan last month showed.
AFF Cup champions Malaysia's forte has always been in the strength of their counter-attacks through the flanks but Singapore, if the hints of coach Radojko Avramovic are any indication, have a surprise lined up for the home side.
"Should I be telling you whether we are going to sit back or go on the attack?" said Avramovic yesterday at a press conference in Petaling Jaya in response to a question of how he will set his team up for the second leg.
"We have our target, we are focused on qualifying for the next round. People come to see goals and we would like to see more goals but as long as we score more than them. Both teams are capable of winning, Malaysia and us looking at it the same way. The players are ready."
After a calamitous display by the Malaysian defenders, who have conceded 19 goals in their last five matches, coach K. Rajagobal is expected to ring the changes for the national team's most important game of the year.
In comes Aidil Zafuan Radzak, who in the absence of the suspended Safiq Rahim, will take on the captain's arm-band and the role of a free-kick specialist.
Muslim Ahmad, a pillar of strength in the AFF Cup but who has been in steady decline since, will have to make way after being embarrassed by Singapore's 41-year-old Bosnian-born striker Alexander Duric, who is only one year short of the combined ages of the Malaysian centre-backs Muslim and Fadhli Shas he faced in the first leg.
Safiq's place in the middle could go to Ismail Faruqi Ashari with Amirulhadi Zainal restored on the right flank while it's a toss-up between Abdul Hadi Yahya and Ahmad Fakri Saarani to partner Safee Sali in attack.
"I don't think there is any pressure on us," said Rajagobal. "The players are used to it, they know their responsibility and they have no choice but to focus on winning the game.
"There will be more urgency and intensity and they are all excited as can be seen in training. Their morale is not down and they are ready."
Excluding the two mismatched friendly matches against English clubs Arsenal and Liverpool, Malaysia are unbeaten in six internationals on home ground since a 3-1 defeat to Uzbekistan in an Asian Cup qualifier last November, which remains Rajagobal's only defeat in 11 home internationals.
Singapore, who have right-back Ismail Yunos suspended, will also be confident of extending their unbeaten run against Malaysia to nine matches, stretching back to 2004 even if they are playing in Bukit Jalil for the first time ever.
Malaysia will have to keep Singapore's five foreign-born players -- Dukic, Shi Jia Yi, Qiu Li, Mustafic Fahrudin, and Daniel Bennett -- in check after four of them scored in the first leg but Rajagobal cautioned against under-estimating their local talent.
"They (Singapore's locals) are just as important as the other players. They have a good balance in the team so we must not forget about the locals," said Rajagobal who is probably referring to Singapore's midfield inspiration Shahril Ishak.
Riding on a nationalistic fervour, Malaysia will be looking to give Singapore a torrid time in front of a sell-out crowd of 85,000 fans at the National Stadium today in a bid to overcome a 5-3 deficit in a World Cup Asian zone second round qualifying tie.
Little incentive is needed to get players and fans from both sides of the Causeway motivated as only a Malaysia versus Singapore clash can.
The equation is simple. Malaysia need to win by a two-goal margin to advance to the third round draw to be held in 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil on Saturday, as long a 5-3 scoreline is not repeated.
For Singapore, even a one-goal defeat is enough to send them through and the visitors understandably could be expected to tread a more cautious line in protecting the lead they earned at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday.
That could prove problematic for Malaysia, who have never enjoyed playing against a defensive-minded team, as the first round, first leg clash against Taiwan last month showed.
AFF Cup champions Malaysia's forte has always been in the strength of their counter-attacks through the flanks but Singapore, if the hints of coach Radojko Avramovic are any indication, have a surprise lined up for the home side.
"Should I be telling you whether we are going to sit back or go on the attack?" said Avramovic yesterday at a press conference in Petaling Jaya in response to a question of how he will set his team up for the second leg.
"We have our target, we are focused on qualifying for the next round. People come to see goals and we would like to see more goals but as long as we score more than them. Both teams are capable of winning, Malaysia and us looking at it the same way. The players are ready."
After a calamitous display by the Malaysian defenders, who have conceded 19 goals in their last five matches, coach K. Rajagobal is expected to ring the changes for the national team's most important game of the year.
In comes Aidil Zafuan Radzak, who in the absence of the suspended Safiq Rahim, will take on the captain's arm-band and the role of a free-kick specialist.
Muslim Ahmad, a pillar of strength in the AFF Cup but who has been in steady decline since, will have to make way after being embarrassed by Singapore's 41-year-old Bosnian-born striker Alexander Duric, who is only one year short of the combined ages of the Malaysian centre-backs Muslim and Fadhli Shas he faced in the first leg.
Safiq's place in the middle could go to Ismail Faruqi Ashari with Amirulhadi Zainal restored on the right flank while it's a toss-up between Abdul Hadi Yahya and Ahmad Fakri Saarani to partner Safee Sali in attack.
"I don't think there is any pressure on us," said Rajagobal. "The players are used to it, they know their responsibility and they have no choice but to focus on winning the game.
"There will be more urgency and intensity and they are all excited as can be seen in training. Their morale is not down and they are ready."
Excluding the two mismatched friendly matches against English clubs Arsenal and Liverpool, Malaysia are unbeaten in six internationals on home ground since a 3-1 defeat to Uzbekistan in an Asian Cup qualifier last November, which remains Rajagobal's only defeat in 11 home internationals.
Singapore, who have right-back Ismail Yunos suspended, will also be confident of extending their unbeaten run against Malaysia to nine matches, stretching back to 2004 even if they are playing in Bukit Jalil for the first time ever.
Malaysia will have to keep Singapore's five foreign-born players -- Dukic, Shi Jia Yi, Qiu Li, Mustafic Fahrudin, and Daniel Bennett -- in check after four of them scored in the first leg but Rajagobal cautioned against under-estimating their local talent.
"They (Singapore's locals) are just as important as the other players. They have a good balance in the team so we must not forget about the locals," said Rajagobal who is probably referring to Singapore's midfield inspiration Shahril Ishak.
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