Rio Sakuma was Geylang International's saviour last Wednesday night when he bulleted a header past Tampines Rovers goalie Syazwan Buhari deep into stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw, which crucially kept his club's unbeaten run alive.
The Japanese centreback's late intervention - which sent the away supporters into wild celebrations - was a deja vu of last season where he tapped the ball into the net to help his side clinch a last-gasp derby victory.
"Rio's goal in the dying minute shows the resilience of the team this season," says Eagles supporter Stanley Wong in awe.
Voicing in agreement is fellow fan Nas Marjuki. "Both goals, including the earlier equaliser by Ryoya, were rewards of the team's never-say-die attitude."
It is to be noted though that the fallen Singaporean giants did themselves no favour by putting in a lacklustre performance in the first half which ended with the side going a goal behind.
But two tactical tweaks - on top of the resilience mindset - were crucial in helping Geylang to come away with a valuable point.
First was the half-time introduction of captain Joshua Pereira, who was surprisingly left out of the starting 11.
His presence at the base of the midfield - in partnership with Takahiro Tezuka - liberated Vincent Bezecourt to wreck havoc in the attacking third.
As pointed out by Nas, "Josh's emergence in the second half seemed to put everything back in place. His tenacity and willingness to run at everything simply showed his immense leadership."
Second, head coach Noor Ali intensified his pressing game - where his attackers man-marked the opposing defence - which prevented Tampines from playing the ball out from the back.
With the Stags resorting to long balls, the Eagles had a better chance of winning the midfield battles and thus supplying the ball to the forward line.
Stanley is impressed with how the tactic worked a treat that night. "It's really pleasing to see that even when we were one goal down, our boys were still pressing high on the pitch and trying to win possession early. Even a good team like Tampines were forced to make defensive errors."
Referring to the forthcoming fixture against Balestier Khalsa this Sunday (July 28), the Geylang supporter - who just celebrated his 49th birthday on the day of the recent Eastern Derby - is excited on what his beloved team can offer on the pitch. "I would love to see the high pressing game of the team again as it had caused so many problems to opposing teams this season."
In fact, the matchup between the two sides could be an entertaining, high-energy affair for fans and neutrals alike, based on head-to-head records.
From their last five encounters, there has been a total of 26 goals, which averages 5.2 per game.
But according to Nas, who often travels from his workplace in Tuas to catch the Eagles in action, he believes the upcoming home clash at Jalan Besar Stadium may not be a goal fest. "I predict a 2-1 win for the Eagles. Without Shakir (suspension) and possibly Ryoya (shoulder injury), hopefully Noor Ali can get the best out of their replacements and defend our unbeaten record.
"You never know. We could be the dark horses that both Sailors and Stags should be wary of for the rest of the season."
Player to watch: Vincent Bezecourt - If Ryoya Taniguchi is not cleared to feature in the Tigers encounter, the French midfield maestro will be asked to fill in the centre attacking midfield spot. As seen in his corner kick that led to Rio Sakuma's dramatic leveller in the Eastern Derby, Bezecourt can help unlock stubborn defences and turn the game in Geylang's favour. A heartbeat in the Eagles attack, he will be looked upon to keep the attacking moves going against Balestier.
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