MyTeam Football Club

Head to Head
MyTeam begin the final match of the first stage in the Malaysia Cup Group C matches in high confidence following their excellent form during which they are the only team to register a 100% winning record with victories all over their rivals in a tough group, though they have yet to meet Perak. Tell that to Bojan Hodak at the start of the campaign, coming off a miserable outing in their debut season in the Super League with a 10th placed finished, he would have given an arm and a leg for it. MyTeam are in excellent form but the dangers of such circumstances so early in the campaign have been evident in all football tournaments before. Bojan & Co., will need to get the players to focus on the task at hand, taking one match at a time, and then only think about possible qualification to the quarter-finals. Their chances to go through are bright, but any sort of overconfidence will definitely haunt them in a group with heavyweights such as Perlis, Perak and Pahang waiting to pounce on any opportunity given as the job is still not done yet.

Armed Forces are at the bottom of the pile in this six-team group, and will need a miracle of sorts to get them back into the reckoning. Though staring at the exit, they still have plenty of pride to play for, and gave a good account of themselves in the first match against MyTeam in early June. Almost a month has passed, and bizarrely both teams square off in their fourth meeting in history at PJ Stadium, the scene of their last encounter. Technically, MyTeam are away, but they will be more at home than their opponents on Sunday’s match. MyTeam struggled to get going against Pahang in their last match on Monday, and Jeremy Danker’s winner in injury time continued their knack of scoring injury time winners in all their Malaysia Cup matches as of date, and Forces will be wary of that thing called ‘MyTeam Time’ as the closing stages of the match appear. The previous three fixtures between the two sides have ended in a win each and a draw.

Zool Ihsan Yunus, Forces’ skipper, Johairi Ahmad and Suhhaimi Ishak are the lynchpins that the servicemen will depend on to plot MyTeam’s downfall. The three were the most potent during MyTeam’s the match in June, and have the ability to cause trouble if left to their undertakings. Otherwise, Forces will most likely be absorbing pressure all the way, and perhaps find a way past MyTeam’s backline to hit on the counter, though their goalscoring record of 1 in their past 4 matches, doesn’t augur well for them.

Bojan is most likely expected to parade the same first eleven that has won him the last three of their four wins, though playing against the bottom team. Most likely he will be seeking to get MyTeam a step closer to qualification, and victory on Sunday will bring them three points within qualification, with five matches remaining, needing nine more points to mathematically register their spot into the Knock-Outs.

MyTeam’s probable line-up :-Faizal Rashid, Azrul Azmi, Mijo Dadic, Juzaili Samion, Irwan Fadzli, Shakir Shaari, Kaironnisam Sahabuddin, Bunyamin Omar, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Edvaldo Goncalves, Sasa Branezac.

MyTeam registered their place into the semi-final of the President’s Cup with a come from behind away win over Kelatan in Kota Bharu yesterday evening. The win mathematically confirmed MyTeam’s spot in the last four, with one match to play against Selangor away. The Red Giants also qualified with a slim 1-0 win over Kuala Muda Naza.

MyTeam fell behind to a 22nd minute strike by Kelantan, but 13 minutes into the second half, Ali, despite struggling with an injury scored to level for the Teluk Intan based squad. With 14 minutes left, Nasarin secured the winner for their third win in the competition. All that remains to be decided is who will top the group which will be decided when MyTeam travel to the capital to meet Selangor, next Thursday. Checkout MyTeam.com.my later on Friday evening for more details on the win.

MyTeam's Presidents Cup squad visit Kota Bharu today for their fifth Quarter-Final Group B match against Kelantan with a great chance to book a place into the last four knockouts, and make amends for the disappointment of last Monday where they were held at home by a come from behind late equalizer by Kuala Muda Naza.

Speaking through telephone to MyTeam.com.my, coach Jacob Joseph said "My target remains the same for the team. We must win this match following what happened at home four days ago. However, I'm quite disturbed by the fact that Kelantan are allowed to field three players who were previously registered with Kuala Lumpur in the Presidents League. How can FAM allow this?" an angry Jacob remarked. Continuing he said "We bring a full squad today, free of injuries, except Ali and free of suspensions, and we expect Kelantan to field five of their senior M-League players. They need to win as they are bottom of the group, a draw or defeat will see them out of the competition".

When asked about MyTeam's achievements so far this year where the coach targeted a quarter-final appearance, and that has been garnered, Jacob said "I have revised it to a semi-final target now, though we are taking one match at a time". MyTeam.com.my wanted to know if Jacob believe the squad could go all the way this year, but he declined to harp much ambition, saying that let's cross the bridge when we get there.

MyTeam FC next match against The Elephants of Pahang in the Malaysia Cup Group C fixture will be a live television affair as confirmed by broadcasters RTM.

The game that is scheduled on Saturday, 26th July in Kuantan at 8.45pm, will be screened over RTM1. It will be MyTeam’s second last group game, and hopefully the stakes would not be as high, with qualification to the quarters merely a couple of few wins.

MyTeam’s opening match in the Malaysia Cup is a home fixture on the 11th of June against Armed Forces.

MyTeam’s President Cup boys registered their second win in the quarter-finals group stages of the competition when Mohan’s goal made the difference against Selangor at home in Teluk Intan.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my after the game, coach Jacob Joseph said ‘We played a very, very good game today. Our midfield and attacking were very impressive today. We matched them in every department, and I think it was our best performance by far. Selangor, to their credit, played an excellent match’.

Mohan’s winner came off an indirect freekick, from which skipper Deepan jumped in front of the Selangor goalie to block his view, and commit the error of letting in the goal, presenting MyTeam with a perfect opportunity of sealing their place in the semis with the home match against Kuala Muda Naza in four days time.

MyTeam’s President Cuppers blew their chance to register a place in the semi-finals of the President’s League when they were held by a battling Kuala Muda Naza at home in the estates of Jenderata, Teluk Intan.

Victory by Jacob Joseph’s boys would have assured them of qualification into the semi-finals but with 7 minutes left, their hearts were broken by a late equaliser from the Kedahans. MyTeam had let in the first half through Thinagaran’s early strike, but Kuala Muda were resilient in the second period and leveled. Thinagaran regained the lead for the Scarlett Juniors and it seemed that the three points were in the bag, until that fatal goal in the 83rd minute.

Jacob lamented the fact that MyTeam were in the lead, but still were held, saying ‘We played a good game, and if he had held on till the end, we would be in the semis now’

Despite that, MyTeam still top the group with two wins and two draws from the four matches played so far.

MyTeam FC recently ended their preparation for the Malaysia Cup campaign set to begin in early June, with a series of friendly matches against some teams within and nearby Klang Valley. Four matches were arranged against PDRM, Negeri Sembilan, PKNS and MK Land.

They began the tune-up with a 3-0 victory over MK Land on 19 May. Brazillian Edvaldo Goncalves, together with reserves Haris Safwan and Razlan Oto scored in the victory. Nine days later, they visited Premier League side PKNS, and thumped the latter 4-1 at the PKNS Sports Complex in Kelana Jaya . This time Edvaldo was on target again, with further goals coming from Azammudin Akil, skipper Kaironnisam Sahabuddin and President’s Cup player Ali.

The only defeat in the tour was the 3-0 hammering received at hands of Negeri Sembilan in Paroi, but MyTeam bounced back on the 4th of June, with a 2-1 win over favourite victims PDRM. Haris Safwan and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha go the goals in that match.

MyTeam’s opening match in the Malaysia Cup is a home fixture on the 11th of June against Armed Forces.

Head to Head
MyTeam have had an excellent start to their debut Malaysia Cup campaign, but the remaining two matches in the First Round of Group C fixtures, against Pahang and Perak, represents a chance for them to show if they really have what it takes to do well in this competition, after a season of learning in their maiden year in the Super League.

Matches against the The Elephants have always been close affairs, but MyTeam have yet to score a goal against the east coast side. Both their previous meetings this season have ended with MyTeam tasting painful defeats. In January in Kuantan, Reduoane Barkoui’s winner, deep in injury time broke the hearts of the players, and in early March, they fell again to two goals in the final 10 minutes at home.

Pahang are on the rocks following their less than perfect start to the Malaysia Cup. Zainal Abidin’s boys recently lost 2-1 to Perlis away, with the Northern Lion’s winner coming two minutes from time, but still remain second in the standings, though five points off the pace from MyTeam who currently occupy the top of the standings with a perfect record in the group, after 3 matches. Pahang will be seeking to cut down this lead with their third win over the homesters tonight, but MyTeam’s confidence will surely be soaring following their ability to score uptill the last moment as demonstrated in their opening three matches in the wins over Armed Forces, Perlis and Johore Pasir Gudang. The two time Malaysia Cup winners finished a poor 8th in the League, by their standards, and will be aiming to do well in this competition.

Pahang have a number of experienced players to rely upon in this fixture. Current national defenders Norhafiz Zamani Misbah and Shahril Faizal, midfielders Tengku Hasbullah and R.Surendran, former national striker Hairuddin Omar & Azizul Kamaludin, all bring loads of experience to the table, with their trio of foreigners made up of Moroccans Reduoane in attack and Tarik El Janaby in midfield, with Guinean Keita Boubacar in defence.

MyTeam meanwhile are expected to rollout the same lineup that won the last two matches against Perlis and Johore Pasir Gudang respectively. Faizal Rashid, despite being held responsible for Johore’s opener on Friday, should be given the nod again, while Azrul Azmi, Mijo Dadic and Juzaili Samion are set to continue their partnership at the back. The only cause for concern is Irwan Fadzli who was ran ragged by their Johore wingers, especially in the second half, and Bojan Hodak may contemplate on giving Aslam Najumudeen a chance to start. Kaironnisam Sahabuddin, the skipper is set to begin in midfield with Bunyamin Omar, Shakir Shaari and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha providing the flair. Upfront, Sasa Branezac who’s on fire with three goals in the past two games will start, with Edvaldo Goncalves, who finally found the net again in Larkin last Friday. For former Pahang boys, Juzaili and Irwan, this match presents a chance to finally put one over their former employers, while Azammudin Akil will also be hoping to be given some sort of opportunity to appear, as he too hails from the state.

Whoever comes on though, MyTeam have rediscovered the spirit that made them win promotion in 2007, from the Premier League.

MyTeam vs Johor Pasir Gudang, Friday 27 June, 8.45pm Tan Sri Hj.Hassan Yunus, Stadium, Larkin

Head to Head
After the excellent victory over Perlis on Monday, MyTeam travel to the southern tip of the Peninsular to meet Johor Pasir Gudang, or simply known as Johore. The Scorpions were also victorious in their last match, trouncing Armed Forces, 3-1. This match presents a great opportunity for The Scarlett Army to strengthen their position at the top of Group C in the Malaysia Cup.

This is the third meeting between the two sides, and the Premier League side Johore hold the advantage over the Super League MyTeam. They squared off in MyTeam’s debut year in the Premier League last season in April, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw in Klang Valley. Later in June that year, Johore won 3-1, but by then MyTeam had already secured their promotion to the SSuper League, hence the relaxed attitude in ending the season then.

MyTeam are expected to rollout the same lineup that started against Perlis, with Faizal Rashid bound to start in goal again, while Irwan Fadzli, Mijo Dadic and Azrul Azmi are set to retain their places at the back. In midfield, Bojan Hodak, the MyTeam coach is reckoned to also begin with the trusted engine of skipper Kaironnisam Sahabudin, anchorman Bunyamin Omar, flair player Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, and distributor Shakir Shaari. Amongst the two of them who will be spearheading the attack, Sasa Branezac, who scored twice against Perlis, will definitely start, but Brazillian Edvaldo Goncalves is a question mark following his below par performance against the Northern Lions.

Johore’s most prominent threat will most certainly come from forward Otelo Espinola. The Uruguayan’s 23 goals have helped them finish fifth in the standings once more, though missing out on promotion again. Fellow Latino Osvaldo Moreno from Paraguay, and Africans Akande Smith and Tumba Laurent complete Johore’s quartet of foreign signings. Akande and Osvaldo are midfielders, while Tumba operates in the back four. Azuan Md Zain boys will be keen to stop the march of MyTeam and a win tonight for them will certainly throw the group open.

FAM have informed of a change in MyTeam’s fixtures for the Malaysia Cup Group C schedule affecting the away matches against Perak and Pahang. The change is due to broadcasting issues with delayed telecast matches involving RTM.

The away match vs Perak that was scheduled initially on Thursday, 3rd July 2008, has been changed to Friday, 18th July 2008, while the match in Kuantan against Pahang, will be played on Saturday, 26th July 2008, instead of the earlier scheduled date on 15th July 2008.

The venue and kick-off times for all the matches remain the same. at the usual time of 8.45pm.

Head to Head
Almost a fortnight after their winning debut in the Malaysia Cup, MyTeam first real challenge comes up against heavyweights Perlis. The Scarlet Army have had the upperhand over the northerners this season, though it always is an uphill battle against Perlis. The Northern Lions started brightly in their first meeting in January when MyTeam were languishing in the pitfalls of the Super League, leading 2-0 at halftime, before a second half revival saw MyTeam register a memorable comeback 4-2 win. It was an almost similar case when they squared off in Kangar and Perlis were a minute away from avenging that earlier defeat that brought about the sacking of former coach Abdul Rahman, but Irwan Fadzli’s last minute fender-bender snatched a point for MyTeam just as defeat seemed almost a conclusion then.

The two time Malaysia Cup winners, who opened their campaign in this most prestigious tournament with a good point away to Perak two weeks back, will once again be banking on the contribution of Zambian Phillimon Chepita, who rescued them in Ipoh. In midfield, hard man Yusri Che Lah remains the usual suspect of stopping MyTeam, while Gustavo Roberto Chena is tasked with linking up play for them from back to front. K.Soley on the flanks also has the ability to cause problems. Perlis also are expected to field newly acquired Argentinian, Esteban Emanuel Coseres, a defender who used to play for Santa Fe, who’s International Transfer Certificate just arrived two days ago.

MyTeam meanwhile are poised to start with a slightly changed line-up from the victorious game against Armed Forces. Faizal Rashid is set to retain his role between the posts, with the only change in defence coming in leftback where Irwan Fadzli replaces Aslam Najumudeen. The other three remain the same in Mijo Dadic and Azrul Azmi, who has been having quite an extended run in the team, the centrebacks, while Juzaili Samion slots into rightback. Perhaps sensing Perlis’ toughness in midfield, MyTeam’s coach Bojan Hodak, hopes on winning the midfield battle rests with Shakir Shaari, skipper Kaironnisam Sahabudin, Bunyamin Omar and flair player Norsharul Idlan Talaha. Edvaldo Goncalves and Sasa Branezac are the ammo MyTeam starts with in Perlis. MyTeam have a full squad to choose from, and are free from injuries, except for Arun Kumar’s recurring knee problem that leaves him out of the travelling party or suspensions.

Head to Head
MyTeam’s debut in the prestigious Malaysia Cup competition could not come any better with a home start against the bottom placed Premier League finishers, Armed Forces. A win is expected for Bojan Hodak’s boys as they have too much quality compared to the military outfit, and a flying start could set the tone for a proper campaign, following the tough lessons learnt in the Super League campaign.

MyTeam met Armed Forces twice in 2007, during their successful promotion winning year in the Premier League, and the record is a victory and a draw. The last meeting in May 2007, ended with a 3-1 home win for the The People’s Team.

With new striker Edvaldo Goncalves finally settled in, hopes are high for MyTeam to do well in this competition following an encouraging friendly match tour during the recent long break. MyTeam played four matches during that period and registered wins over PDRM, Premier League side PKNS and non-M-League side MK Land, while losing to NS Naza in Paroi. The squad is in high spirits despite the struggling end to their Super League debut in which they finished third from bottom.

Armed Forces are usually seen as making up the numbers within the context of the Malaysian League and the last place in the Premier only serves to strengthen that notion. However, they will be trying to dispel that with a good performance in this competition, starting with tonight in PJ Stadium.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) recently informed a change of dates in the fixtures for Week 21 of the Super League. The change also affects MyTeam’s away encounter to Penang, which has now been pushed to Sunday, March 30 instead of Saturday, March 29. The venue and kickofftime will remain as initially scheduled in Batu Kawan Stadium, at 8.45pm.

MyTeam’s Super League squad will be playing Armed Forces in a friendly match tomorrow, Saturday, 22nd March at Selayang Stadium in Bandar Baru Selayang. The match against the Premier League basement outfit is for coach Bojan Hodak to keep his players match fit, with the long break to MyTeam’s schedule due to not being involved in the FA Cup second round. The match in Selayang kicks off at 5pm.

Head to Head
A daunting task indeed as MyTeam welcome the treble winners of last season and the current league leaders Kedah to their backyard this Saturday.

The Canaries are in a terrific mood, even though they dropped points to NS Naza in their last league match and lost the return leg of their FA Cup First Round against PKNS, as they look to tie up the final knots in their quest of landing the Super League title for the second time in a row. They look unstoppable and their recent form has shown them to be in an unforgiving mood. Their foreign trio, particularly Nelson Martin and Marlon James have the ability to unlock any defences within the Malaysian League and MyTeam’s backline, already missing the services of the injured Juzaili Samion and captain Kaironisam Sahabudin, with a skin infection, will be hard pressed to keep the champions at bay. The presence Khyril Muhymeen and Hasmawi Hassan also provides Kedah with other alternatives to score.

In the initial encounter at Alor Setar, MyTeam lost 2-0 with Marlon James being the destroyer gaining a double with a goal in each half.

MyTeam as said earlier will be missing the services of Kaironnisam, and Azrul Azmi almost certain to start again, after replacing the captain at the very last moment against Perlis last Tuesday. What remains to be seen is whether coach Bojan Hodak, sticks with Faizal Rashid in goal or does he go back to the gentle giant of Syed Adney. Mijo Dadic is set to start once again, most likely with the captain’s armband. Leftback and rightback remains up for grabs. Irwan Fadzli has been pushed to left wing recently, and has done reasonably, and crazy man Hazmizan Kamaroddin has been okay on the right. In midfield, Bunyamin Omar will most likely anchor the midfield, either in a dual pronged anchor with Shakir Shaari or Jeremy Danker. The wings as usual are up for grabs, and the striker’s roles are set to be split between Zamri Chin and Sasa Branezac.

If there is any good playing Kedah right now with their excellent form, it’s a bumper crowd that could be expected in PJ Stadium.

Head to Head
MyTeam visit the Northern Lions on Tuesday after a much needed break from action, following their ouster in the FA Cup to Penang last week. They resume their campaign for survival in the top division in ninth position against a Perlis squad who are two places above, but with a whopping 12 points difference.

Perlis will be out gunning for revenge against MyTeam but since that eventful match in early January where a superb comeback by MyTeam in the second half, erased a two goal deficit to win 4-2, the Northern Lions have had a change of coaches. Abdul Rahman’s contract was terminated in the aftermath of that defeat and Irfan Bakti was roped in as the new boss following a stint in Indonesia.

With a new man at the helm, the change did its trick initially with Perlis embarking on a run of five wins in seven matches even rising up to third in the standings, but recently they have been in a freefall failing to win in any of their last five matches, while being knocked out by Premier League squad KL Plus in the First Round of the FA Cup. Victory for them would give them a chance to close in on Terengganu who are in fourth on 30 points, but they have been suffering a short goal drought, failing to find the net in the past two matches.

Perlis’ danger man is Phillimon Chepita, the Zambian striker who scored against MyTeam in Petaling Jaya, and has bagged 11 goals this season while Yusri Che Lah if given the space to do his job, can conquer the midfield area, spraying passes all over the pitch. K.Soley is also an exciting talent to watch out for. Former MyTeam-er Nizaruddin Yusof also has the ability to turn matches.

MyTeam too have failed to score in their last two matches, but going by the fine display in the FA Cup First Round Second Leg defeat to Penang last week, things are looking good, despite only having two foreigners in their side. The performances of Shakir Shaari, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Aslam Najumudeen, Faizal Rashid, Azrul Azmi & Jeremy Danker provides much reason for coach Bojan Hodak to ponder about the line-up to face Perlis. Juzaili Samion, Bunjamin Omar and Jeremy will be missing for the away trip, injury for the former and suspensions for the latter two.

The management has outlined survival in the Super League as top priority for the team this season, and Bojan has to start bagging in the points beginning today. They will need to reinforce believe amongst their players that it can be achieved despite the gap that has built up between themselves and Pahang, a notch above. MyTeam are battling to avoid the drop with Penang, Sarawak, DPMM and PDRM.

MyTeam’s President Cup squad had their run of five consecutive victories halted when Kuantan Port/Shahzan Muda paid a visit to their homeground in Teluk Intan last Monday. However, the draw did not change the scenario at the top of the Group B standings in the President’s League as Johor FC too were held by Bukit Jalil Sports School, and the gap between The People’s Team with the leaders remain at three points going into their top of the table clash on Thursday in Pasir Gudang.

MyTeam’s keeper Welbert had a nightmare game in troublesome conditions. The custodian roped in from the youth squad, mishandled a catch on a slippery ball in heavy rain from a 30 metre strike for Kuantan Port/Shahzan Muda to take the lead after 16 minutes. Thinagaran, returning from suspension following his sending off against Proton FC, got MyTeam back on level terms in the 27th minute. The terrible downpour flooded the pitch, forcing MyTeam to adopt a kick and run, abandoning their usual pass and move game, However, MyTeam still remained in control, enjoying the bulk of possession but finding the weather, the pitch and their opponents rearguard too difficult to breach.

Thing only got worse in the second period when Welbert handled the ball outside the box, and was subsequently red carded, reducing MyTeam to ten men three minutes after the break. Despite that, MyTeam still continued o dominate up to ¾ of the pitch, but could not secure the winning goal.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my through telephone, coach Jacob Joseph said “We played a good game in the first half, but Welbert made two mistakes today. The rain also didn’t help our cause, turning the game into a main kampong battle”.

MyTeam travel to Johor on Wednesday knowing that victory would propel them to the top of the President’s League Group B standings at the end of the First Round of League competition. It will be a huge morale booster for Jacob’s boys if the can return with maximum points, setting them in good stead for the second round that kicks-off next week, at home, again to Johor FC.

Head to Head
This is MyTeam’s third meeting against the Panthers this season, and the previous two have ended in the negative. This match though, the return leg of the FA Cup first round, represents a conundrum for MyTeam coach Bojan Hodak who has to decide on what kind of squad does he field against the islanders tonight.

With the recent change in the fixtures, the match against Perlis that was scheduled initially for this weekend and postponed to March 11 due to the impending general elections, does not loom in the near future anymore, for MyTeam to be concerned about. This provides a selection headache, whether he should put on the best eleven he has in order to overcome the two goal deficit from the first leg in Batu Kawan a fortnight ago, or does he stick to his guns in fielding the youngsters or less utilised players, giving them more chance to prove themselves. After the win over PDRM, the players complained of fatigue and the listless display against Pahang at the weekend, proved beyond doubt that MyTeam are tired. This may rank in heavily in the Croatians choice for the line-up.

Faizal Rashid should see a return to goal, while Aslam Najumudeen and Azrul Azmi should be back, so would Jeremy Danker is probably a defensive position. Norsharul Idlan Talaha, who has been used off an on this season by Bojan and Shakir Shaari should get their much awaited start in the middle. On the flanks Azmi Muslim, Nazrin Nawi and Arumugam Ramasamy should do battle for the two slots available, while Haris Safwan is set to partner probably Razlan Oto, who was called up from the President Cup squad following his fine performances there. Though, Sasa Branezac could feature too for additional match practice following his suspension against PDRM.

Penang have recently completed their quota of foreign imports and are almost certain of fielding them tonight. Jamaican Scott Wadell, who’s biggest career achievement was to play in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in United States of America, and Argentinian Pedro Gonzalex are almost sure of starting with Uruguayan Alex Cabrera. The Pearl of The Orient side know that MyTeam would probably go full speed ahead against them and a two goal lead is a do-able lead to protect. Penang are also extremely good on the break, scoring four past MyTeam this season on the counter.

As much as MyTeam would not want to pressure themselves, they would need to press hard from kick-off and score an early goal if they fancy any chance of proceeding to the next round.

The venue for MyTeam’s second leg of the First Round FA Cup tie against Pulau Pinang has been switched to Shah Alam Stadium tonight due to priority given to Proton FC for their FA Cup encounter against Harimau Muda which would be played at the PJ Stadium.

Due to the impending nationwide general elections that will be held this weekend, FAM has decided to postponed all matches scheduled for March 8 to Tuesday, March 11, 2008.

MyTeam’s away trip to Kangar for the encounter against Perlis would be held on that day in Utama Stadium.

National coach B.Sathianathan has come out singing praises of MyTeam’s striker Zamri Chin in a report published in the FAM Website.

Sathianathan was quoted as saying that National Under-23 striker Zamri was playing well for his team, in a report meant to express his displeasure at certain players who received call-ups to the National training squad.

According to Sathianathan, he is compiling a report card on each player to be sent to their respective teams.

“The report is on the physical condition of the players and the recommended exercises for them to improve their fitness level. The other part is comments on their technical ability and the recommendation on areas to improve.

“Strikers are given a target to meet, like the number of goals they have set and what we expect from them.

MyTeam’s President Cup squad traveled to the city to face Felda United last Thursday in Permata Sports Complex in Bangi, and came out winning 2-0 to extend their winning streak to five matches in Group B of the President’s League, keeping tabs on leaders Johor FC, ahead of their two big meetings with them in the first two weeks of March 2008. A first half strike from skipper Deepan Kandasamy and a penalty in the second half from Shaidan, gave MyTeam an important victory, despite not producing sparks in their display.

When met after the game, coach Jacob Joseph was not a happy man despite the victory, but was the grateful for victory that keeps them ahead on goal difference from Bukit Jalil Sports School. Speaking to MyTeam.com.my, Jacob said, “We played a bad game today. Maybe the traveling took its toll on us. We left Teluk Intan at 11am and reached here only at 3.30pm”. Continuing he said “We didn’t have any strikers today as Razlan joined the Super League squad, while Thinagaran was still serving his suspension for the red card against Proton. Ali (Fazrul) was forced to play on top today.

Jacob also lamented the fact that they created many opportunities but could not put the ball back in the net. He said “We had a lot of chances but we failed to be more lethal upfront, while Felda were being defensive”. Jacob only expressed his worry with the amount of traveling his squad has to put up with in the next few days. He said “Our problem is that our next game is against Shahzan Muda on Monday. Then we travel again for the Johor FC match on Thursday in Pasir Gudang. We don’t have enough rest, we only got 48 hours. We will be tired by the Johor FC match. Maybe I’ll have to change some players.”

Realising the importance of the fixture against Johor FC, Jacob still brushed away suggestions of him playing the lesser players for the match against Shahzan Muda on Monday, in order for the regulars to be fresh for the cruncher. Johor FC top Group B currently on 22 points, with MyTeam three points behind. Victory in Pasir Gudang, will put MyTeam ahead on goal difference, while the start of the second round of league matches sees Johor FC coming to Teluk Intan on March 13.

MyTeam.com.my also asked his secrets for the remarkable turn-around so far, that has seen them rise in the charts, Jacob humbly said “There was no magic, but we must learn from our mistakes. Following our defeats to Kedah & Terengganu, I emphasized on more set-pieces. Thankfully it has paid dividends”. Commenting on the mood in the squad, he said “So far everything is okay. Suspensions and injuries do cause a big problem to us though”.

MyTeam’s President Cuppers began their remarkable five match winning streak in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak following the loss at home to Terengganu. It was an emphatic victory for them following all the troubles that plagued them earlier in the season. Thinagaran top scored with a double, followed by further strikes from captain Deepan Kandasamy, Faizal and Super League-er Razlan Oto, for a 5-1 win. The goal conceded to the Super Crocs was the last goal MyTeam let in the next 6 hours of football.

Following that big win, MyTeam were at home To Selangor PKNS, and registered a 2-0 victory. Fazrul scored from their first attack in the game, and Thinagaran propped up with another. Jacob Joseph, the team coach was a delighted with the win, saying “The teamwork is there. We played very well”. In fact following the win, Fazrul and leftback Banuteja were asked by National Under-20 coach K.Rajagopal.

The following match was a 9-0 away win over Proton FC that MyTeam.com.my covered, and after that visitors Kuala Lumpur came to Teluk Intan and had the dagger stabbed through their hearts three times in a very good game played by the MyTeam boys. Everything worked to clockwork precision in the 3-0 win that saw Faizal, Fazrul and Razlan get in the scoresheet.

Head to Head
MyTeam hosts Pahang on Saturday with a chance to break into the Top 8 for the first time this season, and build more daylight between themselves and the bottom quartet of PDRM, Sarawak, DPMM and Penang.

The People’s Team welcome back foreigners Mijo Dadic and Sasa Brazenac who missed the win against Police on Tuesday through suspension. However, MyTeam will be missing former Elephant, Juzaili Samion who picked up a hamstring injury in the last match and will be sitting out of action for a couple of weeks, a severe blow as he has been one of the more consistent performers this season, either at rightback or in the middle of the park. Arumugam Ramasamy will also be unavailable for suspension.

Team supremo Bojan Hodak is poised to field a slightly changed line-up from the one that won in Selayang. Two goal hero Zamri Chin is most definitely to start again, partnering Sasa at the top, while Bunyamin Omar who’s made a big presence is midfield is set to take the mantle once more, probably partnering Jeremy Danker, to form a twin anchor deployment, to break down Pahang’s forwardline. On the wings another former Pahang man, Irwan Fadzli could yet again feature as he did against The Cops, while Azzammudin Akil should start on the right. Syed Adney will be relied in goal once more, with the defensive quartet being made up of skipper Kaironnisam Sahabudin and Mijo Dadic in the heart of defence, with Hasmizan Kamaroddin and Aslam Najumudeen as fullbacks.

Pahang’s recent defeat at home against Perak on Tuesday was a slight blip in an upturn of fortunes they have been enjoying since infamously losing to Sarawak in Kuching. They won three straight matches, two of them against tough opposition in Johor FC and NS Naza, while squeezed past battling Armed Forces in the First Round (first leg) of the FA Cup. Coach Zainal Abidin Hassan has done well to rejuvenate his team’s cause and the come to PJ Stadium in high spirits, hoping to repeat victory against MyTeam.

Their only past encounter in Kuantan saw The Elephants run away underserved victors in a match that MyTeam should have at least shared the spoils. However, Morroccan Redounane Barkoui’s 93rd minute winner severely broke their hearts, capitalising on a series of defensive errors. Irwan for one, would be pumped up for this meeting, so will Syed Adney.

MyTeam will be gunning for revenge against Pahang, hoping to bury the memories in Kuantan for good, but more importantly a win would lift them over their opponents in the standings, and move into eighth in the Super League.

MyTeam’s President’s Cup boys will be in the city today for an away encounter against Felda United at the Permata Sports Complex in Bangi. The match is scheduled to kick-off at 4.45pm.

The Teluk Intan based outfit have had a purple patch after a difficult start to this season’s President’s Cup campaign, and they will be gunning for their fifth straight win since losing at home in a drab encounter against Terengganu at the end of January. The recent run, that saw victories against Sarawak, PKNS, Proton and Kuala Lumpur, has lifted Jacob Joseph’s squad into second in the Group B standings of the President’s League. More astonishingly is that they have embarked on this run on the back on scoring 19 goals and conceding only one in their last four matches.

The turn-around came following the loss to the Turtles, after Jacob admittedly questioned his own training methods, looking for answers as to why things were not working to his plans at that time, and boy how the squad has responded.

Hopefully this run will continue today. MyTeam.com.my will be there to bring the action from that match, and some info from that matches against Sarawak, PKNS and Kuala Lumpur.

MyTeam FC coach Bojan Hodak said he stood firmly by his decision to rest key players during the mid-week FA Cup First Round, First Leg defeat against Penang in Batu Kawan, last Tuesaday.

Clearly annoyed by criticism by some quarters who were disappointed with the Croatian’s action, Bojan said “This was our third match in one week. It is not possible to have the same eleven players for 5 or 6 matches especially in this kind of weather with the games coming in thick and fast”. Continuing Bojan said “If the players are tired, they’ll be more exposed to injuries, and I don’t want to risk that. We need to focus on the Super League rather than the FA Cup. We must score a few more wins and get closer to the top. We still have a chance in KL though in the return leg”.

On his thoughts regarding MyTeam’s performance in the 2-0 loss on Tuesday, Bojan said it was a chance for the reserves to prove themselves. He elaborate “They’re still young and naïve. We had two guys who are 19, with four or maybe five guys in the Under-21 age bracket, they’re still learning to play. We did well with our possession, but we made two or three mistakes and they punished us for it. These things can happen, though”. Upfront Bojan was exasperated with the display by Norshahrul Idlan Talaha. He said “In the final third we complicate it too much. We should have been more direct. They will learn, this was for the future”.

Bojan was also clearly pleased by the performances of goalkeeper Faizal Rashid following his return to the squad after a lengthy lay-off with an elbow injury. Commenting on Faisal, Bojan said “It was important for his confirdence that he played today. We can count on him again for his display. However, at this moment, Syed Adney is just shading it”. He also praised Shakir Shaari for the latter’s role in the middle of the park. “He grabbed his chance today. Definitely he impressed. I will be thinking of him in the next few matches”. On Juzaili Samion, Bojan said the Pahang lad never disappoints, though he was slightly frustrated with Norshahrul. He said “I was not happy with Mayo (Norshahrul) today. We expect much more from a national player. He needs to show it on the field”.

On their next opponents in the Super League, Terengganu, who come visiting PJ Stadium this Saturday, Bojan stressed that there might be a surprise in the result. He admitted that during the match at Kuala Terengganu, it was MyTeam’s worst performance of the season, but said that “We will prove the match in Terengganu was just one bad day for MyTeam. I will most probably play the team that played Selangor recently. I don’t think anybody can come to our ground and be confident about victory”, clearly rebutting Yunus Aliff, the Turtles coach, who said they were gunning for a win on Saturday.

Regarding Miljan Radovic, who’s contract was cut short, Bojan said the Montenegrin playmaker and MyTeam’s management mutually agreed to it, as the latter had offers back home in Europe.

-MyTeam vs Terengganu, Saturday, 23rd February, 8.45pm PJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya

MyTeam vs PDRM, Tuesday 26 February, 8.45pm Selayang Stadium, KL

Head to Head
This is a battle between two struggling sides that were promoted from the Premier League, and finding life quite difficult to adapt to in the fast lanes of the Super League. MyTeam make a short journey across town to visit city rivals PDRM, in what promises to be a bixing match between two injured gladiators.

Both have identical records in their past five matches, losing three, drawing one and winning one. However, MyTeam hold the slight advantage in tonight’s meeting as they have won all their encounters against PDRM up to date.

In the Premier League last season they triumphed on both occasions, home and away, while in the encounter against The Cops in mid-January, The People Team prevailed as 2-0 victors with goals from Miljan Radovic and Zamri Chin. The former is no longer in the squad but MyTeam still possesses the players to rise above PDRM with a win at Selayang tonight.

Both teams are desperate for points, and victory for PDRM would bring them nearer to Pahang who occupy the eighth spot, while MyTeam will be looking to jump into the Top Ten if the other results go their way.

A more pressing matter for coach Bojan Hodak is the problem at the back this season. They have constantly let in goals in the final 10 minutes of match, and last Saturday’s loss to Terengganu at home was a tragedy for their seasoned pros in Kaironnisam Sahabuddin and Mijo Dadic. PDRM have the second worst defensive record in the Super League, and MyTeam will be looking to exploit their frailties at the back. Having said that, MyTeam have only won once on the road this season at Brunei, while PDRM aren’t too formidable themselves at home.

A boxing match is on the cards.

Penang's second goal by super-sub Hafiz Abdul Rahman in the 84th minute of their First Round First Leg FA Cup encounter on Tuesday night, only served to emphasize a growing problem for MyTeam coach Bojan Hodak, who grapples with a worrying trend by his team in conceding late goals.

It was the seventh goal this season that The People's Team have conceded in the final 10 minutes of any match, and it has costed the team 6 points. The lack of concentration at the back during the business end of each match could have prevented defeats against Perak on the opening day, at Pahang and Selangor, while creating victory in the home match against Johor FC. MyTeam should be five points better of than the 12 points they currently posess, earning a much higher ranking than being next to bottom in the Super League standings.

Apart from the final stages of each match, MyTeam have also let in five goals during the midway point of the first half between the 21st till the 30th, succumbing to early pressure from their opponents. This occurred during the forgettable match against Sarawak, at home to Penang in the Super League and away in the FA Cup, at home to Perlis, away to Terengganu.

More importantly, MyTeam have conceded 26 goals in their 15 matches played, with an average of 1.73 goals per match. They have leaked in 13 goals in either half in all competitions.

First half, 13 goals
0-10 minute = 0 goal
11-20 minute = 2 goals
21-30 minute = 5 goals
31-40 minute = 3 goals
41-45 minute = 3 goals

Second half, 13 goals
46-50 minute = 1 goal
51-60 minute = 1 goal
61-70 minute = 0 goal
71-80 minute = 4 goals
81-90 minute = 7 goals

Head to Head
Revenge is most definitely on MyTeam's mind following painful defeat at home to the Panthers on New Years Day.

This is MyTeam's second meeting with Penang in the M-League. The first encounter in Petaling Jaya, saw the Pearl of The Orient side patiently wait for their opportunities before striking the dagger twice in The People's Teams hearts, in the second half. Haris Safwan's penalty was all MyTeam had to show for in a dismal performance that also saw playmaker Miljan Radovic being given a rude awakening to the Malaysian game when he was sent off. It was a black day in MyTeam's history as they hit rock bottom in the standings with that defeat.

Forward 7 weeks, and all is different with Penang. They have been in a freefall since then failing to win any match, in a toothless run that has set in discontent from their fans, who are dismayed with them occupying the bottom rung with only 6 points. The horrible situation inflicting Mohamed Bakar's squad finally forced the approval from their management for a couple of foreigners player to be brought in for their last match against leaders and reigning champions Kedah. It did not change anything as they suffered another heavy loss to remain six points off the next to bottom MyTeam, who have 12. Only a late surge in their fortunes will prevent an almost certain relegation for the Northerners.

However cup games have a knack of throwing form out of the window. The relegation battlers and so called small teams have a tendency to belie their position in the League, to suprise much better favoured opponents.

This two legged encounter is poised to bring out the best in the Panthers, who only have the FA Cup to look forward, if relegation is a foregone conclusion for them. They are certain to parade their first team players to please the Haria Penang faithful, who will be hoping a repeat of the cup successes they enjoyed in 2000. For MyTeam boss Bojan Hodak, the FA Cup serves as a platform to provide a chance in giving the reserves a runout to prove themselves, while giving the first choicers a much needed rest ahead of the tough match this weekend when Terengganu come visiting PJ Stadium.

Players such as Faizal Rashid, Jeremy Danker, Shakir Shaari, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Azrul Azmi, Arumugam Ramsamy, Nazrin Nawi, Aslam Najumuden, Arun Kumar are amongst those who are set to be given a chance, while the added incentive for Azrul and Azmi Muslim, if he's fielded, is that they will be playing in their hometown.

Head to Head
MyTeam travel across Klang Valley to Shah Alam where they face the Red Giants, who are in a rich vein of form, after climbing back up the standings into second, following the victory over Perak at Ipoh on Tuesday. The People’s Team meanwhile are heading into this encounter following a drab draw against DPMM FC, but will be motivated in finally breaking into the top ten with the point earned, and most importantly revenge against Selangor for the defeat two weeks ago.

In that match, MyTeam held the upper hand with the bulk of posession, and were lively on the greasy and cut-up pitch we call home at the PJ Stadium that night, but Safee Sali punished MyTeam with a brace near the end of the match. He will once again be the main threat for MyTeam’s defence to watch out for, together with Frank Seator and Indra Putra. Selangor have also recruited Elie Aboy, the Indonesian speed demon who used t torments defenders during Selangor’s treble winning campaign a couple of season’s back. He is most definitely set to start.

This season, Selangor have lost two of their six home matches, both against northerners Perlis and Perak, while MyTeam have only being profitable once on their travels so far. The away form for The People’s Team is nothing much to shout about, with only one win and a draw, on the back of four defeats. Coach Bojan Hodak, will be hoping to motivate his side into believing that they are worthy Malaysia Cup contenders with a good showing against the most successful side in Malaysian football. Either way, the crosstown derby and the fact it’s against Selangor, plus the encouragement taken from their last meeting should work things in MyTeam’s favour to register a good result.

If there were any positives to take from MyTeam’s last game it was the first clean sheet for them in four matches. That will serve as a confidence booster to the defensive unit and also to goalkeeper Syed Adney. The squad is free of injuries or suspensions, but the impending transfer of Miljan Radovic leaves the questions of who will fill in the void left by the Montenegrin playmaker. Kaironnisam Sahabuddin and Mijo Dadic will once again be relied to form the central pairing at the back, while Bojan ponders over the fate of the fullbacks. Irwan Fadzli is set to be given the nod yet again, while the rightback is up for contention with the likes of Azrul Azmi, Juzaili Samion and Aslam Najumudeen, who can play on either side. Bunyamin Omar’s fine performance in the middle last Tuesday will most certainly see him in action. He has been in training for MyTeam for over a month, and he will be raring to be let loose against Selangor’s threat in the middle of the park. Norsharul Idlan Talaha may be brought back into the fray as playmaker, and yet again the question is who takes on the flank positions. Azmi Muslim and Arumugam Ramasamy started the last match, but Azammuddin Akil and Nazrin Nawi will be knocking on the same door. Sasa Branezac is set to begin upfront again following his commendable performances for the team since arriving from Croatia, while Haris Safwan and Zamri Chin do battle for the only other striking spot available.

Super Leaguer striker Razlan Oto said he is pleased with his performance in helping the President’s Cup, since being assigned to Jacob Joseph’s Teluk Intan based outfit at the beginning of the President’s League in early January.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my following the match against Proton FC, in which he contributed two goals in the 9-0 historic win, the Sabahan said “I’m happy with things at the moment. I get to play often here and I have a chance to improve with performance, week in week out.” He also believes he has a case to break into the Super League squad once more following his fine form with the juniors, “Yes, I think I’m ready for the higher level, but I will wait for my chance”.

When asked on how was he coping with the juniors, Razlan remarked that “It’s easy as the team is more important than any one individual. It doesn’t matter whether I’m from the senior squad. When I make mistakes, they’ll advise, and it’s the same way the other round. Pressure is not a problem for me, the main thing here is team work”. Razlan also was hoping that he scores as many as possible during this good run the team is on currently.

Commenting on the mood of the team in this recent run that has seen them move to second in the Group B standings of the President’s League, Razlan said “It’s really good, we must maintain it in the coming matches”.

MyTeam FC’s President’s Cup coach was a happy man, watching his team continue their recent run of victories, following the thrashing of Proton FC at the latter’s stadium in UiTM Shah Alam. Despite that he was disappointed with star striker Thinagaran, who earned a straight red card following his accidental collision with Proton’s keeper, that will see him out of the ties against Kuala Lumpur and Felda United for a two match suspension.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my following the match last night, Jacob said “We played a good game. I personally did not think that we could score nine goals, perhaps three or four, but I did expect victory against the bottom side Proton”. While acknowledging that his team has moved to second in the standings in Group B of the President’s League, he downplayed the huge margin of victory saying that “The bigger task is against KL on Moday. I hope the players don’t carry this big headedness following this win. We must focus back, as everything starts at zero again”.

Jacob was also clearly disappointed with Thinagaran sending off. Elaborating further he said “I told them at halftime, we were up 7-0. Don’t get any yellow cards, don’t make any silly fouls. I told them we must be disciplined, play a simple game as we’re winning. But this is what I don’t like. There was no necessity for Thina to challenge the keeper like that. Now we will miss him for two matches”. On his plan upfront with Thinagaran’s suspensions, Jacob said “I will combine Razlan and Ali (Fazrul) upfront, and hope Ali’s injury is not too bad. We’ll find out the extent of it tomorrow and hopefully he’ll be able to start against KL”.

Commenting on the incident that almost sparked a huge brawl amongst both sets of players at the end of the game, the President’s Cup coach laid the blame solely on Proton FC, for the security arrangements. He said “If any players get’s red carded, security must follow till the dressing room. Proton did not provide any security. This is a serious matter. We are the away team, they must protect us”.

Head to Head
Officially this is the second meeting between the two teams, but factually this is the third time they're squaring off with each other in 12 days, following the fire that affected their first encounter a fortnight ago, forcing the replay the following day.

The Bruneian side had led 1-0 in the first match before darkness enveloped the arena in the 35th minute allowing MyTeam to bag their third win in the Super League in the sweltering heat of the Borneo sun, the next day, thanks to Lady Luck. It took them some nerves of steel to brush away DPMM's challenge, despite Bojan's claim that MyTeam could have crushed the oil rich sultanate 5-1, had they taken their chances.

Today though presents a second chapter in the tale. MyTeam are looking for their first back to back victory, hoping to break into the Top 8 if the other results go their way, which would be a welcome sight for management, players and fans alike after the turbulence endured in the first part of the season. Following a much needed break that have them a chance to recharge their worn batteries, Bojan & Co take a full strength squad, including Irwan Fadzli and Azammudin Akil who we're suspended earlier, for the visit of The Royales.

DPMM will be boosted by the return of striker Tiago dos Santos, the Brazilian who was forced to sitout of the match earlier due to suspension, and his potential partnership with Shahrazen Said, who caused plenty of trouble to Myteam's backline two weeks ago, will definitely pose some problems to MyTeam today. The punishing heat of the morning that clearly showed the difference of fitness levels between Iordan Stoykov's boys and MyTeam, will probably not play a major role as it did previously, with the match played under lights. DPMM are still without a win in seven matches and they look to stop the rot beginning tonite. A strong showing will only prove MyTeam's victory in Borneo was just a fluke.

It will be interesting to see if Bojan keeps faith with the team that won him the match two weeks ago, or would he tinker with the squad giving the returning players their chance once more. Whatever it may be, it is certain the defensive pillars of goalkeeper Syed Adney, skipper Kaironnisam Sahabudin and Mijo Dadic, together with playmaker Miljan Radovic and the impressive hitman Sasa Brenezac are poised to start. The question is who fills the remaining six positions.

MyTeam FC head coach, Bojan Hodak was glad his boys came home with victory from another Borneo adventure, bagging all three points in a hard fought encounter against DPMM FC in Bandar Sri Begawan, last Sunday morning. Previously their trips to Borneo have ended with sorrow, but this time MyTeam were top all the way. However, Lady Luck played a big role earlier forcing the initial match on Saturday night to be postponed due to a blown out transformer in one of the lighting towers.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my on Tuesday night in a telephone interview, Bojan said “We were lucky that the first game was postponed. They scored from their first chance of the game, while we had three in that 35 minutes played, but we were unable to do the job. The next morning, we out-rightly deserved the win. In fact while leading 3-1, we had two more chances to score. It could have been 5-1”. Clearly delighted, Bojan praised four players who contributed greatly to the outcome of the match, “Azmi, Haris, Aru and Azrul played really well. They were the changes I made for this match, and they showed me what they had. Aslam was okay, but I will also praise Sasa whose contribution was immense in helping us win the game”. Continuing he said “Sasa scored two goals and hit the bar twice. He also proved to be a menace against Selangor and was most unfortunate not to score with the pitch conditions not favouring us last Tuesday. A good team like us, needs someone who can score goals upfront. Andres could not do that, but Sasa can make a big difference for us”.

On why he had left Mizan out of the starting line-up for the replay on Sunday morning, the burly Croatian said “It was a new game, with the scoreline back to 0-0, and everything erased. Unfortunately, the yellow cards are not erased, and Mizan picked up one in the original match on Saturday. He’s quite an aggressive player, you know, and I was afraid he may be penalized, and that would have cost us. It was a funny situation, pity him as he played really well against Selangor”. MyTeam.com.my asked Bojan if he had ever been in such a scenario before as player ? Bojan’s answer “I have had games postponed before, but not abandoned. It was my first time. The FIFA rule states that if the match has played less than 66 minutes, then a replay should follow suit with the scoreline at 0-0”.

On his plans for the next encounter, also against DPMM FC but at home, Bojan remarked “Now it will be interesting. Irwan and Alex (Azammudin) are returning from suspensions and will be available for the match. And the team who played against Brunei also did great. It’s a sweet problem to have”. Furthering he said “However, I have not thought about it yet, as today is an off day. I don’t think about football on off-days”.

MyTeam are poised to break into the top eight if they win against DPMM on February 12, and also if the other results go their way that night. Bojan’s comments were “We must not put a target for the team. Ours is a young squad and inexperienced squad. We need to go match by match. Against Terengganu we weren’t good enough but in the other games it was more or less 50-50. Sometimes it was luck, referees decision or the pitch preventing us from getting anything. However, with the exception of the matches against Penang, PDRM, Selangor and now Brunei, we never had all three foreigners start the match. We will have some more work to do in the second half of the season”.

MyTeam FC wishes all theirs fans and followers, Gong Xi Fa Cai, to all of Chinese descent, and Happy Holidays to the others. MyTeam are in training, preparing for the second half of the season which begins next Tuesday with the home fixture against DPMM FC, from Brunei. May it be a prosperous ending for MyTeam in their Super League debut & President’s Cup campaign in the Year of the Rat.

MyTeam vs DPMM FC, Saturday 2 February, 8.00pm Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Head to Head
Both teams have never met before in any level of competition in the M-League, and coach Bojan Hodak has yet to pit his wits against Bulgarian Iordan Stoykov.

DPMM FC or better known as Duli Pengiran Muda Mahkota FC are amongst two teams that have taken the scalp of Kedah, the reigning champions of the Super League and the current leaders this season. However, that was the last victory they recorded on New Years Days. Perhaps that win was a bad omen for Brunei side, as they have yet to register a single victory since the Kedah win; winless in their past six matches. Their past two encounters at home have ended in 1-1 draws against Terengganu and Pahang. DPMM’s Brazillian striker Tiago dos Santos is suspended for the match. Brunei have proud record in the Super League, finishing third in their debut season last year, having gained promotion from the Premier League the season before.

MyTeam meanwhile are hoping to end the first round of Super League fixtures on a positive note. After two defeats against Turtle’s and the Red Giants, the match against the unpredictable Brunei side presents a chance to record their first win on the road.

MyTeam skipper Kaironnisam Sahabuddin said that all players stand to be responsible for their recent bad defeat against Terengganu, last Saturday in Kuala Terengganu. MyTeam were outgunned, out-thought and outclassed by the Turtle’s in a painful match that ended with the Klang Valley side losing 3-1.

Kaironnisam who was visibly dejected by the loss, said the strikers should shoulder some of the blame too, “Against Terengganu, we kept losing the ball upfront. We had at least three chances to score, but we just could not convert”. On Andres Sebastian Romano contract being cut short and replaced with new recruit Sasa Branezac, the Perlis born player said “We know he had some experience playing in the M-League with Penang and MPPJ (Selangor MPPJ), but I never played with him during my time with the municipal team”. The skipper also grew upset when asked about comments that the defence were leaking in goals causing MyTeam to lose matches. He had this to say “Don’t tell me we have to defend for 90 minutes non-stop. We win as a team, we lose as a team. All must shoulder the blame. When we lose, people like to point fingers but we lose not by position. It doesn’t matter if we are a defender, midfielder or striker, we lose as a team”. Wth MyTeam’s rickety form this season, Kaironnisam or Botak as he is more affectionately known was asked if he had been in this situation before, “Yes I have with my previous clubs, but it is the coach who needs to address”. On their next opponents Selangor tomorrow, Kaironnisam said “We need to win. They have a good attacking line-up, we have to work doubly hard for victory”

MyTeam FC’s goalkeeper coach Rashid Hassan said that their young squad needed time to mould itself into a quality outfit. Commenting following the dismal performance in the lost to Terengganu last Saturday, Rashid attributed the lost to playing to their opponent’s tempo. He said “I believed we followed their rhythm. We lost concentration and began to lose confidence as well when they scored the first goal”. Commenting on the type of players the squad currently possesses, Rashid said “We need strong characters who can make the correct decisions in the game, to lift the team. We have a good side, but mostly are young and lack experience”.

On the match against the Red Giants at home tomorrow night, Rashid was asked how are the coaches motivating the players for the fight, following their disappointing display in Kuala Terengganu, the most decorated member of MyTeam’s coaching staff said “Any team meeting them wants a good result. Selangor has an excellent record, great history. Beating them will be a big bonus and morale booster to the team. Selangor itself will lift us up”.

Head to Head
Both teams have never met before in any level of competition in the M-League, and coach Bojan Hodak has yet to pit his wits against Red Giants’ Dollah Salleh.

Selangor have only lost once on their travels, against champions Kedah in late December, and have chalked up impressive results to go second in the standings, five points behind the Canaries and tied with Negeri Sembilan. Despite many saying they have a weak backline, they posses the third most potent attacking force in the Super League this season, scoring 19 goals from their ten matches so far. They will definitely be backed by a huge turnout to spur their team on.

MyTeam have got a recent record of winning their last two encounters in PJ Stadium to defend. They also prevailed in their last Klang Valley derby against PDRM, and will be hoping more of the same against the most successful outfit in Malaysan football. Despite going down easily against Terengganu last Saturday, playing Selangor itself serves as a huge motivation for the boys to nick something off the game, and perhaps win it if they play their cards right. Coach Bojan Hodak is set to make some changes to a squad that faltered badly in Kuala Terengganu, and this make give some players a chance to shine. New signing Sasa Branezac would most likely have his first start upfront replacing Andresw Sebastian Romano whose contract was terminated upon mutual consent.

MyTeam.com.my caught up with chief coach Bojan Hodak at training yesterday and asked him about the crushing defeat against Terengganu last Saturday at the Turtle’s home. Bojan had this to say “Terengganu are a really good, good team. They’ve won 4 of their home matches, and drew only one. They never lost at home. We never expected much, but some of our players didn’t show up on the the day. Perhaps they respected the opponents too much”. Continuing Bojan highlighted the past match as a performance unworthy of anything, “Definitely we didn’t deserve to gain anything today. In our previous defeats, we still played considerably better and maybe deserved a draw here and there, but today nothing. However, if Azammudin scored from his one on one in the first half, maybe it would have been a different game. In the second half, we were forced to attack, and were left exposed at the back”. “We didn’t have heart to fightback”, said Bojan clearly disappointed with the display by the MyTeam boys. On Andres’ departure from the squad, Bojan commented “Andres is a good player, but he came here to help us score goals. He scored two, one of them a penalty and assisted with four. We expect more from a foreign striker. He had difficulties to adapt to the conditions in Malaysia. Sasa’s played here before”, Bojan commenting on the arrival of new player Sasa Branezac. When pressed for more info on the Croatian, Bojan said “Sasa played in Malaysia for MPPJ in 2004, and for three months with Penang in 2006. Last season he played in Indonesia, scoring 12 or 13 goals”. Bojan was asked to describe his new import’s playing style, and funnily the burly coach said “I hope he’s a scoring striker (laughs). He’s a poacher, much more mobile than Andres”.

The challenge of Selangor awaits MyTeam at home today and Bojan was caught on live camera over RTM following the loss against Terengganu saying that MyTeam would definitely lose against the Red Giants. MyTeam.com.my wanted an insight to his thoughts for tonite’s cracker and Bojan said “I must say Selangor are the favourites. They are the most successful, richest and glamorous team in Malaysia. They have player like Akmal Rizal, Indra Putra, Safee Sali, players that I wish MyTeam had. They’re like the Real Madrid in this country. Whenever someone plays Selangor, they’re always the favourites”. On a possible results “I hope it’ll be our third straight home win, but we need to work very, very hard”

National team coach B.Sathianathan has called up four MyTeam players for the first phase of a four day centralised training early next month. The quartet from MyTeam are national keeper Syed Adney, midfielders Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and Azammudin Akil, and striker Zamri Chin. Adney and Norshahrul were part of the National Under-23 squad during the disastrous SEA Games campaign in Korat, Thailand, while Azammudin and Zamri were in the training squad prior to that.

In announcing his pick of 34 players, Sathianathan said that the call-ups comprised of a mixture of senior and young players based on their performance in the M-League. The main target is to prepare for three cmpetitions, namely the Merdeka Tournament in August, the AFF Cup and the 2009 SEA Games.

MyTeam vs Terengganu, Saturday 26 January, 8.45pm Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium, Kuala Terengganu

Head to Head
Both teams have never met before in any level of competition in the M-League, and coach Bojan Hodak has yet to pit his wits against Turtles’ Yunus Aliff.

Terengganu have not lost a home match this season in the cauldron of the Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah Stadium in Kuala Terengganu. In their four home matches, they notched impressive victories over Sarawak, Kedah and Pahang respectively, while drawing their last home encounter against Selangor. They welcome back foreign player Brazilian striker Gleisson Freire from suspension following his sending off against PDRM in early January, and captain Marzuki Yusof from a one-match ban. Terengganu’s goals this season have come mainly from Zairo Anuar, who possesses good range with his freekicks with five, followed by another Brazilian Fabio Flor on four goals. Gleisson and Ashaari Shamsudin are tied on three goals each. .

MyTeam meanwhile have been performing badly away from home, collecting only a point from their four matches on the road, against NS Naza in mid-December. Since then, the journeys have ended in disaster with defeats to Sarawak, Kedah and Pahang.

MyTeam FC were drawn with Penang in the First Round of the FA Cup knockout competition, following the draw at Wisma FAM earlier today.

The two legged match will be held first in Penang’s Batu Kawan Stadium on Tuesday, February 19, with the return leg a fortnight later at home on the 4th of March. MyTeam who were knocked out by Kedah in the quarter-finals last season, the eventual champions in 2007, will be gunning for revenge against the Panthers who beat them on New Years Day, sending The People’s Team to the bottom of the standings for the first time this season. MyTeam have recovered since that debacle, slowly climbing up the table with two victories, while currently the Pearl of The Orient side are a notch below in twelfth, two points behind the Klang Valley side.

Penang, who crashed out to Shahzan Muda on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the first round last season, will be keen to avoid being knocked out by another club side. They should be strengthened with foreign players by then, as they are currently plying their trade in the Super League without a single import player. Penang were the champions in 2002, and losing finalists twice in 2000 and 1997.

This season’s FA Cup, pits 30 teams in the competition, with Terengganu and Sabah obtaining a bye directly into the Second Round. Twenty six of the sides in the M-League are taking part, with Muar Municipal Council, Terengganu’s T-Team, Tambun Tulang from Perlis and the Armed Forces’ RAMD Corps coming through from the FAM Cup.

Other First Round Fixtures – Harimau Muda vs Proton FC; Pahang vs ATM; NS Naza vs Johor PG; Selangor vs DPRMM FC; Malacca-Muar MC; Sarawak vs T-Team; Selangor PKNS vs Kedah; Perlis vs KL Plus FC; Kelantan vs Kuala Muda Naza; Tambun Tulang-Felda United; RAMD Corps vs PDRM; KL vs Shahzan Muda; Johor FC vs Perak

MyTeam FC’s President’s Cup coach was clearly dissatisfied with his side’s performance in the narrow lost to Terengganu at home, last Monday in Teluk Intan. When met after the game, Jacob conceded “We were totally off form today. The whole team, but especially 3 or 4 players on the pitch who failed to produce what I expected from them”. The goal scored by Terengganu came from another setpiece, a hallmark of all the goals MyTeam’s youngsters have let in since the season began earlier this month. Commenting on the fact, Jacob said “Yes it has not escaped me, the fact that again our lost in concentration caused us dearly. All the goals conceded so far have been from dead balls”. Continuing he said “Maybe it’s something wrong in my training or fatigue from the long trip to Kelantan last weekend”.

MyTeam had played Kelantan in Kota Bharu last Thursday, only returning after a 9 hour journey by bus on Friday.

Next up for the boys is a trip to East Malaysia, where they meet Sarawak on Thursday in Kota Samarahan, Kuching.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my, coach Jacob Joseph said “We played a good game, we created more chances than Kelantan today. However, we lacked concentration at the end after taking the lead, allowing them to score from a dead ball set piece. We should have won the game today”.

Kelantan had earlier taken the lead but MyTeam drew level with skipper Depan Kandasamy’s equaliser. With 5 minutes left on the clock, Super Leaguer, Razlan Oto gave MyTeam a surefire winner, but Kelantan fought back for the point with the leveler in the 89th minute.

Head to Head
This Saturday will be MyTeam’s third meeting against PDRM since joining the Malaysian League in 2006. It is MyTeam’s first meeting with PDRM in the Super League, having won both home and away encounters last year in the Premier League.

The last meeting was a narrow 1-0 victory on July 2, 2007 at the Shah Alam Stadium, Haris Safwan netting the only goal of the game in the home match that mattered little else but bragging rights, as both teams had secured their promotion to the Super League much earlier. The game at Selayang Stadium earlier was the opener of MyTeam’s debut in the M-League and they got off to a brilliant start, coming back from a goal down at halftime to win 2-1, with strikes from Croatians Mijo Dadic in the 53rd and Marin Mikac delivering the winner in the 80th minute.

This is the third meeting between Bojan Hodak and The Cops’ K.Thaiyanathan, with Bojan outwitting the long serving PDRM coach on both occasions last season.

MyTeam FC assistant coach Khan Hung Meng blamed his side’s players fatigure as one of the reasons for the defeat against Pahang, last Tuesday in Kuantan. Hung Meng said “The tight schedule has affected our physical condition. During the warm up before kickoff some of the boys felt a bit heavy, they just couldn’t go”.

On the match, Hung Meng highlighted the sluggish battle between the two, saying “We were stuck in first gear all night. We don’t play like that”, referring to the slow rhythm both teams disappointingly displayed, whereas MyTeam is usually accustomed to a fast tempo.

However, Hung Meng felt dejected with the final scoreline. Elaborating further, Hung Meng said “We deserved a point at least for our efforts last Tuesday. We lost a bit of concentration in the end, and it cost us dearly”. MyTeam.com.my stated to the coach that it was the third time they had conceded in the closing five minutes, doing so in the season opener against Perak, Johor FC and now Pahang, but Hung Meng interjected saying “Looking at football now, teams usually score in the last moments. The last 5 minutes before halftime and fulltime, is the most dangerous period for any team. We reminded the players, but somehow it still happens even at the high level, regardless it being the M-League, EPL, or other leagues around the world”.

Finally MyTeam.com.my asked the No.2 on their next opponents Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) who come to visit PJ Stadium this Saturday, Hung Meng said “I’m not concerned of our opponents to be frank, more about our own team. I’m optimistic, the players are capable of responding positively; we will pull out all the stops to secure victory. To us every game now is a final, we can’t afford to lose points from now”.

MyTeam FC’s President’s Cuppers held Kelantan to a respectable 2-2 draw in their away Group B encounter at Kota Bharu’s Sultan Mohd Ke-IV Stadium. It was their third match in the 12 team group, and a positive one indeed against the favourites, having lost their last match at home against Kedah last week. MyTeam’s Under-21’s opened the season with a thumping victory over Bukit Jalil Sports School. MyTeam.com.my will bring forward more stories from the President Cup squad’s draw against Kelantan soon.

Coach Bojan Hodak was amongst those most relieved at the referees final whistle in the home match against Perlis last Saturday where MyTeam recorded their maiden win in the Super League and also at the PJ Stadium. Speaking to MyTeam.com.my through telephone, Bojan said “I was very happy, we just scored 4 goals, relieved and happy”. Highlighting the importance of the result, Bojan added “We needed this first win. After losing three in a row, we felt some pressure, but it’s normal again now”. Zamri Chin scored twice for MyTeam in a Man of The Match performance and Bojan said this of his surprise inclusion “Zamri deserved to start. He had been performing in training, and Haris has not been sharp enough, maybe he’s tired. I decided to give him a rest, so Zamri deserves to be given a chance”. Heaping praise on the National Under-23 player, the Croatian continued “He had an excellent game, but he must forget about it and concentrate on the next”. MyTeam staged a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down to register maximum points, beginning with a magnificent turnaround at the start of the second period. Bojan was asked the secret behind the turn of events, “I told them in the first half we had more chances but Perlis scored two. If they could, we could too”, he said. There wasn’t any hair-dryer treatment unleashed if one was expecting, but those magical words still worked wonders. On tomorrow’s game against Pahang in Kuantan, he said “Pahang have great history, great tradition. Some famous names have been there before like Dollah Salleh, Fandhi Ahmad, Shebby Singh, and more recently our boys Juzaili Samion and Irwan Fadzli. Of course they are the favourites, as they’re at home, but we’re getting more and more confident”. Commenting on his probable line-up, Bojan said “Miljan is back from his suspension, and will feature in the first eleven. Zamri will do so definitely. Andres’ performance levels has dropped so he’ll be benched. He was okay in the first two or three matches, but more recently he couldn’t even score simple goals and that has affected his confidence”. On who will be upfront with Zamri, Bojan said it will be a surprise for everyone.

“It was like a big heavy rock being lifted off our shoulders. Everyone’s relieved”. Those were the words uttered by MyTeam’s No.2 Khan Hung Meng on the back of their impressive comeback win against Perlis last Saturday. Hung Meng admitted while being relieved with the three points, MyTeam did not play that well in the first half. “It was a good game, a good result, but we didn’t play that well. We started bright in the first 10 minutes having two clear chances, but when we missed both, I though it’s going to be the same again”. Hung Meng was glad to be wrong-ed as the boys performed brilliantly in the second period to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He said “It was good attitude from the boys. The good things are coming in. The youngsters whom we heavily invested in are proving us right, especially Zamri. He worked very hard for a chance, coming back from illness that got him dropped from the SEA Games squad. He suffered at the end of the match with cramps, but he played really well”. When asked about the atmosphere in the dressing room during interval, Hung Meng revealed “We were very strong with our words. We told them they had to buck-up. They had to go in hard as Perlis were bossing the midfield. Win tackles and as you know, more often than not if you win the midfield, you win the match. I’m glad the boys listened” . On their next opponents, Hung Meng commented “I expect another good match against Pahang. We are feeling more confident now. We don’t want us to make the game so difficult as it was against Perlis, and I want them to be focused. We are always reminding them of being focused” Continuing he said “If we don’t allow them to score, we can kill them in the second half. We are fitter than most teams, as you could see in the last match, Perlis were walking after 60 minutes”.

Mijo Dadic who played a prominent role in obtaining the lead for MyTeam in the Perlis game following Norshahrul Idlan Talaha’s opener and Zamri Chin’s equaliser said that he told the boys on the pitch after Perlis led 2-0, “Don’t give up, we must try until the very last minute, until the end. Even in the last minute we can score two goals”. Such positive attitude from Mijo will only serve the team well. However, Mijo also cautioned the rest of the players during the game that “If we concede another goal, we die”. The towering rock in MyTeam’s heart of defence was clearly pleased with his goal and credited his teammate “Nazrin put in a good cross, exactly where I wanted it. We practice very often on the training ground. I was happy with my goal, but I missed a good chance earlier”. Mijo was clearly delighted at youngster Zamri Chin’s outstanding contribution in the match. He said “We have played well, but our finishing was not good enough. Our last touch, we always cannot score. However, Zamri surprised me. He’s a new player, a local boy, and he surprised me”. Commenting on the lad, Mijo said “He’s young, he wants to improve, he wants to show the coach he’s good”. Mijo ended the phone conversation advising his teammates not to give up when the chips are down. “In winning or losing, we must always give 100% in the game. Don’t give up, give your best and play till the end”.

MyTeam FC assistant manager Yakub Hussaini remarked that “MyTeam have finally arrived in the Super League”. Speaking to MyTeam.com.my, Yakub pointed out that “For the first time this season, we showed our high spirits and never say die attitude. We just fought back and that is our strength”, while adding that that was the hallmark of MyTeam’s promotion winning season in the Premier League last year. Yakub who also assumes the role of Vice President said “It was an exciting 90 minutes. I thought we lost it again when Perlis were 2-0 up. However, the dressing room talk at halftime woke the players up, and a totally different team showed up for the second half”. The Sarawakian further added “When Zamri got us level, we knew the 3 points were ours”. Throwing caution to the wind though, Yakub said “We must not get too over excited. There are still so many games, and I’m hoping for that kind of second half performance in all our remaining matches”, citing the super comeback against Perlis. “It’s still early in the season, but this week could be a defining week in our season. If we win against Pahang and PDRM, it’ll hold us in good stead for the remainder”. Yakub also admitted that the players were a bit down after the Kedah game, but the coaches told them they should not feel the pressure. However, “They were very tense at the start of the game, and at halftime 2-0 down, we told them not to worry about the result or feel the pressure”. While refusing to single out any individual for the win, Yakub praised the whole team, not only Zamri, for playing well. Adding further “I could see in our training, the spirit and eagerness is back and we can’t wait to go to Kuantan”. On Pahang, Yakub said “They’re quite inconsistent too. We are quite confident we could beat them. Pahang is not a threat at all. I’m sure Irwan Fadzli, Juzaili Samion and Azammudin Akil have a point to prove for the visit there”.

MyTeam FC’s President’s Cup coach Jacob Joseph was disappointed at the outcome of their loss against Kedah’s at home in Teluk Intan, falling to a winner 3 minutes from time. Jacob blamed MyTeam’s goalkeeper, Farig Rashid for the defeat, citing his mistake in committing to a cross when he should have stayed on the line. Speaking to MyTeam.com.my through telephone following the match on Thursday evening, Jacob said “It was a balanced first half, with both teams having some scoring chances, however, we turned the tide in the second half and had at least 3 to 4 good chances to win the match. Even, Razlan missed as did some of the boys, such as Thinagaran and Ali. Kedah had a few of their Super Leaguers with them, and they looked strong, but we did not deserve to lose today”. The lost completes Kedah’s double over MyTeam, following the senior squad’s defeat in Alor Setar last Saturday.

Next up for the President’s Cup is an away against Kelantan, next Thursday in Kota Bharu.

Note : MyTeam.com.my was unable to report on the President’s Cup Kedah game, due to the match being played in Teluk Intan, Perak..

MyTeam FC’s President’s Cup coach Jacob Joseph cautioned his boys against reading too much into their thumping opening win against Bukit Jalil Sports School. While being pleased that they packed in maximum points for the trip back to Jendarata, Teluk Intan, Jacob said “This is nothing, it’s just a starting point. We still have another 21 games to go”. Commenting on the team’s performance, the former Armed Forces coach said “We played a good game. The conditions on the artificial turf didn’t suit us as it was difficult to play. The heat coming off the surface was also a factor. We had to employ a fast game, with BJSS being excellent technically that was the only way to kill their rhythm”. Jacob realises the tough job at hand in grooming the youngsters, and knows that the win is not a yardstick to measure the squad against. He said “We played against a young team today, mostly boys in their

17’s. It’ll be harder when we play against Kedah, Kelantan or Terengganu. They’re better than us”. While singling out Thinagaran Kumaran who had an excellent match, Jacob also praised some other players in the team that did a good job. He explained “Thina played very well. Md.Noor also read the game really good and so did skipper Depan Kandasamy. Overall, we played okay, but we wasted lots of chances. We need to improve our midfield in connecting with the strikers”.

Next up for the President’s Cup is a home fixture against Kedah, next Thursday in Jendarata, Teluk Intan.

MyTeam FC boss Bojan Hodak said that he is still not feeling the heat despite MyTeam languishing at the bottom of the Super League table following 6 weeks of competition. Coming into the match against champions and treble winners Kedah in Alor Setar on Saturday, Bojan said “I never feel the heat. What we need to do is start scoring and minimize the goals let in”. It was another match of dubious decisions by the men in black according to Bojan, who had this to say “I’m pissed off with what the referees have been doing. It’s three matches, but nobody’s doing anything.”. On his projections on the season going awry following unexpected defeats against Sarawak and now Penang, Bojan explained “We need to win every game now. We’re playing nice but we’re not effective in front of goal. I’m not always happy with the strikers, but the service they receive leaves could be much better”. On new signing Miljan’s sending off, Bojan revealed “I have seen the video, and there is nothing in it. I don’t know why the referee sent him off, but now he’ll be fined by FAM. In Europe, after watching the video, if the referees decision is wrong, usually they’d cancel his decision”. On his thought of the big match against Kedah this weekend, the Croatian said “We’ll try to win. We might bring back Jeremy. Looking at the results this season, you can see there’s not much difference between the team. We’re still not that far off, we can catch up with everybody else”.

MyTeam FC wishes all theirs fans and followers, Happy New 2008! and happy holidays to all. We will usher in the New Year with hopefully our first victory against Penang in the Super Leagu on Tuesday. After a disappointing December, but a tremendous 2007 in overall, we hope of a change in fortune beginning in January, despite having some tough matches beckoning.

MyTeam FC’s President’s Cup squad kick off their season campaign today evening against Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) at the latter’s pitch in Majlis Sukan Negara at 4.45pm. They have been strengthened with the inclusion of a few senior players from the Super League squad for this away encounter. MyTeam’s President’s Cup squad under coach Jacob Joseph are in a tough group for the first round of fixtures, and apart from BJSS, they have PKNS, Proton FC, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Felda United FC Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan Port/SM Pahang, Johor FC, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sarawak for company in Group B of the President’s League.

Speaking to MyTeam.com.my, coach Jacob said his team lacks preparation for the League as they were informed only 3 weeks ago that the tournament will be kicking off on January 3rd, instead of in February. Jacob explained “I did not have enough time to do training for the players, especially condition training, which is centred around building the fitness”. Despite that he hopes that MyTeam’s President’s Cup squad can pick up maximum points from the encounter today. “Most of our players come the MyTeam 2 reality programme, and they do not have any experience competing in this League. This is our first ever meeting with BJSS”. Commenting on the opponents, Jacob said “BJSS have played together in a few tournaments overseas last year. They have good teamwork and they have good players in every position”. However, MyTeam will be strengthened by the presence of six senior players in the President’s Cup for this fixture. Mohan R.Azmi, Hisyam Hashim, Azrul Azmi, Farig Rashid, Razlan Oto and Mohd Noor Hassan are the Super League players Jacob gets to pick from for this encounter. He said “I will most probably play Razlan, Azrul and Md.Noor today, despite us not having the best tactical preparation with them, as they only joined our squad yesterday”.

Last season, the Jendarata, Teluk Intan based squad finished fifth in the group, missing out a place in the quarter-finals by a point. This season Jacob target is to qualify for the quarters. Jacob ended the conversation saying “It’s a long competition, and you know how tough it is, we aim to do our best”

Following the thumping received in Kuching, Bojan Hodak, the MyTeam FC coach said “We must forget about the past and look to the future. We must focus on the next game. Yes, we do need to win the next game against Penang on Tuesday. For that we must give 100% and concentrate 100%”. Bojan attributed the defeat to Sarawak to a total black out. Speaking to MyTeam.com.my, he said “We had an excellent 40 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of the first half we had a total blackout where we conceded those two goals”. Bojan singled out the midfield for not dropping back to help out the defence. He explained “We were too relaxed, lacked concentration and after we scored the goal, we expected that we’d win the match. I hold our midfield responsible for not helping out”. On Tuesday’s game against Penang who are in a similar situation as MyTeam, the only two teams that have yet to win a match in the Super League, the Croatian remarked that it’s no walk in the park, “Penang are a young side, a fighting side that have a never say die attitude. They’re unpredictable. We must not underestimate anyone in this Super League as we’ve learnt from Sarawak”

MyTeam FC head coach Bojan Hodak revealed to MyTeam.com.my on Thursday that playmaker Marin Mikac will not be returning to the side anymore for the remainder of the season. This blow was due to his pressing family obligations in Croatia that the playmaker had to take care of. Losing Marin at this early stage of the season is still not too bad, despite him emerging as MyTeam’s top scorer in the Premier League last season. However, Bojan has obtained a new signing to complete the quota of foreign players, with Montenegrin Miljan Radovic joining the squad, two days ago. Bojan said “He’s coming in from Montenegro, where the weather is still cold, at minus 10. We just received his ITC (International Transfer Certificate), but he won’t be joining us to Kuching. He’s still a little slow, trying to adjust to the weather and time difference. Furthermore, he’s never played with us before, and he needs time to settle in”.

Bojan was quick to show displeasure regarding MyTeam’s last match against Johor FC on Sunday. The Croat added “I’m not happy with the referee. The penalty which he gave was no penalty, and Johor FC’s equalizer was a clear handball. Even the linesman was blind. He robbed us twice calling Haris Safwan for offside when the boy wasn’t, in a one on one situation. The result could have been 4-1 or maybe 5-1. However, Bojan was quick to point out the positives, particularly the performance of Haris Safwan and Andres Romano. Speaking of the,, Bojan said “Andres is getting better and better. You can see that his is more involved in our play, while Haris has been playing very well. He needed that goal to boost his confidence. Overall, I’m mostly happy with the team, even though we could do with more improvements”. Continuing his barbs at the referee, Bojan had this to ask of the men in black, “We train for 3 months, but is this how we’re rewarded?”

On his preparation for the next game against Sarawak in Kuching on Saturday, Bojan confessed that he is having a major goalkeeping headache. “I’m in trouble as I have two really good keepers out there. Syed Adney did well in his debut, but he couldn’t do too much with the goals conceded. It’s a selection problem, but it’s a good problem to have”. Bojan also gave his debut to another newcomer to the team, Azammudin Akil, in the Johor FC match and he was satisfied with the latter’s performance. “Alex (Azammudin) had a relatively good game, but he still lacks match fitness. I know I can expect much more from him” said the burly coach. For Sarawak, Bojan revealed his probably eleven as Faizal Rashid/Syed Adney, Juzaili Samion, Kaironnisam Sahabuddin, Mijo Dadic, Aslam Najumudeen/Irwan Fadzli, Shakir Shaari, Nazrin Nawi, Jeremy Danker, Azamuddin Akil, Haris Safwan and Andres Romano. Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and Azmi Muslim would not be joining the squad for injuries.

Finally MyTeam.com.my asked Bojan if he was panicking as the gap kept getting bigger to the team above with every passing matchweek, Bojan said “It’s still too early. We played only 3 matches and there still 21 matches more. We need one win to gain confidence and all teams will have trouble beating us”.

MyTeam FC wishes all theirs fans and followers, Selamat Hari Raya Haji and Merry Christmas, for Muslims and Christians alike, and Happy Holidays to the others. It will be a busy period for MyTeam as they will be in Kuching, Sarawak this weekend looking for their first win of the season after three matches. Things are getting better for the squad and we hope to come back with maximum points from the trip to Borneo.

MyTeam FC’s Head of Technical Advisory, Satwant Singh Dhaliwal, has been appointed as the new chief operating officer of MSL Sdn Bhd, the marketing arm of FA of Malaysia.

The 45-year-old Tampin born administrator replaces Noor Keifli Sulong, who has returned to FAM. Satwant, now has achieved the distinction of having completed the so-called Grand Slam in the local sports industry, having worked at the NSC, Olympic Council of Malaysia, the Sports Ministry and FAM.

Speaking to Harian Metro, Satwant said “I do not want to comment on what I’ll do at MSL and I realize the challenge ahead. I will co-operate with all parties to ensure everything goes smoothly”.

His new job remaines just a few of the stopovers Satwant has made ever since he took the plunge into the world of sports administration as the Negri Sembilan HA secretary at the age of 25. He served as a liaison officer at the NSC’s international di vision under the stewardship of Phua Tai Neng and later Jack son Lim. Satwant also served Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said in 2005 before he was briefly made a media officer at OCM. Later he was given the trust to handle research and development, marketing, national team administration and media at FAM by the previous general secretary, Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad before he was appointed MyTeam general secretary.

Satwant will be in charge of all commercial and marketing aspects as well as the day-to-day running of the MSL, and will be answerable to Khairy and the MSL Board. His appointment was effective December 1, 2007.

“I chose MyTeam because it suited my game more”. Those were the words of Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, who spoke to MyTeam.com.my during training on Friday evening while nursing an injury to his left ankle which will keep him out of this Sunday's home match against Johor FC, following a blistering performance in his season debut at Paroi last Tuesday. One of the country's most promising players in the national set-up, Norshahrul said he received a few offers from other states but MyTeam, under the tutelage of Bojan Hodak & Co was the right choice, with a good blend of youth and some experience. “I knew Azmi Muslim and Shakir Shaari from the Olympic squads and they more or less convinced me that MyTeam was a good place to come to”, he said. Most remarkably, Norshahrul was drafted into the team as a midfielder, a position he only began to play in during the Merdeka Tournament this year. “I have been a striker all my life, but when we were on tour in Czech Republic, there were some injuries that hit our midfield department, and coach B.Sathianathan pit me in as a midfielder. It was awkward at first, but I adapted well” said the former NS Naza player. On his experienced since he returned to the squad following the SEA Games disappointment, the Besut born lad said “Everyone here is treating me well. I actually had met them before leaving for Korat”.

Commenting on Malaysia 's failure in the 25 th edition of the SEA Games, Norshahrul defended the surrounding criticism of coach B.Sathianathan. “I don't think the coach should be blamed. The whole team was at fault. We failed to take our chances against Vietnam and that cost us. We matched them well in the first period but defensive errors in the second half, put paid our chances to progress”, he said. Continuing, Norshahrul added “It was a pressure cooker going into the final match against Singapore . Our squad never lost against them and a draw would send us home. Furthermore they were our neighbours. We had so many chances and scored first but yet again we conceded a silly goal from a throw-in”. Norshahrul who was involved in two of the three matches Malaysia played in Korat said that he maintained his performance throughout.

Making his debut for MyTeam last Tuesday, Norshahrul knew that Bojan wanted to start him in the middle. “I was not surprised when Bojan named me as first 11 against my old team. With Marin Makic unavailable due to family commitment in Croatia , it was down to either me or Shakir to fil the role as playmaker”, he said. “Bojan just told me to do my best and fortunately I played well”, Norshahrul added. It was Norshahrul's first match in the Super League this season, and having had experience at the top level for both Perak and NS Naza in the past three seasons, he still had the jitters coming on against his old team in Paroi. “It was my first match as a midifielder in the Super League. Looking across to our opponents in the tunnel, I was against Idris Karim and Rezal Zamberi Yahaya, two very experienced senior players. I just told myself that I'm a national player too, and there is nothing to be worried of”. Norshahrul had an excellent game, brilliantly making the pass that created MyTeam's first goal in the campaign this season. “I saw Andres free, while the Negeri defence was pushing up. He didn't ask for the ball but he seemed wanting to go on a run. I just chipped the ball”, downplaying his crucial contribution for the goal. Moments later, Norshahrul limped out of the game following a crunching tackle in the box by Idris Karim that prevented him from scoring. He said “I wanted to shoot, but Idris' slide tok me out. It's disappointing that I'll have to sit out for the Johor FC match on Sunday, with this injury”. My confidence was high and I was enjoying the game pretty much until then”, he furthered. Norshahrul also said that MyTeam should have won the game, having had better chances than the opponents. He revealed that Bojan was happy with his performance, and said that “If I didn't go out, maybe we could have more chances”, Norshahrul quoting the MyTeam No.1.

On his reception against his old side in Paroi, Norshahrul exclaimed “I was surprised that many supporters turned up for the match. That was the most I have ever seen in Paroi. However, Idris and Rezal had no second thoughts about me coming back here. They treated me like a stranger in the entire match”.

MyTeam FC head coach Bojan Hodak told MyTeam.com.my on Friday that he is happy that the team is slowly gelling together, following MyTeam's second match in the Super League. Realising a busy period ahead where the Super League calendar is trying to catch-up on time lost for the break during the SEA Games, Bojan refused to set any kind of points target. He said “It's difficult to talk about points or targets, but our team is slowly gelling together. I will be tough against Johor FC, but I think we should start moving by the Sarawak and Penang matches”. The things is our team is very, very young. If you see in the last game, our oldest midfielder was only 22. We have good potential and we can build it further”. Commenting on the NS Naza game, the Croatian was pleased with a number of positives in the middle of the park. “Norshahrul did a good job. Jeremy and Shakir also played well. Nazrin was more or less okay”, he pointed out. Continuing, Bojan added that MyTeam's second half was good but the first period was the total opposite. “We stayed closer to our opponents in the second half, and as usual we are always strongers in the second period. It has been like that for the past two years due to our superior fitness”. When asked on the reasons for such differences in performance levels between both halves, Bojan said that the squad is still young, easily impressed by the opponents and maybe a little overwhelmed when playing in stadiums with some crowd. Stating the difference between the opening two matches of the season, Bojan said that “Against Perak we had so many chances but couldn't score. At Paroi, we had only two clear chances and scored one. Our opponents didn't have clear chances and scored a goal from a silly mistake”. On Sunday's match against Johor FC at home in PJ Stadium, Bojan commented that it will be a difficult game. “They're a very good team. They have not lost a single match yet in their opening three matches and I'm not surprised. They have two good foreigners too”. On his probable first eleven, Bojan declined to point out any specifics. He said “We have 22 good players here and anybody can be in the first eleven. What's important is they show me that they deserve to be in the starting line-up”. However, he did admit that Shakir Shaari will most probably be in, with Marin Mikac still in Croatia due to family commitments and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha out injured.

Ramland Rshid, the Johor FC supremo reckons that tomorrow match against MyTeam FC in PJ Stadium will be a tough battle for his team. Speaking in a telephone interview with MyTeam.com.my, Ramlan said “It's our first mereting with MyTeam FC, and we are wary of them. Last season, they finished as Premier League runner-up, and we'd give them the respect due”. Ramlan's Bees are injury free and he has brought a full squad for the away encounter. He's happy that there no major problems with Johor FC this year and laments the facts of his team concedingf an equaliser in the last moment against Selangor in their last match. “My players need to be prepared mentally for any outcome, we must battle hard and must be mentally tough, not losing the advantage gained in the final minutes of the match”, he said clearly referring to the Selangor game. When asked on his predictions for the match, Ramlan shirked away saying “I don't dare predict the scoreline. It's 50-50 for both teams. MyTeam have a number of players in their ranks that are known quantity's, so we're not looking down at them”.

Marin Mikac, the playmaker for MyTeam FC is set to miss MyTeam’s second match in the Super League in an away fixture against Negeri Sembilan NAZA at Paroi today. This was revealed by coach Bojan Hodak who spoke to MyTeam.com.my hours before the kickoff. “Marin is still in Croatia on some family business, he is not here, Irwan Fadzli is still injured and Azamuddin Akil is not fully fit, it’s is a small problem for the team. However, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha will get his first runout today”. The latter makes his return to the side after being away with the National team for a month during the recently ended SEA Games campaign in Korat, Thailand. While acknowledging that the team is starving of goals upfront, Bojan commented “Look, I’m not worried about it, it doesn’t bother me. In training and in friendly matches, even in the Perak game, we have been creating chances. Good chances, and if we continue to do that, the goals will come”. On Andres Romano’s, Bojan added that the Argentine will get his first start in the Super League tonight. On his thoughts regarding the opponents “Negeri Sembilan are a young team, quite a good team. It will be a tough game. Last year they had too many matches, they were involved in the Malaysia Cup, the AFC tournament, so they suffered a bit in the League. This season they don’t have all those distractions and they will be stronger, I’m sure”. On MyTeam’s targets for tonight he ended the telephone interview with “We always play to win!”.

MyTeam FC vs Negeri Sembilan NAZA, Tuesday 18 December 2007, 8.45pm Std.Paroi, NS

MyTeam.com.my spoke to coach Bojan Hodak immediately after the friendly match against Selangor and he said that midfield was the main problem in their match today. As opposed to the previous matches, this time without playmaker Marin Mikac, MyTeam struggled to open up the opponents defence. Bojan elaborated “Today we couldn’t control the ball in the middle of the park. Our main problem was midfield. Marin could not be here for the match due to some family commitments back in Croatia, and my hope is he will be with us for the Negeri Sembilan game”. On the first goal conceded, Bojan said “It was Juzaili’s mistake. He didn’t mark Indra Putra at the far post and the midfielders allowed Seator to dribble easily. Kaironnisam’s introduction made a big difference at the back. If he wasn’t sick, I would have started him”. On the controversial second goal by Amri Yahyah, Bojan declined to comment knowing the rules regarding post-match comments on referees. However, MyTeam.com.my is at liberty to say with that kind of standard of refereeing, the game does not hold much promise here in Malaysia. The head honchos are keen for playing standard to rise but the officiating leaves one perplexed at the decisions many a time. Just because the men in black are off limits for criticism by the team management, does not mean they are all perfect. Regardless whether it is a friendly or real game, they need to raise the bar. On his probably first 11 for the NS Naza game on Tuesday, Bojan did not want to reveal too much except that 5 or maybe 6 players that started the game today would feature. Despite the loss Bojan said “It was a good experience for the young boys. Matches like this will increase their exposure in the Super League”. On Arumugam Ramasamy who came on and was an instant impact, Bojan’s advice to the youngster was “Arun needs to be more consistent so that he can produce in every match. By the way I was happy with Andres’ performance, it was his best match so far”.

MyTeam FC Trainer Luis Pozzuto said that finishing was not their obstacle today in the match against Selangor, but stressed that the players must not panic when in actual game scenarios. He explained “When in training, we train and train, we simulate the actual game conditions, but it the actual match it’s all up to the boys. Like today, finishing was not the problem but we lacked to find a way to supply the forwards. What is important is the players must not panic”. MyTeam found the going tough and Lucio as he is more fondly known attributed that to thinking. “In Argentina, we start playing properly at 7, here in Malaysia they usually start at 17. The players thinking is more developed when he begins at a young age. You see Indra Putra was the big difference for Selangor today, and that was also with only 20% of thinking”.

Malaysia bowed out of the SEA Games in Korat, Thailand last Saturday, when they were held by mortal enemies Singapore to a 1-1 draw in a must win encounter. B.Sathianathan’s side led through Amirul Hadi Zainal’s opener in the 71st minute of their penultimate Group B encounter, but Agu Casmir, Singapore’s Nigerian born forward evened the scores with 10 minutes to go, to ensure his side pipped Malaysia to the runner-up spot in the group. Earlier, Vietnam had beaten Laos to win the group. MyTeam FC’s keeper Syed Adney and striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha both started the match, with the latter coming in for the suspended Zaquan Adha.

Syed Adney conceded a penalty in the 38th minute when he brought down Khairul Amri in the box, but he made amends for that mistake when he tremendously saved Nazrul Nawas’ spotkick, keeping Malaysia in the game. Upfront, Shahrul and strike mate Safee Sali found the going tough against a well marshaled Lion’s backline. Malaysia dominated the match and finally found the breakthrough with Amirul Hadi’s header off Sumardi Hajalan’s freekick, but lapses in concentration at the back gifted Agu the equalizer 9 minutes later. Then with seconds to go Amirul Hadi had two chances to send the Tigers into the semis, but he missed both. First an attempt right at the death, came off the post, while deep into injury time he blasted over with only the keeper to beat.

Malaysia kept their chances alive in the Korat SEA Games in Thailand when they left it late, but still ran out 4-0 winners over Laos. This leaves the national side in a must win situation against Singapore in their final group match on Saturday, in order to progress to the semifinals.

Goalkeeper Syed Adney played his second full match in the competition while Norshahrul Idlan Talaha was given a run out, replacing team captain Perlis’ Azi Shahril Azmi. Laos did well to stem the Malaysian tide throughout the first half, and almost looked good for a point as they did against Singapore in their opener, but their stubborn resistance fell to pieces when the floodgates opened midway through the second half in the 67th minute. Selangor’s Amirulhadi Zainal scored the first goal off a pin-point cross by Kedahan Khyril Muhymeen Zambri. Eight minutes later, Malaysia got their second goal when Red Giants’ Safee Sali headed in strikemate Zaquan Adha’s cross. Completing the trio of Selangor goalscorers, Safiq Rahim benefited from the combination between Safee and NS Naza’s Zaquan to hit the third goal in the 83rd minute, while Safee put the icing on the cake by completing his double in the final minute of play with some trickery.

Speaking to The Malay Mail, MyTeam’s Syed Adney who was pivotal in keeping Malaysia in the game with a few saves said “We need to foster a better understanding in defence. We need to improve our concentration and maintain our tactical discipline.” Regarding the crucial must win encounter against the The Lions, he said “I’m not afraid but I need everyone to work hard to contain the Singaporeans.” To make things worse for the national side, Zaquan Adha will be missed through suspension after receiving his second booking of the tournament in the Laos match.

Head coach Bojan Hodak, admits that MyTeam FC need to improve on putting away their chances with scoring goals as the only weakness he saw in the teams friendly against Armed Forces last Saturday. Compared to last season’s squad, Bojan said “Our finishing last season was not too bad, but we changed a lot of players for this season. Many are young this time around, and need a bit more time. Physically we are very good, but we need to improve upfront”. Bojan also though that everyone played well and said that “No one I was not happy about”. That statement would certainly serve as a boost for the newcomers and youngsters with them delivering within Bojan’s expectations. Bojan was also happy with his sides first half performance. “First half, we dominated with our first eleven. Everything was good except our finishing. It was one-sided, and maybe we had 75% possession. They only had 1 corner-kick” he said. On the second half play, Bojan commented “Our reserves were brought in. They ran a lot, but were poor upfront. Armed Forced too were the same. They had 1 or 2 chances, but they scored”. MyTeam started the match with new recruit Andres Sebastian Romano partnering Haris Safwan upfront, and Bojan said that he began the match with his First 11. When asked if Andres now features in his plans as a starter, he said “Yes for now; he’s good inside the box. Nice touches, nice finish. If we give him more time we will know how to use him and he will also gain by knowing us better, and playing the way I want”.

MyTeam FC’s friendly match against Kuala Lumpur on Friday has been called off. The City Boys were due to play MyTeam at Stadium PJ, Kelana Jaya in the evening but made an about turn yesterday, as they were not keen to play in the evening. They also refused to share the cost for lighting if the match was to be played at night at MyTeam’s homeground. This was revealed by MyTeam coach Bojan Hodak when met after training in Bukit Jalil yesterday. The friendly match will now be replaced by a full training session, while Saturday’s morning session has also been redesignated as full training.

Syed Adney was involved in Malaysia opening defeat against Vietnam in the Korat SEA Games last Saturday.

Malaysia had the better of chances in the opening period of the game, but failed to convert. They were punished in the opening minutes of the second period when Vietnamese skipper Le Cong Vinh opened the scoring in the 47th minute and doubled in 17 minutes later. Mohd Aidil Zaquan Abd Razak, who plays for NS Naza reduced the deficit five minutes later, but Vo Duy Nam’s goal in the 80th minute killed off the Malaysian challenge.

The national team had a slight reprieve as Laos unexpectedly held Singapore to a scoreless draw earlier. This means they still have all to play for with remaining matches in Group B against Laos on Monday and Singapore next Saturday.

MyTeam FC coach Bojan Hodak spoke to myteam.com.my hours before the team was due for the friendly match against Armed Forces in PJ Stadium Kelana Jaya tonight. Bojan said “Everyone will have a chance to play at least 45 minutes tonight. I have 23 players including 3 goalkeepers at my disposal, and I may field two different squads at the start of each half”. Bojan continued saying “Despite this match being only a friendly, we will still go in for a win. We always play to win!”. Bojan also said as of yet he is still unsure of who would be his first eleven for the match tonight. “I will have to go through my computer, look at the stats and make a decision on who’s going to start. It may not necessarily be the strongest but everyone will get a chance today”. On the new foreign signing Andres Sebastian Roman, Bojan told myteam.com.my, “I’m thrilled with Andres. In training he scores goals for fun. He may be the answer to our scoring woes. He’s really excellent, though he’s demeanour may seem lazy and sleepy (laughs).” When asked about the significance of this friendly, Bojan warned “Every training, every match we play is a chance for the players to show me what they have. It’s always a chance for everyone to show they deserve their spot in the team, and if they don’t perform, then they’re on their way out. This opportunity is especially useful for those who rarely get a chance to play. If they do well, I’ll be thinking about them the next game. And of course, if the regulars don’t play as I expect them, they’re many knocking on the door for their position within the squad. It’s a healthy competition for places here in MyTeam”. Bojan said that he has an almost full squad to choose from tonight. “Azamuddin has a slight knee problem, while Zamri Chin had flu for the past week. That’s the reason why he was dropped from the National squad for the SEA Games. Zamri’s not fully recovered yet, maybe I’ll give him half an hour or so tonight. Irwan Fadzli has been showing some improvement. He’s doing light training now, but we don’t want to rush him back so soon, the injury may re-occur”.

-MyTeam FC vs Armed Forces (Friendly), Saturday, December 1, 8.45pm Stadium MBPJ, Kelana Jaya

Mohan R.Azmi or more fondly known as Param within the squad, confessed that he was a nervous wreck when coach Bojan Hodak told him to be ready to come on in the game against Perak, in MyTeam FC debut in the Super League nine days ago. Mohan who was introduced as a substitute in the 74th minute said, “I was really nervous. The gaffer told me to do better than Nazrin”. Despite the statement, Mohan’s introduction almost produced MyTeam first goal, when he made a telling pass to Haris Safwan, with only the keeper to beat. “I got the ball near the box, and I didn’t know who to pass. Suddenly Harris appeared and asked for it. Thankfully it was the right pass, unfortunately he couldn’t finish it off” the Pahang boy added. Speaking to myteam.com.my after the team photoshoot yesterday, Mohan was the first to debut for MyTeam FC from those drafted of MyTeam Season 2. Mohd Noor b.Hassan and Hisham Hashim complete the trio. Commenting on his performance, Mohan believed he performed okay and Bojan advised him to keep up the good work. When asked about the difference between donning Pahang’s jersey and playing for MyTeam, he who had Super League experience with the Tok Gajah state said “In Pahang it’s a bit special. It’s my hometown. My friends and family are there to support me, but with MyTeam despite lacking all that, we have a great though small bunch of supporters driving our passion”.

With the season break in course, MyTeam FC has lined up a few friendly matches in the next few days. Please refer to the following :-
December 1, Saturday, 8.45pm Kompleks Sukan PKNS Kelana Jaya, MyTeam FC vs ATM
December 7, Friday, 5.00pm Stadium PJ Kelana Jaya, MyTeam FC vs Kuala Lumpur; TBA
December 11, Tuesday 8.00pm Stadium Shah Alam, MyTeam FC vs Selangor

Azamuddin Akil and Muhammad Zambri Chin, the newly signed strikers for MyTeam FC have been dropped from the national team squad bound for the Korat Sea Games in Thailand next month. The news was announced by national team coach B.Sathianathan, at Wisma FAM yesterday. The pair are amongst eight who were dropped from the final squad. The new recruits from Shahzan Muda and Kuala Muda Naza respectively, will now feature in the plans of MyTeam’s coach Bojan Hodak in the near future. Both are expected to rejoin training with the club on November 29.

MyTeam FC manager Yakub Husaini said on Monday that the passing of Datuk Taha Arrifin, over the weekend was a great loss for Sarawak football. Ho commented “Even though I did not know him personally, he did great for Sarawak football. He took Sarawak from the melancholy of making up the numbers in the league until they became champions during his time”. Yakub hails from Sarawak further added that “Compared to the administration in Sarawak now, Datuk Taha is considered as one of the heroes. He stayed focused on football, and with his team they did Sarawak good”. Commenting on his health, Yakub who missed the past week being hospitalised recently said that “I can’t wait to get back to the action”. The MyTeam FC manager spent a few nights in the hospital, but the situation is under-control now.

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – Rest
Wednesday – Rest
Thursday – 10am Gym, PanGlobal PJ; 5pm Training MSN Bukit Jalil
Friday - 5pm Training MSN Bukit Jalil
Saturday – Rest

On the back of the season opening defeat against Perak at home, coach Bojan Hodak told myteam.com.my that MyTeam FC played a really good game and did not deserve to lose the match. He explained “When you miss so many chances, unfortunately in football there is an unwritten rule that we will lose”. True to his saying, and to those who are in the know of the game, many a time this sort of things can happen if you do not tuck away your chances. Continuing further, he said “Perak only had two clear chances; we played very well tactically throughout the 90 minutes, we dominated the match”. Ahmad Shahrul Azhar (Perak’s skipper) header was very good! If he tries it again 100 times, I don’t think it will go in”. Bojan also explained that things would have turned out differently for MyTeam if they were with 7 of their players who are currently away. “If we had a full squad, it would have been a different story, but considering the way we played, I’m not happy to lose the game”.

When asked about the offside goal that Arun Kumar scored after only 4 minutes, Bojan said he was not at liberty to comment on the referee’s decision but he added that “According to my friend who was watching the match on TV, there was no offside”. He also praised the whole team for sticking to their guns and performing admirably throughout the contest against last season’s Super League and Malaysia Cup runner-up. On areas needed to be improved upon, Bojan explained that “Physically we’re in good shape as seen in the match against Perak, but tactically we need to brush up a bit, especially in the striking department”. The Croatian also stressed that there are no special plans for the one month break, as MyTeam will be carrying on training as usual and maybe engage in a few friendly matches. Most importantly myteam.com.my asked the coach if the team is up for it in the Super League, Bojan reassuringly had this to say “Yes we are up to that level. Perak were runner-up in the League last season but we dominated them here. We have the ability to go places in this competition”.

Myteam.com.my also took the opportunity to congratulate Bojan for his national team’s success in kicking England out of Euro 2008. “I’m calling all my English friends here in Malaysia, but nobody is answering”, he added.

MyTeam and National captain Kaironnisam Sahabudin who together with Mijo Dadic formed the central pairing in defence that thwarted Perak’s attack countless times last Wednesday, said that “There is no point in playing beautiful if we can’t score. In the Super League, it’s all about taking your chances. Chances come at a premium at this level and we must take them, as there is not much difference between the teams competing”. Kaironnisam or Botak as he is more affectionately known in the team, has tasted Super League glory before with the now defunct Selangor MBPJ and his homestate Perlis. Nevertheless the captain was impressed with the performance of the youngsters such as Nazrin Mohd Nawi, Azmi Muslim and Arun Kumar, who started the match and the subs who came on Arumugam Ramasamy and Param (Mohan R.Azmi). Speaking to myteam.com.my, he warned that “We musn’t be satisfied with what we did the other day, we must do better in the coming matches”. Hopefully the 1 month break will allow MyTeam to improve on finishing. He added that “We had 7 chances to score in the second half, but Lady Luck was not on our side. This is football, you win some, you lose some”. Commenting on the referees performance, Kaironnisam said that “Perak should have gotten a red card. Their foreign player who pulled Haris Safwan should have been sent off, while Haris was on the run to goal. If this was the English Premier League, the Perak played would have received his marching orders. The referee was more towards Perak”.

MyTeam Season 2 stars Mohd Noor b.Hassan, Mohan R Azmi & Hisham Hashim are truly enjoying their step-up to the senior squad from the reality TV show, and loving every minute of it.

Speaking to myteam.com.my, prior to the big opener against Perak on Wednesday, Hisham said that he gained much knowledge during the sessions with the seniors, and that there was more fun in training. Mohd Nor added that he was having a good time, and was excited joining a team boasting of quite a number of stars. Unlike Hisham and Mohd Noor, Mohan has had some Super League experience when he featured for his home state Pahang previously, and the experience with the seniors did not over-raw him. Hisham and Mohd Nor will be plying their trade in the Super League for the first time, and it will be interesting to see if they can match the exploits of MyTeam Season 1 recruits such as Azmi Muslim, Hazmizan Kamaroddin, Jeremy Matthew Danker, Arun Kumar Thigarajah, Razlan Oto & Harun Mohd who have established themselves in the squad. Hisham had previously represented Belia Kedah and Tambun Tulang in the FAM Cup, while Mohd Noor was part of the Selangor Presidents Cup squad from 2003 till 2006. He played for Sukses in the FAM Cup 2007.

When asked about the differences in training between MyTeam 2 and MyTeam FC, all three said that it was much tougher, now they are professionals, but they could still cope, being used to coach Bojan’s methods during reality TV shows stint. They also know what Bojan demands from each and every one of them and have to remain focused at all times.

On their personal target, Mohan hoped that he could be given a chance to be in the staring eleven at some point in the season, while Mohd Noor wish list was that he’d be given the chance to be exposed to the demands of the Super League. Hisham meanwhile was not so insistent, saying that he’d be glad to play, given a chance. “Even if I am on the sidelines, I would still be cheering on for my mates”. Mohan and Mohd Noor mirrored the ambitions of captain Kaironnisam when they said that MyTeam would be gunning for the title, while the more modest Hisham carefully stated that a top three position would be an excellent achievement considering the number of big guns in the Super League.

Against Perak tomorrow night in Kelana Jaya, Mohd Noor, the most talkative of the trio, explained “ It’ll be an interesting clash, but MyTeam will definitely come out tops”.

Player : Irwan Fadzli b.Idrus
Position : Defender
Injury : Adductor Muscle
Expected Return : End November

The quartet of Azammudin Mohd Akil, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha, Muhd.Zambri Chin and Syed Adney Syed Hussien will be missing MyTeam FC’s season opener against Perak on November 21, 2007. They are currently with the National Under-23 squad in preparation for the Korat SEA Games in December.They are expected to be back in training by December 14, after the regional bi-annual tournament ends.Good luck to them, and Malaysia! Bring back the gold, it’s been awhile boys!