It always seems like an eternity.
After going on a mini hiatus, the Malaysia Super League will return this weekend! That’s right, six matches, 12 teams and hopefully, plenty of goals! Sheer excitement beckons.
But the standout clash from the inaugural fixture list for this year, is Johor DT vs Selangor, which will also double up as the Charity Shield clash. Both teams were arguably the two best sides in the country throughout 2015, with the Red Giants finally clinching their 33rd Malaysia Cup title, at the end of last year.
THE SELANGOR VIEW
So much has changed since then, and we have a revamped Selangor squad, that is really keen on pushing for honours. Zainal Abidin Hassan was drafted in to replace Mehmet Durakovic, and he brought several players from Pahang over, including skipper Razman Roslan.
The more significant piece of business would undoubtedly be the acquisition of Patrick Wleh Ronaldinho as well as Mauro Olivi. While the Red Giants had goals coming in from all over the park in 2015, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to suggest that they could have done a lot more with a lethal foreign striker upfront. Little is known about what Olivi, but Patrick’s track record in Malaysia is more than enough to suggest that goals will be at the forefront of their style this year.
Retaining Rob Cornthwaite, besides earning them massive brownie points with the fans, will be a major boost to their defence. His partnership with Shahrom Kalam looks unbeatable at certain points last year and with the addition of Razman into the mix, Selangor look relatively solid at the back.
THE JOHOR DARUL TA’AZIM VIEW
But this weekend, they’ll be up against a side that hasn’t made much alterations to their history-making squad from 2015. In fact, they remain the same at the core of it, with the addition of key men like Jorge Diaz as well as Juan Martin Lucero. More importantly though, the match is set to take place at the Larkin Stadium, where JDT have been incredibly formidable over the past couple of years.
While attention has been focused on big names like Diaz, Lucero and even Azamuddin Akil, the surprise package from JDT’s new squad could very well be Azinee Taib. The pacy attacker was recently brought back from Penang, after thriving in his debut season with them last year. He’s quick and is capable of producing unpredictable moments – an element that’s usually pivotal in major games. Azinee isn’t going to start every game, that’s a given. But when he does get himself involved, he can be a real handful.
Like it or not, the pressure will be on JDT and it has got nothing to do with this clash taking place in Larkin. Having won the MSL for the last two years, anything less than a title win will be a disappointing campaign for them. The outcome of this match will have very little say on who wins the title, but judging by how competitive it’s going to be in 2016, JDT will want every piece of the pie. Especially when silverware is at stake.
THE VERDICT?
Selangor could be a real thorn for JDT this season and Zainal knows what it takes to do so, having accomplished it with Pahang. However, the Southern Tigers look a lot more refined at this stage of the season, with players that are relatively comfortable with one another. It will undoubtedly be a close affair and JDT will visibly have the upper hand. But if the Red Giants play their defensive cards right, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them cause a major upset this weekend.
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