It’s still relatively early to say anything but the Malaysian Super League table is starting to look as predicted before the season. Felda United’s outstanding start to the season continued over the weekend after they clinched a routine 2-0 win over T-Team, maintaining their 100% record.
JDT on the other hand, ensured that the margin between them and Felda isn’t altered by beating Terengganu 2-0. Selangor also stayed in touch with the Settlers via a hard-fought 3-1 win over Pahang in Kuantan.
Perak and Kedah on the other hand, battled out a bore 0-0 draw in Ipoh. Sarawak managed to hold Kelantan to a 2-2 draw in Kota Bharu, thanks to Ndumba Makeche’s late equalizer, while PDRM drew 2-2 against Penang in what was an entertaining affair. Our team of writers have analysed all six matches from last weekend, and here’s your #FabFour for Matchday 3!
GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK: Farizal Marlias – Johor DT
We’ve produced our fair share of excellent goalkeepers over the past five years or so. Apek, Norazlan Razali, Khairul Azhan and even Perak’s newest sensation Hafizul Hakim is beginning to attract attention. Farizal though, is undoubtedly the best shot-stopper in Malaysia right now. His ability to read the game from between the post is impressive and the timing of his dives and every moves are equally diligent. Against Terengganu, Farizal’s composure at the back was integral to their fluid performance on the day. He didn’t have a lot to do, which usually makes goalkeepers complacent. But when Farizal was called to action, he delivered outstanding saves (especially the one vs Norshahrul) to preserve his clean sheet.
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Thiago Junior – Perak FA
If you were at the match in Ipoh last Saturday, you’d have probably gone home feeling extremely frustrated after that. It was a horrible game of football, barely any action. And you rarely Kedah being involved in a game like this. They’ve got plenty of flair upfront – Liridon is the creative spark in midfield while Sandro and Kahe are experts at pulling the strings. But all three men could not break through a defence that was led by Thiago Junior. The Brazilian defender is usually given the license to roam forward and attack as he sees fit, but he was evidently occupied in this game, dealing with Kahe and Sandro at the same time. So while Perak were equally horrendous upfront, Thiago’s fine performance at the back helped them earn a point from this game.
MIDFIELDER OF THE WEEK: Hadin Azman – Felda United
He’s back on track, isn’t he? So much was said about him a few years back when he was integrated into the JDT set-up despite being relatively young. Hadim though, struggled and was eventually shipped off to the second team. He was released at the end of 2014 and went on to sign for Felda’s President Cup team in 2015. But Irfan Bakti opted to include him in the senior squad for 2016 and last weekend, we found out why. Featuring behind Forkey Doe as an attacking midfielder, Hadin was a constant threat with his movement on and off the ball. More importantly, he bagged two goals – one in the first half and the other after the break – to help Felda preserve their 100% record in the league thus far.
FORWARD OF THE WEEK: Patrick Wleh Ronaldinho – Selangor
Selangor have made mistakes with foreign signings in the past, but it appears that they’ve got it spot on this year. Patrick Wleh knows how to bang them in the MSL and instead of scouting around, the Red Giants pounced for his signature, as soon as he was released from PKNS. The Liberian forward has been an instant hit with his unparalled abilities inside the box – as depicted during his match-winning performance against Pahang last weekend. Zainal’s men were 1-0 down in the game, when Ronaldinho stepped up and scored two goals to make it 2-1, before laying the assist for Gopinathan, who eventually made it 3-1 on the day.
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