Trailing by a goal heading into their second leg semifinal clash, Global FC are not short of confidence ahead of their match against Albirex Niigata Singapore. That is, at least, according to defender Amani Aguinaldo. The young center-back, much like his teammates, is hoping to get the needed result to send The People’s Club into the finals of the Singapore Cup.
To do that, Global need to either match the goal count of Albirex over two legs to force extra time and even a penalty shootout, or they could simply score at least two goals more than their opponents in the second leg encounter. Aware of the challenging task in store, Aguinaldo believes Global are equipped to overcome the deficit against a now-familiar opponent. “We expect the team to come back stronger. I think we have a good chance to win the game because we already know the players of the other team,” he suggested.
Erasing a one-goal disadvantage is not always easy, but Global knows what it takes to do so, having done it in the quarterfinals against Geylang International. Asked what he think needs to be addressed in the second leg, Aguinaldo mentioned the importance of sticking to the game plan. “We have to finish more and [make] less errors defensively,” he remarked. A pivotal figure on the defensive end, Aguinaldo is keen to hold the fort for his team to achieve a historic milestone.
The good news for the Filipinos is that the weather in the Lion City has been far better than the last time they were in town. Back then, haze hampered the outing, which prompted the match to be rescheduled several times. “It delayed the game. We wanted to play do had and we weren’t able to train,” Aguinaldo recalled. This time around, the Global players will be hoping that a shift in weather conditions will also mean a change in fortune.
It is safe to say that a narrow setback in the first leg does little to dampen the confidence of Global players. Braced for a tough second leg, they know that believing in their abilities is the first step towards achieving a historic result. “We want to win. We’re going to Singapore to win,” Aguinaldo simply put.
