By: Confaderal | 25 August 2023
I remembered last year watching one of the hougang women's match. We got trashed in that match. I couldn't remember which match. What I could remember though, was that they were wearing a white kit. And straight after that match, they had to collectively drag a big bag of balls and some other equipment to the side of Yishun stadium for a debrief.
They moved to a quiet corner silently. No one spoke to each other, heads were down.
There was a lump in my throat. My heart sank. I wanted to shout some encouraging words but after some deliberating I felt it's better if I just kept quiet and let them grief.
As anyone would know, we were bottom of the table that year with no wins and only two draws. I managed to catch maybe three or four games and got to personally give some words of encouragement to them later. I even managed to cheer them on for one of the matches with "The one man army". That game was one of the two draws we had all season.
Zoom forward a year later, Coach Siva and the team behind the Hougang United Women's team of 2023 have changed the fortunes of our WT and kept us at the top end of the table. We have been second in the standings for awhile, now we've slipped to third. What a turnaround!
** FAS website has a typo. LCS only has 31 points, not 51 points. Hougang has another 7 games to play in this round robin format. Info accurate as of 25th August 2023. Image from fas.org.sg
Losing Dhaniyah and most of our squad besides Clara wong and Nurul Ardian, the WT technical team brought in almost the entire 2022 Tiong Bahru squad. We must thank Papa Bill who owns both these clubs for the shift-around!
After the dust has settled from the team overhaul, through the smoke came defensive stalwarts like Angelyn and Rosnani. The latter just came back from playing in Japan. We have goalkeepers who have national experience like Belle Jaafar and Azura. Talented midfielders like Rochelle, Winette and Nabilah. And a star-studded attacking force of Raudhah and Nicole.
This is by no means a comprehensive list and we can see the polishing of all the talented players in the WT namely, Rachel, Deborah and Rena amidst the talents of the whole squad. Everyone can take the place of anyone in the team.
What's more impressive is that the team are mostly working/schooling and juggling time in between trainings. I remembered my days in uni juggling work and school. It's really draining. Hope to see them persevere and stay in football, especially for people like Angelyn who is going through NIE to become a teacher. Judging from what my wife has gone through, it's tough! So kudos to the ladies team!
But anyways, let's hope the ladies continue in this fine vein of form. The WPL has only entered it's second year of sponsored existence. As such, this is a "new world order" in women's football where teams are slowly trying to figure out where it stands in comparison to one another. Do not waste this chance to stamp yourselves as the league's standard bearer. Make sure there's no regrets 10,20 or 30 years from now.
Don't be afraid to communicate. Don't be afraid to pick a pass out of a tight situation instead of hoofing the ball clear. Fight with not just more energy, but with clarity of mind. Think clearly. Outwit and outsmart. Be sneaky and find your opponent's loopholes. The devil is in the details. Most importantly, trust yourself. You deserve the trophy, you're good enough. All the best for the upcoming match against Tanjong Pagar United! 1H1H
— Notable absentees: Rochelle(injured), Leo(injured), Rosnani(trial in Spain). Find our full WT roster in the "Player" section. All images, unless otherwise stated are from our hougang women's instagram page!
Can you spot any lady who's NOT in the Hougang Women's team 2023?
Jacklyn Lee
Levyn
Nurul Asyiqin
Manami Fukuzawa
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