Malaysia score 2 late goals to knock Singapore out of Suzuki cup and book a ...

Malaysia's Shukor Adan heads the ball during their AFF Suzuki Cup Group B soccer match against Singapore, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014 in Singapore.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

SINGAPORE - Malaysia scored two stoppage time goals in a 3-1 victory over Singapore on Saturday to book a place in the semifinal of the Suzuki Cup and knock the reigning champions out of Southeast Asia's premier football competition.

Safee Sali gave Malaysia the lead in the 63rd minute, but neighbouring Singapore equalized with seven minutes to go.

Needing only a draw to progress, Singapore appeared to have done enough but Malaysia won a penalty in added time that Safiq Rahim converted, silencing the home crowd of around 40,000.

Indra Putra sealed the win, tapping into an empty net after Singapore keeper Hassan Sunny had pushed forward in search of an equalizer.

In the other match, Thailand beat Myanmar 2-0, setting up a seminal match against the Philippines. Malaysia will play Vietnam.

© Copyright Times Colonist

Manila Mavericks vs Singapore Slammers IPTL 2014 Live Updates: Serena ...

Set 5, Women's Singles Match: Andy Murray (Manila Mavericks) lost to Nick Kyrgios (Singapore Slammers) 6-5

Andy Murray beat Nick Kyrgios in the tie-breaker to win the fifth set of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) 6-5 and take his team to a 27-19 win. With the win, Manila Mavericks sealed their match win against the Singapore Slammers.

Set 4, Women's Singles Match: Kirsten Flipkens (Manila Mavericks) lost to Serena Williams (Singapore Slammers) 3-6

Serena Williams of Singapore Slammers beat Kirsten Flipkens of Manila Mavericks 6-3 in the Women's Singles match to take the score to 14-21. This was the first set win for the Singapore Slammers in the match as they closed down on the trail in the match.

Set 3, Mixed's Doubles Match: Andy Murray/Kirsten Flipkens (Manila Mavericks) defeated Lleyton Hewitt/Serena Williams (Singapore Slammers) 6-1

Andy Murray registered his first mixed doubles win after two unsuccessful attempts with Maria Sharapova in the tournament. Partnering Kirsten Flipkens, Andy Murray thrashed Singapore Slammers' pair of Lleyton Hewitt and Serena Williams 6-1 to extend the team lead to 18-8.Andy Murray coming to form comes as a good news for Manila Mavericks after the Britain player was out of form in the first two matches.

Set 2, Men's Doubles Match: Treat Huey/Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga (Manila Mavericks) defeated Tomas Berdych/Nick Kyrgios (Singapore Slammers) 6-5

The unbeaten pair of Manila Mavericks - Filipino Treat Huey and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga emerged victorious once again in the doubles match. The duo have struck a good partnership and with their second consecutive win, they put Manila Mavericks in the driver's seat with 12-7 lead against Singapore Slammers.

Set 1, Men's singles Match: Mark Philippoussis (Manila Mavericks) defeated Patrick Rafter (Singapore Slammers) 6-2

Mark Philippoussis has got off to a winning start as he thrashed Singapore Slammer's Patrick Rafter 6-2 in the opening set of the tie. Mark Philippoussis hascome in as a replacement for Carlos Moya who suffered an injury in the first match of the the inaugural International Premier Tennis League. His coming back to form serves as a good news for the Manila Mavericks

Catch the live tennis update of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) match between Manila Mavericks and Singapore Slammers on Sunday. You can watch the free live streaming of the match here. Manila Mavericks have already got off to a poor start to the tournament. Andy Murray hasn't hit prime form. Maria Sharapova is unlikely to play today and Carlos Moya's injury wil remin a cause of concern. However, the contest between Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych will be worth watching.

Singapore Slmmers. On the other hand, has a star studded, but ageing side. Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter, Daniela Hantuchova and Serena Williams aren't exactly young. However, Bruno Soares and Nick Krgois provide good firepower to the experienced squad and will prove to be a formidable opponent.

Match Schedule

Andy Murray vs Tomas Berdych

Kirsten Flipkens vs Serena Williams

Daniel Nestor / T Huey vs Lleyton Hewitt / Bruno Soares

Kirsten Flipkens/ T Huey vs Serena Williams vs Lleyton Hewitt

ManilaMavericks Squad: Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, Daniel Nestor, Kirsten Flipkens, Carlos Moya, T Huey, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

SingaporeSlammers Squad: Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Leyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter

Manila Mavericks vs Singapore Slammers, IPTL 2014: Where to Watch Live ...

The Manila Mavericks take on the Singapore Slammers in the second match on day 3 of the 2014 International Premier Tennis League in Manila.

Where to Watch Live

The match starts at 11:30am GMT. Live TV coverage is available on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 3 HD.

Overview

Both teams come into the match looking for their first win of the competition.

The Mavericks will hope to score at least one win for the home fans before moving on to the turf of their opponents on Sunday in Singapore.

Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova have both failed to impress for the Manila-based team, and will hope to do well against the Serena Williams- led team.

The Slammers will also be looking for a win before they start the second leg at home in two days' time. They will receive a boost with the arrival of women's World No 1 Serena Williams.

MATCH LIST

Andy Murray vs Tomas Berdych

Kirsten Flipkens vs Serena Williams

D Nestor / T Huey vs Hewitt / Soares

SQUAD LISTS

Manila Mavericks: Andy Murray, Maria Sharapova, Daniel Nestor, Kirsten Flipkens, Carlos Moya, T Huey, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Singapore Slammers: Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Leyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter

Late Malaysia goals send Singapore out of Suzuki Cup

A stoppage-time penalty by Safiq Rahim and a shot by Indra Putra Mahayuddin into an unguarded net gave Malaysia a 3-1 win over Singapore on Saturday as the defending champions were eliminated from the AFF Suzuki Cup.

Khairul Amri's late equaliser had appeared to rescue a draw for the Lions but 2010 winners Malaysia were awarded a spot kick as the game entered added time for a foul on Amri Yahyah.

Safiq kept his head to convert and with Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny going up for a late corner, the Tigers broke clear and Indra Putra rolled the ball in from 30 metres to seal the victory and send four-time winners Singapore crashing out of the tournament.

Safee Sali had fired Malaysia into a 61st lead with an unstoppable effort from the edge of the Singapore box but Amri levelled in the 83rd minute when he bundled the ball into the net after Malaysia goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat had spilled a Safuwan Baharuddin free-kick.

Malaysia will meet Group A winners Vietnam in the semi-final with the first leg in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, December 7 while Thailand, who topped Group B with a perfect record after a 2-0 win over Laos at Jalan Besar Stadium will travel to Manila for the first leg of their semi-final against Group B runners-up Philippines a day earlier.

The Thais fielded a much-changed team from their earlier wins over Singapore and Malaysia but they took the lead against Myanmar after 12 minutes when Tanaboon Kesarat rifled a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Prakit Deeprom then sealed the win with seven minute left, firing in a free-kick from 25 metres to keep Thailand on course as they seek a first victory in the tournament since 2002.

Universal Studios Singapore's Battlestar Galactica ride to re

(Concept Rendering) New Ride Vehicle for Battlestar Galactica - Human at Universal Studios Singapore.

Finally!

The missing-in-action Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon roller coaster at Universal Studios Singapore is to set re-open in early 2015, said Resorts World Sentosa on Friday.

RWS said the ride will feature all-new two-seater vehicles that are designed to give 'every rider a more intimate and personal ride experience and will enhance the feeling of speed and thrill the ride already offers'.

Every rider also has their own window seat, said senior vice president of attractions, John Hallenbeck. USS will announce the exact launch date soon.

New Ride Vehicle for Battlestar Galactica - Cylon at Universal Studios Singapore.

The troubled sci-fi ride, one of the main attractions of Universal Studios Singapore, was forced to close a week after its first launch in 2010 before re-opening in February 2011.

It was forced to close again in July 2013. At the time, USS said it had to be closed for an 'attraction review'.

The roller coaster is themed after the hit TV series produced by Universal Cable productions and is currently in the midst of 'routine' and 'extensive testing'.

Singapore 1

By Mark Dawson

Malaysia once again defied the odds and qualified for the Suzuki Cup semi-finals, after defeating hosts Singapore in their own back yard

BY MARK DAWSON

Two years ago it was a victory over Indonesia in their final Suzuki Cup group match which sent the team through to the knock-out stages, which seemed unlikely following their earlier defeat versus Singapore. This time out the Tigers again knew that this match was win or go home following their loss last time out against Thailand.

With both teams fully aware of the high stakes attached to this match, the first half was understandably cautious and low on quality. Malaysia did sporadically find joy down the right with Azamuddin Akil and Norshahrul, and were noticeably more comfortable in possession than they have been in recent years, but this failed to reflect in many chances. The closest they did come was just before half time when again the visitors found space down the right and fired a cross to the far post, Singapore defender Mohd Mukhtar made a mess of the clearance, spooning it back across the face of goal to Safee Sali who hit an instinctive first time shot but was thwarted by the post in a real wasted opportunity for the Tigers.

Even though Singapore did at times look dangerous when breaking forward with pace, they too had precious little in the way of chances on goal. The home team had cause for complaint on the half hour as Malaysia's Gary Robbat could have easily seen red after a high studded challenge on Harris Harun which was only punished with a caution. Robbat can consider himself an extremely lucky boy after launching into a challenge that was both reckless and had excessive force.

Both sides were unable to create much of note, with some desperately poor final passes when promising openings did present themself. And despite the recklessness of both teams, giving away freekicks in dangerous areas, neither team had the quality to capitalise.

There was little attitude change from the home team in the second half as Singapore again were underwhelming, with a fine mazy run and dragged shot by Faris Ramli the only clear chance they created in the early stages. Although the hosts looked to counter attack with pace any time Malaysia ventured forward, it was the away team who began to create the better chances. Norshahrul became the second Malaysian striker to squander a one-on-one opportunity after he timed his run to perfection and latched onto a long ball over the top, but a combination of a heavy touch and being off balance meant that the Singapore defence were able to clear his low shot.

Just after the hour it was Malaysia who took the lead, with Safee Sali atoning for his earlier miss. The impressive Amri Yahyah was the creator, putting in a cross with the edge of his boot which was intended for Mahali Jasuli but with the full back unable to make contact with the cross, it fell invitingly for Sali who took a touch to steady himself before rifling into the roof of the net emphatically.

With the dynamic changed it was Singapore who began to chase the game, trying to remain in the competition. Khairul Fahmi suddenly became a lot busier as he had to save from Khairul Amri and dart off his line to thwart Faris Ramli in a frantic five minute spell. However with seven minutes remaining it was the keeper who was at fault as the Lions of Singapore netted a dramatic equaliser. Fahmi spilled Safuwan Baharudin's free kick directly into the path of Khairul Amri who gleefully tucked home the rebound.

After this crushing blow Malaysia began to loose their cool, giving away yet more needless free kicks in which Fahmi had to be alert to keep out Baharudin. However with time and ideas running out, it was referee Al Kaf Ahmed who changed the game, when he spotted a barge in the back by Singapore substitute Hafiz Abu Sujad on Amri Yahyah. Despite the protests of the home players it was a brave and correct decision by the Omani official, and Safiq Rahim took full advantage by sending Hassan Sunny the wrong way.

With 95 minutes on the clock Malaysia remarkably made it 3-1, breaking forward after Fahmi palmed away a last gasp Singapore corner, with Indra Putra calmly slotting into an empty net to book a semi-final clash with Vietnam.

TeamPPts

Suzuki Cup: Can Singapore cope with double blow in do

Malaysia coach, Dollah Salleh (left), is all smiles with Singapore counterpart Bernd Stange ahead of the big s ... Set for his first Causeway derby clash as Singapore coach, Bernd Stange will head into their encounter with Malaysia on Saturday night in the AFF Suzuki Cup missing two key players.Towering centre-back Baihakki Khaizan is suspended after picking up two bookings in each ofthe Lions' first two Group B games, while playmaker Shahdan Sulaiman cruelly suffered a broken fibula on Wednesday against Myanmar.The experienced duo, who share 155 international caps between them, have been integral to Stange's tactics for Singapore. They will be huge misses for the team against their fierce rivals, where a draw should be sufficient for the defending champions to progress to the semi-finals.Tough to replaceStange acknowledged that it would 'not be so easy' to cope with the absence of Baihakki and Shahdan, but was vocal in his belief that his players will come good.'We have still plenty of players available for tomorrow's match,' he said at the pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.'Today is our last training session and after that we will think about and we will find a solution. 'We can trust our team [and] we are playing at home. Okay it (Shahdan and Baihakki) is a miss [for us]... but I think we are all prepared and we know what to do.'Midfield dynamo Hariss Harun, the two-goal hero against Myanmar, could be dropped back to defence, while Afiq Yunos and Shakir Hamzah are two other alternatives. In midfield, Zulfahmi Arifin should come in as a straight replacement for Shahdan, although Hafiz Sujad is another option.FocusedWith Malaysia needing nothing less than a win to stay in contention and Singapore only needing a draw, Stange knows his opponents will be 'extremely dangerous' in their final group stage match. However, he declared himself 'excited' about the derby and hopes Singapore can put on a solid display to'win the hearts of Singaporean football fans'.'They know everything about the Singapore team; at this point there is nothing confidential [about each other],' he said.'We are focussed, we are committed and looking forward to this match.'

AFF Suzuki Cup: Singapore vs Malaysia live updates

SINGAPORE: The Causeway rivals take each other on in a highly-charged National Stadium on Saturday night (Nov 29), as they vie for the right to face Vietnam in the semi-finals. Lions coach Bernd Stange said the Tigers are 'extremely dangerous' but backed his side to claim a result.

9. 57PM: GOAL: Indra Putra taps into an empty net after a quick breakaway from a free-kick, which Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny went up for. It's 3-1 at full-time. Malaysia face Vietnam next in the semi-final. Heartbreak for the Lions as they look back at what could have been.

9.53PM: GOAL! Late drama as Safiq Rahim converts a penalty for Malaysia after Hafiz Sujad concedes a soft penalty.

9.42PM: GOAL! Khairul Amri scores a tap-in after Malaysia's goalkeeper fumbles a free-kick. Lions are through if the scores remain. Five more minutes plus stoppage time to go.

9.37PM: Teenager Amirul Azmin on, Shafiq Ghani off, as coach Stange throws on his last change. Safuwan moved to the front to add more aerial threat.

9.32PM: Hariss Harun rallying the crowd as the Lions struggle to break down the Tigers' defence. Slightly more than 15 minutes to go.

9.26PM: Double substitution from Lions coach Stange: Gabriel Quak and Hafiz Sujad comes on for Shaiful Esah and Fazrul Nawaz, as Singapore chases the game.

9.21PM: GOAL! Malaysia draws first blood through Safee Sali, thrashing home the ball from inside the box.

9.15PM: CLOSE SHAVE! Norshahrul going close again, after his effort gets cleared from in front of an empty goal. Malaysia's Amri Yahyah was yellow-carded in the midst of the action.

9.09PM: Faris Ramli goes close! He slaloms his way past four defenders but drags it wide.

9.06PM: The second half kicks off, and early action indicates that the tight, combative tone would continue into the next 45 minutes.

8.58PM: The halftime stats are in, and it's not pretty. Passing accuracy for both teams did not go above 81 per cent, and the percentage dropped further when both teams ventured into enemy territory. (Infographic: AFF Suzuki Cup/Twitter)

8.48PM: WHISTLE BLOWN: Tight, cagey affair as Causeway Derby fails to ignite. Halftime: 0-0.

8.43PM: OFF THE POST! Malaysia's Safee Sali hits the post after a poor clearance in the box by Ismadi Mukhtar. Lucky escape for the Lions.

8: 38PM: YELLOW! Singapore's Fazrul Nawaz follows Robbat into the referee's book for a trip on Malaysia's No 10 Safee Sali.

8.30PM: YELLOW! Malaysia's Gary Robbat gets the game's first card for his meaty challenge on Hariss Harun.

8.25PM: Malaysia's No 9 Norshahrul the main threat right now - his runs constantly causing havoc at the back for Singapore. Still 0-0, though.

8.10PM: Singapore lying deep, drawing Malaysia's sting as they look to counter in the early moments of the game. A few nervy moments at the back already, though.

8.06PM: Close by Fazrul Nawaz! His cross-shot drifted by the Malaysian goal's far post.

8.00PM: Kick off! But it's not just football in the focus. Watch out for the Hug Cam!

7.55PM: National anthem for both sides being played out, to rousing support from both sets of supporters.

7.45PM: The Malaysian fans seem unperturbed being in the Lions den. Tickets for the away side were sold out earlier today, according to the event organiser.

7:40PM: Midfield maestro Hariss Harun and striker Khairul Amri - being put through their paces - will be needed to power the Lions to victory tonight.

7.30PM: The Lions being put through their paces and limbering up ahead of the match.

7.15PM: Check out the first-team line-ups for Singapore and Malaysia in the team sheet above.

7.00PM: An hour before the Causeway Derby between Singapore and Malaysia gets underway, the fans, many clad in Singapore's national colours, are starting to stream in.

UAE Royals vs Singapore Slammers, IPTL 2014 Live Updates: UAE beat ...

UAE Royals defeated DBS Singapore Slammers 3-2 in sets and 28-22 in game points. They move up to the IPTL 2014 team standings. The second match of the day will see Manila Mavericks take on Micromax Indian Aces.

Set 5, Past Champions Singles Match: Goran Ivanisevic (UAE Royals) defeated Patrick Rafter (Singapore Slammers) 6-5

The legends match between Goran Ivanisevic, Croatia's lone Wimbledon winner and twice major winner Patrick Rafter saw the match go till the tie-breakers that was won by Croatian easily. With this 6-5 win, Ivanisevic handed UAE Royals second match win of the tournament.

Set 4, Mixed Doubles Match: Bruno Soares/Daniela Hantuchova (Singapore Slammers) defeated Kristina Mladenovic/Nenad Zimonjic

Singapore Slammers have pulled another set back in their favour in the mixed doubles as Daniela Hantuchova and Bruno Soares defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Kristina Mladenovic to narrow down the gap in game points to trail 17-22.

Set 3, Women's Singles Match: Kristina Mladenovic (UAE Royals) defeated Daniela Hantuchova (DBS Singapore Slammers) 6-1

A motivated and strong performance by 21-year-old Kristina Mladenovic put UAE Royals in commanding position with a 6-1 win over the world no. 57 Daniel Hantuchova in the women's singles match. The World. no. 63, Royals player had fallen short in her last match against Russian star Maria Sharapova but today she made no error to dispatch Slovakian Slammers beauty. With her massive win, she clearly puts Royals 6 game points ahead of Singapore. UAE Royals lead 17-11 against DBS Singapore Slammers.

Set 2, Men's Doubles Match: Nick Kyrgios/ Tomas Berdych (DBS Singapore Slammers) defeated Nenad Zimonjic/Marin Cilic 6-5

Good comeback from Singapore Slammers to square the set to 1-1. The doubles pair of Berdych and Kyrgios remain unbeaten in the tournament as they emerged victorious against doubles specialist Nenad Zimonjic and Marin Cilic. They were trailing a game point behind their opponents but remained rock-solid to win it in five-minutes tie-breaker. UAE Royals level 1-1 in set and lead 11-10 in game points against DBS Singapore Slammers.

Set 1, Men's Singles Match: Marin Cilic (UAE Royals) defeated Tomas Berdych (DBS Singapore Slammers) 6-4

Marin Cilic continued his red-hot form giving his side an early lead by beating Tomas Berdych from Singapore Slammers. Cilic took an early lead by breaking Tomas in third game and extending his lead to 4-3 but Berdych made a good come back to square at 4-4. But another break of serve by Berdych helped Cilic defeat the Czech player by 6-4. UAE Royals lead 6-4 against Singapore Slammers.

Unlike the first day matches of International Premier Tennis League that started with the Mixed doubles and Legend's Singles match, Day 2 starts right with most-awaited match with the current singles players Marin Cilic of UAE Royals taking on Tomas Berdych of Singapore Slammers. Cilic had earlier played Andy Murray of Manila Mavericks on the first day of IPTL in Manila while Tomas Berdych just played the doubles match and will be representing Singapore in what would be his first singles outing.

Second placed UAE Royals take on the fourth and last placed DBS Singapore Slammers in the third match of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) at Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines. UAE Royals looked an invincible side against Manila Mavericks on Friday and would look to continue their dominance in the second match as well. As Singapore Slammers, they would not only have to win the match but also by good margin of game points as they are trailing far behind the other three teams in the points table.

Schedule: (UAE Royals vs DBS Singapore Slammers)

Past Champions Match: Goran Ivanisevic vs Patrick Rafter; Mixed doubles: Kristina Mladenovic/Nenad Zimonjic vs Daniela Hantuchova/Bruno Soares; Men's doubles: Marin Cilic/Nenad Zimonjic vs Tomas Berdych/Bruno Soares; Women's singles: Kristina Mladenovic vs Daniela Hantuchova; Men's singles: Marin Cilic vs Leyton Hewitt

About International Premier Tennis League

The International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) is a unique team-based tennis league founded by multiple grand-slam winner, India's Mahesh Bhupathi and played across 4 countries in Asia. The league will feature 21 Grand Slam Champions and 14 current/former World Number Ones, with the winning team walking away with prize money of USD 1 million. The inaugural edition will be held in the cities of Manila, Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai between 28th November and 13th December 2014.

The IPTL promises to 'Break the Code' of the game's traditional etiquette in order to attract a new audience to the sport. Modeled after successful international sports franchise concepts and being recognized as tennis' newest spectacle, the IPTL combines world-class sport and entertainment in a format that keeps both spectators and global TV viewers thoroughly engaged.

AFF Suzuki Cup: Singapore vs Malaysia live updates

SINGAPORE: The Causeway rivals take each other on in a highly-charged National Stadium on Saturday night (Nov 29), as they vie for the right to face Vietnam in the semi-finals. Lions coach Bernd Stange said the Tigers are 'extremely dangerous' but backed his side to claim a result.

7:40PM: Midfield maestro Hariss Harun and striker Khairul Amri - being put through their paces - will be needed to power the Lions to victory tonight.

7.30PM: The Lions being put through their paces and limbering up ahead of the match.

7.15PM: Check out the first-team line-ups for Singapore and Malaysia in the team sheet above.

7.00PM: An hour before the Causeway Derby between Singapore and Malaysia gets underway, the fans, many clad in Singapore's national colours, are starting to stream in.

From Our Website From the Web

UAE Royals vs Singapore Slammers, IPTL 2014: Where to Watch Live, Preview ...

The UAE Royals take on the Singapore Slammers in the first match on day 2 of the International Premier Tennis League in Manila.

Where to Watch Live

The match starts at 8am GMT. Live TV coverage is available on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 3 HD.

Overview

The UAE Royals come into the game following a narrow victory over the Andy Murray-led Manila Mavericks. The team from Dubai, which are still without their top players Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki, managed to win most of their matches 29-24.

The win puts the Royals on par with the Micromax Indian Aces on top of the standings with four points. The Royals will want to continue their winning run and take advantage of the Slammers, who are also missing a couple of their key players.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Slammers, who lost their first game to the Micromax Indian Aces, will want to get their campaign up and running. The Singapore-based team are missing their top players Serena Williams and Andre Agassi who are yet to arrive.

The Slammers will want an improved showing after the Aces handed them a thorough beating in the inaugural match.

MATCH LIST

Goran Ivanisevic vs Pat Rafter

K Mladenovic / N Zimonic vs Hantuchova / Soares

Cilic / Zimonic vs Berdych / Soares

Marin Cilic vs Leyton Hewitt

K Mladenovic vs D Hantuchova

SQUAD LISTS

UAE Royals: Novak Djokovic, Caroline Wozniaki, Malek Jaziri, Nenad Zimonic, Goran Ivanisevic, Kristina Mladenovic, Marin Cilic

Singapore Slammers: Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, Tomas Berdych, Leyton Hewitt, Nick Kyrgios, Daniela Hantuchova, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter

AFF Suzuki Cup: Stage set for Singapore and Malaysia to battle for precious ...

Separated by a body of water a mere kilometre wide, their histories intertwined but their football tribes divided, there will be no holds barred when the big cats of Singapore and Malaysia battle tonight at the National Stadium.

A place in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup semi-finals is at stake before what could well be a sell-out crowd.

Over 45,000 tickets in the 55,000-seat arena had been sold as of yesterday.

So the stage is set for Singapore coach Bernd Stange's biggest test so far in his 18 months in charge.

The German has led his charges against quality Asian teams like Oman and Syria.

But nothing gets Singapore fans going like a win, or a loss, against arch-rivals Malaysia.

Said the 66-year-old:. 'It'll be a packed stadium and I am quite excited to see this match and I hope the team can win the hearts of the Singaporean football fans.'

Malaysia's morale was deflated on Wednesday after conceding a last-minute winner in their 2-3 loss to Thailand. The Tigers need to beat Singapore and hope Myanmar do not beat Thailand or improve on their -2 goal difference.

'We desperately need a win,' said Malaysia coach Dollah Salleh.

'It won't be easy with more than 40,000 Singapore fans. But we will try to give something to the Malaysians.'

In an unusual move, the Tigers imposed a media blackout ahead of yesterday evening's training session at Bishan Stadium.

It is not known if it was linked to a picture of key player Safee Sali allegedly smoking making its rounds on social media.

Dollah declined comment while the Johor Darul Takzim striker side-stepped the issue, saying: 'I am focused on the match.'

Things are more serene in the Lions den. 'They need the win so they are going to attack for sure,' said captain Shahril Ishak.

'We have to be smart about it and not do anything stupid, like give the ball away in key areas or commit silly fouls in our half.'

The Lions will be without two key players as centre-back Baihakki Khaizan is suspended while midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman is out with a broken leg.

Stange is keeping mum on his replacements but it is likely that the pacy Shakir Hamzah will deputise in defence while Zulfahmi Arifin will start in midfield.

But if he opts for safety first, he can deploy key midfielder Hariss Harun in Baihakki's place.

Whatever the permutations, the goal is clear: Lose and the Lions will be out. In fact, a loss in this fixture has traditionally led to more serious consequences.

Dane coach Jan Poulsen lost his job shortly after the 2002 AFF Cup campaign, with a 0-4 loss to Malaysia at Kallang widely believed to be the main reason for his departure.

Stange is not entertaining any thoughts of complacency.

'You never know what will happen in football,' he said.

'We shouldn't be so arrogant as to think we are already (in the semi-finals). Malaysia are wounded animals - that's why they are very dangerous.'

Added left-back Shaiful Esah: 'The most important thing is we all stay calm and not let the occasion faze us. The rivalry is a big thing and it will be a big crowd but we have to shut everyone out and focus on getting a result.'

meng@sph.com.sg Singapore v Malaysia MediaCorp okto, mio TV Ch114 & StarHub Ch208, 7.55pm

Malaysia

It's fairly straightforward. Harimau Malaya face a must-win final match against hosts Singapore to qualify for the semi-finals.

MALAYSIA

Mahali - Fadhli - Afif - Azmi Amri - Safiq - Shukor (c) - Kunanlan

SINGAPORE SunnyQassimy - Safuwan - Afiq - ShaifulShahdan - Harriss - Zulfahmi - Faris Shahril (c) - Khairul

There simply is no other option. Malaysia's lackluster performances in the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup thus far have meant that they must beat Singapore to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals. For the hosts, a draw would suffice, so long as Myanmar do not beat Thailand by a large margin.

But will they set out to defend? Coach Bernd Stange said in a press conference today that his team's strategy is attacking football, and with most of the Singapore team comprising youngsters, there will be some lack in certain departments, namely the defence. Shorn of the suspended Baihakki Khaizan and the injured Shahdan Sulaiman, Stange will have to rejig his starting lineup. This might open the door to either Shakir Hamzah or Afiq Yunos in defence, while it is likely that Zulfahmi Arifin will take Shahdan's place in central midfield alongside Hariss Harun.

The JDT midfielder starred in the 4-2 win over Myanmar, capping an imperious performance with two stunning volleys. If Malaysia are to stop him, they would need to shore up their defensive midfield, a position that was glaringly porous against a Thailand side that found it easy to drift into the box and get shots away through the middle.

Shukor Adan was replaced late on, and it remains to be seen if the 35-year-old will be fit enough to play his third match in the space of a week. Gary Steven Robbat is available again after suspension, while Safiq Rahim is almost certain to retain his starting spot thanks to his goal and assist against Thailand.

Singapore's Shaiful Esah was another who shone against Myanmar, striking a brace from two free-kicks. Malaysia will need to be on their toes to avoid unnecessary fouls (a difficult task, as they have the worst disciplinary record in the tournament) because Shaiful's set pieces are deadly from anywhere, whether from short range or long.

Ahead of Shaiful, Faris Ramli is another threat, frequently creating chances for his teammates while having a go himself at times. If Mahali Jasuli can repeat his starring performance against Myanmar and keep Faris quiet, Malaysia could benefit from his fruitful partnership with Amri down the right flank.

Defence remains one of Singapore's weaknesses, and Safuwan Baharuddin is only one yellow card away from suspension, if his side advance. Myanmar have shown that the Lions' defence have trouble dealing with quick passes and movement, but that might be something beyond Norshahrul Idlan Talaha and Safee Sali, who are more respectively more technical and physical. Despite his poor showing so far, Dollah Salleh has said that Mat Yo has promised to do something special in this game, and Malaysia will need him and the rest of his teammates to do so, or risk missing out on the semi-finals for the first time since 2008.

Beware: 7 common scams in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Scams involving cyber extortion, kidnap, lottery or lucky draw, impersonation, online purchase, fund transfers and Internet love - these are the common scams highlighted by the Police and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) on Friday (Nov 28).

The findings were revealed at the launch of their nationwide public education campaign at Temasek Polytechnic. To address the issue, seven new publicity visuals, and an informative website that allows people to share their experiences with scams anonymously, were unveiled.

Winners of the Scam Alert! photo contest, which was held in conjunction with the campaign, also received their prizes from the guest-of-honour, Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran, on Friday.

Running Man cast glad to be back in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Running Man cast members Ji Suk-jin, Kim Jong-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Lee Kwang-soo and HAHA said they were glad to be back in Singapore, during a media conference on Friday (Nov 28), ahead of meet-and-greet with fans on Saturday at The Star Performing Arts Centre.

It will be their second such fan event here. 'The food is great. Singapore is a beautiful country and I'm very happy to be here again!' said HAHA.

Kim echoed his co-star's sentiments and described Singapore as a 'beautiful city' where 'the people are really nice', and where the 'weather is perfect'.

Song said she was fortunate enough to arrive a day early and got the chance to do a bit of sightseeing. 'I really had a great time. There were a lot of things to see. I went to the aquarium and it was really exciting!' said the actress with a grin.

Running Man, a variety game show which sees its contestants try to outplay and outwit one another in a variety of challenges, has steadily become one of the most popular shows in Asia since its debut in 2010, thanks to its interesting cast members as well as its constantly evolving format and line-up of guest stars.

Asked which episode they found most memorable, Kim said it was impossible to choose as 'every episode was meaningful', while HaHa said the very first episode of Running Man lingers in his mind as it represented a very big step for the cast, which also includes Yoo Jae-suk and Gary Kang, who will be absent from their Singapore fan meeting..

The quintet will attend an autograph-signing event at Suntec City on Saturday afternoon, before playing games with fans and performing for them at a two-hour event in the evening. It will be the final stop of their Race Start Season 2 fan meeting tour.

Flying robots to work as waiters in Singapore

Flying robotic waiters, known as Infinium-Serve, will be launched in a Singapore restaurant chain by the end of 2015, local media reported on Thursday.

In what is believed to be the world's first commercial attempt at replacing humans with machines in this field, Timbre Group plans to have robots waiting tables by the end of next year, Channel News Asia reported.

Infinium Robotics and Timbre Group - one of Singapore's most popular restaurant chains - signed a memorandum of understanding on October 31 to launch the robots in five outlets.

They are looking for productivity-related government grants to help offset development costs, which are estimated to be a 'low seven-figure sum,' according to Woon Junyang, chief executive officer at Infinium Robotics.

Woon said he believes that replacing waiters and waitresses with robots would help alleviate Singapore's labor crunch and allow human waiters to focus on more interesting higher value tasks, such as getting feedback from customers and ordering wine.

'This will result in an enhanced dining experience which will eventually lead to increased sales and revenue for the restaurants,' he said.

Singapore has been facing a labor shortage, particularly in the service sector, due to ever stricter restrictions on the number of foreign workers allowed into the island state in recent years.

Infinium showed off a prototype of the flying robot to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the inaugural launch of National Productivity Month in early October.

Pink dolphin born at Underwater World Singapore

SINGAPORE: Underwater World Singapore (UWS) announced a new member at its Dolphin Lagoon on Thursday (Nov 27) - a baby pink dolphin - and Channel NewsAsia got first look at it.

Born at the lagoon on Jul 15, the four-month-old dolphin calf is now approximately one-metre long. His skin is still gray, as pink dolphins only change colour as they are older.He is clearly a momma's boy as he mostly swims close beside his mother everywhere she goes, the yet-to-be-named baby dolphin jumps at opportunities to explore waters on his own.

One such opportunity is when his mother, Pann, is being fed. As she enjoyed her meal, the baby dolphin was seen slipping away and circling the lagoon joyfully, until his mother came by to bring him back to her side.

The baby dolphin is still feeding on his mother dolphin's milk, but has started to show interest in chewing on fish that trainers throw near him. He is also getting to know the other dolphins, playing chasing games now and then.

The Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphin calf is not the first of its kind born at the lagoon. Back in 2002, UWS had the world's first successful birth of a pink dolphin in a marine park.

BUNDLE OF JOY

The marine mammal trainers who had watched over Pann round-the-clock before she gave birth were exhilarated to see her baby.

Ms Keiko Watanabe, who witnessed the birth, related that Pann had swam 'really close' to them one day while they were conducting an interactive session with the other dolphins, and then they saw the tip of the baby dolphin's tail sticking out.

About 20 minutes later, the mother dolphin's water bag burst and the baby was born.

'The baby dolphin was very strong and surfaced on its own to take its first breath. It did not need any help from us or its mother dolphin and dolphin 'aunts',' said Ms Watanabe.

She also described the baby dolphin as 'bright and inquisitive, high-spirited and adventurous'.

PRE-DELIVERY CARE

During Pann's 12-month pregnancy, a marine mammal veterinarian visited her at least once a week to check on her.

The mother dolphin was trained to lay flat, poolside, so that the vet could conduct ultrasound tests to detect her heart beat and blood flow, and to ensure that the foetus was active and developing well.

However, there was no special treatment or treats during Pann's pregnancy, said her 'gynaecologist', Dr Frederic Chua.

'We have to watch the hormones and the ultrasounds, and behaviour is important. We don't want her to get too fat, as obesity will compromise the foetal health as well. We have to keep her swimming, strengthening her abdominal muscles so that she has the strength to push when the time comes,' he explained.

From Friday (Nov 28) onwards, the team of trainers will be sharing with the public their experience in caring for the pair of dolphins at the Meet-the-Mother-Dolphin-and-Calf session at UWS. The sessions will run until Jan 1 next year.

Singapore Civil Servants Win or Lose Bonuses on the Economy

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In Singapore, civil-servant bonuses rise and fall with the economy's performance, and the latest payout shows the island's growth is cooling.

The government declared a year-end bonus this week equal to 0.8 of a month's salary for civil servants, bringing the full-year package to 2.3 months. That compares with 1.1 months at the end of 2013 and 2.5 months for all of last year.

Singapore is bracing for slower global growth with the government predicting Nov. 25 that the island's expansion will slow to about 3 percent this year from 3.9 percent in 2013 and the recovery beyond will be uneven. The nation, which has some of the highest-paid ministers in the world, links civil servants' bonuses to how well the $298 billion economy does.

'This is in line with the slower pace of growth this year,' said Irvin Seah, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. in Singapore who used to work for the city's trade ministry. 'Business activity this year is also slow. I would not be surprised that even private-sector bonuses may be trimmed.'

Civil servants are typically paid a variable incentive twice a year, on top of a fixed one-month bonus. The mid-year payment was skipped in 2009, when the economy contracted during the global recession.

Growth Peg

'Singapore may be one of the few countries that explicitly pegs bonuses to growth,' said Vishnu Varathan, an economist in Singapore at Mizuho Bank Ltd. 'That means it's got less scope for bouts of populist adjustments, which tend to happen with electoral cycles.'

The government said this week the nation's 2015 growth outlook 'remains modest,' with a tight labor market domestically restraining construction, retail and food services. It also cited the risk that the euro zone economy will fall into a deflationary spiral, the possibility of an unexpected tightening of U.S. monetary conditions and the threat from geopolitical tensions.

With price pressures easing, scope is growing for the central bank to ease monetary policy at its next decision in April. Core inflation eased to 1.7 percent in October, falling below 2 percent for a second straight month, and the odds of a shift in stance will rise if the gauge slips to 1.5 percent or below, said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore.

Services Slow

The smaller government bonuses this year could also mirror a weakening of pay increases among Singapore companies, said Wai Ho Leong, a Singapore-based economist at Barclays Plc. The 'property cycle is slower, tourist arrivals are also slower, so that could be why many firms in the services industries may see slower levels of activity and slow wage growth this year,' he said.

Fewer than half of the 1,030 financial services professionals surveyed by eFinancialCareers in September and October in Singapore and Hong Kong expect a higher bonus this year, according to the Dice Holdings Inc. company's website.

Singapore's government has said its high ministerial salaries prevent corruption and help attract and retain talent. The island's parliament in 2012 agreed to cut the prime minister's annual income by 36 percent to S$2.2 million ($1.7 million) and that of new ministers to about S$1.1 million, down from S$1.58 million.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sharon Chen in Singapore at schen462@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Stephanie Phang at sphang@bloomberg.net Iain McDonald

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Singapore limp to 4

Singapore got the win they needed but they made incredibly heavy weather of their 4-2 victory and suffered some crucial injury setbacks in the process.

BY NICK MEASURES Follow on Twitter

Singapore got the win they needed but they made heavy weather of their 4-2 victory and suffered some crucial injury setbacks in the process.

It had all seemed so simple as two goals from a brilliant Hariss Harun and a delightful free kick by Shaiful Esah saw them romp into a 3-0 lead at half time. But Myanmar simply refused to know they were beaten scoring twice in a spell of sustained second half pressure to have Singapore distinctly rattled.

In the end an own goal by Myanmar's captain gave the score line a more respectable appearance but Stange will have been alarmed at how sloppy his team got in the second half.

The victory also came at a heavy cost to his team as influential midfielder Shahdan Sulaiman suffered a broken ankle after a sickening collision with team mate Khairul Amri that had the players immediately calling for the stretcher.

The Lions also lost right back Muhamad Mukhtar to a first half injury and will also have to make do without Baihakki Khaizan after he picked up his second yellow of the tournament which means he's suspended for the final group game against Malaysia. Despite getting three points here they know they will still need to get at least a draw against their rivals to guarantee their progression to the next round.

Things had all started so brightly as Shaiful Esah, who set up the goal on Sunday, once again demonstrated his ability at set pieces on 15 minutes. His lovely curling free kick managed to evade everyone, including the keeper before nestling in the far corner.

Then came the bad injury to Sulaiman as he and Amri collided heavily while attempting to clear a corner. The severity of the injury was immediately clear from the reaction of his fellow players, with Sunny looking particularly distraught. Still Singapore didn't let that blow put them off their stride as they continue to press a nervy-looking Myanmar.

It was no surprise when the next goal came on 35 minutes after good work down the left channel by Khairul Amri. His clipped cross was half cleared to the edge of the box where Hariss Harun had time to control with his chest before firing a beautiful volley passed the helpless keeper.

His next finish was even better and it was again the result of an excellent delivery from Esah. He swung in a dangerous corner that went all the way through to the back post where Myanmar's left winger Kyaw Chit under no real pressure decided to head back across goal. Hariss standing just outside the six yard post was on hand to accept the gift rifling the ball in the top left hand corner for his second of the night.

Despite that three goal lead Singapore then proceeded to lose their heads in a second half that was dominated by their underdog opponents, as Myanmar's midfield, especially the central duo of Min Min Thu and Tin Win Aung began to take a grip of the game. That led to a sustained period of pressure for Myanmar, which saw striker Kyaw Ko Ko go close on a couple of occasions before Singapore offered them a way back into the match.

As the Lions midfield lost the ball again, the ball was quickly worked for to Kyaw Zayar Win who played a neat 1-2 with Kyaw Ko Ko on the edge of the box before calmly finishing passed an exposed Sunny.

Roared on by their supporters, who certainly outnumbered Singapore for noise, Myanmar scented blood and got further reward for their gutsy display as a lovely dinked ball over the top of the static back line put in the excellent Ko Ko. His poor control allowed Sufwan to get back at him but his clumsy challenge gave the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Ko Ko dusted himself off before stepping up to roll the ball cooly down the middle as Sunny committed early.

It then took a couple of good saves from Sunny to prevent what would have been a remarkable comeback before Esah again came to Singapore's rescue. Myanmar captain Khin Maung Lwin was the villain as he hauled down Sahil Suhaimi midway into their half, and then conspired to head the subsequent free kick by Eash passed his wrong footed keeper.

It was enough to settle the nerves and Amri could have increased the scoreline further only for Amri to clip his shot over the bar after an excellent run by Ramli but in the end it didn't matter. Strong performances by Esah and an imperious midfield display by Hariss ensured that Singapore got the three points they desperately needed but the true costs of this result might only be apparent when they take on Malaysia on Saturday.

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Singapore's Inzen Studio raises $717288 in series A round

Singapore-based Inzen Studio, a two-year-old mobile game developer, has raised S$935,000 (US$717,288) in a series A round from investors in Singapore, China, and Japan. This is the largest funding round a game studio in Singapore has received to date (as far as we know). The record was previously held by Daylight Studios, which raised a S$839,000 (US$661,000) round led by Red Dot Ventures.

Inzen Studio announced a S$550,000 round last December from angel investors Hans de Back and Harveen Narulla.

Its latest funding round was led by Incubate Fund, followed by the Global Mobile Game Confederation (GMGC) and Singapore-based angel investor Melvin Tan. Inzen Studio is both Incubate Fund's and GMGC's first game studio investment.

The Inzen team has expanded from five founders to a total of 13 team members based in Singapore and Uruguay. The startup's founding team is from the now-defunct Singapore-MIT Gambit Game Lab, the other half of whom went on to form the SUTD Game Lab following the studio's closure.

See: Singapore's first PS4 game, One Upon Light, launches today

Inzen Studio has also announced that two of its games will be making their way to China. Co-founder and CEO Gerald Tock says that 'a tactical free-form formation shmup, an online multi-touch projectile rebounding PvP game, and a couple more' are in the works. Given the studio's present portfolio, it's easy to guess that its mobile arcade games and Nightmare Duel will be the ones first heading into China.

Inzen's debut game as a new studio back at Casual Connect Asia 2013 was the arcade game Amazing Studly Strikes.

Tock says that the team has chosen China as a starting point as it felt 'a strong connection with both players and potential partners' when it first visited in March this year. 'We've since built on that by immersing ourselves in the culture and studying player tastes over our many trips there,' he adds. Tock says that Inzen's plan is to make games with the world in mind, and that it is only starting with the Chinese market.

Inzen Studio will be stationed in Beijing from the next week onward, with more announcements to come in early 2015. There are more details on its team in this blog post, or you can check out its cute comic, inspired by the funding round, here: