LionsXII crash out of Malaysia Cup: What went wrong, Sundram?

LionsXII crash out of Malaysia Cup: What went wrong, Sundram?

He didn't blame his players, even though the LionsXII had just conceded four goals in a game, the most in the short history of the team.

He didn't point the finger at the referee or his assistants, despite some controversial calls by the match officials.

LionsXII coach V Sundramoorthy knew exactly why his side were knocked out of the Malaysia Cup after a 4-1 dismantling in the second leg of their quarter-final at the Stadium Selayang on Friday night.

It was ATM FA's gladiator, Marlon James.

"That's why they pay him so much," Sundram said, of ATM's hat-trick hero.

"Conceding four goals is very unlike the LionsXII… But you give Marlon half a chance and he kills you."

Sundram must be sick of the sight of James and ATM, after they also ended the LionsXII's bid for a place in the Malaysia Cup final last year when they won on penalties in a pulsating last-four encounter.

KILLER

The St Vincent and Grenadines striker plunged the knife into the heart of the LionsXII on three occasions to erase the visitors' 1-0 lead from the first leg and kill off the Singapore outfit's hopes.

When Hafiz Abu Sujad struck a sweet left-footer from 30 metres into the top corner four minutes into the second half, the reigning Malaysian Super League champions saw hope.

Trailing 2-1 but leading on aggregate by an away goal, they were 15 minutes from a place in the semi-finals. James had already done much damage by then.

He supplied the cross for the opener when his delightful cross inadvertently deflected off Hariss Harun, with goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud unable to prevent the ball from crossing the line.

James sent the home crowd wild in the 33rd min when he raced past Baihakki Khaizan and managed to fend off a sliding Safuwan Baharudin to expertly slot home ATM's second.

When Hafiz's strike gave the visitors the advantage, James pulled out another gem from his endless repertoire - a thunderous swerving free-kick from an acute angle that left Izwan flailing.

To ensure ATM would not suffer a last -minute setback, he completed his hattrick with a deflected goal seven minutes from time.

"I never set targets for myself; not before a season and not before a match," James said, after the game.

"All I wanted was to give a performance that would lift my team.

"We always believed we would come back from the 1-0 deficit. You know, my teammate Bruno (Martelotto) even dreamt that the match would end 4-1 to us. I'm very happy that happened." His coach, B Sathianathan, praised his star striker, and the entire team.

"The boys rose to the occasion. Tactically, they were very solid," he said.

"I knew Sundram would play three up front, so I went and played three strikers myself. I think that worked for us."

Sundram, who almost certainly had his final game with the LionsXII, didn't wish to dwell on tactics gone wrong.

When the final whistle went and his players sank to their knees out on the pitch, the 47-year-old's thoughts were with his striker Fazrul Nawaz.

On as a late substitute, Fazrul suffered a nasty kick to the head from ATM defender Amiridzwan Taj in injury time.

Taj received a straight red for the vicious kick.

Fazrul bled profusely from his forehead and was stretchered off, receiving stitches in the stadium's medical room.

"It's really sad what happened, I hope Fazrul's injury isn't too serious," said Sundram, who is set to join Negeri Sembilan.

"The player didn't need to do that, especially when his team are 4-1 up. Push him or trip him, fine, but don't kick him like that."

On his team's performance, Sundram rued Shahfiq Ghani's miss on 72 minutes, when the striker could only fashion a weak lob inside the penalty box that was saved by ATM goalkeeper Farizal Harun.

"If Shahfiq had scored that, it would have been 2-2. That changed the game for me," said the LionsXII coach.

"Let's congratulate the boys. It's been a long journey for them.

"Not many gave this team a chance to be where they are today - Malaysian Super League champions and 15 minutes away from the Malaysia Cup semifinals…. As for my future, we shall see next week."


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