TWO of the most decorated teams in the M-League are set to lock horns at Larkin Stadium tomorrow in what is the standout fixture of the Malaysia Cup semi-finals.
Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT), the ultimate Goliath of Malaysian football, will take on Selangor, an ex-Goliath, who now intend to do a David.
Although Selangor showed improvement by finishing third in the Super League this year, they have failed to land a title since 2015, achieved when they won their 33rd Malaysia Cup crown in Shah Alam Stadium.
Yes, Selangor, a dominant force who used to produce the best players in the country, are now the butt of jokes for anti-Red Giants fans for their failure to win a title for the last four years.
There is a joke going around town that the only channel that bothers to screen Selangor matches is the History Channel.
As a fan, born and raised in Selangor, I definitely feel angry and embarrassed, but my loyalty is still with the Red Giants, although I am against the idea of turning PKNS FC into a feeder club for the club next season.
Under coach B. Satiananthan, the team have improved by leaps and bounds this year and are showing some progress.
But when they face JDT in Larkin on Saturday in the semi-final first leg, the odds will definitely be against Selangor.
With the best local and foreign players in the JDT team, it will be 'mission impossible' for the Red Giants.
Larkin is the Theatre of Dreams of JDT. They have won countless battles and achieved proud moments at home and their successes is envied by many.
For the record, JDT have won an unprecedented 13 trophies in six years --- six straight Super League crowns, four Charity Cups, and one title each in the AFC Cup (2015), FA Cup (2016) and the Malaysia Cup (2017).
Understandably, the best players in the M-League prefer playing for JDT as the club not only take care of their welfare but also offers state-of-the-art facilities and a world-class training ground and stadium, under owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
In football, however, I have come across phrases like “the ball is round” and “anything can happen in football”, and just maybe Selangor, being the David, will outwit JDT, the Goliath, to seal a famous victory at Larkin.
Larkin used to be JDT's fortress but not anymore. They can be beaten like what PKNS and PJ City FC have done in the FA Cup in March and Super League in July. This shows away teams can do well if they focus on their game.
The coaches of most of the away teams will routinely instruct their players to focus on their game and to minimise mistakes when they play at Larkin.
But I have one advice for Selangor. Do not play the offside trap at Larkin because JDT players, somehow, have superior speed and skills to beat offside traps, especially at home, and score goals. Selangor must also avoid giving too many freekicks in their own half.
A good result tomorrow for Selangor will offer them a boost ahead of the return leg in Shah Alam on Oct 26.
Glory Glory Red Giants, please end the title drought and win the Malaysia Cup for your fans this year.