Spectators were taken on a roller-coaster ride of emotions in a drama-filled game at the AFF Suzuki Cup on Saturday.

Singapore needed to play hard against the physical Indonesians in the semi-final second leg. And play the Lions did - beyond what was expected (Suzuki Cup: Lions never gave up in semis defeat by Indonesia, says coach Yoshida, Dec 25).

But when the final whistle was blown, it was the Indonesians who booked a place in the final.

Football is a game where the man with the whistle is a god, at least till the game ends. In the absence of technology, he makes the call. That I understand and accept. But when a decision means one team ends up playing with fewer players than the opposing team for more than half the game, I wonder which god to pray to and which one to curse.

Down one player, some of the most decorated managers in the sport would have "parked the bus". But not Lions coach Tatsuma Yoshida. The Lions drove that bus right through the Indonesian defence with grit and determination.

As for the fans, we did our part in cheering till we were hoarse. We hugged one another when a Lion curled in a superb free kick in the 74th minute. For a while, we could smell victory. We dropped to our knees to pray when we were awarded a last-minute penalty.

But fate had other plans.

When the final whistle was blown, we sang Majulah Singapura. I was in tears - not because we lost but because my countrymen played hard and showed everyone what grit means when the odds are against you.

Thank you Lions. Thank you coach Yoshida for a fantastic ride.

This has to be a game no Lion, present or future, must forget - because this is what playing for Singapore means, no matter what the gods decide.

Jaspal Sidhu

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-thank-you-lions-thank-you-coach-yoshida