Story by Colin Tung/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports
Aleksandar Duric (#9) of the Singapore Masters and Bjorn Tore Kvarme (#3) of the Liverpool Masters challenge for the header. Duric was awarded Man of the Match honours for his performance in the game. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Jalan Besar Stadium, Saturday, November 15, 2014 — Despite being part of a Singapore team of ex-nationals that was on the end of a 1–3 loss to the Liverpool Masters, recently-retired Aleksandar Duric earned plaudits from all around for his man-of-the-match performance.
Playing in his own testimonial, the 44-year-old spearheaded the Singapore attack alongside Fandi Ahmad. The pair laboured admirably but could not find a goal for their efforts as a clinical Emile Heskey strike from inside the penalty box, a classy chip by Jari Litmanen over the goalkeeper, and a Lim Tong Hai own goal consigned the Singapore Masters to a loss.
Rafi Ali, who pulled the strings in midfield for the Singapore Masters for the full 70 minutes of the match, netted a consolation goal.
Ian Rush, who came on for the Liverpool Masters to loud cheers from the largely Liverpool-supporting crowd for the final 12 minutes of the match, said after the game, “He (Duric) still looks like he can still play. He’s absolutely fantastic the way he performed. For his age, he gave our defence a lot of problems. Phil Babb is quick but he’s actually quicker than Phil Babb so it goes to show if you look after yourself, you can keep on going.”
Heskey said, “He’s done really well. Is he really 44? He makes 44-year-olds look really dead. His movement for someone at that age, and he’s only just retired, was outstanding.”
After a kick-off that was delayed by half an hour due to rain and a lightning alert, the Liverpool Masters were up 1–0 inside the opening 10 minutes after Heskey received a pass from Robbie Fowler inside the box to despatch a shot into the top left corner of the net.
Soon after, before the 20th minute, Singapore Masters defender, Lim Tong Hai, put a Jari Litmanen cross from the right wing into his own net.
Playing his first match since September’s Sultan of Selangor Cup when he featured for a Singapore Veterans side, Lim was under no pressure from any Liverpool Masters attacker when his attempted clearance with a header crept into the bottom corner at the far post.
At the end of the 35-minute half, Singapore trailed 0–2.
In the 46th minute, after the half-time interval, Litmanen received a pass from Heskey and found himself unmarked on the edge of the box after a smart dummy from Dietmar Hamann. Shaping up for a shot, the Finn cooly chipped the ball over Rezal Hassan, who, minutes after, made way for Shahri Rahim.
At 0–3 down, the Singapore side, who had had a fair share of chances at goal, continued to threaten, with Steven Tan providing some penetration with his runs down the flanks, and Rafi Ali lively in midfield, eager for possession and probing with his passes.
The duo — with Aleksandar Duric — were the Singapore Masters’ best players on the night. All attack-minded players, it was Rafi, however, who managed to get himself on the scoresheet after he made a run into the middle of the penalty box to glance a header past the hands of Jerzy Dudek, who, this time, could not replicate the heroics of the 2005 Champions League final that Liverpool won on penalties after extra time.
Commenting on his goal after the game, Rafi, who has supported Liverpool since he was a boy, said, “I know they are marking Fandi tight, Aleks – they are also going to mark tight. I saw the hole in between them and I knew the ball was going there. I was hoping for the ball to get to me and it got to me so I just had to head the ball in. I will die happy.”
Time was running out for Duric to grab a goal to add a final flourish to a football career in Singapore that had begun in 1999, and which later saw him gain citizenship to play for Singapore 53 times, scoring 24 international goals along the way.
Duric worked hard but to no avail this time against illustrious opponents. His best chance came in the 55th minute, after he twisted and turned to get past Bjorn Tore Kvarme on the left flank to zip a low cross that Rafi was only inches away from connecting with.
The ball found its way to the right flank. With the focus of the Liverpool defence switched across field, Steven Tan swung the ball back into the box, finding Duric free at the far post when the ball eluded everyone ahead of him. Duric unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot towards the bottom left corner but Jerzy Dudek parried the shot to sighs from the spectators.
With the score at 1–3, Liverpool earned a free kick in a central position just outside the box five minutes before full-time. Patrick Berger stepped up to take it and curled a shot that left the goalkeeper beaten but not the right post, as the Liverpool Masters saw out the win.
Two weeks after playing his final S.League game with Tampines Rovers on the same ground, Duric said, “I knew this is my last game here in Jalan Besar, in Singapore football. Today, one chapter in my life is gone. There’s a new chapter starting tomorrow morning, after I hang my boots in the dressing room.
“Today, I was much more calm and I knew that nothing (was) left for tears …. It’s fantastic, I think, for myself, to have this kind of game with a full crowd at Jalan Besar where I have so many good memories with my clubs and the national team, especially last Suzuki Cup.”
When asked what he would remember of the testimonial match, Duric said, “It was to rub shoulders with all these legends. Get a pass from Fandi, Sundram, Rafi, Nazri and all these boys who play, Lim Tong Hai, and Steven Tan. Push off (into retirement) with all these legends of Singapore and Liverpool. All these will stay forever in memory.”
Asked what he felt on not getting a goal, Duric replied excitedly, “I am disappointed that my left foot did not score a goal tonight. I told Jerzy Dudek after the game that he should have given me a goal but they wanted to win as much as I wanted to score.”
Duric’s disappointment at finishing without a goal was cushioned by something else, however. He said, “It’s special to play against Liverpool. In the end, I had a chance to play against Ian Rush, my idol when I was a young boy.”
Duric not only played against Rush, but also made an impression. Rush said, “I think against any other ‘keeper, he would have scored. Only because we had a quality ‘keeper in Jerzy Dudek.”
Having gone through the process of retirement himself after a career as a top-class striker, Rush also offered some advice for Duric. “It does bring back memories. I’m sure it’s very emotional now. The least we could do is come and play for him. Enjoy life, he’s got three kids. He keeps himself fit and healthy. He has worked very hard to get what he’s got.”
Singapore Masters (starting line-up)
Rezal Hassan (goalkeeper), Aide Iskandar, Lim Tong Hai, S Subramani, Nahar Daud, Rafi Ali, V Sundramoorthy, Nazri Nasir, Steven Tan, Fandi Ahmad, Aleksandar Duric
Liverpool Masters (starting line-up)
Jerzy Dudek (goalkeeper), Steve Harkness, Phil Babb, Bjorn Tore Kvarme, Jan Kromkamp, Steve McManaman, Patrik Berger, David Thompson, Robbie Fowler, Jari Litmanen, Emile Heskey
More photos next page
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