KENNY Pal Raj collapsed on his back in the goal net.
Kevin Mendoza looked back at the ball nestling in his net with a forlorn frown.
Red KL City shirts slumped all over the pitch.
In stark contrast, Melaka’s players were mobbing Jang Suk-Won for his 99th minute equalizer to steal a point for the visitors to Cheras.
It was devastating. Again.
“An Unfortunate Habit”
Saturday night was the 5th time in 16 matches that KL City had seen their work of the previous 89 minutes rendered of lesser value than it deserved. For the fifth time in 16 matches, KL City could justifiably feel aggrieved at the result.
For the team, looking at “positives” or “lessons” from such devastating sporting emotion is important. And in this circumstance, there are two such “positives”.
“Statistical Aberration”
The first is that even accounting for the commonality of late goals in professional football, KL City statistics for 2021 are weirdly distorted.
A study of English League matches between 1992 and 2013 showed that some 16% of goals are scored in the last 10 minutes of games. KL City stats for the season show the concession of over 50% of their “Goals Against” column scored in this period. It is a weird statistical anomaly that – data shows – will change over a season.
Second, is that when you analyse all the dramatic goals conceded, not one of them has been down to KL GIVING the goal away cheaply. If they were “cheap” goals, then Bojan Hodak and his Coaching team would have far more to worry about.
Look back logically at all of those agonizing moments the goals were well created. Starting in the 3rd game of the season when a Giancarlo Gallifuoco own goal in the 90th minute enabled Selangor to snatch a point from KL City. The goal came from a beautifully weighted free-kick and real pressure from Safuwan Baharuddin. It was an annoying one to concede – but can’t be described as a “cheap” goal.
And so it continued. Against PJ City it was a really fine rising shot from an angle by Kogileswaran to annoy KL City. A true “Worldie” from Makan Konate late in in Terengganu broke KL City resistance on 88 minutes.
Then came the Alor Setar double heartbreak where a terrific performance saw KL City leading 2-1 going into the 90th minute when a highly contested penalty decision, and then a fine sharp finish by Kipre Tchetche latching onto a loose ball again saw The City Boys return from a game with less than was deserved.
The hope was that the last-minute test of resolve had reached its nadir in Alor Setar. And then came Melaka. As with all the other late goals, it was a “good” goal for the opponent. A beautifully hit flat, pacy free-kick just begging for a touch.
Such statistical misfortune corrects itself over the course of a season.
“Positive Mind set”
KL City have responded positively every time they have had that horrible 90th minute nightmare. Following the first match against Selangor, KL City’s response was a 3-0 mauling of Perak in their next outing. After Kogileswaran’s superbly struck injury-time equalizer for PJ City in April, KL City responded with victory over Sri Pahang.
So, as the headline suggests, the team must “get up and go again”. But they can do so supported by two key arguments that the late-goal depression shouldn’t upset them too much. The evidence that KL City don’t concede cheap goals, and the data correction that says that this weird statistical anomaly will right itself. It always does.
Dez Corkhill
“The Commentator”
–Ends–