The Ugliest Match on Earth

I'm no fan of soccer, though I do know the rules of the game. The last time I showed any interest in the sport was during Singapore's last years in the Malaysia Cup in 1993 and 1994. Of late, however, my honours classmates have been inviting me for recreational soccer games at the NUS SRC's basketball and hockey courts. It is with this vaguely renewed enthusiasm that I followed them watch the Singapore vs Myanmar Tiger Cup fixture on Sunday.

It was my first ever experience as a soccer spectator at the Kallang Stadium, and already it was priceless. Not only did Singapore come from 0-2 down to win 4-2 in extra time; three Burmese players were also sent off (after which we started scoring) and the match nearly degenerated into a disgusting, disgraceful and shameless brawl in its closing minutes. Myanmar's reserve goalkeeper threw a full water bottle at the head of a Singapore player trying to break up a scuffle. Across the grandstand where we were seated, it looked as if whole dustbins were being thrown around by the losing team's supporters. One even clambered down from the gallery on to the track before being hauled away by the police.

By the time the match ended, the riot police had to be called in, though in true Singapore fashion, they found themselves with nothing to do once they reached the scene. They just dallied around in their trucks for a bit, put on their gear, ran out and formed up in the carpark where idle spectators started taking photographs of them, listened to their commander, yelled some macho shit cheer in response and dispersed.