Show of strength: Bergson da Silva (right) celebrates with teammates Arif Aiman Hanapi (left) and Park Jun-heong after scoring against Selangor in their Super League match on Sunday. – Bernama.
PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) have widened the gap between themselves and Selangor in the Super League, but head coach Hector Bidoglio isn’t celebrating just yet.
JDT took a commanding 3-0 win at the Petaling Jaya City Council Stadium on Sunday against Selangor, which now sees them eight points ahead of the Red Giants in the Super League.
The Southern Tigers, despite having a busy schedule as they are also competing in the AFC Champions League Elite, are not going to rest easy.
Bidoglio admitted that managing the roster had been a priority.
“We need to play many matches in the coming months as we have three important competitions.
“There’s the Super League, AFC Champions League Elite, and Malaysia Cup later. There’s a match every four to five days for the team,” he said.
“So it’s crucial for the players to recover at the right moment and choose the right players for the appropriate matches.
JDT recently suffered their first loss in the AFC meet after going down 1-3 to South Korean top side Gwangju last week and will play their next match against Ulsan on Nov 5 after facing Negri Sembilan in the Super League on Nov 1.
But Bidoglio commended his players for their performance against Selangor, stating that the three points earned were crucial for the title race.
“From the beginning of the season until now, the team have been improving in terms of the intensity.
“All the players have responsibilities in the defensive and offensive behaviours and I’m happy with their performance.
“I know that we need to keep working to improve our skill as a team,” he said.
JDT’s Romel Morales was the first to find the back of the net as he gave the visitors the lead in the 29th minute, followed by Bergson Da Silva scoring just before half time, and another in the 54th minute through a penalty.
