PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) lifted their 10th Charity Shield and eighth straight title in emphatic fashion by crushing Selangor 3-0 in a pulsating match at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Friday (Aug 8).
Under the tutelage of new coach Xisco Munoz, the Southern Tigers roared as early as the first minute when debutant Jairo Da Silva finished off a brilliant move between midfielder Samuel Castillejo and left wingback Jonathan Silva, both also making their first starts in the Super League.
Three minutes later, the host could have gone two up when winger Arif Aiman Hanapi teed striker Joao Figueiredo with a superb through pass, but his shot went wide.
The Red Giants settled down after those tense situations by strengthening their defence and pressing harder to unsettle JDT’s attack.
JDT, however, were dealt a blow when skipper Castillejo had to be substituted in the 24th minute after suffering a hamstring injury, with Brazilian striker Bergson Da Silva coming on.
Arif then took over the captaincy and could have scored in the 39th minute, but Selangor goalkeeper Kalamullah Al-Hafiz saved his free-kick from 25m.
Selangor finally had their best chance in the 41st minute when winger Faisal Halim's long pass from the left found Brazilian striker Chrigor Moraes, but JDT goalkeeper Ahmad Syihan Hazmi saved his low drive.
In the second half, Selangor coach Katsuhito Kinoshi made one change by bringing on winger Alvin Fortes for Moraes.
JDT should have scored their second goal in the 50th minute when Figueiredo capitalised on a loose defensive clearance, but Kalamullah superbly saved his shot.
Kalamullah pulled off another superb save in the 61st minute, this time stopping a stinging shot from Da Silva.
JDT eventually went 2-0 up in the 63rd minute, when centreback Eddy Israfilov headed home a corner from Arif.
Arif then turned goalscorer in the 72nd minute when he beat Kevin Deeromram with a slight feint before unleashing a shot from an acute angle which squirmed past Kalamullah.
