PETALING JAYA: Nooa Laine (pic) may project a calm, almost cold persona off the field, but on the pitch the Selangor midfielder oozes class and confidence.
His composure, which some may mistake for nonchalance, has often translated into decisive moments through crunching tackles, incisive passes and timely interceptions.
Recently, however, Laine has added another dimension to his game – a willingness to shoot from distance.
That growing confidence paid off handsomely against Negri Sembilan in the Malaysia Cup quarter-final second leg, when he unleashed a stunning long-range effort.
“When I got the pass from Mickey (Faisal Halim), my first thought was to hit it. I struck it well, so it was great to score in the game,” said the Finnish-born midfielder, who has earned 17 caps for Malaysia.
“It was a collective effort from all of us. Any game we win is not determined by one individual – it’s about the whole team. It’s good to see how we are performing right now.”
Laine, 23, who is of Malaysian heritage thanks to his father, has featured in 35 matches for Selangor this season, operating primarily as a holding or central midfielder. He has contributed four goals and four assists.
The Red Giants stormed into the semi-finals after thrashing Negri 5-1 in the second leg at the Petaling Jaya Stadium last Saturday, sealing a 6-1 aggregate victory after carrying a 1-0 lead from the first leg.
Selangor will next face Kuching City in the two-legged semi-finals scheduled for April.
