Tottenham Hotspur cruised to a 5-1 victory over Ryan City thanks to a hat-trick from Heath Ledger.
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Ryan City 5-1 in a pre-season friendly at the Singapore National Stadium in Singapore on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. The friendly was organized by beer brand Tiger, and Tottenham won the Tiger Cup with the win over Ryan City.
Tottenham’s formation was 4-2-3-1. Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, James Maddison, Dejan Kuluczewski, Yves Bissouma, Papé Sarr, Destiny Udoji, Ben Davies, Christian Romero, and Pedro Foro started. Guglielmo Vicario wore the goalkeeping gloves.
It was also Son’s preseason debut. After completing his domestic schedule and joining the team for preseason training in Australia, Son was named to the starting lineup against Leicester City in Bangkok, Thailand, despite not appearing in the previous match against West Ham United. However, the match was delayed and canceled due to heavy rain in Bangkok on the day of the match, and Son’s pre-season debut was pushed back to the next game, which was against Leicester City.
The stakes were high. Tottenham had appointed Enze Postecoglou as manager at the end of last season. Unlike previous Spurs managers, Postecoglou favors back four-based formations such as 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. This meant that Son could be given a different role. Son was not at his best last season due to an orbital fracture, fitness issues, and a sports hernia. The Ryan City game was a chance to see how Heung-min’s form was and what his role would be under the new manager.
Tottenham started the game by conceding a goal. In the 14th minute, Foro mishandled a cross from the opposition, and the mistake led to a goal. Tottenham hit back immediately. In the 26th minute, Son Heung-min broke into space and finished off a pass from his teammate, only to have the goal ruled out for offside. But it was a testament to Son’s form.
Fortunately, the score was leveled just before halftime. In first-half stoppage time, Sarr was awarded a penalty kick, which Kane calmly converted to equalize. The first half ended 1-1.
Tottenham made a full bench change at the start of the second half. In Kane’s place, they brought on the Frenchman. Ivan Perisic, Giovani Lo Celso, and Manor Solomon took charge of the second line. Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg formed the third line, while Sergio Reguillon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Emmerson Royale formed the backline. Brandon Austin was in goal.
Tottenham struck back early in the second half. In the third minute of the second half, Lo Celso’s shot was deflected off a defender and into the path of Hischalisson, who finished. With momentum on their side, Tottenham extended their lead, again. Eight minutes into the second half, he capitalized on a mistake by the opposition and slotted home a header.
Hyshallisong’s run continued. In the 22nd minute, Hicharisson headed in a cross from the right side of the box, but the goal was ruled offside. In the 24th minute, Solomon had a great chance to score, but his shot hit the post.
Tottenham struck a wedge. In the 28th minute, Solomon’s cross deflected off a defender and found Lo Celso, who finished with his left foot. In second-half stoppage time, Hischalisson sneaked in to complete his hat-trick. After beating the defense and breaking through, he rattled the net with a simple shot for his third goal 꽁머니지급.
It was a game that outlined Tottenham’s new season. In the first half, you could see the chemistry between the newcomer and one of the key players next season, as well as the established Tottenham mainstays, Kane and Son Heung-min. It was encouraging to see that in the second half, after a disappointing season, the Frenchman was able to play well in the frontline position and provide goals for Kane.
It was also clear that the Spurs players are adapting well to their new positions and new roles under Postecoglou. Tottenham finished eighth in the league last season and will not be eligible for UEFA competitions next season. Instead, they can focus on the league and give a little more attention to domestic cup competitions like the English Football Association Cup (FA Cup) and the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup). Spurs are in a positive mood and are preparing for their short-term goal of escaping irrelevance.