Strong winds in the city has not only blown away three brances, but also some good news that Sime Darby’s hitman Karlo Primorac is injured, and may not feature in tomorrows game against Sarawak.
But of course Robert Alberts will remind his boys not to be complacent as such attitude can be a death threat for the home side which would be expecting a capacity crowd tomorrow.
On paper, both teams have met three times, with Sarawak having the upper hand with the single hand in Kuching this season to show off as. The win was crucial to seal Sarawak’s stature as champions of the Malaysia Premier League, while Sime Darby played bridesmaid.
But the second leg of the Piala Malaysia is a totally different ball game.
The first leg saw Sarawak defending well at Selayang Stadium, but things are expected to change as the Crocs up the tempo in Kuching.
A recent video by ERA FM revealed that Robert looks certain to retain his first eleven against Sime Darby, but his tactics are hugely expected to be different in so many ways.
This can be seen as games played in Kuching tend to be more energetic and lively, if compared to the away games which are more defensively played.
Sime Darby on the other hand would be looking to score that all important away goal, hence making it more difficult for the Crocs to move to the next stages if a draw was the result of the game.
The absence of Karlo would definitely limp the construction giants, who prefer a 4-5-1 tactic when playing away. However, it would be useful to note that the away team in Kuching can shift to a more attacking 3-4-3 when needed.
Aside from Karlo, skillful Fazrul Hazli needs to be contained due to his poachers touch which could be proved very deadly. Aside from him Fahrul Razi is also worth to mark as the winger can sometimes power a long thundering shot if given too much space.
In midfield, creative Togaba Kontiwa Komlan may just make the cut for Sime Darby, but the presence of Guy Bwele and Junior Eldstal will most probably limit this Togolese international’s movement.
This game is so close to call, but with Karlo possibly not starting, we are expecting the Crocs to run riot in front of a home crowd.
OUR BIASED PREDICTION: SARAWAK 3-0 SIME DARBY FC
Follow our twitter account @SarawakCrocs for updates on the game. Due to a massive number of people at the game, we however highly anticipate late updates and advice you to tune in TV1 for the live telecast.