2015 S.League

S.League

Season	2015
Champions	Brunei DPMM (1st title)
Charity Shield	Warriors FC
AFC Champions League	Tampines Rovers (S.League runner-up)
AFC Cup	Balestier Khalsa FC (S.League 4th)
Matches played	270
Goals scored	356 (1.32 per match)
Top goalscorer	Ramazotti (21 Goals)
Biggest home win	Geylang International 6-0 Warriors FC (20 November 2015)
Biggest away win	Warriors FC 0-6 Albirex Niigata (14 March 2015)
Highest scoring	Home United 4-4 Brunei DPMM ( 8 Goals) (17 October 2015)
Longest winless run	Geylang International
← 2014 2016 → All statistics correct as of 9 December 2015.

The 2015 S.League was the 20th season since the establishment of the S.League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs. The league is also known as the Great Eastern YEO'S S.League due to sponsorship reasons. Warriors FC were the defending champions.

Changes from 2014

The league underwent a number of changes in its 20th season in order to increase its competitiveness:^[1][2]

• The number of clubs was reduced from 12 to 10, with the withdrawal of Tanjong Pagar United due to financial problems, and the merger of Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United.^[1][3]
• The league returned to a three-round format used from 2001 to 2011.^[1]
• The foreign player quota remained at five per club but incentives were given to those who signed an under-21 player.^[3]
• The passing time for the mandatory 2.4 km fitness test was lowered from 10 mins to 9 mins 45 s.^[1]

A new rule on age restrictions – a maximum of five players aged 30 and above and a minimum of three under-25 players for clubs with a 22-man squad, a maximum of four players aged 30 and above and a minimum of two under-25 players for clubs with a 20-man squad – was later reversed.^[3][4]

Teams

A total of 10 teams contested the league. Tanjong Pagar United withdrew from the league due to financial problems, while Woodlands Wellington merged into Hougang United. Albirex Niigata Singapore, Brunei DPMM and Harimau Muda are invited foreign clubs from Japan, Brunei and Malaysia respectively.

Stadiums and locations

Albirex (S)

Balestier Khalsa

Young
Lions

Geylang International

Home Utd

Hougang Utd

Tampines Rovers

Warriors

Locations of the 2015 S.League teams based in Singapore

Singapore

Harimau
Muda

Location of 2015 S.League team Harimau
Muda

Singapore

Brunei DPMM

Location of 2015 S.League team Brunei DPMM

Team	Stadium	Capacity
Albirex Niigata (Singapore)	Jurong East Stadium	2,700
Balestier Khalsa	Toa Payoh Stadium	3,900
Brunei DPMM	Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium	30,000
Geylang International	Bedok Stadium	3,900
Harimau Muda	Hang Jebat Stadium	40,000
Home United	Yishun Stadium	3,400
Hougang United	Hougang Stadium	3,000
Tampines Rovers	Jurong West Stadium	4,200
Warriors	Woodlands Stadium	4,300
Young Lions	Jalan Besar Stadium	8,000

Personnel and sponsoring

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team	Head coach	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Albirex (S)	Tatsuyuki Okuyama		Mafro Sports	Canon
Balestier	Marko Kraljević		Umbro	Civic
DPMM	Steve Kean		Lotto
Geylang	Jorg Steinebrunner		Dreamatron
Harimau Muda	Razip Ismail		Nike
Home	Philippe Aw		Puma	AVEC
Hougang	K. Balagumaran		Vonda	ESW
Tampines	V. Sundramoorthy		Mikasa	Hyundai
Warriors	Karim Bencherifa		Joma	Warriors
Young Lions	Jürgen Raab		Nike	Courts

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Brunei DPMM[lower-alpha 1]	27	15	7	5	48	26	+22	52
2	Tampines Rovers	27	14	6	7	42	25	+17	48	2016 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off
3	Albirex Niigata Singapore[lower-alpha 1]	27	13	6	8	27	17	+10	45
4	Balestier Khalsa	27	12	8	7	39	35	+4	44	2016 AFC Cup group stage
5	Warriors	27	11	4	12	40	51	−11	37
6	Home United	27	9	9	9	38	34	+4	36
7	Harimau Muda[lower-alpha 1]	27	9	6	12	29	40	−11	33
8	Geylang International	27	7	7	13	36	44	−8	28
9	Young Lions[lower-alpha 1]	27	7	6	14	30	43	−13	27
10	Hougang United	27	4	9	14	28	42	−14	21

Source: S.League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of wins
Notes:

1. The three foreign clubs – Albirex Niigata (S), Brunei DPMM and Harimau Muda – as well as the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) under-23 team, Young Lions, are not eligible for any AFC competition spots.

Results

Top scorers

As of match played 21 November 2015^[5]

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Ramazotti	DPMM	21
2	Fazrul Nawaz	Warriors	18
3	Miroslav Kristic	Balestier Khalsa	16
4	Rodrigo Tosi	Tampines Rovers	14
5	Mateo Roskam	Warriors	13
6	Jozef Kapláň	Geylang International	12
	Paulo Sérgio	DPMM	12
	Bruno Castanheira	Geylang International	12
9	Ken Ilsø	Home United	11
10	Robert Peričić	Balestier Khalsa	9

Hat-tricks

Player	For	Against	Result	Date	Ref
Ramazotti	Brunei DPMM	Harimau Muda	3-1	1 March 2015	[6]
Rodrigo Tosi	Tampines Rovers	Harimau Muda	5-1	15 September 2015	[7]
Bruno Castanheira	Geylang International	Young Lions	3-2	4 October 2015	[8]
Ken Ilsø	Home United	Brunei DPMM	4-4	17 October 2015	[9]

Statistics

References

1. Osman, Shamir (4 November 2014). "Only 10 teams in S.League next year". The New Paper. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
2. Low, Lin Fhoong (6 November 2014). "Changes will make S-League ‘stronger, more competitive’". Today. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
3. Low, Lin Fhoong (5 November 2014). "Uncertainty over S-League’s changes for 2015". Today. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
4. Phua, Emmanuel (24 November 2014). "Players ambivalent about S-League U-turn". Today. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
5. "S.League 2015". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
6. "DPMM FC 3-1 Harimau Muda". Soccerway. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
7. "Tampines 5-1 Harimau Muda". Soccerway. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
8. "Young Lions 2-3 Geylang". Soccerway. 4 October 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
9. "Brunei DPMM 4-4 Home United". 17 October 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2015.

External links

• Official site