Lion City Sailors narrowly miss out on AFC Champions League 2 title in 1-2 loss

Amid a downpour in Singapore and a sold-out stadium, the Lion City Sailors (LCS) narrowly missed out on the AFC Champions League Two title to Sharjah FC, a team from the United Arab Emirates.

On May 18 at Bishan Stadium, LCS lost to Sharjah FC 2-1 after the away team scored the winning goal late into added time.

This was the first time a Singaporean football team had reached a continental club final.

The game drew a crowd of 9,737, with guest of honour President Tharman Shanmugratnam attending the match. Other notable attendees included Ho Ching.

Speaking after the game, Aleksandar Ranković, the head coach of LCS, said:

"Our guys did a tremendous job, especially after going 1-0 down. It was a shame that we (conceded) a very late 2-1 goal, but I have nothing to say except that I am very, very proud of my boys."

In a Facebook post, President Tharman shared that LCS put up a "tough fight" and noted that the team gave it their all.

"It will always be tough competing internationally. But there's something to the spirit of a small country," he added.

LCS took to Facebook and shared that it was "unreal yet surreal and an honour" to represent Singapore on the continental stage.

"We carried your hopes with us on Asia's biggest stage and while the results wasn't what we dreamed of, we hope we gave you a night to remember —and most importantly delivered a spectacle that is befitting of a continental final."

If LCS won the finals, the club would have earned a spot in the preliminary rounds of next season's AFC Champions League, where it would face off against Asia's elite football clubs.

Top photos via LCS/Facebook