SINGAPORE -- There are all kinds of spectators.
There are the calm, whose faces never betray a hint of feeling sitting through a rollercoaster of a football match.
There are the nervous, who only occupy the front-most edge of their seat throughout the 90 minutes and are often left with no fingernails by the final whistle.
Then, there are the downright emotional, who effectively live every shot, save, tackle and goal, and are almost certain to be left without a sound at the end of the game after putting their vocal chords through nonstop abuse for the greater cause.
For Kyoga Nakamura at Jalan Besar Stadium last Friday, he belonged to the frustrated bunch -- not because Singapore did not get the result they needed to qualify for the semifinals of the ASEAN Championship, officially known as the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.
They did. With a 1-1 draw against Indonesia that secured a top-two finish in Group A and has now set up a tantalising semifinal clash with the tournament's record seven-time champions Thailand.
Instead, Nakamura's annoyance simply stemmed from not being out there on the field as he served a suspension after picking up two bookings in the Lions' previous games.
The midfielder was glad that his teammates still got the job done despite missing his play-making presence in the middle of the park, although having to watch from the stands also did come with its consolatory benefits.
"The suspension was really frustrating for me," Nakamura told ESPN in an exclusive interview. "More so than if I was playing.
"But I really believed in the team. We have the quality.
"I just came to watch. And I really have to thank the fans. On the pitch, of course I can feel their energy and passion. But outside the pitch, even in the fanzone, I saw how really crazy their passion and motivation are -- even more than us [the players]!
"So it was still a really good time for me. This frustration, but also this big energy, I will bring to the next game."
The 30-year-old, who previously represented his birth nation Japan at the 2013 FIFA U17 World Cup, gained Singaporean citizenship in 2024 after living in the country for almost six years.
He has often spoken about his pride at now representing Singapore, where he has since started a family.
But even his previous years might not have prepared him for the sense of patriotism he encountered after the draw with Indonesia, where the Lions were serenaded by their fans -- first with the national anthem Majulah Singapura and then with the National Day favourite "Home", just two days before the country's 61st birthday.
"It was a really, really good experience and a good day for us," Nakamura reflected. "We know National Day is a super, super big event for Singaporeans.
"Usually, when we sing the national anthem, I'm really, really impressed [by the fans] every single game. But [this time] they sang "Home" [while we were] on the pitch -- it was a super good experience for me.
"I'm really happy and we want to give more energy to the fans in the next game with a good result."
Singapore head into their tie with Thailand arguably as the underdogs, although it is worth noting that the War Elephants are far from at their strongest as they are without a whole host of regular key players.
Nakamura will be no stranger to them, having spent half a year last season playing in Thai League 1 with Bangkok United. While he is aware of their undoubted quality, even with a less-stellar cast, he believes Singapore have what it takes to overcome this latest hurdle.
"We understand they have quality -- individually and as a team," said the Lion City Sailors midfield general. "[They have] really good players.
"But our strength [comes] as a team -- discipline, everything we do, we do 100%. It's our strength.
"And if we can go over 100%, we can do it."
Although not many might have had them among the main title contenders at the start of the tournament, the Lions are now a few steps away from ending a title drought at the ASEAN Championship dating back to 2012.
First, they have to get to the final. And, in order to do so, Nakamura believes they simply have to continue as they have been doing previously -- in treating every game as if it is the decider.
"It will be a super big game for us, and for them also, to get to the final," he added.
"But every single game we've played like a final -- against Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia ... so it doesn't matter who the opponents are. We'll try our best and do what we can do.
"It was really frustrating for me [to miss the last game] but this is a very good time for me to rebound to the next game.
"Since I couldn't contribute to the team in the last game, I will make sure to contribute this time."