Cambodia beat Malaysia 2-0 in the third round, Thailand has the same 6 points and sub-indices as Vietnam in Group B of men's football SEA Games 32.
* Scored: Anan 73', Yotsakorn 84'
The victory on the afternoon of May 6 came with great difficulty, but was a completely worthy reward for Thailand after nearly 100 minutes, including extra time, of intense fighting on Prince Stadium in 40 degree Celsius heat.
Malaysia had 53% possession, but did not shoot on target and did not create any clear scoring opportunities. On the contrary, Thailand was superior in both skill level, quality of play and depth of personnel. Coach Issara's team shot 10 times, including six on target, with a series of scoring opportunities. When it was necessary to adjust personnel to find a breakthrough, Thailand also succeeded with two substitutes, Anan and Yotsakorn, scoring in turn, at the moment Malaysia was a bit impatient, pushing up the squad and exposing gaps behind.
Striker Yotsakorn dribbled past both the defender and the Malaysian goalkeeper to score the winning goal for Thailand in a 2-0 victory at Prince Stadium, Phnom Penh on the afternoon of May 6. Photo: FAT
Yotsakorn celebrates after scoring. Photo: FAT
Before the match, Malaysia continuously boosted their morale, with statements from coach E. Elavarasan and President of the Malaysian Football Association (FAM) Mohd Hamidin about the possibility of defeating both Thailand and Vietnam. The 2-1 victory over Thailand at Thien Truong Stadium in the last encounter in the group stage of the 31st SEA Games exactly one year ago was also recalled as a mental therapy for the team nicknamed "The Young Tigers".
However, the reality of the match showed the opposite. Malaysia only played on par with Thailand in the first half of the first half, when both sides tried to play simply, passing the ball as quickly as possible to save energy under the 40-degree heat. From about the 30th minute onwards, Coach E. Elavarasan's players gradually lost ground, and were stuck in ideas, when they passed the ball to Fergus Tierney but to no avail.
Thailand did not have much possession, but were dangerous with their attacking combinations from the right flank, with the dynamism of defender Bukkoree, midfielders Channarong, Purachet and striker Teerasak. In the last 15 minutes of the first half, including extra time, coach Issara's team created four clear scoring opportunities. But in the final move, Bukkoree was blocked by a Malaysian defender, while Achtipol and Channarong (twice) were consecutively unable to overcome the excellent reflexes of goalkeeper Sikh Izhan.
Coach Issara, before the match, was worried about the opponent's counter-attacks. But in reality, at Prince Stadium, Malaysia was almost harmless in quick attacks, even when coach E. Elavarasan changed the attacking personnel from the second half, with the fast striker pair Hakimi - Najmudin. They were also inferior in terms of physical strength when they showed signs of fatigue in situations that required speed. Only thanks to goalkeeper Izhan's good performance, the yellow team did not concede a goal in the first half of the second half.
Speed, meanwhile, was one of Thailand's greatest strengths, as they brought Anan, Pongsakorn, Chayapipat and then Yotsakorn onto the field in the second half. Coupled with Channarong's sharp observation, the blue team made a breakthrough in the final 25 minutes of the match.
Channarong (in blue) in a situation where he dribbled past a Malaysian player. The midfielder wearing the number 7 shirt was Thailand's best player today. Photo: FAT
In the 73rd minute, from the middle of the field, Chananrong lofted the ball up high, eliminating almost the entire Malaysian defense that was pushing up high so that substitute striker Anan could break free and shoot dangerously across the corner, defeating goalkeeper Sikh Izhan to open the score. Eleven minutes later, still in a quick counter-attack situation when Malaysia was pushing up high, the midfielder wearing the number 7 shirt received the ball in the middle of the field, then passed the ball to Yotsakorn to run into the penalty area, dribble past Izhan, and then score from a very narrow angle, sealing the result.
In the fourth match on May 8, Thailand will play an early match at 4 p.m. and will likely take all three points against Laos to rise to the top of the table with 9 points, increasing pressure for the match between Malaysia and Vietnam at 7 p.m.
Main events of the match Thailand 2-0 Malaysia.
Quang Dung - Nhat Tao
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