YANGON (16 Sept 2013) – Laos learned today that football is a game of two halves. After taking the lead in the first half, the Loatian girls fell to a Japanese fightback after the break to lose their Group B tie 4-1 in the AFF Aya Bank Women’s Championship.
The win has allowed Japan to regain the lead in the group with the full nine points from three matches while for Laos, they will just finish the group against the Philippines in two days.
Laos’ Japanese coach Kei Homma said that they were lucky to score that one goal against their more well-organised opponents and that it was always going to be tough to defend against a quick Japan Selection side.
“We were lucky to score but I always knew that Japan will come back in the second half,” said Kei after the match. “We put up a good performance in the first half but the second was all different.”
Opting to rest several of their regulars, the Japanese still had captain Kaga Koko manning the midfield against a Laotian side determined to defend with Souchitta Phonharath, Bouasy Chanphong and Viengkhone Chanthamala busy at the heart of defence.
With Japan coming close in the 14th minute off Tanaka Mariko’s effort which rocked the crossbar, it was Laos who gained he surprise lead in the 22nd minute when striker Souphavanh Phayvanh headed in the cross from Anouluck Keosinthavone.
Japan threw everything they had towards the closing stages of the first half for the equalising goal but to no avail. It was only when they made a double substitution after the break when they brought in Takahashi Miyuki and Hashiura Satsuki that the pace and the intensity of the match changed.
And the two were the real destroyers of Laos’ hope of a famous victory when they work in tandem in the 66th minute for the equaliser. Miyuku provided the cross, Satsuki found the space and time to slot the ball home past Bounyong Akkhavong.
Four minutes later, the two were at again although this time Satsuki provided the cross with Miyuki the scorer. Seven minutes to the end, Miyuki grabbed her second of the evening, as Imai Haruka that finished things off deep in injury time.
RESULTS – Group B
Indonesia 0 Myanmar 4
Laos 1 Japan Selection 4
Group B Current Standings
| Teams |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
PTS |
| JAPAN |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
2 |
+14 |
9 |
| MYANMAR |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
1 |
+13 |
9 |
| PHILIPPINES |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
-1 |
3 |
| LAOS |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
10 |
-7 |
3 |
| INDONESIA |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
20 |
-19 |
0 |
