 JAKARTA (4 Dec 2010) – Hosts Indonesia kept their AFF Suzuki Cup dreams on track when they sensationally swept Laos aside 6-0 tonight to emerge champions of Group A eventhough they still have one more match to play. Indonesia have six points while Thailand and Malaysia will have to fight for the remaining semifinal slot.
Thailand, one of the pre-tournament favourites, dug themselves into a spot when despite dominating the match ended up sharing points with Malaysia. With two points in the bag, Thailand now have to beat Indonesia to advance. At the Gelora Bung Karno tonight, in front of over 40,000 fans, Indonesia knew what they had to do and took the fight opened the floodgates with a 26th minute penalty coverted by skipper Firman Utina. Muhammad Ridhwan doubled the score just seven minutes later and the score remained until the break. Five minutes after resumption, Indonesia continued their spree with a superb strike from Firman, his second of the match. Irfan Harrys Bachdim struck his second goal of the event when he made a lovely run into the box, easing past his markers to make 4-0 in the 62nd minute. Substitute Arif Suyono scored six minutes after coming on for Ridhwan. The speedy Oktovianus Maniani completed the rout in the 80th minute. “It was a big win and I credit the players for their untiring efforts. Although we are already in the semifinals, we will not take it easy against Thailand in our last match,” said Alfred Ridle, head coach of Indonesia. For Laos the loss was a bitter blow following their superb performance against Thailand two days earlier. But as coach David Booth explained: “Against a team like Indonesia or for that matter Thailand or Malaysia, you just can’t afford to make mistakes, you have to minimize them . Unfortunately, we conceded a penalty and then the second goal. It was difficult for a team like ours to bounce back, we are not that strong.” Booth said that instead of keeping the score down, the team decided to go for the game. “We did not sit back, unfortunately it did not work. And then we conceded the early goal in the second half.” LAOS: Sengphachan Bounthisanh (GK), Saynakhonevieng Phommaphanya (Kovanh Namthavixay, 53rd), Kitsada (c), Ketsada Souksavanh, Khamla Pinkeo, Lamnao Singtao, Kanyala Sysomvang (Soukaphone Vongchiengkham, 54th), Keoviengphet Lithideth, Kaysone Soukhavong, Konekham Inthammavong, Khampheng Sayavutthi (Visay Phapouvanin, 63rd). INDONESIA:Markus Harison Rihihina (GK), Mohamad Nasuha, Zulkifli Syukur (Beny Wahyudi, 75th), Maman Abdurachman, Christian Gerard Alfaro Gonzalez (Bambang Pamungkas, 67th), Oktavanius Maniani, Firman Utina (c), Irfan Haarys Bachdim, Ahmad Bustomi, Muhammad Ridwan (Arif Suyono, 70th), Hamka Hamsah AFF SUZUKI CUP 2010, FINAL ROUND RESULTS and FIXTURES Group A – Jakarta, Indonesia (GELORA BUNG KARNO STADIUM, JAKARTA) 1 Dec THAILAND 2 LAOS 2/ INDONESIA 5 MALAYSIA 1 4 Dec THAILAND 0 MALAYSIA 0/ LAOS 0 INDONESIA 6 7 Dec Malaysia vs Laos (1930hrs at Jakabaring Stadium, Palembang) / Indonesia vs Thailand (1930hrs at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Hanoi) Group B – Hanoi, Vietnam (MY DINH NATIONAL STADIUM, HANOI) 2 Dec SINGAPORE 1 PHILIPPINES 1/ VIETNAM 7 MYANMAR 1 5 Dec Singapore vs Myanmar (1700hrs) / Philippines vs Vietnam (1930hrs) 8 Dec Myanmar vs Philippines (1930hrs at Hien Truong Stadium, Nam Dinh) / Vietnam vs Singapore (1930hrs at My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi) |
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