SEA GAMES 2011: BRUNEI NEED TO POLISH GAME; LAOS AIM FOR THE REBOUND

JAKARTA (7 Nov 2011) – Brunei will need to polish up their game if they are serious about making the next round while for Laos, they will have to rebound from the loss they suffered from their first match to Myanmar.

Brunei might have lost their first game in the group, but they showed that despite being out of it for a decade – their last participation in SEA Games football was back in 2001 – and also the ban by FIFA in the last two years, they still know how to play football.

They were quick with the passes and they had several players whom can turn the game around. But what they are lacking is attacking finesse and physical strength to last the game.

“We were careless and conceded (the loss to Timor) through our own mistakes. We played well in the first half with our short passing and we showed our skill,” said assistant coach Pg Serfuddin Pg Hj Mohd Salleh.

“Our defence worked hard to defend the line but it was hard luck. I think we will improve and learn from these mistakes. We had our chances but at the end of the day we didn’t convert enough of them.”

For Laos, they will have to find the touch which saw them blazing through to the semi-finals of the same competition two years ago.

In their first match against Myanmar, the Laotian seems a shade off colour and they struggled to find fluidity in their movement. Perhaps, it was the rain or that it was their first game of the competition.

But with their second match coming up against Brunei just hours away, they have little choice but to regroup and show what they can do.

“We have picked up some lessons from the first game and I told the lads that they need to just focus for the second match (against Brunei),” said Hans Schaller, the coach of Laos.

“We made some mistakes although in their defence, sometimes it is harder to play against ten men. The opponent became more resolute especially when it was also the first game of the competition.

“We have picked up some notes on Brunei, and we will be ready for them.”

SEA GAMES 2011 RESULTS and FIXTURES

GROUP B