JAKARTA (21 Nov 2011) – Myanmar grabbed the bronze medal ahead of Vietnam this evening with a 4-1 victory in the penultimate match of the men’s football event that was played at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
While both teams had battled to a scoreless draw in a group tie earlier, this time round Myanmar were more determined to take third spot considering that they will be the SEA Games hosts in 2013.
Realising that they needed to put the brakes on the speedy Vietnamese frontline, Myanmar were doing a lot of the defending in the first 20 minutes of the game as they relied more on the counter-attacks.
The first real chance Vietnam created was in the tenth with a stiff grounder from captain Pham Thanh Luong which forced Myanmar keeper Thi Has Thu to reach down for the save while not too long afterwards, it was Le Van Thang’s turn to miss the chance to put Vietnam in front.
Then it was Nguyen Trong Hoang who had a double chance but was denied by the in-form Thi Has Thu.
But off a seemingly innocuous free kick in the 34th minute, Myanmar took the lead when the kick from Kyaw Zeyar Win saw the ball bouncing over substitute keeper Nguyen Tuan Manh, who had to come in place of the injured Tran Buu Ngoc.
The score at the end of the first half was 1-0 to Myanmar.
Vietnam made two substitutions at the start of the second half but that failed to add pace to their game as the players seem unmotivated to play in the fight for third and fourth placing. It was just what Myanmar needed to push them forward as in the 55th minute, a cross from Kyaw Ko Ko was nodded home for their second goal.
And in the 72nd minute a free-kick from Min Min Thu, who had come in place of Kyaw Zeyar Win, was knocked into goal by Vietnam defender Ngo Hoang Thinh. But the game is far from over where six minutes to the end, striker Kyaw Ko Ko delivered further humiliation on Vietnam with the fourth goal of the game – this time scoring in between the legs of Vietnam custodian Tuan Manh.
Four goals down with Myanmar nearing to erase the bitter 5-0 loss they suffered to the same Vietnam side at the VFF Cup last month, the latter pulled a consolation goal when substitute Lam Anh Quang pounced on a free kick from Trong Hoang.
Vietnam then ended the game with Nguyen Van Quyet picking up his second yellow card right at the end which forced referee Fahad Al Kassar from the UAE to send him out of the game.
TEAMS
MYANMAR (Red/Red/Red): Thi Has Thu (GK), Zaw Min Tun, Yan Aung Win, Aye San (C), Kyaw Ko Ko, Pyaye Phyo Oo, Kyaw Zeyar Win (Min Min Thu, 68th), Shwe Hlaing Win, Yan Aung Kyaw, Aung Myint Aye (Mai Aih Naing, 65th), Kyaw Kyaw Myo (Zaw Zaw Oo, 80th)
Head coach: Stefan Hansson
Scorers: Kaw Zeyar Win (34th), Pyaye Phyo Oo (55th), Ngo Hoang Thinh (72nd, og), Kyaw Ko Ko (84th)
Yellow cards: Kyaw Ko Ko (85th)
VIETNAM (White/White/White): Nguyen Tuan Manh (GK), Au Van Hoan, Ngo Hoang Thinh, Nguyen Trong Hoang, Le Van Thang, Nguyen Van Quyet, Chu Ngoc Anh, Truong Huynh Phu(Lam anh Quang, 46th), Pham Than Luong (c), Hoang Van Binh (Hoang Dinh Tung, 46th), Nguyen Thanh Long Giang
Head coach: Falko Goetz
Scorer: Lam Anh Quang (86th)
Yellow cards: Nguyen Van Quyet (45th and 90th), Au Van Hoan (60th), Ngo Hoanh Thinh (67th)
Referee: Fahad Al Kassar (UAE)
SEA GAMES 2011 SEMI-FINALS RESULTS and FINAL FIXTURES
| 19.11.2011 | MALAYSIA 1 | vs | MYANMAR 0 | 1600 hrs | GELORA BUNG KARNO | ||||||
| VIETNAM 0 | vs | INDONESIA 2 | 1930 hrs | ||||||||
| 20.11.2011 | REST DAY | ||||||||||
| 21.11.2011 | MYANMAR 4 | vs | VIETNAM 1 | 1600 hrs | GELORA BUNG KARNO | ||||||
| MALAYSIA | vs | INDONESIA | 1930 hrs | ||||||||
