TALE OF JOE FIVE YARDS

Sarayoot grabbed two first half goals from inside five yards to enhance his reputation as an ace poacher but then embarrassingly missed a hatful of chances for his hat-trick.

His 38th minute penalty shaved the outside of the post and went out of play and in the second half he contrived to miss the target several times with an empty goal beckoning.

Sarayoot, top scorer in the 2005 Thai League for Port Authority before moving to Vietnam’s Binh Dinh, has a habit of going from hero to zero with the home fans.

He has scored vitals goals in Asian Cup qualifiers and the SEA Games but has also failed to deliver on the big occasion.

If Sarayoot had completed his hat-trick on Sunday it would have been his second in the Asean Football Championship.

He scored three goals in Thailand’s 8-0 drubbing of Timor Leste in the 2004 tournament and also grabbed his side’s lone goal in their 2-1 defeat by Malaysia which eliminated the holders.

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The Philippines, one of the success stories of Southeast Asian soccer in recent times, have made a plea to the organisers of the Asean Football Championship – do not hold the tournament so close to the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

The country goes into party overdrive at that time and training sessions for the national team were put on hold for 12 days which put pressure on the coaching staff to prepare the squad in time for the January 12 kick off.

“Our preparation was cut short by the Christmas and New Year holidays. We took a 12 day break for the festive period which is very big in the Philippines,” said assistant coach Marlon Maro.

“It would be good for us if the organisers started the next tournament in February instead of January.”

The Philippines recorded their first win in the Asean Football Championship two years ago when two late goals from Emilio Caligdong gave them victory over Timor Leste.

They were hoping for more success in Bangkok but despite losing 4-0 to both Malaysia and Thailand they received a lot of praise for their ability and doggedness.

Their cause was hindered by the absence of striker Philip Younghusband, the Chelsea reserve player who hit six goals in the qualifying competition, and injury to captain Alexander Borromeo early on in their opener against Malaysia.

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Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl, one of the most popular men in Southeast Asian football, will return home to Austria after the Asean Football Championship for life-saving surgery.

The affable 57-year-old has had kidney problems for more than a decade and will receive a transplant at the end of February.

Such is Riedl’s standing in Vietnam, scores of fans volunteered to donate a kidney to the coach but he explained to The New Paper in Singapore that he could not take up any of the offers.

“Many Vietnamese wanted to donate their kidneys to me but their organs are incompatible due to the difference in size and blood group. In the end, I will get a new kidney from another Austrian,” he said.

“It is a relief to finally resolve my medical problem. The last year had been a struggle as I get tired very easily and had to go through regular dialysis.

“But what really touched me is the generosity of the Vietnamese people. I am a foreigner and yet, they have accepted me as one of their own.”

Riedl is hoping to make a speedy recovery from the operation and be back at the helm to prepare the Vietnam squad for the Asian Cup in July which they will co-host along with Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.