SEA Games Football: Singapore labour to beat Cambodia 2-1

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Jakarta, Wednesday, November 9, 2011 — Singapore laboured to a 2-1 win over Cambodia to register their first victory at the South-east Asian (SEA) Games Under-23 football tournament.

The Cambodians, who were thrashed 6-0 by Indonesia in their first game, scored a freak 35th-minute goal in the first half to take a shock lead. An innocent-looking cross by Chhin Chhoeun (#17) looped high and sneaked into goal, leaving Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud stunned.

That shot aside, it was Singapore who dominated. The Young Lions had 15 shots on target compared to Cambodia’s two, and they had 78% of possession.

However, their lack of finishing was telling. In a first half where Gabriel Quak was the brightest spark for Singapore, the boys created four good chances but could not finish.

Gabriel got down to the goal line in the 16th minute after a pass from captain Hariss Harun but there was no teammate to finish his pull back into the box.

Gabriel then made an opening for himself in the 22nd minute, running through into the box after getting a pass from Irwan Shah. However, he blazed the ball over the bar.

Gabriel then set up Khairul Nizam with a sublime through pass in the 23rd minute but again, there was no one waiting in the box for Nizam’s pull back.

Singapore continued to create chances. In the 27th minute, Nizam was seen screaming his head off after he scuffed his shot with a clear chance at goal.

Then came Cambodia’s shock goal which left the Young Lions visibly stunned. By the time Hafiz Abu Sujad blew a 43rd minute free kick into the night sky, Singapore head coach Slobodan Pavkovic was heard yelling “Come on! Come on! Come on!”

In the second half, Pavkovic made his intent clear, pulling out defender Irwan Shah and replacing him with striker Neil Vanu. Cambodia’s tactics in the second half were also clear — they put 11 men behind the ball.

The Young Lions started the second half with an intensity that was missing in the first and it paid off finally in the 56th minute when Nizam scored the equaliser. Defender Safuwan Baharudin got his head to a corner and directed it back across goal to a waiting Nizam who did not miss with his header.

Nizam celebrated wildly and was mobbed by his teammates while there was relief on the Singapore bench.

Then Singapore missed a quick opportunity to go ahead in the 59th minute with Yasir Hanapi missed from 1m out after the Cambodian goalkeeper Sou Yaty had completely misjudged another incoming corner.

However, Singapore’s intensity soon dropped after the equaliser and Cambodia even managed to conjure up a headed half chance in the 66th minute.

Singapore’s superior quality finally told in the 74th minute as the Young Lions put together the best move of the game that involved four players in the build up. The ball was threaded through the centre of the field before Hanapi delivered an exquisite cross from the right that substitute Neil Vanu finished off with a firm header.

Shahdan Sulaiman then tested the Cambodian goalie from long range in the 83rd minute, forcing a good save at full stretch. Shahdan picked up a yellow card in the game, his second of the tournament, and he will now miss the next game against Indonesia.

Cambodia’s night also ended in misery. Apart from the defeat, they also lost their captain Khuon Laboravy when he received a second yellow card in the game after he left his leg trailing in a tackle involving Safuwan.

“We played a different opponent today, compared to what we had in our first game. If anyone thinks that Cambodia is an easy team to beat, they are wrong,” said head coach Pavkovic. “Their fighting spirit is one of the best in this tournament, they never gave up, and they are fighters.”

“Playing in a must-win game, you need not tell the players that they must win because they know it themselves. So far, our strategy has worked. From two games, we have four points now, and I think this is good enough for us,” said Pavkovic.

“Today, we played with a different strategy and we created many chances in front of goal. We are taking one game at a time and overall, I am happy that we got all three points,” he added.

While a win was all that mattered in the end, the Young Lions, with all of their starting lineup playing together as a team in the S.League save for Hanapi, strangely struggled for fluidity.

Furthermore, their inability to score more than two goals against Cambodia in their “Group of Death” may come back to haunt them.

Singapore will next play Indonesia on Friday, November 11th, 3pm.

In an earlier Group A game, Malaysia beat Thailand 2-1 for their first win of the tournament.

In Group B, Myanmar thrashed Brunei 4-0 while Vietnam beat previously undefeated Timor Leste 2-0.

Singapore U-23 Starting Lineup
Izwan Mahbud, Irwan Shah, (Nigel Neil Vanu), Afiq Yunos, Safuwan Baharudin, Yasir Hanapi, Gabriel Quak, (Faris Ramly), Hariss Harun (C), Hafiz Abu Sujad, Shahdan Sulaiman, Fazli Ayob, Khairul Nizam (Firdaus Kasman)

Cambodia U-23 Starting Lineup
Sou Yaty, Lay Raksmey, Sok Rithy, Sok Sovan, T. Pancharong, Tum Saray, K. Laboravy (C), Sos Suhana, C. Sothearath, C. Chhoeun, P. Soksana

With regard to Singapore's 2-1 win over Cambodia in the 2011 SEA Games football tournament ...

The Young Lions were poor. (71%, 311 Votes)
The Young Lions were average. (23%, 100 Votes)
The Young Lions were good. (7%, 29 Votes)

Total Voters: 440

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SEA Games 2011 Football — Group A Fixtures

Venue for all matches: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta. Time shown is Singapore time. Jakarta time is one hour behind.

(cross-flag-pins.com)

Day/Date	Team A		Team B		Time
Mon, Nov 7	Singapore	0	Malaysia	0	5pm
Mon, Nov 7	Indonesia	6	Cambodia	0	8pm
Wed, Nov 9	Malaysia	2	Thailand	1	5pm
Wed, Nov 9	Cambodia	1	Singapore	2	8pm
Fri, Nov 11	Singapore	0	Indonesia	2	3pm
Fri, Nov 11	Thailand	4	Cambodia	0	6pm
Sun, Nov 13	Malaysia	4	Cambodia	1	5pm
Sun, Nov 13	Indonesia	3	Thailand	1	8pm
Thu, Nov 17	Thailand	0	Singapore	2	5pm
Thu, Nov 17	Indonesia	0	Malaysia	1	8pm