Indonesia and Thailand fined for bizarre match

Indonesia and Thailand fined for bizarre match

HANOI (Agencies): Indonesia and Thailand have been fined
unspecified amounts for a Tiger Cup match that both teams tried
to avoid winning, officials said Wednesday.

They also were warned about their on-field performance and
could face further punishment after the eight-nation competition
ends Saturday if they are found to have brought the sport into
disrepute.

The results of the bizarre match, which Thailand "won" when
Indonesia put the ball into its own net as time was running out,
will be allowed to stand, with defending champion Thailand facing
Vietnam in Hanoi and Indonesia staying in Ho Chi Minh City to
play Singapore.

The Hanoi match had been scheduled for Wednesday - Vietnam's
National Day - but was postponed to Thursday while organizers and
soccer officials decided how to handle the fiasco.

Tournament officials tried their best to put a positive spin
on the situation, saying they wanted to look ahead to the rest of
the tournament. The organizing committee would not disclose the
size of the fines and said there had been precedents.

The Nhan Dan official Communist Party newspaper said the ASEAN
Football Federation (AFF) officials and the tournament organizers
would consider penalties up to US$20,000.

They specifically pointed to a 1982 Germany-Austria match in
which the teams deliberately played to a scoreless draw.

"FIFA was very angry with what happened, but the result stood,
and the committee felt that the same thing applied here," Group A
match commissioner Tan Eng Yoon was quoted as saying by
Singapore's The Straits Times newspaper.

Both teams have admitted that they did not want to play
Vietnam, particularly on National Day in Hanoi, where boisterous
fans have packed the 20,000-seat stadium.

In Thailand, the Minister to Prime Minister's Office Jurin
Laksanawisit said he would ask the Football Association of
Thailand to explain what happened, reflecting widespread outrage
among Thais with the performance.

Thai coach Wittaya Loahakul said prior to his team's departure
to Hanoi Wednesday morning that they would rise to the occasion
for the semifinal match and that what happened against Indonesia
was all behind them.

"It's all over now and we have to prepare ourselves for the
match against Vietnam.

"We are playing the home team which has enjoyed tremendous
support from their home fans. I expect for a tough match ahead,"
Wittaya said.

Indonesian coach Rusdy Bahalwan shared Wittaya's view, saying
his team had left all scorns on them behind ahead of their match
against Singapore.

"We are keeping an eye on the semifinal and maintaining a
solid team work. Singapore now are stronger than they were in the
SEA Games last year," said Rusdy as quoted by Antara Wednesday.

Rusdy defended his players' intentional own goal, saying it
came as a response to the Thais' reluctance to take the
initiatives.

"I'm the man to be held responsible for what happened in that
match," he said.