Myanmar beats Laos 4-0 in SEA Games soccer
Myanmar beats Laos 4-0 in SEA Games soccer
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP): Myanmar beat Laos 4-0 Wednesday
for its first win in the Southeast Asian Games men's soccer
competition.
Striker Nay Thu Hlaing opened the floodgates in the 21st
minute, slamming the ball home from close range after receiving a
pass.
Myanmar, which drew 0-0 with Cambodia in its first match,
mounted raids on both flanks and doubled its lead six minutes
after its first goal with a shot from Aung Tun Naing.
Laos struggled to trim the deficit, but lost its best scoring
opportunity in the 29th minute, when striker Visay Phaphouvanine
found his way through the Myanmar backline.
With just the goalkeeper to beat, he hesitated, enabling
Myanmar's defenders to regroup and rob him of the ball.
Myanmar got its third goal in the 33rd minute, when Aung Tun
Naing sent a powerful grounder past goalkeeper Vannasith
Thilavongsa.
It completed the rout in the 51st minute, when Tint Naing Tun
Thein eluded his marker and buried his shot in the goal mouth.
Myanmar coach David Booth said it was a crucial three points
for his team, putting it back on track to qualify for the
semifinals.
Laos coach Oudomphet Soutsakhone said his team tried hard, but
Myanmar was "tactically and technically" stronger.
Meanwhile, SEA Games organizers announced that a total of
93,000 of the 100,000 tickets allotted for the opening ceremony
of the event at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday
have been sold out.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein told
Bernama that he was basing his confidence on the high level of
awareness among the people on Malaysia staging the biennial
games.
Their awareness is further boosted by the extensive media
coverage by the print and electronic media in promoting the
games, he said.
"I hope those intending to witness the colorful grand opening
ceremony will get their tickets immediately to avoid
disappointment," he said.
Earlier, Hishammuddin witnessed the full-dressed rehearsal of
the games at the stadium. Kuala Lumpur Mayor Tan Sri Kamaruzzaman
Shariff was present.