Myanmar still maintains Group A lead in Tiger Cup
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Myanmar crushed Cambodia 5-0 here on Thursday to continue its charge in Group A of the Tiger Cup, while Vietnam strengthened its status as tournament favorite with a 4-1 victory over lowly Philippines.
It was the second consecutive win for David Booth's Myanmar side, following its 6-1 rout of the Philippines on Tuesday.
Lwin Oo had a double for Myanmar while Zaw Zaw, Zaw Htaik and Tint Naing Tun Thein each scored a goal to put their side at the top of the group with seven points and a formidable goal advantage.
Vietnam and Indonesia, each with a game in hand, are in second and third place with six and four points respectively. Cambodia and the Philippines have yet to earn a point in the tournament.
With the home squad Indonesia not playing on Thursday, the 100,000 capacity Bung Karno Stadium was nearly deserted, with a smattering of spectators seated near the VIP section.
Myanmar and Cambodia both got off to a slow start, with the team teams ending the half in a scoreless draw. Myanmar had the best of the action but failed to capitalize on its opportunities.
The goal scoring began five minutes into the second half when Zaw Zaw, who came off the bench for Yan Paing, put Myanmar in front with his left-footed drive. The ball took a deflection off a Cambodian defender before finding the back of the net.
Lwin Oo lengthened the lead with his header and Zaw Htaik, who had come close to scoring on numerous occasions, finally got on the scoresheet with a volley at the near post.
Lwin Oo scored his second goal on the day 10 minutes from the end of time, turning defenders inside out before sending a left- footed drive into the net. And five minutes later, Tun Thein joined the goal barrage with a powerful drive from just outside the box.
"In the first half, we were waiting for a first goal to go in front. Unfortunately, we were less than organized.
"We needed a little bit of quality in final touches and a quality finish into the goal.
"In the second half we started putting the ball into the box. We were quite relieved to get that first one after it took so long," Booth said.
With the win, Myanmar improved its chance of qualifying for the semifinals. But it will face a difficult task when it comes up against Vietnam at Lebak Bulus Stadium in South Jakarta next Monday.
Myanmar will not play on Saturday, a day that will see Cambodia meet the Philippines and Indonesia play Vietnam in a crucial match.
"Today's game gave us more of a chance to get into the semifinals. We have a rest and then we play Vietnam in four days. So we have time to organize and assess our chances against Vietnam to go into the last four.
"Vietnam is probably the strongest team at the moment. But we'd like to enjoy now and relax for a few days before taking them on," Booth said.
Cambodian coach Joachim Fickert, who complained about the physical lapses of his players during the Myanmar game, announced after the match that he was leaving the team after the tournament.
"I have known some of you for years. I'd like to thank you, because my time in Cambodia is over after the Tiger Cup and after seven years with the team," the German said.