RI soccer team crushes Malaysia in SEA Games
RI soccer team crushes Malaysia in SEA Games
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (JP): Fachry Husaini scored twice to
blast Indonesia's way to a convincing 3-0 win over Malaysia in
the 18th Southeast Asian Games soccer match here yesterday.
The victory, which came after a 10-0 drubbing of Cambodia on
Wednesday, shot Indonesia to the top of Group A with six points
and kept Indonesia in contention for the semifinals.
Indonesia was tied with Vietnam, a 4-0 winner over minnow
Cambodia in the earlier match yesterday, but Fachry and company
have a vastly better goal difference. Thailand, which squandered
a clutch of goal-scoring chances in its goalless draw against
Malaysia on Thursday, trailed Indonesia and Vietnam by two
points.
Ery Irianto's free-kick broke an error-prone spell for
Indonesia after 35 minutes. The free-kick, which followed a foul
committed by Suresh Menon against Fachry, went into the net after
hitting the Malaysian fence.
The Malaysians should have led in the sixth minute when
veteran Dolah Saleh's shot from a close range in a scrimmage. The
TV replay showed that the ball crossed the goal line just before
Indonesian Suwandi cleared it.
Afendi came close to leveling the scoreline three minutes
before the break, but his powerful right-footer went a few
centimeters over Kurnia Sandy's bar.
Playing before Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono
Isman and Chairman of the National Sports Council Wismoyo
Arismunandar, a confident Indonesia extended its lead just five
minutes after the break, with Fachry finishing a through pass
from Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto. The hard working forward eased past
three Malaysian defenders on the penalty box, before calmly
slotting the ball into the net.
Five minutes later, Fachry added to Malaysia's misery, this
time in a superb partnership with Ery. Fachry, who scored the
lone goal for Indonesia in its 1-2 defeat to Thailand on Monday,
slammed in a goal that left Malaysian goalie perplexed.
Indonesia and Vietnam will clash in a decider.
In the Group B matches played in Lampoon, Singapore trounced
the Phillipines 4-0 to strengthen its grip on the top of the
table with a hundred per cent record of two wins. Laos joined the
goal spree, compounding Brunei's losing streak with a 3-0 win.
(amd)