Tiger Cup giants cruise past minnows
Tiger Cup giants cruise past minnows
SINGAPORE (AFP): Indonesia and Thailand both had comfortable
wins in their opening matches in the 1996 Tiger Cup scoring five
goals apiece on a day when torrential rain took the edge off
competition.
Thailand ran out to a 4-0 half-time lead in their game against
the Philippines thanks to a pair of goals from Thithaya Santawong
in the 10th and 38th minute.
Thailand's glamour strikers Kiatisuk Senamuang and Natipong
Sritong-in bagged a goal each in the 15th and 41st minute
respectively before Yutthana Polsak ended the Philippines' hopes
with the only goal of the second-half in the 60th minute.
Indonesia enjoyed similar territorial supremacy over Laos, in
only their second international football tournament, with each of
their sides precocious talents getting a goal.
Fachri Husaini started the goal rout in the fifth minute, with
man of the match Eri Irianto scoring 10 minutes later. The
Lucerne-based striker Kurniawan added another two minutes later
and then it was the turn of defender Robbie Darwis in the 34th
minute.
Like Thailand, Indonesia took the pressure off in the second-
half scoring only once through Peri Sandria in the 65th minute.
Laos' resolute attacks on a cut-up pitch that did little to
help the players were eventually rewarded when captain Savatdy
Saysana curled a shot round keeper Listiyanto fifteen minutes
before full-time.
In the Mekong battle that opened Monday night's Tiger Cup
games Cambodia gave regional powerhouse Vietnam a scare before
the Southeast Asian Games silver medalists pulled away to win 3-
1.
Tran Cong Minh opened the scoring for Vietnam in the 21st
minute with teammate Le Huynh Duc adding a second nine minutes
later.
Cambodia bounced back midway through the second-half with a
goal from Nuth Sony in the 67th minute before a hastily-tightened
Vietnam defense launched a bold counterattack 13 minutes later
which set up Vo Hoang Duu's match-winner.
Tuesday is the only rest day in the preliminary stage of the
Tiger Cup, which climaxes with the semi-finals on September 13
and the finals two days later.
Results
Group A at the Jurong Stadium:
Cambodia 1 (Sony 67), Vietnam 3 (Tran 21, Duc 30, Duu 80)
Laos 1 (Saysana 75), Indonesia 5 (Fachri 5, Irianto 15, Kurniawan
17, Darwis 34, Sandria 65)
Group B at the National Stadium:
Thailand 5 (Thithaya 10, 38, Kiatisuk 15, Natipong 41, Yutthana
60) Philippines 0
Standings
Group A:
Indonesia 1 1 0 0 3
Vietnam 1 1 0 0 3
Cambodia 1 0 0 1 0
Laos 1 0 0 1 0
Burma yet to play
Group B:
Thailand 1 1 0 0 3
Malaysia 1 0 1 0 1
Singapore 1 0 1 0 1
Philippines 1 0 0 1 0
Brunei yet to play