2009 SEA Games Laos v Singapore Post-match Analysis

1995 SEA Games, 0-0. 2007 SEA Games, also 0-0. 2009 SEA Games, still 0-0 and both hosts Laos and Singapore make it to the last four.

Unlike the previous two occasions when the Singaporeans could not unlock the stubborn Laotian resistance, they barely got a point this time. By playing short passes around their half, especially near their penalty area.

Prior to the game at the sell-out Laos National Stadium, Myanmar defeated Indonesia 3-1. That left both sides needing a point if they were to deny Myanmar a place in the semi finals.

Top scorer and defender Safuwan Baharudin was suspended. Goalkeeper Jasper Chan remained injured and forward Khairul Nizam was ruled out after suffering from food poisoning on the eve of the game.

With one eye on the semi-finals, coach Terry Pathmanathan also left Shaiful Esah, Shahdan Sulaiman and Hariss Harun, who was on one yellow card, on the bench and named a makeshift side to keep Laos, backed by 20,000 vociferous fans at the ground, at bay.

The Young Lions stated their intent immediately after kick off-by playing short passes among themselves and barely getting past the halfway mark. It took more than 90 seconds for the chasing red shirts to finally have a touch of the ball.

That similar pattern persisted until the final whistle and both teams had their wish of reaching the semis. Young Lions, even if you have wanted to play such passing football, it could have been done with more finesse instead of retreating these passes back into your area.

It was frustrating to see the Singaporeans living so dangerously especially when the Laotians were determined to get a goal more than them. Undoing all that monkey with a stupid slip at a dangerous position was madness.

They could have been a goal down and be plunged into trouble had Afiq Yunos not cleared the ball off the line early in the second half. Other desperate attempts only signalled desperate to hang on to a point and semi-final spot.

The more technical and astute teams would have ripped these young boys apart and sent them back to their dressing room with tails on their rears, full strength line up or otherwise.

With their potential semi-final opponents to be among Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia from Group A, Pathmanathan will have his work cut out in minimising these 'alamak' moments that had fans cringing on television sets so far.

At the end of the first stage, Singapore Under-23s did just enough to meet the minimum expectations set by Football Association of Singapore-reaching the semis.

They were unbeaten, drawing two and winning the other. Apart from injuries and illness, there would be no suspension cases in the last four.

The question though, can the Young Lions step up their plate to fulfill their potential in their remaining two games in Laos-the semi-finals and either the final or bronze medal playoff?