Fairy tales are alive in Laos as far as the SEA Games football tournament is concerned. The host nation Laos have defied all odds to top Group B and reach the semi-finals which will be played on Monday.
Typically thought to be football minnows in the region, they have been well-drilled in their tactics under Austrian Alfred Riedl. They now have guile and tactical astuteness to complement their determination and never-say-die attitude.
In Lamnao Singto, they also have a powerful forward who is capable of taking on the best of defences in Southeast Asia. He gave our Young Lions backline a stern test with his nippy running and shooting from different ranges, coming close to breaking the deadlock on a few occasions.
With 20,000 Laotians willing them, whatever happens from there on, this team will be remembered for breaking new frontiers in their football development. There is every chance they will become a credible, competitive team if the Laotian football authorities are able to keep the core and Riedl intact in the next few years.
They may not reach these heights again at senior level international football, but they can no longer be summarily dismissed as the Lions did in their 11-0 thrashing a few years ago.
Equally shocking news to have come out from this tournament is defending champions Thailand and Indonesia crashing out at the first out.
After losing 2-1 to Malaysia in their final group game, Thailand are eliminated by finishing outside the top two in Group A. By doing so, Thailand SEA Games Steve Darby has broken a few unwanted records.
The last time the Thais failed to win gold was in 1991. The last time the Thais missed the final was back in 1989. The last time the Thais did not advance beyond the first stage was futher way back in 1973. He, who formerly helped the Vietnamese women's football team to a medal, had done the nightmarish improbable, as far as the Thais will be concerned.
Indonesia went one better as they finished bottom of Group B with only one point, a 2-2 draw with Singapore. Yes, the statistics do not lie. They are officially worse than hosts Laos, Myanmar and Singapore in this Games. The Indonesians will be wondering what went wrong there as they went from bad to worse with each passing game.
Would the coaches of the Thai and Indonesian squads be spared the axe? Looking from history, that looks pretty unlikely. Indonesia axed Peter Withe after he failed to bring the senior team to the semi-finals of the AFF Cup in 2007. Thailand sacked German Sigfried Held after their early exit in the Tiger Cup 2004/05 group stage.
It also shows how tightly competitive the top of Asean football has become. Vietnam are now the reigning kings, but if they do not win the gold medal in Laos, the struggle to be number one in the region returns.
Under former international K Rajagobal, the Malaysians have been shaping up nicely in this tournament. Despite all the funny business inside the Kelana Jaya permises, these boys are focused on getting the job done on the pitch. They have clocked up international experience and will be looking to put all these into good use in their remaining two games, starting from Monday.
Meanwhile, with the final four settled (Vietnam v Singapore, Laos v Malaysia), let the fight for the medals begin!
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