It will be back to business for the Singapore Under-23s when they take on hosts Laos in their final Group B match of the SEA Games football tournament.
After drawing with Indonesia 2-2 and beating Myanmar 2-1, the Young Lions seem to have one foot in the next stage. Their final group opponents would typically have been the task of collecting three points in any international competition.
However, this Laotian team, coached by former Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl, are sensational on home ground. They held Myanmar to a 1-1 draw in their opening game before stunning the Indonesians 2-0 to go top on superior goal difference.
Recent SEA Games history have also favoured the home side when they play the Young Lions. Two years ago, they defended their way to a goalless draw. Ditto 1995, when they also held stoutly for a point against the Lions. (For those who do not know, SEA Games football is now an under-23 age group event since 2001.)
Another draw will do for both teams as they will proceed to the semi-finals on that outcome, regardless on what has gone on in the earlier game between the other two sides in the group.
But should the preceding game produce a winner, there is everything to play for. And with 20,000 Laotians making their presence felt at National Stadium in Vientiane, it will be a stern test of nerves for the Young Lions, many of whom are encountering the partisan capacity crowd for the first time in their senior playing careers.
It will be up to the three senior internationals in the team-skipper Isa Halim, set-piece specialist Shaiful Esah and holding midfielder Hariss Harun to do their part on the pitch to steady nerves.
The boys should focus on how to maintain consistency in their play over the full 90 minutes plus. If they repeat their game of two halves as they did in their previous matches, they might not be able to get away against a fired-up Laos team this time.
With team top scorer and regular defender Safuwan Baharudin suspended, the centre-back pairing selected will have to be very focused against the dangerous Laotian forward line led by Thai-based Lamnao Singto.
The PEA striker netted twice to send his country top and is keen to repeat his feat at the expense of Young Lions, who were charitiable defensively in the second half of their games.
And there is Riedl. The Austrian attained cult status during his three stints with the Vietnamese national team for bringing them to the Asean Football Federation Tiger Cup (now renamed Suzuki Cup) final and their memorable Asian Cup run to the quarter-finals in 2007.
With his expertise on the game in the region, he will be looking to recreate this level of joy in Laos since taking on his present role in June. With the hosts on the cusp of reaching the semi-finals for the first time and the locals willing them on, the Singapore Under-23s have a real fight to keep their SEA Games adventure alive.
While this is the republic's youngest football team to participate in this event, they have every potential of winning the gold medal as much as their rivals Thailand and Vietnam from the other group.
Potential is nothing without effort and results to show for. Terry Pathmanathan needs to tell the boys to stay consistent and keep things simple on the pitch. The players in turn should not try anything too fanciful in defence and attack.
Delayed telecast or no back in Singapore, the nation awaits to find out whether these young lads have the steel that can bring forth a new legacy, starting from the Laos mission.
Err, you mentioned Riedl brought the Vietnamese to the AFF Championship final, which year was it? I thought the most recent one was by H Calisto?
ReplyDeleteHi Pohui, that was in 1998. That was the closest the Vietnamese got to winning then before they finally did it last year under Calisto.
ReplyDeleteAlso to add, the core of the winning squad were first blooded in by Alfred Riedl during his third and final time in Vietnam. They went to the final round of qualifying for Beijing Olympics and finished among the top eight in the 2007 Asian Cup.