Malaysia
booked a place in the final of the 41st Merdeka Tournament with a
come from behind 2-1 win over Myanmar at the Darulmakmur Stadium in Kuantan.
The
win gives Malaysia six points with their opponents on Wednesday, Thailand on
four points, courtesy of their 1-0 win over Singapore in an earlier match.
It
was a workmanlike performance by the Malaysian team as they fought tooth and
nail against a Myanmar side that were guilty of niggling fouls troughtout the
match. Malaysia could have won more confortably had they taken the chances they
created.
“It
was the fighting spirit of the players that made the difference. To be honest
after missing so many chances in the first 45 minutes, I too started having
doubts that we could claw our way back into the game,” said coach ong Kim swee.
“But
if one takes a look at our statitics, it is obvious that we create some 20 odd
chances but only manage to score one or two goals.
“It
was a hard fought match and now that we are in the final, I will make several
changes to the line-up for the match against Thailand. There are a lot of tired
legs out there and they need a break.”
Malaysia
made two changes to their starting line up, preferring to field Mohammad Nazmi
Faiz and Mohd Azrif Nasrulhaq instead of S.Sivanesan and T.Reuben respectively.
The
inclusion of Nazmi instead of Sivanesan was expected as the former had given a
good account of himself when fielded in the last 20 minutes of the match
against Singapore.
As
for Reuben, he looked jaded and was slow on the turn in the same match, thus
the decision by Kim Swee to play Azrif.
It
was Myanmar that almost drew first blood in the 15th minute as a
free kick taken by Kyaw Zayar Win was heading into the top lefthand corner but
was turned around the post by Malaysian keeper Mohd Izham Tarmizi for a
fruitless corner.
Malaysian
had a glorious chance to go ahead two minutes later as Md Fadhli Shas met a
downward header from Irfan Fazail but skied his shot with only Myanmar keeper
Pyaye Phyo Aung to beat.
In
the 19th minute Myanmar were saved by the woodwork as Wan Zack
Haikal’s thunderous free kick from 35 meters out rocked the crossbar with Phyo
Aung completely beaten.
Wan
Zack beat the offside trap in the 23rd minute and burst through the
middle but Phyo Aung pulled of a brilliant save to turn the ball around the
post, a golden chance squandered.
Myanmar
punished Malaysia and took a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute as Nay Lin
Tun’s header sailed into goal off a corner taken by Zayar Win. The header crept
into goal as Izhmam could only palm it into goal as Mohd Zubir Mohd azmi stood
watch.
Barely
two minutes later, Zayar Win, the playmaker for Myanmar limped off with a calf
strain and was replaced by David Htan but Myanmar held on till halftime for a
1-0 lead.
Malaysia
made a double substitution within the space of a minute, bringing on Syahrul
Azwari Ibrahim and Saiful Ridhuwan Selamat in place of Nazmi Faiz and D.
Saarvindran respectively.
And
that changed the game as in the 64th minute Wan Zack floated in a
free kick that Junior Eldstal headed across the goal, giving skipper Mohd Irfan
Fazail the easiest of task of guiding the ball into an unguarded goal with Phyo
Aung caught in no man’s land.
Malaysia
then dominated play for the next ten minutes as Wan Zack tested Phyo Aung with
another of his trademark freekicks that the Myanmar custodian could only parry
away. Junior Eldstal then hit the upright in the 75th minute, denied
by the woodwork for the second successive match.
Wan
Zack made no mistake from a freekick from the edge of the box, awarded after
Thamil Arasu was fouled, the ball sailing into the top left hand corner, giving
Malaysia a well deserved lead in the 78th minute.
And
Myanmar suffered further agony as Kyi Lin was sent off deep into injury time,
for a second bookable offence.
