Monday, November 21, 2011
SEA Games Final - Malaysia Penalties Success Is Meiga's Heartbreak
Where to begin?
There are times when perhaps we should just hold our hands up and say well done to both teams, neither deserve to lose. Go on, share the bloody thing. Won't happen though. We demand winners and where there is a winner there must be a loser. The crying shame of sport.
On 18' with Indonesia leading 1-0 through Dwi Cahyo Gunawan I turned to the wife and said Malaysia would win. She turned to me and told me the spare room has no air conditioning. Hey ho!
A game of heroes, it's a shame it will be remembered for the villains. Goalscorer Gunawan was shitting bricks approaching the penalty spot. Why the hell was he chosen ahead of the likes of Diego is a mystery all Monday morning quarterbacks will debate for a long time to come. And Meiga Kurnia. The potential to become a truly great keeper, the last pen by Baddrol Bahthiar was driven with such power it squirmed through his fingers and bobbled oh so slowly over the line.
Malaysia won this because that's what they do. The win things. They were down and out towards the end of the second half, they had resorted to long passes and the possession football they had enjoyed earlier in the game had gone, replaced by Indonesia's exuberance and passion.
At crucial moments in the game the hosts were naive. Strikers were slow to retreat back on side after attacks had broken down, defenders went for spectacular high kicks like they were auditioning for the can-can. Exuberance and passion may get fans on the edge of their seats but the team needs Egi, their captain, to slow things down once in a while and play cute. Like baddrol did for Malaysia. Players with promise yes, Diego, Abdurahman, Egi, Meiga will soon be knocking on the national team's door, but too many lapses of concentration.
SEA Games winners in 2009, ASEN Cup winners in 2010. Now this, a memorable hat trick for the Malaysians. They may celebrate tonight, quietly, in their hotel but when they return to KL they will start thinking about the Olympic Qualifiers against Syria and Bahrain next week. And then the SLeague which they will enter next season. And then the ASEAN Cup one more time next December.
Because that is what this Malaysia team is. It's on a journey and looking at the production line back in KL they are looking at dominating the game in the region for the next five years unless someone like Indonesia can finally put the off the field bullshit behind them and start concentrating on what happens on the grass.
For Indonesia the SEA Games final was the destination, such is the band aid approach to the game in the country. I have mentioned what Malaysia will now be looking at. Indonesia? Their players have no idea what league they will be playing in or when their next game is, forget what the Under 23s will do next. Chronic mismanagement has destined Bambang Pamungkas' generation to failure, they must not be allowed to do the same to this exciting crop of players.
UPDATE - whoops, forgot the score!
Malaysia v Indonesia 1-1
Malaysia won 5-4 on penalties
# posted by Me @ 10:35 PM 
Comments:
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OOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOoooo MA ...LAY ... SIA !!! We'll be looking forward for the Olympic Q match tomorrow ... Syria should be worried ... come on !!! ~KLC
# posted by 
: 12:03 PM
: 12:03 PM 
Im a Malaysian, and i read your blog regularly. Your views are not from the usual one-sided perspective, compared to other blogs be it Malaysian, Indonesian or Singaporean football blogs. Keep up the good work!
cheers ole
malaysia have become the benchmark for national teams in the region and could remain so for the next few years if they are allowed
malaysia have become the benchmark for national teams in the region and could remain so for the next few years if they are allowed
I disagree. Harimau Muda squad deserved to win not by luck, it's ridiculous opinion. They have better technique and mentality to win the gold medal. They have prepare well their mental again provocation attack and hostility treat from home supporter. They win the gold medal because they deserve it and it is reward for their patient after fight well against heavy conjecture. This victory will not come rolling to them if no pray from Malaysian people and truly earnest effort all out by this Malaysian squad to make victory for our beloved country and as gift to all Malaysian. As professional football fan, i hope you be fair and should give credit to Malaysian squad which have win the gold medal as they deserve it because their superiority in mental and techniques aspect not by luck. They win the penalty by better technique and strong mental. I know u frustrated by your countrymen squad defeat but it's so ridiculous to say Malaysian win by luck same as other Indonesian fan say whereas they not understand the difficulty and feel mistreatment by Indo fanatic fan toward Malaysian sea games team. i sad and feel anger due to Indo fan rude treat and misbehaviour againt our Malaysian contingent. they show the barbaric and immoral behavior toward any Malaysian without the spirit of sportsmanship. May god punish you all behaviour! Indo fan in all event game please be professional don't show your hostility toward Malaysian sea games contingent. This should not happen, it S.E.A. country family sport day not a war! However, i like your blog and you give a good report about development of football in this region but just one thing i don't like your opinion. The Malaysian have give all effort till penalty time deserve to win because they are the REAL CHAMPION OF S.E.A. REGION not because of luck. All Malaysian are proud to them and Garuda young squad also give a good game and challenge to Harimau Muda. Garuda is a good team and really strong contender. But Harimau Muda is much better squad. thanks for your report.
lightofgod
thank you for your comment.
number one, i am not indonesian. i am english.
number two, i never said malaysia were lucky. read my stuff over the last few of years and i have been talking about a football revival in the malaysian national team, in fact long before the sea games 2009.
read my comment immediately above yours for something more recent.
luck plays an important part in football but it wasnt luck that had malaysia score their pens and indonesia miss theirs. it was mental strength...again read back through the last few years :)
thank you for your comment.
number one, i am not indonesian. i am english.
number two, i never said malaysia were lucky. read my stuff over the last few of years and i have been talking about a football revival in the malaysian national team, in fact long before the sea games 2009.
read my comment immediately above yours for something more recent.
luck plays an important part in football but it wasnt luck that had malaysia score their pens and indonesia miss theirs. it was mental strength...again read back through the last few years :)
ok i'm sorry.. i misunderstood your first paragraph. after i read back u say indo not deserve to lose i became angry because the hostility treat Malaysian receive from indon origin people in there and how strong our mental player are to gone through indo hostility again them. after all u live in there, u must be know how rude indon really are toward us. damn i hate indon so much!! they not respect our anthem, flag, country and king. so they should lose! take that again indon! sorry i not curse you but just indon hater. so i now could understand why u not biased and so fair in your opinion about development of football in this region. Almost indon hypocrite to accept their lose and say our team win by luck. however now i understand and agree about your opinion that Malaysia win not by luck but by great effort. before sea games 2011 i already watch your blog and love your coverage report about regional development football. this is second time i watch your blog. after sea games i search throughout regional blog about triumph report Malaysian team grab gold medal in front of of 88,000host supporter and also opinion about it other than local report about our victory, but sadly (not just other part of the world) but our regional country also didn't care and give a coverage in their blog about our dramatic win over Indonesian. the victory greatest sport in regional blog didn't get coverage report except the story about their team lose and stampede. wthell! damn! they should not live in s.e.a. what i need are just attention from them. esp Thai, Viet, Singapore and Philippines because football are got hot attention there. but so sadly no attention they give about our win. urghh what they feel if they win this greatest medal in sea games, other regional country ignore their win, no report and not congratulate them. i think u as English men are better than our neighbor regional people. huhu so sad. oh sorry, express my feeling to you because i'm really feel disappointed with them. Anyway, later i search again i found back your blog. your blog give very interesting report about overall sea football games and your opinion in your blog are very fair and wise esp through your coverage about development in Malaysia football. your blog are really great. Anyway, I'm very proud Malaysian, hehe ^^. I'm so happy of Harimau Muda win gold medal two time in row and so proud of them. i feel pleased and happy because your support Malaysian football and give coverage report about Malaysian team since 2009. great i want to read it next time. Anyway, i'm sorry if any my word hurt you, i really hate indon and only want to hurt their feeling only. however, i'm agree with u report and i'm no thing oppose again u now. hey you should visit Malaysia, Malaysian always welcomed the tourist. hehe.:D Anyway, thanks you very much.
lightofgod - i appreciate there is an anti malaysia undercurrent in indonesia, a sad nationlist agenda put forward by certain political parties for their own ends
anyone with a knowledge of the history of both countries will know what a crock of shite it is
however it is not something i approve of and do not allow on here. this is a football site to talk about football in south east asia.
everyone in malaysia knows about bambang pamungkas from his time with selangor. likewise safee sali is doing his bit now in indonesia.
1 leave the politics for the politicans, football is football!
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anyone with a knowledge of the history of both countries will know what a crock of shite it is
however it is not something i approve of and do not allow on here. this is a football site to talk about football in south east asia.
everyone in malaysia knows about bambang pamungkas from his time with selangor. likewise safee sali is doing his bit now in indonesia.
1 leave the politics for the politicans, football is football!
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