(Photo FAT/PFF)
Thailand made it two wins out of two after dispatching Vietnam 2-0 in their FIFA ASEAN Cup Group B tie on Tuesday in Bandung.
The win saw the War Elephants snap Vietnam’s 27-match unbeaten run and secure passage to the final with a game to spare.
In the group’s other fixture, Pakistan overturned a two-goal half-time deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with the Philippines, a result that ended both nation’s title hopes.
Heading into this clash Vietnam were in near imperious form, undefeated in their past 27 matches across a run of success that stretched back two years.
That run has now come to an end at the hands of their long-time adversaries Thailand and it took a wonderful strike to set them on their way. Just 10 minutes had elapsed when the ball fell to Thai captain Sarach Yooyen who struck a sweetly hit volley from all of 25 yards that flew past Vietnam goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik.
That was the veteran midfielder’s ninth goal, in his 97th appearance. At the other end Vietnam striker Nguyen Tai Loc thought he had a first, in his 10th outing, only for his 37th minute effort to be chalked off following a VAR review.
Sarach came millimetres away from another spectacular goal, as he curled a free-kick off the post but Vietnam struggled to muster much of a response. Both substitute Nguyen Hoang Duc and starlet Nguyen Dinh Bac spurned half chances before Le Giang produced a wonderful diving save to deny Peeradol Chamrasamee late on.
Substitute Chaiyaphon Otton made sure of the points, with a stoppage time second for a Thailand side that can now afford to rotate their squad against the Philippines on Friday while Vietnam need a point against Pakistan to reach the bronze final.
Philippines 2-2 Pakistan
For the first half in Bandung, there only ever appeared to be one winner, as a rampant Philippines side bossed possession and chances. It was the returning Sandro Reyes who put them ahead midway through the half, poking home from close range after a misplaced clearance from Mohib Ullah.
The prolific Bjorn Kristensen then converted a 32nd-minute penalty to maintain his rate of close to a goal-a-game for the national side and send the Philippines to the break two to the good.
There was an extended interval as a storm lashed West Java and when the skies cleared, so did Pakistan’s woes. The Falcons raced out of the second-half blocks, with Muhammad Ali Akbar Khan striding on to a lofted ball from captain Abdullah Iqbal and firing past Kevin Mendoza, just 70 seconds after the restart.
A quarter of an hour later they pulled level as Abdul Shahzad shook off one challenge, raced clear of another and then beat Mendoza – on the day of his 32nd birthday – at his near post.
That prompted a quadruple change from Philippines coach Carles Cuadrat but it didn’t produce any further goals as Pakistan’s wonderful second half turnaround saw them grab a point in Bandung.
