Nguyen Vu Tin stole the show with a hat-trick
as PVF Vietnam defeated Frenz United Malaysia 3-0 in the first leg semi-finals
of the Asia Champions Trophy U-16 2014 at the Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh
City on Sunday.
Vu Tin’s three goals – taking his tournament
total to 11 – momentarily crippled Frenz United’s march into the August 23 and
August 30 home-and-away final as the Malaysians are now faced with a mammoth
task of scoring four clear goals in the return leg semi-finals at Frenz Stadium
on August 17 to be sure of a spot in the final.
Anything less in front of their die-hard fans
at on Saturday would mean the final could be a contest between Harimau Muda
U-16, defending champions Chonburi FA and PVF Vietnam who are still in the
running. Coach S. Balachandran’s young tigers scored an emphatic 3-1 win over
Chonburi FA in the first leg semi-finals last Saturday and are geared up for
the final blow against the Thais this weekend in the Thai provincial city.
The Vietnamese went 2-0 up in the first half
with strikes from Vu Tin in the 22nd and 37th minutes and the
youngster who affirmed his status as a potentially dangerous striker kept the
momentum going until the 84th minute for his hat-trick to wrap up
the rout and Malaysians misery.
For Frenz United Malaysia coach, Matdinos
Talib, the battle is far from over despite the huge blow suffered today and
believes his boys are still capable of turning the tide around in Janda Baik.
“We had our chances. We did control the match
although the score line may not suggest that. It is a setback but we will get
back into the game in the return-leg semi-finals,” said Matdinos, adding that the
defenders had let the team down and would find ways to overcome this situation.
He also envisaged that the cool surroundings of
Janda Baik would give them an advantage compared to the sweltering heat
conditions in Vietnam.
PVF Vietnam head coach Nguyen Phuc Nguyen
Chuong says the three-goal cushion going into the return leg is a big welcome
to his side but nevertheless cautioned his players of being in over-confident
mode.
“It will not be easy at all in Janda Baik for
the return leg semi-finals and I can see that coming,” said Nguyen Phuc. “We
must play our best as the Malaysians enjoy home ground advantage and always
play extremely well at home.”
Meanwhile, strikers Najib Abdullah, Amirul
Syazwan and Kogileswaran Raj fired Harimau Muda U-16 2014 to a 3-1 victory over
defending champions Chonburi FA in the first leg semi-finals at Frenz Stadium on
Saturday.
It was just another day of a dramatic
performance from coach S. Balachandran’s young tigers in the ACT 2014 as they
clawed back from a Sittichok Paso 16th minute goal – his 15th
in the tournament, to send the Thais packing home bruised and battered.
The Malaysians take a two-goal advantage
going into the return leg tie on August 18 in Chonburi and Balachandran feels
Saturday’s victory has been an ideal challenge by his players to test their
mettle against one of the strongest side in ACT 2014 and also justify their
position for a slot in the August 23 and August 30 home-and-away final.
Balachandran paraded his most fortified line-up
against the Thais with Kogisleswaran leading the charge upfront. The former
Bukit Bandaraya student in Bangsar, who joined the FA of Malaysia Academy in
Gambang last year, has been a bane to many defenders and proved his prowess
once again.
Skipper Mohd Shahrul Akmal marshalled from
the middle, Najib played his role mapped out clearly for him from the left
flank extremely well with Mohd Zulkhairi on the right and Dinesh Rajasingam
occasionally lurking dangerously to unsettle the visitors. It was Harimau Muda
Under-16’s most lethal strike force.
“I am very excited with this win. The boys showed
tremendous patience and mental strength to come back after going down early in
the game. But we can also expect an equally strong fight back from Chonburi in
the return leg match. They are not going to rest here,” said Balachandran.
“We have one week to prepare our strategy
against the Thais and I believe the boys know what to expect and what needs to
be done. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the final,” he added.
Backed by an estimated 2,000 folks of Janda
Baik which includes FA of Malaysia General-Secretary Dato’ Hamidin Mohd Amin,
the Malaysians and Thais got off to a cautious start, not wanting to be far too
adventurous in the early minutes of play.
The defending champions arrived in Janda Baik
with Peerayat Kaminthong, the team’s mastermind, lurking in the middle,
Sittichok who bagged the Most Valuable Player and Top Striker awards at the
2013 ACT Under-15 championships, and Kritthanapong Paidaen marauding
dangerously from the flanks.
After a couple of near misses from both
sides, Chonburi FA struck first through Sittichok with a thunderbolt 35-metre
shot which caught goalkeeper Mohd Asri Mohd off guard as the ball sailed the near
the far left post and dipped into the net.
Buoyed by the early goal, the Thais, who have
been unbeaten throughout the Group B preliminary round stage, further exploited
the situation by pressing on upfront but were denied by their own sloppy finishing.
However, in a sudden burst of attack in the
27th minute, the young tigers won their second corner of the day.
Kogileswaran turned the ball in and Najib headed it past goalkeeper Chakon
Philakhlang. Harimau Muda 1 Chonburi FA 1.
The match tempo turned intensive in the
second half with the Thais having a strong grip in the early minutes and almost
went 2-1 up had striker Saharat Sontisawat pounced on a loose ball in front of
the Malaysian goalmouth.
#FrenzUnited #HarimauMuda #ACT2014
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