SEA GAMES FOOTBALL: Indonesia Trashed Cambodia 6-0 as Defending Champions held by Singapore.

Indonesian U-23 triumphed over Cambodia 6-0 in SEA games football Opener. (Pics: Aseanfootball.org)

Hosts Indonesia showed to mercy on Monday night to whitewash Cambodia 6-0 in the second game of Group A of men’s football played at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

With the host Needing a win to show their intent to go for the gold medal at the biennial championship, the Indonesians raced to a four goal lead at the half before adding two further goals after the break.

The game could have gone either in the first quarter of the match,with Indonesia looking for the spaces in between to split open the Cambodian defense.

But it was Cambodia that drew the first blood when they managed to put the ball at the back of the Indonesian net but it was ruled for off side.

And for a time at least Lee Tae Hoon, the chief coach of Cambodia, seems to have momentarily found the equation for consistency as their defense stood firm against the unnerving onslaught in front of a vociferous cheering Indonesian faithful in the white and red.

But then, came the first goal.

Inside 27 minutes, came Off a cross from the left, the waiting Titus Bonai headed the ball down which totally caught the Sou Yaty in goal for Cambodian off guard before Patrich Wanggai then made it 2-0 with a superbly taken free kick.

Cambodia U-23 taught a footballing lesson

With 8 minutes remaining in the half, Defender Gunawan Dwi Cahyo then nailed the third goal in when he nodded home the cross from Oktovianus Maniani as Patrich carved his second of the evening and Indonesia’s fourth in the 1st minute of the first half, Cambodia once again guilty at defending set pieces.

Four goals behind at the break, and everything seems to be working against Cambodia. A mountain too high to climb it seems but that did not force them to put every men they had behind the ball where they pressed the Indonesian defense hard.

And for a time, the Indonesians were back pedaling but for some good work off keeper Kurnia Meiga and also marshaling centre back Abdul Rahman to fend off the attacks.

But in the 81st minute, substitute Andik Vermansyah finally clinch the fifth goal for Indonesia with a stiff grounder as Ramdani Lestaluhu then rounded things off two minutes later.

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Singapore draw 0-0 with defending champs Malaysia

Singapore drew 0-0 with defending champions Malaysia in their opening game of the South-east Asian (SEA) Games Under-23 football tournament. Singapore finished third at the last SEA Games in 2009.

Group A also has powerhouse Thailand.

In Group B, Timor Leste are the surprise early leaders with two wins out of two. Myanmar and Vietnam are tied on points but the former are second in the table because of a better goal difference.

Singapore have never beaten Malaysia at the SEA Games U-23 level and lost 2-0 to the Malaysian U-23s in January 2011 at home. At the last SEA Games, Singapore and Malaysia also played out a 0-0 draw.

Singapore picked up four yellow cards in this game and they run the risk of losing players to suspension in their upcoming matches.

Malaysia had what looked like a legitimate appeal for penalty turned down in the 55th minute when Fandi Othman was clipped at the heels.

Singapore were not adventurous going forward and their attacks often faded away because there were not enough players running into the Malaysian penalty box to give their teammates options.

With the win, Indonesia are perched at the top of the table with three points ahead of Singapore and Malaysia with one point each.

Cambodia next play Singapore on Wednesday, at 7.55pm.

SEA Games Football Group A Fixtures
Day/Date Team A Team B Time
Mon, Nov 7 Singapore 0 Malaysia 0 5pm
Mon, Nov 7 Indonesia 6 Cambodia 0 8pm
Wed, Nov 9 Malaysia Thailand 5pm
Wed, Nov 9 Cambodia Singapore 8pm
Fri, Nov 11 Singapore Indonesia 3pm
Fri, Nov 11 Thailand Cambodia 6pm
Sun, Nov 13 Malaysia Cambodia 5pm
Sun, Nov 13 Indonesia Thailand 8pm
Thu, Nov 17 Thailand Singapore 5pm
Thu, Nov 17 Indonesia Malaysia 8pm

SEA Games Football Group A Table
Team P W D L F A PTS
Indonesia 1 1 0 0 6 0 3
Singapore 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Malaysia 1 0 1 0 0 0 1
Cambodia 1 0 0 1 0 6 0
Thailand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SEA Games Football Group B Fixtures
Day/Date Team A Team B Time
Thu, Nov 3 Vietnam 3 Philippines 1 5pm
Thu, Nov 3 Laos 2 Myanmar 3 8pm
Sat, Nov 5 Brunei 1 Timor Leste 2 5pm
Sat, Nov 5 Mynamar 0 Vietnam 0 8pm
Mon, Nov 7 Timor Leste 2 Philippines 1 5pm
Mon, Nov 7 Laos 2 Brunei 2 8pm
Wed, Nov 9 Myanmar Brunei 5pm
Wed, Nov 9 Vietnam Timor Leste 8pm
Sun, Nov 13 Philippines Myanmar 5pm
Sun, Nov 13 Timor Leste Laos 8pm
Tue, Nov 15 Myanmar Timor Leste 5pm
Tue, Nov 15 Philippines Brunei 8pm
Thu, Nov 17 Laos Vietnam 5pm

SEA Games Football Group B Table
Team P W D L F A PTS
Timor Leste 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
Myanmar 2 1 1 0 3 0 4
Vietnam 2 1 1 0 3 1 4
Laos 2 0 1 1 4 5 1
Brunei 1 0 1 0 2 2 1
Philippines 2 0 0 2 2 5 0

WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTS FROM Aseanfootball.org and Redsport.sg

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