After months of agonizing wait, the AFF Suzuki Cup finally kicked off today, with Group A action providing plenty of drama an excitement. The early kick off was between the Philippines and Laos, whereas hosts Vietnam went on to face Indonesia in the 7pm kick off, later in the day.
The Azkals certainly did not disappoint, by getting off to an impressive start, defeating Laos 4-1 on the day. Thomas Dooley’s men secured a dream start to their competition, thanks to two goals from sub hero, Patrick Reichelt.
Philippines were certainly the more impressive side from the get go, with Phil Younghusband proving to be an absolute nuisance on the offensive. But Laos held on relatively well, and eventually took the lead on the 22nd minute mark, courtesy of a spectacular free kick attempt from Khampeng. That was really the wake up call for the Azkals, as they upped their tempo in search of the coveted equalizer.
It eventually came just five minutes before the break, with Rota producing an inch perfect header to restore parity. But just one minute before the final whistle, Younghusband fired home to put the Azkals ahead, and that was a much needed sigh of relief before the half time mark.
After the break, the Azkals came out firing on all cylinders, which led to more goals. On the 77th minute mark, Patrick placed the ball into the back of the net with plenty of composure before adding on another one, just two minutes before full time. And when the final whistle was blown, they effectively secured a pivotal victory to start their Suzuki Cup campaign on a high.
Meanwhile, Vietnam were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw against Indonesia, despite having the backing of home soil. The hosts did score first, as early as on the 11th minute, with Ngoc Hai capitalizing on an error from Sergio Van Dijk, to find the back of the net. But Zamrun went on the equalize for Indonesia on the 33rd minute, much to the joy of the travelling fans.
Le Cong Vinh came on after the break and produced a stunning volley to put Vietnam in the lead again, before Samsul disappointed all the home fans by levelling the score late in the game, sending the ball in between the Vietnamese goalkeeper Manh, to hit the back of the net effectively.
Other posts by Keeshaanan Sundaresan
