Lets face the fact. Last night’s victory was one that had incredible symbolic meaning behind it. Considering that Malaysia has been struggling for form when it comes to international football, defeating arch rivals Singapore on their home soil, is nothing short of stupendous.
And it was done in dramatic fashion as well, with Safiq Rahim staying composed on the 90th minute mark to dispatch that spot kick effectively, before Indra Putra, of all individuals, smashed in the third goal from long-range to send the Malaysian fans into raptures. The victory also sparked massive celebrations on social media, validating the point that this was a symbolic victory, more than anything else.
But the journey isn’t over. Malaysia are in the semi finals and a clash against Vietnam beckons next. It won’t be easy, which is precisely why it’s important to calm down, rewind and have a look at the lessons that were picked up from Malaysia’s win last night.
1. Safee and Norshahrul need to improve their conversion rate
Lets not even talk about whether they are past their prime. As of this tournament, the partnership between Safee and Norshahrul remains our best bet in the offensive department, as per Dollah’s squad selection. Fair enough, Safee proved his critics wrong with the opening goal of the game last night, but judging by the first three games of the competition, both men certainly need to improve on the finishing in front of goal. If we were to look at last night’s affair alone, Safee missed a glorious chance in the first half, firing his shot against the post, when it could easily been on target. Mat Yo meanwhile, found himself past Hassan Sunny after the break, but could only muster a weak shot that was not even going on target, though Safuwan did eventually clear it away. With Amri Yahya set to miss out on the first leg due to suspension, these two individuals have to up their game tremendously. A minor flashback to the pre-tournament friendly against the Golden Stars would reveal how not converting key opportunities could come back to effectively haunt the team at some point.
2. Safiq-Gary partnership is the way forward
The core of every team lies in the middle of the park, where the combination of two/three central midfielders can more often than not, dictate whether a team dominates the game or allows its opposition to do so instead. And this is where Malaysia primarily seized control last night; within the partnership of Safiq Rahim and Gary Steven. Bear in mind, these are two different players, in terms of style and technique. Safiq is your classic playmaker, who has an impeccable eye for those defence-splitting passes. Gary in return, is more like the ‘Roy Keane’ of Malaysia. He does all the dirty work in midfield and keeps a close eye on any attacks coming in from the Singaporeans. But it’s important to note that he’s exceptional at this role, thus justifying the strength in his partnership with Safiq last night. Malaysia has always struggled to find that balance in the middle, but with this partnership, that’s precisely what they have. And if Gary can reduce his temperamental issues on the field, and be more composed in closing down opposition players, this could be an effective partnership for years to come.
3. Defensive issues continue to harm the team
Rewind back to that match against Thailand, where we crumbled defensively on three separate occassions. All three goals that were conceded that night, could have been avoided with proper marking and proper positioning. Similarly, Khairul Amri’s goal last night was also a defensive mishap. Note that once the ball was flicked into the box, Amri was allowed to make a run into the six yard area, without any Malaysian shirt keeping an eye on him. So when Apek fumbled the save, Amri had all the space in the world to produce an instantaneous reaction and fire it into the back of the net. Now juxtapose this with the quality present within all the other three semi finalists. Vietnam are terrific upfront, with Le Cong Vinh, Philippines have scored 7 goals so far, and Thailand needs no introduction with regards to its offensive capabilities. Assuming that Dollah aims to win the tournament, this should be his primary concern in the next one week.
4. Indra Putra is the epitome of professionalism in Malaysian football
I remember interviewing Steve Darby sometime back and I asked him to list down names of footballers who can be categorized as the ultimate professional within the local football scene. One of the names that emerged from that list was Indra Putra. He burst into the scene during the 2003 SEA Games, as that exciting right footed player and over 10 years later, he goes on to score the third goal in Malaysia’s victory last night. Very few footballers within the country have sustained such high level of fitness, let alone physical ability. Many eyebrows were raised when he was initially included in the Suzuki Cup squad, especially when you consider the fact that it came at the expense of names like Norfarhan Muhammad. But last night certainly proved why sometimes, experience trumps everything else in football.
5. Hariss Harun is arguably the best midfielder in South East Asia
This may be controversial, considering that Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam have solid midfielders within their ranks, but Hariss has been absolutely sensational this year. Not only has he been terrific with Johor DT, showcasing his flexibility by performing at the heart of their defence when required, Hariss has definitely been Singapore’s most impressive performer in the Suzuki Cup this year. Whil doubts can be raised about the performance of several names last night, Hariss’ commitment was indubitable. He worked his socks off throughout the game, and played a massive part in limiting the influence of Safiq and Gary Steven Robbat. If you were to look throughout the South East Asian level, there are not many players in the caliber of Hariss Harun. Perhaps Charyl Cappuis, and a few other names would come into consideration. But Hariss to me, is the best of the lot at the moment.
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