Malaysian defensive midfielder Gary Steven Robbat claims that everyone within the squad is fired up and ready for their monumental second leg clash against Vietnam on Thursday.
Dollah Salleh’s men will head into the game with a mountain to climb, considering that the Golden Stars secured a favourable 2-1 away win in the first leg. The Malayan Tigers will need to keep their defence tight, and score at least two goals to stand any chance of making it through to the finals.
“Everyone looks normal and we’re all just focused and ready for the game,” Gary told FourthOfficial.com exclusively. “The first leg was really unfortunate. We looked tired and they took advantage of it effectively to secure the win. Their no. 10 (Nguyen van Quyet) is extremely dangerous.”
The 22 year-old midfielder has earned plenty of plaudits for his performances in the Suzuki Cup, with Sabah FA legend Scott Ollerenshaw even claiming that he could go on to become Malaysia’s best midfielder by 2016.
However, as the ex-Australian international also aptly pointed out, Gary needs to address and solve his temperament issues on the pitch; something the robust midfielder is committed towards.
“I really appreciate Scott’s comments and I’d like to thank him for that. And I agree, I really want to control my roughness on the pitch,” he said.
“I still have a lot to work on and learn in order to becomes one of the best footballers in Malaysia, and I intend to do it.”
The last 48 hours has been marred by the shameful incident that took place after the first leg in Shah Alam on Sunday, where several Malaysian supporters attacked a group of Vietnamese fans, beating them up as well.
It led to Vietnamese fans issuing threats on social media, claiming that revenge will be taken during the second leg in Hanoi. But Gary urged everyone to calm down and be composed in dealing with the matter, stating that violence has never and will never have a spot within the beautiful game.
“This needs to stop. Fans should avoid violence between each other at all cost. Football has always been a game of joy and friendship. I hope it stops.”
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