Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) was able to keep the pressure on Global after winning 3-0 away at Cambodia’s Beoungket Angkor.
JDT though fielded a 2nd string line-up that lead to doubts on whether they were taking the competition seriously. But those doubts were washed away after eight minutes when a counter-attack lead to Safawi Rasid rounding Angkor keeper, Sou Yaty and shoots into an empty net.
On the 27th minute, Sou Yaty came out of his line to clear the ball, but he failed to connect, and that resulted in the ball heading towards Nazmi Faiz’ path, who shoots from way out and scores.
JDT though could’ve been three up before half-time when Gopinathan got his shirt pulled, but Sou Yaty guessed the right way and saved Azammuddin Akil’s penalty to keep Angkor in it.
In the 2nd half, both sides had chances to score. While R. Gopinathan and Angkor’s Maycon Rogerio failed to convert, it was substitute Gabriel Guerra who got JDT’s third goal in injury time to add more gloss to the scoreline.
Global, however, remains on top of Group F after winning 4-2 at Magwe, but JDT still mathematically has a chance to overtake them.
FELDA United on the other hand, were awful despite playing at their own home stadium in Jengka for the first time in the competition — after losing 3-1 to Singapore’s Tampines Rovers.
FELDA did not replicate their stellar performance against Ceres in the last matchday. On the 29th minute, sloppy ball control from Mootaz Jounaidi allowed Yasir Hanapi to dispossess him. He then crossed the ball by the goal-line and Ivan Dzoni came running into the box unmarked to slot the ball into the net. FELDA were poor in the first half and they were rightly punished.
However, six minutes after the restart, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha equalized for the home side when he unleashed a powerful shot from a very tight angle and somehow, the ball went inside Tampines keeper, Izwan Mahmud’s near post and into the net.
On the 65th minute, Tampines manager Jurgen Raab decided to make a sub by sending Khairul Amri in. He only took three minutes to make an impact as he beat the offside trap by meeting Jufri Taha’s long ball and shoots straight away to put Tampines back in the lead.
Another three minutes later, Ryutaro Megumi net a low cross from the right and poor man-marking lead to Khairul Amri comfortably putting the ball past Farizal Harun that saw Tampines 3-1 up.
Because of the result, FELDA can no longer finish top of their group and perhaps a runner-up spot is too much of an ask — JDT look more likely to snatch the best runners-up spot to qualify for the next round.
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