Just A Few Things: Malaysia Vs. Vietnam

Different Script, Same Result

There was at least something different about this match compared to our four previous encounters. For starters, we scored against a Vietnam team that usually always frustrate us. Next, we actually had a few great chances to score such Syafiq Ahmad’s header that was incredibly saved one-handed by Vietnam keeper Bai Tan Truong and Guilherme De Paula’s close-range effort bafflingly straight at the same man. Besides, there wasn’t that same air of frustration too. It was at least a slightly better showing compared to the disaster we witnessed against the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

However, the result remained the same. Vietnam once again comes out on top, taking their record against us under head coach Park Hang-seo to four wins and a draw. We may have a few good chances, but Vietnam had far more threatening opportunities to score and we can count ourselves fortunate they didn’t score more.

The gap between us once again becomes apparent here. As Vietnam prepares for the next round of World Cup qualifying, we are left licking our wounds and reflect on what went wrong as the improbable World Cup dream comes to an end even after a bright start to the campaign.

Is Safawi Ok?

Let’s not beat around the bush. Something is seriously not right with Safawi Rasid. Once upon a time before the pandemic hit everyone hard, the winger was sitting on top of Malaysian football. But he looks nowhere near what he was back then. Ever since his injury, Safawi has been struggling for form and it shows further here. Throughout the first half, Safawi was as absent as a ghost before being hooked at half-time. At least a ghost has a terrifying presence.

And that’s not all. Arif Aiman, who came on around the hour mark for Mohamadou Sumareh, did way more in less than 30 minutes compared to the 135+minutes given to Safawi and Sumareh since the team arrived in the Middle East. Arif showed determination in dribbling past defenders on the right, did well to keep possession and the quality of his crosses looked top-notch.

Chang Hoe has to give Arif a start on the right for the Thailand game. As for Safawi, whatever the problem is, he needs to resolve it not just for the country’s sake but also for his well being as he looks like he has lost confidence. We need the old Safawi back. If not calling him up for national duty is what it takes for him to bounce back, then so be it.

The Future Of The Harimau Malaya

Pardon for the transition to the first-person view, but I made a thread on Twitter about my thoughts on the direction of the national team here. Now we may have one more qualifying match to play, but the two qualifying matches and the two friendlies we played so far is enough to assess the current state of the national team. Tan Cheng Hoe picked these players prior to the qualifiers in order to maintain the familiarity he has with them despite the questions surrounding the inclusion of some of them. Sadly, they failed to repay the trust Cheng Hoe (And Malaysia) has in them and failed to liven up.

The team needs urgent changes. There are a few players in the team that looked a shadow of themselves compared to 2019. Aidil Zafuan is sadly not getting any younger, Syamer Kutty Abba’s engine in midfield is sputtering, and we already mentioned the problems of Safawi and Sumareh. And let’s not get started on Guilherme De Paula too.

Some fresh young faces would be a welcoming addition to the Harimau Malaya and there were already a few players that caught the fans’ attention in the Malaysia Super League that surely looks ready. It would be mind-boggling if the same players are still selected. If they do, Cheng Hoe has to be given tough and bombarding questions.

Apa Lagi?

Cheng Hoe only brought one pure left-back to UAE and it’s likely to coming back to haunt him. La’vere Corbin-Ong, one of the few bright spots in the Malaysia team, had picked up his second accumulated yellow following a foul in the first half and as a result, is suspended for the Thailand match along with Syamer Kutty Abba for the same reason. Corbin will surely be a miss and Dion Cools will likely be deployed as a makeshift left-back in the process.

For all the harsh (But perhaps fair) criticism he’s getting, De Paula at least deserves some credit for winning the penalty and had the bravery to take it and score in the process. The delight in his face couldn’t be more evident. He may not be as bad as he was in here compared to the UAE match, but he struggled once again in a Target Man role that he is not accustomed to and also had a few face-palming moments such as his failed attempt in a dribble and loose passing.

Finally, substitutes Akhyar Rashid and Nazmi Faiz, who also despite having a lack of game time, showed some needed pep in their respective positions. Akhyar is seen attacking the box more, even more so unusually considering his diminutive figure while Nazmi provided more creativity in the middle. He would’ve got an assist from a free-kick had De Paula not astonishingly missed from close range. These two players should also be considered to start against Thailand in four days time.

And as for the penalty, first glance and some replays showed that Nguyen Van Toan looked like he dived to win Vietnam’s penalty after being fouled by Brendan Gan. But another replay showed that Brendan did catch Van Toan by the back of his heel. So there was contact and ultimately, the referee did get it right. What actually sparked the anger was how Van Toan fell down theatrically and hence, why people thought it was a dive at first.

A Message Of Support

To close this article, we at PadangBolaSepak offer our condolences to head coach Tan Cheng Hoe, whose father sadly passed away on the morning of the matchday. Stay strong, coach. We are with you.

THIS ARTICLE IS POWERED BY CYBERLYNX INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE: EDUCATION FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM