INDONESIA RUE OVER MISSED CHANCES

VIENTIANE (6 Dec 2009) – Indonesia team manager Andi Darussalam Tabusalla could not help but expressed his disappointment following the team’s 2-2 draw against Singapore in their opening Group B match last night.

Singapore were 2-0 in front with goals off Muhammad Safuwan Baharuddin in the sixth minute and Mohd Shaiful Esah Nain in the 24th before Indonesia replied through Stevie Bonsapia in the 42nd minute and Rendy in the 65th minute.

“The players were nervous in the first half and we should have been more patient in the second half after they got settled down,” said Andi.

“They created four golden chances and any of them could have been a goal had they been a little more patient. Furthermore, it was obvious that the Singapore players were already tired and we should have capitalised on that. They should have passed the ball around more.

“Nevertheless, a point won is better than losing two. At the very least, the one point has made our passage to the semi-finals better. But I hope that the players will put up a better show in their next match and win the full points.”

Added head coach Alberto Bica: “we played well as a whole but at the start, we were a little nervous and it showed. We cannot afford the same mistakes in our next two matches against Laos and Myanmar.“

In the meantime, Singapore team manager Eugene Loo felt that the daily long walk for training has taken its toll on his players.

“We have to take long walks just to go for training and this affected the players. And with the constant change in training venues, it meant that we had to spent a lot of time on the bus.“

Indonesia’s next match will be against host Laos tomorrow at the Chao Anu-vong Stadium while Singapore will take on Myanmar in the second match of the day.



GROUPINGS

Group A: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Timor Leste, Cambodia

Group B: Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia


RESULTS AND FIXTURES

2 Dec (Main Stadium): MALAYSIA 11 TIMOR LESTE 0/ THAILAND 1 VIETNAM 1

4 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): THAILAND 4 CAMBODIA 0/ VIETNAM 4 TIMOR LESTE 0

5 Dec (Main Stadium): SINGAPORE 2 INDONESIA 2/ LAOS 1 MYANMAR 1

6 Dec (Main Stadium): Vietnam vs Malaysia (1500hrs)/ Timor Leste vs Cambodia (1745hrs)

7 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Myanmar vs Singapore (1500hrs)/ Indonesia vs Laos (1745hrs)

8 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Timor Leste vs Thailand (1500hrs)/ Cambodia vs Malaysia (1745hrs)

9 Dec: Opening Ceremony

10 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Myanmar vs Indonesia (1500hrs)/ Laos vs Singapore (1745hrs)

11 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Cambodia vs Vietnam (1500hrs)/ Malaysia vs Thailand (1500hrs)

14 Dec (Chao Anu Vong Stadium): Semi-finals

17 Dec: Third/ Fourth Placing (1500hrs at Chao Anu Vong Stadium)/ FINAL (1700hrs at Main Stadium)