Myanmar rout Sri Lanka

Bernard PERERA

Myanmar defeated Sri Lanka four goals to nil in a one sided affair. Sri Lanka paid the penalty when they had to play almost 75 minutes with only 10 players as Imtiaz Raheem was sent off the field. His fault caused more pressure on the Lankans throughout the game.

Though Myanmar won with a bigger margin it took almost 40 minutes for them to settle down. They were in control of the game but failed to score. Kyam Thi Ha with a bullet like kick from 35 metres, saw the ball sail through the left corner of the goal which put them ahead. No scoring was possible after this and at the breather Myanmar led 1-0. Lankans were never able to cover their opponents well as they were fast and were well combined.

The second session began with Myanmar making a full scale attack. But Sri Lankan custodian displayed a fine performance between the posts to save as many as three scoring opportunities. If not for custodian Asanka Viraj the victory margin would have been much higher.

The final 20 minutes saw Myanmar score three more goals in quick succession. First it was Yang Paing who found the net to increase the lead. Ten minutes later substitute Pai Soe who replaced Tun Tun win in a solo effort made it three in favour of the visiting team.

With only three minutes left for the final whistle Myanmar skipper with a superb free kick taken 22 metres saw the ball strike upright and moved into the goal which sealed victory for them.

Lankan never made inroads towards their opponents goal area as the Myanmari defence held a strong wall. Lankans should take note of the way the Myanmaris who produced a top class passing game which also helped to have almost 75 to 80 percent ball possession. If Sri Lanka is to look for a semi-final berth they must put up a far better performance in the coming matches. The only players who made strong bid to settle down in the game was skipper Rohana Ruwantilleke and Nadeeka Pushpakumara. Nadeeka was at his best during this game.

Today’s games are: India vs Kyrgyzstan and DPR Korea vs Turkmenistan at the same venue.

Bangladesh outplay Tajikistan - 2/1

Bangladesh came up with a superb performance to outplay the strong outfit from Tajikistan 2-1 in the opening game of the AFC Challenge Cup at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. It was nil-all at the half way mark.

Bangladesh played an attacking game from the word go to surprise Tajikistan with some superb moves. Though they many good moves failed to capitalise from them when the strikers faulted with their kicks at the goal. Same offence was made by the Tajikistan players also when they could not find the net after moving the ball to the danger area. They too had easy chances of scoring.

Both teams had to play hard to stop the strikers from scoring. It was also notable to see the Tajikistani defenders falter on many occasion. The first session saw the Japanese referee pull out the yellow card thrice.

After the turn around the game got tougher for both teams as they were hoping to take the lead. None could achieve success for nearly 23 minutes.

Mohammed Enamul Haque did an excellent job for Bangladeshi when he struck the most needed goal to put his side in front. This brought pressure on Tajikistanis and they too went on a full scale attack which brought good results through the boot of Raber Yusuf in the 69th minute for the equaliser.

Bangladeshis got ahead in the 74th minute when Meshu found the correct target. This happened when he picked up the rebound through the kick taken by Faisal. Tajikistan tried everything in store to find the equalizer but failed in their attempt and Bangladesh went as victors in the opening game.

Saiful Bari the Bangladeshi coach speaking soon after the match said that his team performed well during the whole game. Full credit to the players he said. He also said that it was a lucky day for them. The players came out with everything they had to make this victory against Tajikistan. We have had only a draw while all other games to them.

Pulod Kodirov, the manager of the Tajikstan team said that Bangladesh played good soccer right through the game. They fought a good battle. We never expected this result. Our defenders were the cause for the loss he added.

He said with their regular defender being sent off for rough play we hope to make a change for the next game. His absence is a big loss for the team, he further added. He also noted the ground conditions were in fine fettle for soccer.