AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012: A red card for a confrontation

FADHLI Shas was deeply upset for letting his team down yesterday but it was not his fault in the AFF Cup semi-final second leg in Bangkok.

nst online

Fadhli Shas walks off the field after picking up his second yellow card in the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final second leg in Bangkok yesterday. AFP pic

The 21-year-old felt that Korean referee Lee Min Hu made the wrong decision in sending him off for a second yellow card offence.

Defender Fadhli lost his head when Datsakorn Thonglao elbowed him in the shoulder during an aerial challenge in the 42nd minute. He then confronted the midfielder.

"I don't know why the referee sent me off.

"He should have been fair with his decision. He did not even see what had actually happened," said Fadhli before getting into the team bus at the Supachalasai Stadium.

"I only approached Datsakorn to ask him why he had elbowed me. It was painful. But the referee saw it differently."

"It changed the course of the match. I think if the referee had not sent me off, the result would have been very different."

Thailand coach Winfried Schafer claimed he did not see the incident.

"It happened to me in the first leg when the referee sent me off to the stands.

"Anyway, we played much better and even if Malaysia had 11 players, we would have won," said Schafer.

National coach K. Rajagobal had to reshuffle his squad after Gary Steven Robbat complained of food poisoning hours before the match.

"I needed to make changes and decided on playing Baddrol Baktiar. Gary was vomiting earlier in the day.

"I also substituted S. Kunanlan in the second half after he had injured his knee.

"Playing one man short spoiled my plans as I had a strategy. It totally changed the game. However, I am very proud of my boys for their fighting qualities.

"I am not disappointed. All the best to Thailand in the final," said Rajagobal.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012: Ref blows it, Tigers lose it

AFF SUZUKI CUP: Unlucky Malaysia fall to Thailand in semi-finals

nst online

Malaysia’s Safiq Rahim fights for the ball with Thailand’s Teerasil Dangda in the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final second leg in Bangkok yesterday. Pic by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

A cruel sending-off and defensive errors saw Malaysia's gallant run in the AFF Suzuki Cup come to an end in Bangkok yesterday.

Reduced to 10-man, the Malaysian Tigers could not sustain their tight defence in the second half, and conceded two goals.

Malaysia, the defending champions, lost the semi-final return leg 2-0 and on a 3-1 aggregate.

Fadhli Shas was sent off for a confrontation with Datsakorn Thonglao after the Thai had elbowed him on his shoulder during an aerial challenge in the 43rd minute.

Thailand started their domination from then on, and scored through Teerasil Dangda and Theerathon Bunmathan to qualify for their first final since 2008.

National coach K. Rajagobal once again left Safee Sali on the bench and played striker Norshahrul Idlan Talaha alone up-front with midfielder Baddrol Baktiar pushed into a more offensive role.

Gary Steven Robbat, who played in the first leg, was benched while S. Kunanlan made his third start on the left flank with Azamuddin Mohd Akil in the right wing position.

Captain Safiq Rahim manned the midfield with Amar Rohidan playing in-front of the back line comprising Mahalli Jasuli, Bunyamin Umar, Aidil Zafuan Radzak, Fadhli, Amar Rohidan. Goalkeeper Farizal Marlias made his fourth straight start.

Thailand coach Winfried Schafer fielded the same line-up that held Malaysia to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Bukit Jalil.

"I believe the decision by the referee today (yesterday) was a wrong one at that point.

"I believe the result would have been different if Fadhli was not sent off," said Rajagobal.

"We did well in the first half as we created chances but my plans were affected when Fadhli was sent off.

"Amar made a mistake which resulted in the first goal while our defenders should have done better to stop the second goal."

As early as the fourth minute, Malaysia almost paid the price for Aidil's mistake when he misjudged a pass from Bunyamin Umar.

Datsakorn picked the ball from Aidil's feet before weaving past the centre-back but goalkeeper Farizal Marlias was quick off his goal-line to deny the Thai.

Before that, Safiq, who received a pass from Norshahrul, had his long range effort saved by Thailand keeper Kawin Thamsatchanan.

Thailand were looking for an early goal, and it made Malaysia nervous as desperate tackles saw Fadhli and right-back Mahali Jasuli picking up yellow cards in the opening 15 minutes.

Teerasil had a golden opportunity in the 16th minute but the striker fumbled a low cross from Piyaphon Buntao.

The enterprising Thais continued to press forward and almost took the lead after 29 minutes when Teerasil, who latched on a through pass from Datsakorn, had only keeper Farizal in-front of him but he shot wide.

An aerial challenge between Fadhli and Datsakorn, three minutes before half-time, saw the latter elbowing the former before the Thai charged at the Malaysian.

The unsighted Korean referee Lee Min Hu, who saw only the second incident, stopped the match before booking both players with Fadhli given his marching orders for a second yellow card.

The sending-off meant Rajagobal needed to rethink his approach but he maintained a four-man backline by having defensive midfielder Amar play in the centre-back position.

The referee got it wrong for the second-time minutes before half time when he failed to take appropriate action against Phichitphong Choeichiu, who was on a yellow card, for his high challenge on Baddrol.

Malaysia did well to contain the Thais, who largely depended on four players - Datsakorn, Teerasil, Theerathon and Anucha Kitpongsri - to create opportunities in the first half.

With a man down, Rajagobal replaced Kunanlan with Khyril Muhymeen Zambri as a tactical change to add more variety into the game.

Thailand's persistence finally paid off with a goal in the 60th minute. A defensive mix-up and a mistake by Amar, who miss-judged a clearance by missing the ball completely, in front of Teerasil was a huge mistake as the striker picked up the ball and raced into the box before picking a spot to score past keeper Farizal.

The goal meant Malaysia needed to attack in numbers and the move left holes in their back-line.

Theerathon extended the homesters' lead four minutes later when keeper Farizal parried an earlier attempt directly to him.

Thailand continued to dominate as Rajagobal desperately tried to revive his team by bringing on Safee Sali and giving defender Faizal Muhd his first start in the tournament but the game plan did not work.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Rajagobal calls for Harimau desire

Malaysia coach K. Rajagobal has called for his side to show how badly they want to make the AFF Suzuki Cup final in Thursday's semi-final second leg against Thailand.

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

Both sides meet at the Suphachalasai Stadium with their last-four clash still firmly in the balance, after playing out a 1-1 draw in Sunday's first leg in Kuala Lumpur.

Nonetheless, the War Elephants' ability to get a vital away goal, which came in the 79th minute after Teerasil Dangda headed home a Piyaphon Buntao cross, has led many to suggest they are slight favourites to progress to the final.

Although Rajagobal admits his players have to improve on their display at the weekend, he believes they can do the job if they show the necessary desire.

"There is 90 minutes to play," he said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference. "It will boil down to how badly the players want to be in the final.

"We have to raise our game to another level compared to the first leg. We have nothing to lose and the players are ready."

Thailand were the only team to complete the group stage with a 100% record after recording three wins out of three in Group A, and while they are still regarded as the best side in the competition, Rajagobal insists his players have nothing to fear.

"We are as optimistic as always," he added. "I don't think my players will fear Thailand as we played well in the first leg and have played them before in the past too.

"They will show their character and today's [Tuesday's] training will be simulation for the players. But basically they are ready."

Should Harimau Malaya see off Thailand on Thursday, they will meet Singapore in the final after the Lions saw off Philippines 1-0 on aggregate on Wednesday.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Lions edge Azkals to make Suzuki Cup final

Singapore are through to the AFF Suzuki Cup final with a 1-0 aggregate win over Philippines after a Khairul Amri strike settled Wednesday's semi-final second leg.

By Gabriel Tan at the Jalan Besar Stadium

Having failed to make their chances count last Saturday as they played out a 0-0 draw at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the first leg, the Lions ensured there would be no repeat as they saw off their opponents by a single goal, courtesy of Amri's expertly-placed 19th-minute effort.

The result also means Singapore remain on track for a record fourth title, while the Azkals were left to ponder what could have been for the second tournament running after they were eliminated in the last four two years ago by Indonesia.

Nonetheless, Radojko Avramovic's charges could arguably have made it easier for themselves if they had converted their dominance into goals at the weekend, but they set about to make amends right by pressing forward right from the opening whistle.

11 minutes in, Shaiful Esah nearly opened the scoring when he let fly with a half-volley from all of 35 yards and had Eduard Sacapano scrambling to his far post, only for the ball to sail narrowly wide.

Six minutes later, the Philippines custodian had to be alert to deny Aleksandar Duric when he punched clear a hopeful ball from Shahril Ishak after the 42-year-old had snuck in behind the opposition backline and looked set to get a header away.

However, the Lions duly took the lead two minutes later when a quick freekick by Shahdan Sulaiman to Amri caught Philippines by surprise, allowing the ex-LIONSXII man to stride towards goal and curl a sublime 20-yard effort into the bottom corner.

Two minutes after the half-hour mark, Amri came close to doubling his tally when he was gifted the ball inside the area after a poor clearance by Sacapano, but the keeper did well to recover in time and pushed his snapshot wide of the post.

Aware that scoring one of their own would severely change the complexion of the game given the away goals rule, the Azkals began to show more initiative and forced Izwan Mahbud into his first action in the 42nd minute, when he produced a smart save to keep out a first-time effort by Phil Younghusband after the ball fell into his path following a rampage down the left by Angel Guirado.

Three minutes later, the visitors had an even better chance to equalise when a terrific ball by Patrick Reichelt split the Lions defence and sent James Younghusband through on goal, but Izwan was once again equal to the task and raced off his line in time to deny to Loyola Meralco Sparks star.

In a repeat of last Saturday's game, Philippines then came out from the break with all guns blazing but were finding it difficult to break down the resilient hosts' defence, which was well marshalled by the excellent Baihakki Khaizan.

Two minutes after the hour mark, the 28-year-old did well to cut out a dangerous cross by Paul Mulders, before his centre-back partner Safuwan Baharudin did well to recover from an error and block a shot from Phil Younghusband three minutes later.

Still, the Azkals' increasingly-adventurous ways began to leave gaps at the back and Singapore should have edged further ahead in the 71st minute when Shahdan completely missed the ball with the entire goal to aim for, after Sacapano had parried a Fazrul Nawaz cross straight to him.

Straight up the other end, Phil Younghusband had another chance when he found space 20 yards from goal and drilled in a low shot, but Izwan was not to be beaten once more as he tipped the shot wide at full stretch.

Fazrul, who had come on for Mustafic Fahrudin at the break, was starting to pose a threat down the right and he caused havoc in the visitors' area again in the 78th minute with another drilled cross, but just as Irwan Shah was about the pull the trigger, Azkals captain Rob Gier came to his side's rescue with a great sliding challenge.

Four minutes from time, Philippines had one final chance to equalise and go through on away goals when a Phil Younghusband cross was headed away by Safuwan straight to the waiting Mulders on the edge of the area, but his well-struck effort was bravely blocked by Shahril.

And as the final whistle blew, it was the Lions who were left celebrating their fourth Suzuki Cup final appearance, and their first since 2007.

Singapore: Izwan Mahbud, Daniel Bennett, Baihakki Khaizan, Safuwan Baharudin, Shaiful Esah, Shahdan Sulaiman, Mustafic Fahrudin (Fazrul Nawaz 46'), Isa Halim, Khairul Amri (Irwan Shah 68'), Shahril Ishak (Firdaus Kasman 90'), Aleksandar Duric.

Philippines: Eduard Sacapano, Carli de Murga (Denis Wolf 83'), Rob Gier, Juan Luis Guirado, Dennis Cagara, James Younghusband (Demitrius Omphroy 61'), Jerry Lucena, Paul Mulders, Patrick Reichelt (Emelio Caligdong 46'), Phil Younghusband, Angel Guirado.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Thailand; The Horrible Host!

Malaysia players jog at the Jaran Buraparat ground in Bangkok yesterday.

MALAYSIA got a rude shock yesterday when they arrived at the Jaran Buraparat ground for their first training session in Bangkok.

It was a deplorable, padi field-like pitch with no changing room, toilets or other basic amenities.

The field was uneven and had puddles of water while the goal netting was torn in patches. An official also found a broken bottle.

The pitch, nestled between two expressways, is mainly for public use and also for district-level competitions. Even a school field in Malaysia looks better than this training ground.

The national team could not conduct their normal drill or test strategies as national coach K. Rajagobal feared that the condition of the pitch could injure his players.

In contrast, Thailand were given good training facility in Kuala Lumpur for their practice at the Maybank Sports Complex in Bangi, two days before the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final first leg match.

Malaysia have lodged an official complaint with Asean Football Confederation and Thailand FA (TFA) on the matter.

As it is now the off season in Thailand, TFA could have arranged for the Malaysia team to train at a stadium.

Team manager Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal was upset with such treatment from the concerned parties.

"The FA of Malaysia (FAM) was gracious to Thailand when they were in Kuala Lumpur. I am disappointed," said Subahan yesterday.

"We gave them a police escort, a proper training ground and even granted their request for closed door training but they gave us a padi field. I think we have better conditioned fields in villages in Malaysia.

"We deserve better treatment. Why did they give us a public field? Everyone here watched us train. Furthermore, some of our players could have got injured. It is quite sad as they should have known better."

Asked whether the hosts were trying to sabotage Malaysia's preparation for the return leg, Subahan said they had demonstrated unsportsmanlike behaviour.

"We have wasted a day as the boys could not train properly. It is very unfortunate. AFF tried to look for an alternative but it was too late to move to another ground," Subahan added.

Rajagobal said his team could not practise tactical play yesterday.

"I am upset. I did not expect this. I did not want to push the players for fear of injuries.

"They needed to get a feel of things but I guess they would only get it tomorrow (today) during official practice at the venue," he said.

The coach, however, was non-committal when asked whether the hosts were trying to sabotage his team.

"Definitely, it has disrupted our training today (yesterday). I also wanted to evaluate the condition of our injured players," Rajagobal added.

The Malaysia team training on the roof top of their hotel in Bangkok yesterday. Pic by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

Read more: AFF SUZUKI CUP: Simply deplorable! - Soccer - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/sports/soccer/aff-suzuki-cup-simply-deplorable-1.184693#ixzz2EpazJTEY

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Malaysian made to train on deplorable field in Bangkok

THE battle lines have been drawn – and Malaysia were given a first taste of “hostility” instead of hospitality during training yesterday. 

THE battle lines have been drawn – and Malaysia were given a first taste of “hostility” instead of hospitality during training yesterday

The national team were “designated” to train at the Jaran Buraparat pitch. Imagine the dismay and horror when they arrived at a field which was in far worse condition than many school fields in Malaysia.  

The pitch was water-logged, the goal posts were rusty and the nets were torn. That’s not all, the players also had to change by the roadside as there was no changing room or toilet available at the training ground. 

That really riled up Malaysian team manager Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, who immediately lodged an official complaint with the Asean Football Federation (AFF) and the Thai FA. 

Malaysia are in Bangkok for the second leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final match against Thailand after the first leg in Kuala Lumpur ended 1-1 on Sunday. 

“I’m disappointed with the condition of the pitch … it looks more like a paddy field and poses injury risks to our players,” said Subahan. 

“We have a number of players coming back from injuries and we can’t risk them training on this pitch. It looks likes like a public field and offers us no privacy. 

“I don’t know whether this is part of the Thai FA’s plan to disrupt our preparation for the second-leg match … but it has surely disrupted our training plans for today.” 

What irked Subahan the most is that the Football Association of Malaysian (FAM) had treated the Thai team to the best of Malaysian hospitality when they were in Kuala Lumpur for the first leg semi final tie last Saturday. 

“The Thai team bus was accorded police escort during their travels and were given the well-maintained Maybank Sports Complex to train,” he said. 

“I find it disrespectful of the Thai FA … when we hosted them, we gave them the best treatment.” 

FROM K. RAJAN IN BANGKOK (The Star)

Enjin Petronas diguna bagi kereta PROTON

KUALA LUMPUR: PROTON Holdings Bhd sudah mengambil alih kesemua teknologi dan pengetahuan enjin yang dibangunkan oleh Petronas sejak 1997 melalui cabang pengkomersilisasian teknologinya, Petronas Technology Ventures Sdn Bhd, pada harga RM63 juta.

Pengerusi PROTON, Datuk Seri Khamil Jamil berkata, pengeluar kereta negara itu akan memiliki enjin 2.0L yang menggunakan kuasa turbo yang lebih berkuasa tetapi cekap bahan api serta versi berkuasa turbo 2.2L bagi melengkapi enjin Campro sedia ada.

"Proton dan Petronas mengambil daya usaha penerokaan teknologi enjin pada 1996. Jadi, kini tiba masanya untuk mengambil alih dari Petronas, selepas syarikat itu memutuskan untuk menarik diri sepenuhnya dari aktiviti pembangunan enjin pada 2010." 

"Proton Holdings, melalui Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd, mengambil alih tujuh teknologi enjin yang mempunyai 117 paten teknologi dari Petronas," katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis menandatangani Perjanjian 
Pengambilalihan Aset dan Teknologi itu di sini hari ini. 

Pertukaran dokumen itu disaksikan oleh Penasihat Petronas dan PROTON, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

Khamil berkata, PROTON menjangka pengeluaran besar-besaran enjin baharu itu akan bermula pada suku ketiga tahun depan, dengan memberi keutamaan kepada kereta Proton. 
"Kami sudah melaksanakan pengujian dengan Proton Exora dan Preve. Kereta Proton akan diberi keutamaan," katanya. 

Katanya, PROTON akan bersedia menjalin usaha sama dengan mana-mana syarikat kereta atau pengeluar peralatan asli (OEM) selepas ia mencatatkan kejayaan sebagai pengeluar enjin. 

Kereta "sport" di bawah jenama Proton, Lotus, juga sedang dipertimbangkan untuk dipasang enjin baharu itu yang menggunakan teknologi dan kepakaran Petronas. 

"Proton kini mempunyai enjin Campro, yang akan kami terus tambah baik." 

"Melalui perjanjian ini, kami telah mempunyai enjin jenis baharu yang mesra alam sekitar sambil menyediakan penyelesaian mudah," kata Khamil, sambil menyatakan bahawa pelanggan Proton akan mempunyai pilihan yang lebih baik pada masa depan. 

Khamil berkata, PROTON akan menepati kesemua komitmen atau persetujuan yang dilaksanakan oleh Petronas sebelum pengambilalihan itu. 

Petronas, melalui Petronas Technology Ventures, sebelum ini telah menjalin perjanjian dengan syarikat berpangkalan di China, bagi memulakan pengeluaran besar-besaran enjin pada suku ketiga 2013. 

Sementara itu, bersama-sama dengan teknologi itu, PROTON juga telah mengambil alih satu kemudahan dan peralatan teknologi dari Petronas di Bangi. 

"Dua warga kerja Petronas Menyertai kami. Perbincangan sedang diadakan dengan Petronas bagi mendapatkan baki 60 orang warga kerja berkenaan," katanya. - BERNAMA

BPL 2012 : RVP free-kick wins Manchester derby

A brilliant Robin Van Persie free-kick in the 92nd minute helped Manchester United secure a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Etihad against title rivals Manchester City.

   espn Malaysia

Two goals down to a first-half Wayne Rooney double, Manchester City thought they had snatched a point when Pablo Zabaleta followed up Yaya Toure's strike by driving home five minutes from time.

But after Rafael had been fouled on the edge of the area, Van Persie's free-kick flicked off Samir Nasri before cannoning in off the far post.

As United celebrated, an ugly scene developed as Rio Ferdinand was struck by an object which drew blood from a cut close to his eye.

A supporter then ran onto the pitch and had to be restrained by Joe Hart before being carted away by stewards.

Sir Alex Ferguson then seemed to exchange words with former United striker Carlos Tevez before referee Martin Atkinson brought an end to a breathless afternoon.

Rooney's brace saw him jump to the top of United's scoring charts in Manchester derbies, his 10 goals taking him one clear of Sir Bobby Charlton.

United's defensive frailties have been obvious to everyone this term, so it came as something of a shock that City's rearguard was the topic of conversation at half-time.

Dominant during the opening 15 minutes, the Blues were caught cold by the visitors' first attack, started deep in their own half by Patrice Evra.

Van Persie cushioned a delightful return pass from Ashley Young's flicked header, allowing the winger to drive over halfway and drill a low cross to the edge of the area for Rooney.

Surrounded by three City defenders, Rooney took the ball to his left before cutting a shot back to the near post that Hart had no chance of keeping out.

City's concerns grew when Vincent Kompany was replaced by Kolo Toure, bringing additional uncertainty to a defence which conceded a second a short time later.

This time the surge came from the right wing as Antonio Valencia found an overlapping Rafael with a perfectly-weighted pass which the Brazilian crossed into the danger zone.

Rooney, who had been allowed to gallop unopposed from his initial pass, could not believe the space on offer which allowed him to tuck his first-time shot beyond Hart, allowing him to become the sixth player - and the youngest - to score 150 Premier League goals.

There was a conviction about United's play that was missing from City's.

Mario Balotelli, preferred up front to Carlos Tevez, was the subject of his manager's ire, yet Sergio Aguero was the one who had failed to control the Italian's through-ball when the scores were still level.

Aguero was also the player who took on the entire Red Devils defence single handedly and squeezed a shot towards the corner which David de Gea did well to keep out.

After wasting possession once too often, Balotelli was replaced by Tevez, the Italian heading straight down the tunnel, although not before fixing Mancini with an icy stare.

Ashley Young then had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside when he tucked home the rebound from a Van Persie shot that had cannoned back off a post, and United were still digesting their disappointment as City countered to pull a goal back.

De Gea produced brilliant saves to deny Tevez and David Silva, but he was unable to keep out a third strike on goal from Yaya Toure, who calmly rolled Tevez's cut-back into the bottom corner.

It was the goal that lit the touchpaper for a thrilling finale, with tackles flying in from both sides as referee Atkinson desperately tried to keep control.

Van Persie headed Cleverley's cross over before De Gea somehow kept Silva's shot out at the other end when it flicked off his shoulder and onto the crossbar.

City had the momentum though and when Tevez's corner was half-cleared into Zabaleta's path, the Argentinian thrashed home a ferocious shot through a crowded penalty area.

There was one final twist to come, though, as Van Persie stepped up to end City's 37-match unbeaten run on home soil to send United six points clear at the top.

BPL 2012 : United lebur rekod tanpa kalah City

Robin van Persie menjadi wira Manchester United setelah menjaringkan gol kemenangan dalam kemenangan 3-2 ke atas Manchester City di Stadium Etihad.

sumber espn Malaysia

Wayne Rooney membuka tirai dengan jaringan pada minit ke 16 dan satu lagi tiga belas minit kemudian sebelum Manchester City menyamakan kedudukan melalui Yaya Toure pada minit ke 60 dan Zabaleta pada minit ke 86.

Robin van Persie kemudian menjaringkan gol kemenangan dengan tendangan percuma dalam masa kecederaan dan memastikan kelebihan enam mata di atas Manchester City.Pasukan tuan rumah bermula baik dengan beberapa serangan di awal perlawanan.

Namun Manchester United berjaya mendahului perlawanan apabila hantaran oleh Ashley Young dimanfaatkan oleh Wayne Rooney.

Selepas itu United lebih menguasai perlawanan dan Rooney sekali lagi menyumbat gol untuk pasukannya hasil gandingan Antonio Valencia dan Rafael.

Rooney mencatatkan rekod peribadi jaringan ke-150 dalam Liga Perdana Inggeris selepas menjaringkan gol kedua itu dan juga pemain termuda yang memegang rekod itu.

Pada separuh masa kedia, pengurus Manchester City, Roberto Mancini telah menggantikan Mario Balotelli dengan Carlos Tevez dan City kembali bangkit.

United mempunyai peluang yang hebat pada minit ke-59 namun rembatan Van Persie terkena tiang yang kemudiannya ditendang oleh Ashley Young ke gawang gol tetapi telah dikatakan ofsaid oleh pengadil.

Tidak lama kemudian, City berjaya mendapatkan jaringan selepas Carlos Tevez membuat hantaran kepada Yaya Toure yang menyumbat masuk gol melepasi De Gea pada minit ke-60.

Pablo Zabaleta menyamakan kedudukan 2-2 selepas rembatannya dari tengah berjaya melepasi pertahanan United yang ternyata tidak nampak kelibatnya.

Sir Alex Ferguson kemudian memasukkan Danny Welbeck menggantikan Tom Cleverley.

Pada masa kecederaan, Rafael dijatuhkan oleh Tevez dan sepakan pecuma diberikan kepada United.

Robin Van Persie dari kanan menyumbat masuk sepakan percumanya yang juga merupakan gol kemenangan United dalam Manchester Derby yang sekaligus meleburkan rekod tanpa kalah City dalam liga musim ini.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Weiss: Azkals in good position to make final

Philippines coach Michael Weiss believes Saturday's 0-0 draw with Singapore puts them in a strong position to progress from their AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final tie.

By Gabriel Tan in Manila. espn

The Azkals were unable to commemorate their first-ever game in Southeast Asia's premier international tournament on home soil with a win on Saturday, as they had to hold out for a draw against a dangerous-looking Singapore side at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Nonetheless, Weiss believes the fact that the Lions failed to net a vital away goal, despite having a glut of chances to do so in the opening 45, leaves his side in a good position ahead of Wednesday's second leg in Singapore.

"We have every reason to be confident," he said. "I regard our chances as very good.

"0-0 is not a win but it is also a good result. If we score one goal there [in Singapore] they have to score two [to win].

"A victory or a draw with goals will put us in the final and that's what we're working towards. With this solid defence, it won't be easy for Singapore to score, even on home soil.

"It is now up to Singapore to be more active on home soil, and that might not be the worst scenario for us."

The German did however admit his side had given their opponents too much room to manoeuvre in on Saturday evening, which resulted in Singapore's first-half dominance.

"I think we saw two halves today [Saturday]," Weiss added.

"First, my team was scary [for me] as they were sitting too deep. We invited Singapore to build up and distribute the ball and it created a difficult situation for the backline.

"I wish the team had pushed forward earlier as it would have been easier for us."

Weiss also conceded midfielder Jason de Jong's display on Saturday was far from satisfactory, and while it was Marwin Angeles who replaced him at the break, the Azkals boss hinted it could be a different man who starts next Wednesday.

"I made a change at halftime because in midfield, Jason de Jong's misplaced passes were too much," he explained. "It paid off as Marwin had a good game and it got better after he came on.

"The midfield is crucial and if players don't pick the right passes, we spend the game on the defensive and are unable to threaten on the offensive.

"We're still not playing to our best potential but it was okay. A normal performance means we can only get better.

"We have Jerry Lucena available for the second leg, which will definitely help us in midfield."

Apart from the probable introduction of Lucena into the Philippines engine room, Weiss also revealed he would be tempted to make a couple of other changes to his starting XI.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Raddy laments Lions' wasteful ways

Radojko Avramovic admits his Singapore side wasted their chances to find a winner in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Philippines in their AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final first leg.

By Gabriel Tan in Manila. espn

The result means the last-four clash is evenly poised ahead of next Wednesday's return encounter, although the Lions' failure to score a vital away goal means anything less than a win will see them eliminated if Philippines do find the net at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

nly a matter of time before they opened the scoring.

Captain Shahril Ishak could only fire wide, albeit at full stretch, in the 26th minute after Aleksandar Duric's fierce cross-cum-shot had beaten opposition keeper Eduard Sacapano, before the latter himself wasted a chance when he sent a close-range header at the far post wide nine minutes after the break.

Speaking after the game, Avramovic was left to lament his players' inability to put away the chances they have done so well to manufacture against a Philippines backline renowned for his stability.

"Generally, it was a good game between two good teams," he said. "Both sides played open football.

"But we were missing concentration in the first half because in that period, we should have scored.

"We came to try and win the game and we were attacking a lot, especially in the first half, and we deserved to score but we didn't."

Nonetheless, the Serb was quick to declare he was pleased with the work rate they had displayed, although he was far from impressed with the performance of referee Al Hilali Abduallah Mohamed Masoud, who dished out a host of cautions to the visitors.

"I really can't fault the players as they gave 100% but we didn't score and now we must look forward to the next game," Avramovic added.

"Although there was no concentration, this happens sometimes. Our players did a lot of running and I'm sure this affected them.

"At the last moment, they miss the decisive pass or shot, but we cannot blame them as they tried.

"I think in games likes this it [the referring decisions that went against them] happens, especially if some players behave like they are in theatre.

"I don't think the referee was at the same level today [Saturday]."

Even though Singapore's route to the final will be complicated further as long as the Azkals get an away goal in Wednesday's return leg, Avramovic believes the equation is still the same even though his side failed to score at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

"This is football," he said. "We didn't score but in the end we should be happy it's 0-0.

"This means it will be a good game in Singapore for us and Philippines. Nothing has changed.

"They didn't score and we didn't score, and Philippines and we will start the next game in the same position."

Avramovic refused to confirm if midfielder Shi Jiayi, who has left the squad to attend to a personal matter, will be back for Wednesday's game, while he also said he is unsure if the knock that Khairul Amri received towards the end of the game would make him an injury doubt.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Schafer eyes Thailand improvement

Winfried Schafer admits his Thailand side need to work on their slow start to Sunday's 1-1 draw with Malaysia in the first leg of their AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final tie.

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

Following a dominant display in the previous round, where they finished top of Group A with three wins out of three, Thailand were expected to come out for Sunday's game at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium firing on all cylinders.

Harimau Malaya, on the other hand, needed a win in their final Group B game against Indonesia to seal their progress to the last four, but it was them who got off to the more dominant start and after a goalless first half, they duly took the lead in the 48th minute when Norshahrul Idlan Talaha nodded home a Mahalli Jasuli cross.

Nonetheless, the goal sparked the War Elephants to life and they ultimately forced a draw 11 minutes from time when Teerasil Dangda sent a fantastic header over Farizal Marlias' despairing dive and into the top corner.

Having previously only had words of praise for his side all tournament long, Schafer he was slightly frustrated by their performance on Sunday.

"The first half was not our match," he said. "We didn't play well.

"We lost too many balls in midfield and the long balls from Malaysia were difficult for us to handle. We made too many mistakes in the first half."

However, the German believes the 1-1 draw was a satisfactory result to take back to the Suphachalasai Stadium for Thursday's return leg.

"After we went down 1-0, we played better," Schafer added. "We started pressing them well and the 1-1 draw is fantastic.

"This is a good result for us - scoring one goal here in Kuala Lumpur is fantastic."

Schafer will be absent from the touchline in Thursday's match as he will be serving a one-game suspension, after being sent off in the 81st minute of Sunday's clash for angrily remonstrating with the referee.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Harimau Malaya raih keputusan seri

Sumber espn Malaysia

Malaysia seri 1-1 dengan Thailand di Stadium Bukit Jalil pada malam Ahad dalam perlawanan pertama separuh akhir Piala AFF Suzuki 2012.

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha telah membuka tirai untuk Malaysia dari hantaran tepat Mahali Jasuli dari sayap kanan pada minit ke 49. Malangnya, Thailand berjaya menyamakan kedudukan melalui tandukan penyerang bintang Teerasil Dangda 30 minit kemudian.

Malaysia akan bertemu Thailand dalam perlawanan kedua pada 13 Disember di Stadium Supachalasai, Bangkok.

Perlawanan peringkat separuh akhir pertama ini antara Thailand yang menduduki tempat 152 ranking FIFA dengan pasukan tuan rumah Malaysia, yang menduduki tempat ke 163 bermula dengan gerakan serangan Harimau Malaya dari minit pertama.

Ketua pasukan Safiq Rahim mengambil tendangan sudut pertama pada minit kelima tetapi hantarannya gagal lepas benteng pertahanan Thailand.

Thailand bertindak dengan serangan balas pada minit ke 12 dan Adul Lahso melepaskan rembatan dari jarak jauh tetapi Farizal Marlias membuat halangan penting.

Tiga minit kemudian, Malaysia mendapat tendangan sudut kedua tetapi pengadil menghentikan perlawanan seketika akibat masalah lampu laser.

Malayasia teruskan serangan tetapi Thailand membalas dengan gerakan pantas yang akhirnya ditangani Gary Robbat.

Norshahrul Idlan Talaha cuba menggelecek lepas benteng pertahanan Thailand pada minit ke 18 tetapi hilang kawalan dan Bunyamin Umar merampas bola kembali di sayap kanan dan memberi hantaran kepada Azamuddin Akil tetapi tandukannya tersasar.

Teerasil kemudian dilayangkan kad kuning pada minit ke 23 akibat mengasari Azamuddin dari belakang. Thailand jelas dikejutkan oleh usaha Malaysia.

Pichitphong Choeichiu memberi rembatan kencang dari jauh empat minit kemudian tetapi Farizal memesongnya keluar.

Anucha kemudian melancarkan serangan dari sayap kiri dan Teerasil membuat hantaran tetapi Farizal menyerlah dan menangkap bola dengan kemas.

Satu-satunya sumbangan Safiq dalam perlawanan adalah tendangan percuma pada minit ke 34 yang ditepis keluar oleh Kawin dengan baik dan keputusan kekal seri tanpa gol pada masa rehat.

Babak kedua bermula dengan rentak yang sama dan Harimau Malaya akhirnya membuka tirai pada minit ke 49 apabila Mahali melepasi penanda beliau di sayap kanan dan memberi hantaran tepat yang ditanduk masuk oleh Norshahrul dengan senang.

Thailand meningkatkan lagi prestasi dan Malaysia tidak mempunyai banyak peluang untuk menyerang terutama apabila Safee Sali dan S. Kunalan menggantikan Amar Rohidan dan Baddrol Bakhtiar pada minit ke 73.

Gerakan Malaysia terus merosot dan Teerasil menyamakan kedudukan dengan tandukan baik pada minit ke 79 dari hantaran jauh.

Beberapa minit kemudian, jurulatih Thailand Winfried Schaefer diarahkan untuk meninggalkan bangku simpanan akibat meluahkan perasaan dan keputusan seri 1-1 kekal hinggal wisel penamat.

AFF SUZUKI CUP 2012 : Rajagobal: Kami beraksi lebih baik

Sumber : espn malaysia

Jurulatih Datuk K. Rajagopal gembira dengan keputusan walaupun Malaysia terikat seri 1-1 bersama Thailand di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil.

Maklumlah, ia merupakan persembahan terbaik oleh pasukan Malaysia dalam saingan Piala Suzuki AFF setakat ini. Kini, mereka harus mengekalkan prestasi yang sama dalam perlawanan separuh akhir kedua di Bangkok pada hari Khamis untuk melayakkan diri ke peringkat akhir.

Walaubagaimanapun, Rajagopal tidak gentar dengan perlawanan akan datang kerana beliau yakin bahawa "bola sepak mampu mengejutkan."

"Saya tidak bimbang. Ia adalah sebuah keputusan yang baik - mungkin yang terbaik bagi pemain kami pada masa ini," jurulatih yang berusia 56 itu berkata.

"Saya tidak akan meminta lebih memandangkan beberapa masalah kecederaan yang telah kami mengalami setakat ini. Kami telah beraksi lebih baik dari Thailand. Kami memberi cabaran yang baik dan patut menang 3-1."

"Keputusan akhir masih terbuka. Saya tidak meragukan bahawa Thailand adalah pasukan alwan yang mencabar tetapi Sukan ini mengejutkan; apa-apa mungkin berlaku. Kami hanya mampu memberikan yang terbaik di Bangkok nanti," beliau menambah.

Rajagopal telah menurunkan skuad yang lebih mempertahan selaku penyerang, Safee Sali dan pemain sayap, S.Kunalan dikecualikan akibat kurang sihat untuk bermain 90 minit. Pemain pertahanan, Amar Rohaidan dan Gary Steven Robbat pula diturunkan sementara kapten, Safiq Rahim yang telah memegang tempat pemain tengah, menyerlah di posisi di belakang penyerang utama, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha.

Malaysia berjaya mendahului pada minit ke 48 melalui tandukan Norshahrul. Thailand kembali bangkit dengan menguji kubu pertahanan Malaysia yang turut berjuang sehingga minit ke 79 di mana Teeerasil Dangda berjaya menyumbang bola untuk melulusi Fazrial Marlias.

Ditanya jika beliau akan menggunakan taktik yang sama dalam perlawanan kedua di mana Malaysia perlu menang untuk melangkah masuk ke pusingan seterusnya, Rajagopal berjenaka: "Mungkin saya akan menurunkan tujuh pemain tengah."

"Benteng tengah padang telah bermain dengan baik untuk mengatasi Thailand. Kami turut mencabar kubu pertahanan mereka dan telah menyertakan Kunalan dan Safee untuk menyemarakkan semangat dalam pasukan."