The Malaysia Experiment - The U23s are Gold!

"Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence,
is the key to unlocking our potential." - Winston Churchill

The first match was at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland. It was a rainy day and I could definitely feel the chills. I'm just wondering how many debutants I can squeeze in for this match, considering it's against New Zealand that's currently ranked at 105th.

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We kicked off at 7.30pm and 9 minutes in, we were leading! Azhar Ishak (DMC) whipped in the corner, which as headed back to him by Winston Reid (currently playing for West Ham); Ishak was delighted to be presented with a second chance and this time sent in a pinpoint cross to Mohd Faizal Azeman, who sent a bullet header into the top corner. We went into halftime 1-0 up. I was supposed to make some changes at halftime, as Mohd Hanafi Sulaiman and some other players were given club instructions not to play for more than 45 minutes, but due to some administrative error, the changes weren't made. In the 64th minute, Ryan Thomas (currently contracted with PEC Zwolle, Holland) led a fast break on the left, sent in a dangerous pass to our penalty box and Lucas Tari panicked and brought down Jeremy Brockie (playing for the famous Sundowns at club level). Mazlan actually tried to protest but we all know those protests never work. Chris Wood then converted the resulting penalty and the game ended with 1-1.

We headed to Adelaide for our next friendly a few days later. Meanwhile, our U23s has just qualified for the second round!

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Now check that out! Winning all 3 matches, scoring 8 while just conceding 1 against Thailand U23s, in the very last minute of injury time.

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A dour match, another draw, this time goalless. We were actually no match against the Aussies. I would say I'm glad to come away with a draw. It's worth noting that Azhar Ishak (DMC) picked up man of the match for 2 matches in a row! I think he'll work well with Abdul Razak in the future. :)

Now let's get back to Indonesia to cheer on our U23s boys! They'll be facing Tajikistan U23s in the second round.

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I can't believe what I saw! A double hattrick! Unbelievable! He really made full use of his 176cm frame and 4 of the goals were headers. Needless to say, his rating at 10.0 and he won the man of the match.

Muhaimin Jamaludin continued to wreak havoc in the quarter-final against Iran U23s.

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The last match Luqman Hussain connected well with Jamaludin and as a result, produced 3 goals. This time Luqman Hussain got into the action himself with a penalty. Jamaludin produced the goods again with a brace. Yes, both headers. I loved the last goal, where Mansor Mohd Noor played an amazing cross that sliced open the defense and allowed Hussain to run to, and send in a cross for Jamaludin to head in. I have this feeling that as long as the wingers could float in a cross, it manages to find Jamaludin's head somehow.

Next up, South Korea U23s. Bring it on! The current holders. In the other semifinal, Singapore U23s takes on the host, Indonesia 23s.

12 minutes in, our player of the tournament suffered an injury. Jamaludin, who has scored 9 goals in the last 2 matches, is forced to come off after clashing with Jeon Bong-Hyun. That dude is 192cm! I'm pissed, to say the least. I'm pretty sure the boys were as well. Luqman Hussain exacted revenge with a curling freekick outside the box. Their goalkeeper stood no chance!

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Take a look at the stats. 20 goal attempts, 1 shot on target. Saddam El-Hafedz Shahri was barely tested and big part goes to our defenders. Glad we came away with the win. I just hope that Jamaludin's head injury isn't too serious, if not we'll have to pray that Haji Mohd Yusop recovers in time. Let's head on to the final!

The big day is here. 22nd of September 2018. Mark this day down as we attempt to make history. Actually, we've already made history after failing to reach the final in 2 attempts (1962 and 1974). Both editions we ended up third place. We're up against the host, who won the other semifinal against Singapore U23s (2-0). It was a pretty warm day as 500+ fans flocked to the stadium to watch future stars in the making.

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The match kicked off at 7pm and right in the first minute, Pannierselvam (current Asian Young Footballer of the Year) got himself booked. Hussain wasted no time running up and down the left flank, whipping in crosses, but Jasni Abidin is no Jamaludin. What Abidin is though, is one cool kid with ice in his veins. Talk about composure. After taking down a long ball from our goalkeeper near the halfway line with a deft first touch; he played a one-two with Hafiz Aman, he suddenly found himself open with only Agus Yusuf between him and the goal. All that's left to do was to slot it in and we were 1-0 up!

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The hosts weren't going down without a fight. With the home crowd cheering them on, they managed to level at the half-hour mark. Terens Puhiri took the corner and Muchlis Hadi headed it past Mohd Hafizi Wan Sulaiman on his debut. I guess Shahri wasn't match fit to start the final. What a shame :/

The halftime whistle blew and the teams went in on level terms. I'm sure Frank Bernhardt said all the right things and pressed all the right buttons as the boys came out roaring to go! Lo and behold, less than 5 minutes in, we regained out lead. This time it was Haji Mohd Yusop that beat the offside trap and finally came good. Hafiz Azman again with the beautiful pass.

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We sealed the game 5 minutes from time with Azman and Mohd Yusop connecting. Indonesia U23s again punished for playing a high defensive line. Mohd Yusop beat the offside trap and poor Yusof stood no chance. It's pretty much in the bag with a 2 goal cushion and only 5 minutes plus injury time left. :)

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The referee from Tajikistan, Safarali Kholmurodov, blew the final whistle and the whole nation celebrated! It has been a while since we last won a football trophy of any sorts. I wasn't in charge of the team but I'm elated as well. Here are the highlights from the final match for us to relive it as long as we can.

If I have not mentioned, the future of Harimau Malaya is looking very, very bright indeed. Asian Footballer of the Year or Balon d'Or, AFC Asian Cup or World Cup; I'm really daring to dream after this showing!

If you enjoyed this entry, do check out my previous posts
from where it all started, right up to now.