AS I am writing this hours before the second leg of the Suzuki Cup semifinals match between the Philippines and Vietnam, I can only hope that our team pulled off yet another historic feat in Hanoi and make it to the finals for the first time ever.
If not, then it was a decent run for the Azkals nevertheless, and the early exit will give them enough rest before they get down to yet another serious business: preparations for the 2019 Asian Cup next month in the United Arab Emirates.
But whoever won that night will face a gritty Malaysian team in the two-leg finals slated on Dec. 11 and Dec. 15. Some would say the Malayan Tigers were incredibly lucky to defeat Thailand.
In my previous column, I stated that against Vietnam, the Azkals themselves must determine their own fate. To hope for miracles is to demand from the football gods to favor one team over the other.
On the other hand, I wished our team luck, which is more random. Luck happens to those who strive to put themselves in favorable positions.
And yet luck had nothing to do with Malaysia’s fate last Wednesday evening. Luck favored neither Thailand nor Malaysia, and most certainly the visiting team didn’t rely on a miracle in hostile territory where some 40,000-plus Thais filled the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
Instead, Malaysia played like worthy contenders against the defending champions and equalized every time Thailand went ahead and threatened to pull away. Thailand drew first blood in the 21st minute, but Malaysia was quick to respond with a screamer to draw level. On the 63rd, Thailand made the most of a set play to lead 2-1, but Malaysia scored yet another crucial away goal eight minutes later.
One might say that Malaysia was unfortunate to give up a penalty in the dying minutes of the game, or that Thailand was unlucky to miss that same penalty. And yet, upon closer inspection, none of those situations arose because of luck.
Malaysian defender Muhammad bin Safari wasn’t unlucky to commit a handball in the dying minutes of the match. The handball was ridiculously intentional, so the referee awarded Thailand a penalty.
In the same vein, Thai striker Adiasok Kraisorn wasn’t unlucky when he missed the penalty. He missed the penalty because his nerves got the best of him. He had sent the Malaysian keeper the wrong way, but “unfortunately,” he did the same thing to the ball, which went over the bar and well across the Thai border.
In the end, the score stood at 2-2, but Malaysia advanced because of the away goals rule. Jubilation for the Malaysians and heartbreak for the Thais.
I really do hope that the Philippines did the unthinkable and won against Vietnam last night to book its ticket against a finals faceoff with Malaysia.
But if the Philippines failed to advance—either the team didn’t do enough or were not quite lucky—the players and us few Azkals fans can find consolation that another team and its legions of supporters must be far more inconsolable than us right now.
Whatever happened to the Azkals in Vietnam last night can never be worse than the cruel fate that befell football-mad Thailand.