Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Hanoi: Myanmar kept their 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualification campaign on track, producing a solid performance before pulling away late to record a 6-0 win over Singapore in Hanoi.
The win is Myanmar’s third from as many matches, and they remain in control of their fate as they set their sights on Tuesday’s mouth-watering group decider against ASEAN rivals Vietnam who are scheduled to play the Islamic Republic of Iran in the group's later game.
Having hinted at changes before the match, Roger Rejners named a starting eleven with four changes from the team that thrashed Syria on Friday, including Win Theingi Tun and Yee Yee Oo, who between them notched nine of Myanmar’s 14 goals in that match.
Despite the absence of the two of the tournament’s most prolific goalscorers, Myanmar assumed a position of early dominance and took the lead through a looped Hla Yin Win effort after 21 minutes.
They continued to control the flow of possession but had to wait until five minutes before half-time to double their lead, stand-in skipper Wai Wai Aung rising the highest to nod the ball home from a corner.
With goal difference a potentially decisive factor in qualifying for the finals, Reijners made all three of his substitutions at half-time, bringing Tun, Oo and Phu Pwint Khaing into the action.
Tun, who has established herself as one of the stars of the tournament in Hanoi, wasted little time justifying the decision when her free-kick beat Noor Kusumwati at her far post on 54 minutes.
Despite the obvious gulf in class, Singapore defended stubbornly, and were much improved from their previous showing against Vietnam. Goalkeeper and captain Kusumuwati made a number of strong saves, but even she could not prevent Oo from punishing some sloppy defending to make it 4-0 after 71 minutes.
That goal proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, with Aung doubling her tally just four minutes later, and the irrepressible Tun adding her eighth goal in just three matches to make it 6-0 in the dying stages.
With Sunday’s job done, Myanmar turn their attention to the Tuesday’s must-win final match against Vietnam, while Singapore’s tournament is at an end, the 1-0 success against Syria on Matchday One their only win from four starts.
Myanmar head coach Roger Reijners:
“You have a plan before the game, and the most important thing is winning - that's why you play football - and secondly, if you can score goals, score goals, but I had a plan to change players before Tuesday. My plan wasn’t to make three changes at half time, but I think that was the moment to do it. I’m glad about the result, because that’s the most important thing, but what I’m not satisfied with is our performance, especially because you train and you plan and then you see things and think “what are you doing?”. We have a plan. We need to stick to the plan. That’s something we have to learn and improve. You don’t know if they’re ready (to beat Vietnam), but it’s the final match, they have to be ready.”
Singapore head coach Chen Caiying:
"I can see an improvement in our players from the first match, to the second, to this one. There’s more understanding, they’ve gelled together, and they never give up. Even though they’re tired, they still keep going. I believe in the future we can get better and better, [Goalkeeper] Kusumawati did very well, but in certain areas I think she can still improve.”
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