There are times when perhaps we should just hold our hands up and say well done to both teams, neither deserve to lose. Go on, share the bloody thing. Won't happen though. We demand winners and where there is a winner there must be a loser. The crying shame of sport.
On 18' with Indonesia leading 1-0 through Dwi Cahyo Gunawan I turned to the wife and said Malaysia would win. She turned to me and told me the spare room has no air conditioning. Hey ho!
A game of heroes, it's a shame it will be remembered for the villains. Goalscorer Gunawan was shitting bricks approaching the penalty spot. Why the hell was he chosen ahead of the likes of Diego is a mystery all Monday morning quarterbacks will debate for a long time to come. And Meiga Kurnia. The potential to become a truly great keeper, the last pen by Baddrol Bahthiar was driven with such power it squirmed through his fingers and bobbled oh so slowly over the line.
Malaysia won this because that's what they do. The win things. They were down and out towards the end of the second half, they had resorted to long passes and the possession football they had enjoyed earlier in the game had gone, replaced by Indonesia's exuberance and passion.
At crucial moments in the game the hosts were naive. Strikers were slow to retreat back on side after attacks had broken down, defenders went for spectacular high kicks like they were auditioning for the can-can. Exuberance and passion may get fans on the edge of their seats but the team needs Egi, their captain, to slow things down once in a while and play cute. Like baddrol did for Malaysia. Players with promise yes, Diego, Abdurahman, Egi, Meiga will soon be knocking on the national team's door, but too many lapses of concentration.
SEA Games winners in 2009, ASEN Cup winners in 2010. Now this, a memorable hat trick for the Malaysians. They may celebrate tonight, quietly, in their hotel but when they return to KL they will start thinking about the Olympic Qualifiers against Syria and Bahrain next week. And then the SLeague which they will enter next season. And then the ASEAN Cup one more time next December.
Because that is what this Malaysia team is. It's on a journey and looking at the production line back in KL they are looking at dominating the game in the region for the next five years unless someone like Indonesia can finally put the off the field bullshit behind them and start concentrating on what happens on the grass.
For Indonesia the SEA Games final was the destination, such is the band aid approach to the game in the country. I have mentioned what Malaysia will now be looking at. Indonesia? Their players have no idea what league they will be playing in or when their next game is, forget what the Under 23s will do next. Chronic mismanagement has destined Bambang Pamungkas' generation to failure, they must not be allowed to do the same to this exciting crop of players.
UPDATE - whoops, forgot the score!
Malaysia v Indonesia 1-1
Malaysia won 5-4 on penalties
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