Harimau Malaya pay the price as Pan Gon's tinkering backfires

All three goals by the War Elephants, under the guidance of coach Alexandre Polking, were from crosses from the flanks and enabled them to beat Malaysia 3-1 on aggregate, thus setting up a title showdown against two-time winners Vietnam.

Having overcome defending champions Thailand 1-0 on home ground, Pan Gon made the extraordinary decision of leaving out four players from either flank for the crucial return-leg match against a vastly superior and highly-technical side.

The South Korean rested right-back Quentin Cheng in the hope that Muhammad Azam Azmi Murad, fresh from a two-match suspension, would be an able replacement. Instead, Thailand scored their first goal through a cross from the right side.

Pan Gon also made a change to the left-back position by opting for Muhammad Fazly Mazlan and resting V. Ruventhiran. Unfortunately, this move backfired too when Thailand scored twice from attacks from the left.

Pan Gon also looked to have erred in his decision to field Muhammad Mukhairi Ajmal Mahadi on the right wing, replacing Muhammad Safawi Rasid, and Mohd Nor Hakim Hassan as the left winger for Faisal Abdul Halim, who was then moved to play just behind striker Darren Lok.

Based on yesterday's match statistics, there was no change in the way Malaysia approached the game here compared to the first leg at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil when they only had 37 per cent possession compared to 63 per cent for Thailand at the Thammasat Stadium here.

Pan Gon's decision in making the chances to his wingers also failed to produce the desired results when Malaysia could only record two attempts, with one on target, while Thailand had seven attempts, of which five were on target.

Thailand's ability to play more dynamically and start their attacks from the defence saw them record an 81.6 per cent pass accuracy while Malaysia's laborious and slow build-ups saw them registering a pass accuracy of 65.1 per cent.

The Thais also displayed solid defensive discipline when they thwarted three attempts by Malaysia, whose defence was undone by three similar moves - crosses from the right and left - that left the Harimau Malaya backline being caught flat-footed and easily breached.

Asked if his decision in making the four changes was the main cause of Malaysia's defeat, Pan Gon replied: "I accept it if you (the media) think so".

In hindsight, one can say that the national team did not learn their lessons from the first-leg tie at the National Stadium.

Although the Harimau Malaya won the first-leg clash on Jan 7, it was Thailand who stole the show by dominating the game with quick and accurate passes and speedy runs by their flankers, which Polking's men again used to such devastating effect yesterday.

Based on that match's statistics, Thailand had 72 per cent of the ball possession as well as 18 attempts, of which four were on target.

In yesterday's match, the way the national team played it was as if they were just waiting for Thailand to score, which they did with aplomb through a powerful header by prolific striker Teerasil Dangda in the 19th minute, followed by two more strikes by winger Bordin Phala (55th minute) and substitute striker Adisak Kraisorn (71st minute).

Overall, Malaysia scored 11 goals and conceded seven in six matches, with Mohamad Faisal emerging as the top scorer with four goals, followed by Stuart Wilkin (three), Sergio Aguero (two) and one each by Darren Lok and Muhammad Haqimi Azim Rosli.

That puts Malaysia behind Indonesia (12 goals) while Vietnam and Thailand have so far notched 14 and 16 goals respectively ahead of their title showdown.

Clearly, Pan Gon will have a better idea about Malaysia's defeat after spending more than five weeks with the players since the end of last November, whereby they have recorded six wins, including two Tier 1 international friendlies, and lost twice in the last month or so.

The experience gained from guiding the team in the AFF Cup this time will surely help him as he casts his net wider in search of the best players this year ahead of preparations for the 2023 Asian Cup Finals to be held in Qatar in January 2024.