DxJayRock's Notes.

LA Galaxy scores clinical win over PHL Azkals, 6-1 The Los Angeles Galaxy turned up the heat in the second half to beat the Philippine Azkals, 6-1, in their “Dream Cup” exhibition game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Galaxy showed the   Filipino   fans why they are the 2011 Major League Soccer champions, scoring 4 goals against the Azkals in the second half alone. The Azkals actually put up a commendable   defense   against the Galaxy during   the first 20 minutes of the game. But football superstar David Beckham worked his magic by scoring a beautiful shot in the 20th minute. Beckham bent the ball, which looped its way past Azkals goalkeeper Eduard Sacapano. The shot was followed up by another Galaxy strike, this time by Mike Magee, hiking Los Angeles’ lead to 2-0. Magee fired the ball after receiving a perfect set up from Landon Donovan in the 38th minute. However, the Azkals came up with tricks of their own. Filipino-British s...

JAKARTA (21 Nov 2011) – Malaysian skipper Baddrol Bakhtiar and goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat prevailed in the penalty shootout 4-3 to ensure Malaysia retained the prestigious SEA Games gold medal in a thrilling final in front of a capacity 80,000 fans at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium here tonight. Indonesia took the early lead through defender Gunawan Dwi Cahyo but Malaysia equalised through Mohd Asraruddin Omar in the 36 th  minute. The score remained unchanged after extratime. In the shootout, Khairul Fahmi saved the fifth kick while Baddrol drilled it down the centre to hand Malaysia the gold. For Malaysia, today’s hard-fought victory has proven that they are the rising force of the game in the region. After winning the SEA Games gold two years ago in Laos, the Malaysians went on to wrest the AFF Suzuki Cup title last year. While Malaysia were celebrating, it was heartbreak for Indonesia today as the result was a repeat of the 1997 SEA Games football where they had to s...

LEBAK BULUS (15 Nov 2011) – Brunei avoided the wooden spoon tag from Group B of the men’s football event this year when they played perhaps their best game to beat the Philippines 2-1 at the Lebak Bulus Stadium this evening. The Sultanate side who were embarrassed 8-0 by Vietnam in their previous game were a lot more determined this time round and they certainly were a lot more aggressive. For the Philippines they seemed a little out of sorts, no doubt perhaps due to their humiliating 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Myanmar. But that did not stop them from taking the lead on nine minutes when Joshua Beloya ran in from the left before unleashing a swerving shot to beat Awangku Omar Sallehuddin. Brunei were quick to regroup and in the 17 th  minute, striker Adi Said prised open the Philippines defence where despite slipping from a cross from the right, he still managed to get up in time to shoot past two defenders to beat keeper Roland Muller at the far post. The game then fell i...

SENAYAN (13 Nov 2011) –  Indonesia defeated 9-man Thailand 3-1 at the Gelora Bung Karno here tonight to secure their place in the SEA Games football semifinals. For Thailand, once kingpins of the region, it was the second time in as many Games that they have faced a premature exit. Thailand, who earlier lost to Malaysia, needed to win today to remain in contention, but two red cards in the 12th and 74th minutes shattered their dreams of making a comeback in the SEA Games which they won 13 times before. Indonesia have nine points and will play Malaysia in their last group match on Nov 17 to decide which team tops the group. Malaysia defeated Cambodia 4-1 in an earlier game today and are second in Group A with seven points. Malaysia are not yet through as Singapore could also have seven points if they defeat Thailand in their last group match, also slated on Nov 17. In tonight’s match, whatever strategy Thailand had lined up went out the window just 12 minutes after the game kicked ...

SENAYAN (13 Nov 2011) –  Malaysia missed so many chances in a Group A match here today yet it was good enough to defeat Cambodia 4-1 and move the reigning champions a step closer to the semi-finals of the Jakarta SEA Games here. And again it was skipper Baddrol Bakhtiar who played a starring role in leading the team to their second victory. “We missed many chances, but the important thing is that we collected three points. It’s definitely a good result. With today’s result, we are halfway there,” said Malaysian coach Ong Kim Swee after the match. “We had a good start but took it too casual in the second half and were punished.” The Malaysian coach was spot on about his team’s performance which so much in both half. In the first half, the Malaysians were camped out in the Cambodian half and helped themselves to three goals two of which were netted by Baddrol. The opener was scored by striker Izzaq Faris after only eight minutes. He raced in and headed a cross from flanker Yong Kuon...

LEBAK BULUS (13 Nov 2011) –  Laos picked up their first albeit late win in Group B when they overcame Timor Leste 3-0 in the match that was played at the Lebak Bulus Stadium this evening. Playing without the influential Albeiro Murilo, who has been suspended, was telling on the Timorese and they struggled to push forward and put consistent pressure on the Laotian defence. Following from the shock last minute defeat to the Philippines in their previous match, Laos were a lot more determined and compact this time round. Paseutsack Soulivong gave Laos the lead in the 21 st  minute before captain  Lamnoa Singto then added the second goal on 42 minutes before adding his second and Laos’ third a minute to the end with a well taken penalty. Source:www.aseanfootball.org

LEBAK BULUS (13 Nov 2011) –  Myanmar confirmed their place in the semi-finals of the SEA Games this year when they thrashed the Philippines 5-0 in the match that was played at the Lebak Bulus Stadium this evening. Aye San gave Myanmar the early lead with a strike on 11 minutes as Kyaw Zeyar Win then added the second goal in the 41 st  minute for Myanmar to be 2-0 in front at the break. But just a minute into the second half, Kyaw Ko Ko (pix) slammed his first goal in the game before completed the double with his second goal in the 54 th  minute. Yan Aung Win then rounded off a fine afternoon for Myanmar with the fifth and final goal deep in injury time. “It was not much of a match really although the results were deeply satisfying,” said Stefan Hansson, the chief coach of Myanmar. “It was another good performance but I hope that the players will not get carried away and be over confident in the last group game (against Laos in two days).” Philippines tried to get into th...

SENAYAN (11 Nov 2011) –  Thailand bounced back from their mid-week defeat to beat Cambodia with a comprehensive 4-0 score line in a Group A match that was played in front of a sparse crowd at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium this evening. The Thais, determined to regain the crown they lost two years ago in Laos, conceded a 2-1 loss to Malaysia in their opening game in the group on Wednesday. Which meant that they have to beat Cambodia this evening to put their campaign back on track considering that they still have matches against hosts Indonesia and Singapore coming up. The Cambodians on the other hand had gone into the game wanting to improve on their last performance against Singapore where after scoring the lead, they fell to a 2-1 loss to the Young Lions. But this evening, it was to be the Thais who had the lion’s share of the possession and also the attacking flair led by striker and also captain Ronnachai Rangsiyo, who tested Cambodian keeper Um Vichet in the 13 th  minut...

SENAYAN (11 Nov 2011) –  Hosts Indonesia wrested control of Group A when beat Singapore 2-0 on the third match day of men’s football that was played at the  Gelora Bung Karno Stadium this afternoon. Despite playing under hot and humid conditions of a 1400hrs kick-off, the Indonesian started the game strongly when as early as the second minute, Patrich Wanggai cut in from the left to beat defender MuhammadYasir Hanapi before rounding off keeper Mohamad Izwan Mahmud to slot the ball home. That early goal pushed the more than 20,000 screaming fans to their feet. The Young Lions could not believe that they had just conceded the fastest goal thus far in the competition following their scoreless draw against defending champions Malaysia in their first game in the group and then a 2-1 win over Cambodia in their second tie two days earlier. Rattled, Singapore tried to get back into the game but as they started to pressure the hosts, they often left spaces at the back and in the 17 th...

LEBAK BULUS (11 Nov 2011) –  A late double from striker Joshua Beloya delivered the Philippines their first win in Group B of men’s football that was played at the Lebak Bulus Stadium. The Filipinos had opened their campaign with a 3-1 loss to Vietnam before succumbing to a 2-1 loss in their second tie. But after having a few days’ rest; the Philippines were more resolute today as they pushed hard through Manny Ott stoking the engine room as Jason de Jong attempts to provide the balance in the backline. And Manny as the captain led by example when he found the space and time to slot the lead on sixth minute before his opposite number Lamnao Singto found the equalizer in the 37 th minute. The score at the end of the first half was 1-1. But while the Philippines were hoping to build on their first half performance, it was Laos who grabbed the lead when he beat the off side trap for a shot to the left past keeper Roland Muller. The script was well written thus far but the story is fa...

LEBAK BULUS (5 Nov 2011) –  Football is a mind game. And Myanmar certainly proved that tonight when for the second time in two matches, playing with ten men, they managed to avoid defeat. This time, they held Vietnam to a scoreless draw in the second match day of Group B of men’s football that was played at the Lebak Bulus Stadium tonight. While the last time, they managed to beat Laos 3-2 playing with ten men for much of the tie, this time round, they had to do without defender Moe Win right at the hour mark for a foul on Vietnam’s Nguyen Va Quyet. For Vietnam, they put up a much better performance as compared to their first game against the Philippines. They were more seamless in their attacks but for some unfortunate defending, Pham Thanh Luong and co. could have snuck in the early goal. Instead, the finished the first half with a disallowed goal when off a freekick Thanh Luong from the right, Le Van Thang’s sneaked in from the far post to slot the ball home. But linesman Lim K...

LEBAK BULUS (5 Nov 2011) –  Timor Leste fought back from being a goal down to beat Brunei 2-1 on the second match day of the Group B of men’s football that was played at the Lebak Bulus Stadium this evening – courtesy of a double from Murilo de Almeida. Both teams were playing in their first game of the competition following the first match day of the group two days earlier. And this evening, Brunei showed none of the chink or the uncertainty of being absence from this competition which they last took part in 2001 when they took the game to the Timorese. With Timor Leste choosing to play a more offense-minded game by opting to put in three forwards in Antonio Sousa, Alan Pinheiro and Murilo de Almeida, it was Brunei who actually created the early chances. Captain Azwan Muhd Salleh’s tested Timor goalkeeper Emerson Cesario with a sixth minute shot before further attempts from Hamizan Sulaiman and Mohd Hendra Mohd Idris were both thwarted. Timor then replied through de Almeida in th...