AFF Cup: Laos Vow To Give 110% Against Malaysia

      
  The big four of Asean football progressed into the semi-finals of the AFF Suzuki Cup after an action-packed six days of group games that produced 46 goals.
  Defending champions Singapore and the co-hosts Indonesia were joined by three-time winners Thailand and Vietnam after the final pool matches on Wednesday.
  Malaysia missed out on the semi-finals for the first time since 1998 after Thailand beat them 3-0 and Vietnam defeated Laos 4-0 in the Group B double header. Group B winners Thailand, the only side not to have conceded a goal in the group games, take on Indonesia while Singapore, who topped Group A, play Vietnam in the home and away semis.
  The Thais, hot favourites to win the title after three impressive performances, travel to Jakarta for the first leg on December 16 with the home tie to be played on December 20. Vietnam will be at home to Singapore on December 17 and play in the Lion City on December 21.
  Thailand, under new coach Peter Reid, were top scorers in group action with 11 goals but the former Sunderland and Manchester City boss will still be concerned at the profligacy of his young forward line. Teerasil Dangda, one of the three Thai players involved in the ill-starred move to Manchester City last year, scored twice against Malaysia in the 3-0 victory but both finishes lacked authority and he missed a hatful of other opportunities during the game.
  Ronnachai Rangsiyo, like Teerasil just 20 years old, also fluffed a couple of good chances while 23-year-old Teerathep Winothai, the most experienced of the strikers having played international football since he was 16, has still to score in the tournament. Englishman Reid, a tough tackling midfielder for club and country, has fashioned a team in his own image with Thailand having added a physical element to their game both in defence and midfield.
  However, the side do not want for creativity or pace with midfield dynamo Datsakorn Thonglao one of the players of the tournament so far and both Sutee Suksomkit and Arthit Sunthornphit outstanding with their left-footed free kicks and corners.
  Singapore, as they did during their winning campaigns of 2004 and 2007, have grown in stature in every game and will not be knocked off their perch easily. They have scored 10 goals and possess an abundance of striking talent in Nigeria born Agu Casmir, who has found the net four times so far, the bustling Aleksandar Duric and 2007 top scorer and MVP Noh Alam Shah. John Wilkinson, Mustafic Fahrudin and Shi Jiayi form a good midfield partnership while Daniel Bennett, Baihakki Khaizan and Precious Emuejeraye have shown good understanding at the back. Singapore have gone 20 games in the tournament without defeat, with the tactically astute Radojko Avramovic being in charge for 18 of them. Indonesia were pacy and penetrative in their victories over Cambodia and Myanmar with Budi Sudarsono, the hat-trick hero against the Cambodians, and Bambang Pamungkas looking sharp in the box.
  The duo had an off day in the 2-0 loss to Singapore but with Firman Utina driving forward from midfield, good service from the flanks and the backing of a capacity 80,000 crowd at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Bambang and Budi could give the Thailand defence their first real test.
  Vietnam have shown glimpses of what they are capable of with striker Le Cong Vinh, industrious midfielder Pham Thanh Luong and Nguyen Vu Phong, scorer of two vital goals against Malaysia, their top performers. As they displayed at the 2007 Asian Cup when they were the only Asean team to qualify for the quarter-finals, they are a match for most teams when playing at home and will be looking to go into the second leg a couple of goals to the good.