BRUNEI BLAST TIMOR TO GO TOP

PHNOM PENH (21 Oct 2008) – Brunei blasted Timor Leste 4-1 to go top of the standings in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 qualifiers here at the National Olympic Stadium.With Laos beating the Philippines 2-1 in an earlier match, it has made the chase for the two only available spots into the next round still open.“It was an excellent game and it was tough until the final whistle,” said Vjeran Simunic, the head coach for Brunei.“But we were going for the positive result as we needed the points to make sure that we have a good chance to qualify into the next round.”With Timor looking a shade off colour as captain Alfredo Esteves looking a little restrained, it allowed Brunei more space to push forward.It did not take too long for Brunei to go in front where in the ninth minute off a short pass from the left, prolific striker Mohd Shahraezn Said blasted home to put them in front.Timor continued to struggle after that and with the failure to win the midfield battles, their stray passes added to the confusion of the forwards as Brunei continued to stamp their authority.In the 26th minute, Shahrazen was again on target when he headed home a well-executed cross from Sairol Sahari to put the sultanate in a confident mood as they head into the dressing room at the half.The second half saw Simunic urging his lads on and in the 57th minute, Brunei nailed their third goal of the evening when a clever chip from the midfield was put well beyond the reach of Timor keeper Leonel Araujo by the nippy Mohd Azwan Saleh.Brunei gave then gave themselves an unassiable lead in the 76th minute with a penalty from Sallehuddin Damit although Timor did pull a goal back ten minutes to the end from Rosito Soares.“Brunei started the match better than us,” lamented Pedro Almeida, the head coach for Timor Leste.“We made two mistakes earlier in the game and they scored both times. That is football.” (aseanfootball)

SO CLOSE BUT YET SO FAR FOR TIMOR LESTE

PHNOM PENH (19 Oct 2008) – It was a case of coming so close but yet so far for Timor Leste when they gave away a two-goal lead to be held to a 2-2 draw by hosts Cambodia on the second match day of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 qualifiers at the National Olympic Stadium.The score at the end of the first half was 1-0 when Anggisu Barbosa slammed home the lead with seconds left to the breather before Jose Perreira added the second goal through a penalty in the 67th minute.But Cambodia, who had beaten Laos 3-2 in their opening game two days earlier, replied through a 78th minute penalty from Khim Borey before Sun Sovannarith grabbed the equalizer ten minutes to the end.“The most important is that we got the one point,” said Prak Sovannara, the head coach of Cambodia afterwards.“We came back after being two goals down and that speaks a lot about the ability of the players and personally, it is a wonderful result.”It was Cambodia who were the early aggressors with Ieng Saknida testing Timor keeper Leonel Araujo with a 25metre drive that went over the crossbar.Four minutes later, it was Timor’s turn when Manuel Pereira’s cross for the waiting Rosito Soares at the far end was denied by Cambodia keeper Samreth Seiha.Cambodia had the lions’s share of the exchange and in the 13th minute a header from Sun Sovannarith was blocked while some time afterwards, a swerving freekick from Chan Rithy was punched out of play by Leonel.But there was no denying Timor the lead in the 45th minute when off a cross from captain Alfredo Esteves from the right, Anggisu flicked the ball in from the far post.The break saw no changes to the way both teams played although Manuel Pereira played more as the lone striker as Timor tried to contain the pressure from the hosts who were cheered by more than 12,000 fans.With Cambodia failing to score even though they did bring in veteran midfielder Pich Sina in the 56th minute, Timor went further ahead when Jose Pereira converted a penalty in the 67th minute after Cambodian keeper Ouk Mic was penalized for bringing in down Maneul Pereira inside the box.Cambodia took a more offensive stance and they finally turned the game on its head when following sustained pressure, Timor conceced a penalty after captain Esteves was penalized for a fault on Sovannarith inside the box.Khim Borey delivered the goal from the spot to give Cambodia some glimmer of hope of stealing the one point.And they did just that in the 80th minute when Sovannarith slammed home the equalizer off a rebound.“We played well in the first half but we were under a lot of pressure in the second half,” said Pedro Almeida, the head coach for Timor Leste.“We had to defend a lot and that tires the team. But the one point is good against Cambodia.” (aseanfootball)

BORROMEO BREAKS TIMOR’S HEART

PHNOM PENH (17 Oct 2008) – A solitary strike from Alexander Borromeo in the second half of an evenly contested match gave the Philippines a well-deserved 1-0 win over Timor Leste in the opening match of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 qualifiers here at the National Olympic Stadium. The score was a far cry from the 7-0 beating Timor Leste suffered in the last qualifiers in 2006 which was played in Bacolod City – a thought not lost on Philippines head coach Juan Cutillas.“Sure, the Philippines beat them 7-0 in the last match but that was played at a neutral venue and also Timor did not have some of the quality players they have now,” said Cutillas.“Timor played very well but we deserved to win because we created a lot of chances.”Playing under sweltering conditions, both teams were a little slow off the block where Philippines only created the first chance in the 12th minute off a header from Ian Araneta but which went wide.Two minutes later, Timor fought back through Manuel Pereira but even though he managed to beat the off-side trap, he just could not get the last touch as both teams contend with the deadlock at the break.The failure of either Philippines or Timor to put some muscle at the centre of the park meant that the midfield struggle continued in the second half.Philippines then carved their first goal after the break in the 68th minute when Borromeo slammed home the lead following a botched freekick.Timor had a great chance of stealing the one point but their goal was disallowed after the second linesmen spotted a technical fault with the ball not being in play.“I enjoyed the way we played,” said Pedro Almeida, the head coach of Timor Leste.“And the disallowed goal was the mistake of our goalkeeper, so there’s no contention on that. We will just pick up from what we have shown here and improve to our next game.”(aseanfootball)

Asian Beach Games 2008 - Indonesia Gasak Timor Leste 9-1

Sanur - Kemenangan besar diraih tim sepakbola pantai Indonesia. Menjalani laga pertama menghadapi Timor Leste, I Nyoman Jumada cs meraih kemenangan meyakinkan 9-1.

Menjalani laga di Pantai Sanur, Sabtu (18/10/2008), tim Indonesia mengawali langkahnya dengan hasil memuaskan. Tampil meyakinkan di tiga babak, skuad besutan pelatih Mahayasa memetik kemenangan 9-1.

Adalah I Kadek Yuli Pari Mawan yang menjadi bintang kemenangan tim tuan rumah dengan tiga gol yang dilesakkannya. Putra Bali kelahiran 24 Juli 1986 itu menjebol gawang lawan di menit 1, 5 dan enam babak ketiga.Juga tak kalah gemilang adalah I Nyoman Jumada dan Dewa Dwipa Yuda dan masing-masing menambah dua gol buat pasukan merah putih. Sementara dua gol Indonesia lainnya masing-masing datang dari AA Artadinata dan I Wayan Metra Jaya. Satu-satunya gol Timor Leste yang bersarang di gawang Indonesia datang di menit keempat babak ketiga melalui Chiquito Do Carmo. Di pertandingan selanjutnya Indonesia akan menghadapi tim Qatar. Pertandingan tersebut juga akan dilangsungkan di Sanur pada Minggu (20/10/2008). Indonesia sendiri tergabung di Grup A bersama Timor Leste, Uzbekistan dan Qatar.Pada pertandingan lainnya di Grup B, Uni Emirat Arab juga membuka lebar jalannya ke babak kedua. Menghadapi Myanmar, UEA memetik kemenangan 2-0.(Detik)

QUIET CONFIDENCE AHEAD OF AFF SUZUKI CUP QUALIFIERS KICK-OFF

PHNOM PENH (16 Oct 2008) – There was an air of quiet confidence and subtle trepidations at the pre-match Press Conference this morning at the Nagaworld Hotel ahead of the official kick-off for the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008 qualifiers tomorrow afternoon.

The conference was held immediately after the team managers’ meeting and was attended by more than 25 members of the local press corps and two journalists from abroad.

Philippines will open their campaign against Timor Leste tomorrow while hosts Cambodia will be up against Laos.

Brunei will have the day off.

None of the teams were willing to assess their opponents’ strength or weaknesses preferring instead to focus on their own game plan and their need to have a positive start to the tournament.

All the teams taking part are of almost equal strength with several making their preparations for this qualifier abroad – signaling their seriousness and their desire to win.

At stake would be the only two available slots for the tournament proper which will be held in December in Indonesia and Thailand.

QUOTES

“On behalf of the local football family and also the government of Cambodia, I welcome everyone to Phnom Penh. I hope for a successful tournament in very friendly atmosphere. Cambodia is a very young country and we are trying to learn more in hosting big international events. With that, I would like to thank the Asean football family and WSG (World Sport Group) for all their support.” - His Excellency General Sao Sokha, President of the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC)“

I know that the all the teams here are well-prepared and they want to win the two available slots to the next round (of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2008). But I hope that while they will play hard, they should also uphold ‘Fair Play’ above all else.” - Nugraha Besoes, Head of Delegation, Asean Football Federation (AFF)

“We played two games in Bangkok before coming here where we also had several days of training. We won one match and lost once – both games were against professional club sides. Although we have a few players playing abroad, I don’t think that it will be a big advantage against Timor Leste.” - Alberto Honasan, technical consultant of the Philippines FA

“We have been in training for the last two months. Some players are new but we hope that we can do well in this tournament. We played against Philippines in 2004 and I know that there have been a lot of changes to both teams. I am looking for a positive start so we will see what happens at the end of the game (as far as the results are concerned).” - Pedro Almeida, head coach of Timor Leste

“We have had some three months of preparation and before this tournament, we went to South Korea to play eight matches. We played against mostly university teams where we won one match, draw one game and lost six times. I know that the results have not been very good but the mentality of the players have been positive and we will look to win our first game.” - Dary Bouy, assistant coach of Cambodia

“Before coming to Phnom Penh, we were training at one of the professional clubs in Vietnam (at Hong An Gia Lai). This team is being prepared for the SEA Games which Laos will be hosting next year. The team may be young but I think that they have been shaping up very well. We need more exposure for sure but I think that we can be strong for this meet.” Niwat Klaysang, team manager of Laos

“I am very happy to join this tournament. I took over this team two months ago. We did not go anywhere for matches or training where we have been at home in Bandar Seri Begawan. But I’m looking forward to the matches. And not playing tomorrow will give me chance to look at the other teams and how we can prepare ourselves.” -Vjeran Simunic, head coach of Brunei Darussalam

TOURNAMENT FIXTURES

(All matches at the National Olympic Stadium)

17 OCT 2008: Philippines vs Timor Leste (1400hrs) / Cambodia vs Laos (1600hrs)

19 OCT 2008: Timor Leste vs Cambodia (1400hrs) / Brunei vs Philippines (1600hrs)

21 OCT 2008: Philippines vs Laos (1400hrs) / Timor Leste vs Brunei (1600hrs)

23 OCT 2008: Laos vs Brunei (1400hrs) / Cambodia vs Philippines (1600hrs)

25 OCT 2008: Brunei vs Cambodia (1400hrs)/ Laos vs Timor Leste (1600hrs)

PIC: The team representatives from Timor Leste, the Philippines, Laos and Brunei at the pre-match Press Conference this morning at the Nagaworld. (aseanfootball)

Kalendario AFF Championship

SUZUKI AFF CUP 2008

Qualifikasaun Phnom Penh-kamboja 17 - 25 OKTOBER, 2008

Olimpiade Staduim

1 - Filipina

2 - Timor Leste

3 - Kamboja

4 - Laos

5 - Brunei

Horario Oficial Qualificasaun Suzuki Cup - AFF

17 Okt 08

Filipina vs Timor Leste

Kamboja vs Laos

19 Okt 08

Timor Leste vs Kamboja

Brunei vs Filipina

21 Okt 08

Filipina vs Laos

Timor Leste vs Brunei

23 Okt 08

Laos vs Brunei

Kamboja vs Filipina

25 Okt 08

Brunei vs Kamboja

Laos vs Timor Leste

Cambodia to Host AFF Suzuki Football Cup 2008 in October

Cambodia will host the qualifying matches of ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Football Cup 2008 in Phnom Penh in October, a statement from the Football Federation of Cambodian (FFC) said Tuesday.

Philippines, East Timor, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei will compete in the qualifying matches, media officer for FFC Tep Phanny said.

In the first leg Philippines is to play with East Timor and in second leg, Cambodia will play with Laos, the statement said.

AFF Suzuki Cup is the former Tiger Cup, Phanny said. (english.cri.cn)

Timor Leste Juarai Timor Sea Cup di Darwin

Tim sepak bola Dili (Timor Leste) menjuarai "Timor Sea Cup" pertama setelah menekuk tim tuan rumah Northern Territory (NT) berusia di bawah 18 tahun di putaran final yang berlangsung di stadion sepak bola Darwin, Larrakia Park, Sabtu petang, dengan skor 3-0.
Pertandingan dua kesebelasan itu dibuka Konsul RI Darwin Harbangan Napitupulu dengan pelemparan koin. Menteri Urusan Hubungan Asia NT, Kon Vatskalis ada di antara ratusan orang penonton yang menyaksikan jalannya putaran final, kata Sekretaris II Fungsi Pensosbud Konsulat RI Darwin, Arvinanto Soeriaatmadja.
Kedua kesebelasan bertanding secara sportif dan anak-anak Timor Leste lebih menguasai lapangan. "Gol ketiga bahkan terjadi beberapa saat sebelum babak kedua berakhir," kata Arvinanto.
Sejak kejuaraan trilateral ini dimulai 17 September lalu, tim kesebelasan Dili sudah menunjukkan kelasnya. Pada pertandingan pertamanya melawan kesebelasan NT berusia di bawah 15 tahun, tim kesebelasan Dili menang telak dengan skor akhir 6-1.
Saat melawan kesebelasan Kupang yang mewakili Indonesia Kamis (18/9), tim Dili kembali menang dengan skor 2-1. Tim "Merah Putih" sendiri berada di posisi ketiga dengan sekali menang melawan tim NT berusia di bawah 15 tahun (4-2).
Kejuaraan trilateral "Timor Sea Cup" ini baru pertama kali diselenggarakan walaupun sudah direncanakan tiga tahun lalu. Pemerintah negara bagian NT membiayai seluruh keperluan pertandingan ini, kata Arvinanto. (kapanlagi.com)

Inaugural Timor Sea Cup

Darwin is playing host to two under-18 boys soccer teams from our nearest neighbours to our north - Nusa Tenggara Timur and Timor-Leste.

The Minister for Asian Relations, Kon Vatskalis, said 36 boys have travelled to Darwin for the inaugural Timor Sea Cup

Kicking off today, the tournament will be held at Larrakia Park until Saturday 20 September 2008.

Three teams from Nusa Tenggara Timur, Timor-Leste and the Northern Territory will play off for their chance to win the inaugural cup.

“This event is a chance to further develop community and cultural links between the Northern Territory, Nusa Tenggara Timur and Timor-Leste,” said Mr Vatskalis.

“We hope to see the tournament incorporated into next year’s Arafura Games, and encourage even more players to come to the Top End.”

Entry to the tournament is by gold coin donation and everyone is welcome to watch the games. (newsroom.nt.gov.au)