Thailand sweep past Myanmar to reach Asean Championship final
Defending champions Thailand stay firmly on course for a record-breaking fifth Asean Championship title after easing past Myanmar 4-0 in the semifinal second leg at Rajamangala National Stadium on Thursday to cruise into the final with a 6-0 aggregate success.
Coming away with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Yangon at the weekend, the Kingdom, whose haul of four titles put them level with Singapore as the tournament’s most successful country, further underlined their superiority over their 166th-ranked opponent with ruthless display in front of goal.
The Thai team, who have won all five matches including three in the group stage en route to the final, will face Indonesia in the home-and-away title showdown of the biennial tournament. Coach Kiatisak Senamuang’s men will play the first leg away in Jakarta on December 14 before hosting the return fixture three days later.
In need of goals to overturn the first-leg deficit, Myanmar, who made the last four for the first time since 2004, tried to put the Thais under pressure by employing a high-pressing game, which seemed to catch the hosts out initially.
The home side, though, soon established foothold in the game and Teerasil Dangda almost added another goal to the brace he claimed in the first leg in Yangon at the weekend but the in-form striker scooped his effort from just inside the penalty area well over the bar.
The Muangthong United hitman came even closer to making the breakthrough in the 20th minute when his glancing header at the near post from a right-side corner was diverted against the underside of the crossbar by Sarawut Masuk.
Sarawut, however, made no mistake from his next opportunity when he got on the end of Theerathon Bunmathan’s pinpoint cross from the left side to send a diving header into the back of the net after 33 minutes.
The visitors were in no mood to give up yet and home keeper Kawin Thamsatchanan produced a brilliant finger-tip save to keep out Yan Aung Kyaw’s swerving drive from outside the area five minutes before halftime.
Myanmar picked up where they left off after the break, with Than Paing’s powerful drive already sailing past Kawin but crashing against the crossbar. Nevertheless, the hosts managed to extend the lead through a penalty converted by Theerathon.
Substitute Siroch Chatthong then celebrated his 24th birthday with a thumping shot from the tight angle to register his first international goal before Chanathip Songkrasin rounded off a comprehensive win seven minutes from time.
