MY Team Vs. Malaysia National Squad
The local football reality show, MY Team, just saw its grand finale. It was MY Team Vs. the Malaysian national squad. MY Team in blue gave team Malaysia in yellow a run for their money. MY Team was the first to score in the first half. The national squad scored the equaliser in the same half and took the lead late into the second. MY Team almost made the equaliser in injury time but was denied by the goal post. The end result was 2-1 to the Malaysian team. In my opinion that result reflects badly on the national squad.
The show and match came about as a result of the gripe on the national squad’s lack of skill and quality. I think it was a great idea for a show as it touched a topic that is close to the heart of many Malaysians. Football (or soccer) is like a national passtime in Malaysia and the lacklustre performance of the national squad has been getting on the nerves of the nation’s soccer fans for the longest time. It was about time that something was done about it.
The near capacity crowd of 60,000 at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil were mostly rooting for the underdogs. Similarly, the crowds that gathered at mamak stalls across the nation were also hoping that the ragtag team would put up a strong showing. The match was one between an amateur team that had roughly 3 months worth of training and no field record against a team of professional footballers with experience under their belt. I expected the match to be alot more lopsided, heavily favouring the national squad with at least a 2 goal differential. I was pleasantly surprised by the heart that was shown by MY Team.
In a match filled with emotion, loaded with pressure, filled with injuries, and 2 red cards to boot, both teams played fairly well. While the match started out slow with the MY Team showing their inexperience, things started to fall together as it progressed. I was initially disappointed with the ‘Kampung’ style football, and rough tackles, and lack of sportsmanship that was being displayed on the pitch. However as the match progressed, I must say that I am alot more impressed with the MY Team and I now understand what the gripe was all about for the Malaysian squad.
Way to go MY Team. Good luck to you guys in the future. As for the Malaysian national squad, I don’t think that the 2-1 victory is one to be proud of. It was alot of schoolyard football with little control and a load of bad discipline. They were saved by their experience and strategy but skill wise, they were sorely lacking. Hopefully, this match will give them something to think about. That they were nearly beaten by an unknown team should be like a slap to the face. But then again, they have been beaten by unknowns time and time again and they have never improved. I don’t know. Perhaps we should just replace them with MY Team. What do you think?
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Cocka Doodle Said,
May 29, 2006 @ 2:13 am
You actually watched this crappy match ah?
Go get a life will ya?
gbyeow Said,
May 29, 2006 @ 12:11 pm
Eh. How you know it was crappy? You watched it also ah?
TUX Said,
May 29, 2006 @ 12:34 pm
I believe you need to mention that the Malaysian national team was represented by mainly Under-20 boys. But I do agree with you of their lack luster performance.
Lin Peh Said,
May 30, 2006 @ 8:28 am
Alamak. U mean it was onli a kampong team ? Lin Peh tot it was Brazil vs Malaysia la. :-(
gbyeow Said,
May 30, 2006 @ 10:24 am
TUX: That doesn’t change the fact that they are the national squad and should perform better. If they converted half the opportunities they had, they would have gotten so many more goals. They can’t convert even when they were in front of the damned goal post with both players and goalie defeated! What’s the point of continually being able to advance the ball and pressuring the goal if they can’t score? MY Team had very few chances but they made them count.
Lin Peh: If Brazil vs Malaysia, might be a 10-0 trashing from their reserve squad.
hofuken Said,
May 30, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
Hey come on, why the heck would you call that a crappy match? So that means I’m a crappy person yeah?
Anyway, the goal that Arun scored was… quite spectacular, and the bike he won for being Player of the Match was spectacular indeed. Throughout the match I was hoping for myteam to win and after the opening goal everything seems good… except for the free kicks. Seems like the myteam goalie has a weak spot for free kicks eh?
We can tell by the match that myteam has a lack of co-ordination, players seem to pass/kick the ball around HOPING for someone to receive it instead of KNOWING that someone is there, and for the slightly off passes, come on, the receiver should run for it… but of course you can’t blame them heck, not enough experience vs the U-20 Malaysian squad.
So far so good… Malaysian squad won 2 - 1, so now they can defend themselves, save themselves from kutukan, silence the critics, etc etc. myteam..at least they scored 1 goal and managed to defend themselves and not let in a barrage of goals. U-20 team had more control of the ball (I shall say 70% during the 2nd-half) and should have broken thru and scored more goals.
Interesting match, interesting comments, but I think this kinda matches are quite controversial and sensitive. I agree that the standard of our Malaysian football team is lacking so I really hope we buck up and … err, win some trophies and qualify for the world cup in the near future. (Australia qualified for the first time in 32 years, we can do it too!!)
Thanks for reading…