Team need to sharpen finishing

The national team training in Yangon on Sunday. Brunei will play their next match against Cambodia on Tuesday. Picture: BT/Yee Chun Leong 

Monday, October 8, 2012

THE national football team were beaten but not broken.

The Wasps lost 1-0 to Myanmar in the first match of their AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Suzuki Cup 2012 Qualifiers in Yangon on Friday night but spirits remain high in the training camp.

It took the hosts 84 minutes to break the deadlock with a goal by Yan Aung Win after Brunei's shot stopper Wardun Yussof failed to handle a cross from the left.

The former was at the right place at the right time that allowed him to slot home the game winner.

Wardun was only threatened once in the first half and came to the national side's rescue several times. But it was unfortunate that he couldn't keep a deserving cleansheet.

"I tried to cover the angle of the cross but the ball went by very fast. I collided with both the defender and the (Myanmar) striker. I couldn't recover fast enough that allowed them to score," said Wardun in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"I think there was a lack of concentration for a while as we had just made our substitutions then. It may have taken a while to adapt to the pace of the game," he added.

"I didn't expect us to lose the match because we had so many chances but overall it is still a good start for us in the tournament. Everyone did their part. We are still happy with the scoreline as Myanmar would usually score more goals against us," continued Wardun.

National captain Rosmin Hj Mohd Kamis also felt that the team's performance was better than expected. Only one game has been played and the team are looking ahead instead of dwelling on the defeat.

"It was a good match for us as we put up a good fight throughout the whole game. It was only the result that didn't go our away. We had the bulk of the chances on goal," said Rosmin.

"Everyone gave it their best on the field and we have put the loss behind us. The team spirit is there and we are looking to get a positive result against Cambodia in our next game," he added.

"The aim here is to make it to the next round. We have some young players on the team and they have a bright future. We want to prove a point and show that we can challenge the other countries," continued the 31-year-old, who is also the captain of Brunei's only professional club, DPMM FC.

When asked on what improvements should be made for the next match, the captain replied: "Obviously we lacked scoring. We will need to finish better. We played football but with no goal we cannot win."

Striker Shahrazen Said had the two best opportunities for the Sultanate to get on the scoresheet. He missed a golden opportunity in the 14th minute with his effort just over the cross bar.

The 27-year-old was agonising close to score in the 29th minute after connecting with a header on a Muhd Azwan Ali Rahman cross from the left just to see the ball inches wide off the post.

However, the forward believes hopes that things will be better for the remaining matches.

"The performance we put up was something we didn't expect. We played well and with confidence. We were facing strong opponents and usually they would score a few against us," said Shahrazen.

"We could have even won or ended the match with a draw. We had our chances and everyone did their job well. Even though we lost, it is still a boost for us. When we went down late, we never gave up and pushed for that equaliser," he added. The DPMM FC hitman also knows what is important for them in the upcoming matches.

"Finishing is important. We must keep our concentration and focus as well as follow all the instructions that the coaches give us," concluded Shahrazen. Brunei will play their next match against Cambodia on Tuesday at 3pm (4.30pm Brunei time). The Brunei Times