Thailand U23 wins the SEA Games 28 championship.

• June 15, 2015 21:43

Thailand U23 successfully defended their gold medal in men's football with a resounding victory over Myanmar in the final on the evening of June 15th.

1'
Myanmar serves first.
Myanmar's starting lineup.
Thailand's starting lineup.
2'
Myanmar successfully neutralized a Thai attack. The white-shirted team's defense decisively cleared a cross into the penalty area.
5'
Myanmar's goal was just under a storm. Thailand took a corner kick across the penalty area, and a player's shot towards the goal was blocked by the crowd.
7'
Thailand missed their first clear scoring opportunity. Nurul dribbled down the left wing and delivered a low cross into the box. Chananan controlled the ball with one touch before shooting, but the ball deflected off a Myanmar defender's leg and went straight towards the goalkeeper.
The match started at a fast pace, with Thailand completely dominating.
13'
Chanathip unleashed a long-range shot towards the Myanmar goal. The ball went just a few dozen centimeters from the crossbar.
15 minutes
Throughout the early stages of the match, Thailand consistently pressed forward. They employed numerous short passing combinations, combined with attacks down the flanks to stretch Myanmar's defense, giving them no opportunity to control the ball.
Thailand has many attacking options.
17'
Thailand missed their second chance. Chananan's close-range tap-in went over the crossbar after receiving a cross from the right wing.
Myanmar only managed a few counter-attacks, ending with inaccurate long-range shots. Goalkeeper Chanin's goal was almost completely unaffected.
19'
Thailand continued to squander opportunities. Thitiphan's shot from 20 meters went over the crossbar from a completely comfortable position. Prior to that, the Myanmar midfield appeared disorganized and lost possession.
22'
Ye Ko of Myanmar received the first yellow card of the final match. Earlier in the game, he had a dangerous tackle on an opponent.
Myanmar did not hesitate to play rough to prevent Thailand from attacking.
Myanmar showed no signs of panic despite being constantly under pressure. The team seemed to have prepared very well for a defensive counter-attacking strategy.
28'
Thailand began to show a lack of creativity. Peerapat unleashed a long-range shot that went wide of the Myanmar goal despite having ample space for a passing combination.
29'
Myanmar had the first chance. Aung Si Thu unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, forcing goalkeeper Chanin to make a diving save.
Myanmar defended effectively but lacked possession. This weakness meant their counter-attacks didn't pose much of a threat to Thailand.
36'
Thailand missed their fourth chance of the match. Thitiphan headed the ball poorly after a good cross from the right wing, and the Myanmar goalkeeper comfortably saved it.
Thailand began to slow down their attacking pace in order to draw Myanmar's formation further up the field. This was a sensible tactic given that their opponent was playing defensively with a large number of players.
42'
Thailand squandered their most dangerous chance of the match so far. Chanathip played a through ball to Thitiphan, who raced down to face the goalkeeper but couldn't beat the final shot. The Myanmar defense was completely disoriented by Chanathip's clever pass.
45'+2
Myanmar narrowly escaped defeat. Chanathip had plenty of space from 16 meters but his shot wasn't powerful enough and was easily saved by the Myanmar goalkeeper. Thailand missed six chances to open the scoring in the first half.
The referee blew the whistle to end the first half.
Goalkeeper Kyaw Zin became Myanmar's hero in the first half.
The second half has begun.
Thailand continued to attack at a high pace, focusing particularly on widening the flanks to widen the distance between Myanmar's players.
53'
Thailand missed a golden opportunity. Chananan faced goalkeeper Kyaw Zin but couldn't beat him from just 6 meters. Prior to that, Thailand had a very effective attack down the wing, culminating in a well-placed cross.
54'
Thailand opened the scoring. From a corner kick, the ball bounced off the crowd and Tanaboon easily tapped it in from 8 meters.
59'
Thailand missed a chance to double their lead. Chananan faced Kyaw Zin after a through pass from his teammate, but once again his shot was saved by the Myanmar goalkeeper.
62'
Chalanan continued his poor form in front of the Myanmar goal. The striker had his third one-on-one opportunity since the start of the second half and once again failed to beat Kyaw Zin.
64'
Thailand scored their second goal. Chanathip played a through pass to Chananan, who broke free and beat goalkeeper Kyaw Zin.
Myanmar tried to retaliate but were unsuccessful. Aung Si Thu's long-range shot went wide, and Ye Ko's dribble into the Thai penalty area was too long.
Thailand continued to dominate the game with individual skill and excellent teamwork in controlling the ball.
75'
Myanmar had their best chance from the start of the second half. Nay Lin Tun took a free kick from just outside the penalty area, but the ball went over the crossbar.
78'
Thailand scored their third goal. Captain Sarach sent a high pass to Pinio, who broke the offside trap and raced down to beat goalkeeper Kyaw Zin.
Pinio broke the offside trap and unleashed a shot that beat the goalkeeper.Kyaw Zin. Photo: Quang Dung
84'
Thiha Zaw of Myanmar received a yellow card for reacting excessively to the referee's decision to award Thailand a throw-in.
Myanmar tried to score a consolation goal but were unsuccessful. Their dribbles and shots were often easily cleared by the Thai defense, or intercepted outside the penalty area.
90'
The referee added 7 minutes of injury time. The pace of the game was fast as Myanmar eagerly pushed forward, while Thailand waited for opportunities to counter-attack.
90'+4
Myanmar nearly scored a consolation goal from a cross that went in with a header. The ball went just about a meter from the Thai goal.
Myanmar's attacks appeared rushed, lacking cohesion and the versatility needed to break through Thailand's defense.
90'+7
The referee blew the final whistle. Thailand won 3-0 and successfully defended their gold medal in men's football at the SEA Games.