SE Asia in the 2019 Asian Cup

SE Asia in the 2019 Asian Cup

by rick olivares

If you look at the ongoing Asian Cup, of the three Southeast Asian squads – Suzuki Cup champions, Vietnam; Thailand; and the Philippines, it is only the middle team that has a chance of advancing. 

Thailand lost embarrassingly to India, 4-1, after which they took down Bahrain, 1-nil. Any chance of advancing will depend on their final group match against Group A leaders United Arab Emirates and how India fares against Bahrain. A win will not be enough; it will also entail a huge score line to advance.

At least they put themselves in a position to advance.

Vietnam absorbed a painful 3-2 loss to Iraq when Adnan scored in the 90^thminute. In their second fixture, they were defeated by Iran, 2-0. In their final game of the tournament, they will play winless, Yemen, that has yet to score in the tournament. A consolation win for the Suzuki Cup champions? We will see.

The Philippines will likewise play a consolation match against Kyrgyzstan after losing its first two games, 1-nil to Korea, and 3-nil to China.

The last time Southeast Asian squads booked Asian Cup slots was in 2007 when they qualified because they were all co-hosts to bring Asian football’s biggest event in our region. Thailand and Vietnam both finished with 1-1-1 records, Thailand went 1-0-2, and Malaysia winless in all three games. 

Prior to that, Thailand’s best ever finish was when they finished third place in 1972 while Vietnam finished fourth spot in 1956 and 1960.

However, those days are long gone because back then, the competition featured four to six squads only. And since the late 1980s, we’ve seen the rise of the West Asian countries. In the ongoing Asian Cup, the West Asian countries that are poised to advance to the second round are Jordan, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. That’s a lot for one region.

And it isn’t only in football, but also basketball, where they have also excelled. 

It is easy to say that they have a lot of money to spend on development, but that is also not necessarily true. And mull on these truths…

Iraq and Palestine do not even play their “home” games at home. For years, they have been hampered by State-sponsored terrorism and by external enemies such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Palestine doesn’t even have a country to call their own. 

Both Iraq and Palestine play for something bigger than the love for the game and that is why they excel. Laterally, we hear Catalonians say that about FC Barcelona and the way they play. There is something more that fuels them. 

And although non-West Asian, India’s most popular sports are cricket and field hockey! Imagine that! Football is just growing. 

Having Australia, a top world power in just about any sport, is a much-welcome addition in Asian sports. You want to test yourself against the best. 

Thailand and Vietnam have very good football programs and are consistently among the Southeast Asian region’s best. Why have they struggled to qualify for Asia’s top football competition as well? What are we missing here? 

Is it a question of genetics? Attitude? Culture? Money? Vision? The luck of the draw?

In my opinion for Philippine football, I think that we should start with the most immediate ones outside grassroots development – winning Southeast Asian Games age-group competition as well as the Suzuki Cup. Then we can set our sights on the bigger regional prizes. 

We should look to emulate the discipline that Japan brings to their program, the Australians’ mania for detail, planning, and order that they have down to a science. And we should also play for something in the manner that the Iraqis and Palestinians do. 

I am immensely proud of how local football has progressed. We’re right there – poised to make that big leap. Three finishes in the semi-finals of the Suzuki Cup – you cannot say that it is a fluke. We have to keep going at it (but with a coherent plan and not stop-gap measures). I am okay with the 1-nil loss to Korea, but before you even consider that as a landmark score – it is not – you have to repeat it again. To say that you are over the hump, you have to do it against repeatedly. And really, Korea hasn’t played well in this tournament. They have struggled to a pair of 1-nil wins. Let’s see where they are when they play China in their final group game, and if they get going after that. 

I am proud that the Philippines made the Asian Cup. Philippine football has definitely made great strides in the last 10 years. I hope we make the most out of this and continue to get better. I think it’s out there for the taking.