Hosts Indonesia picked up their second win of the 2018 Asian Games football tournament as they defeated Laos 3-0 in the first all-South-East-Asian encounter of the tournament thus far. A brace from naturalized Indonesian citizen Alberto Concalves, and a goal from Ricky Fajrin saw the hosts extend their points tally to six, almost guaranteeing their passage into the knockout stage on home soil.
Malaysia pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the campaign with a 2-1 victory over a storied South Korea side featuring the likes of Tottenham star Heung-Min Son and World Cup goalkeeping hero Hyeon-Woo Jo. A first-half double from Safawi Rasid was enough to claim all three points, despite a late goal from Gamba Osaka striker Ui-Jo Hwang.
Korea has made no secret of their intentions to win the tournament, with a number of players, such as Son himself, needing the Gold Medal as a means to avoid the military conscription mandated by his country. Given the talent on show, Malaysia can take massive pride in their victory over the defending champions and one of the pre-tournament favorites.
Another South East Asian side also looking to make an impression against more fancied opposition was Myanmar, who aimed to build on their opening day draw against North Korea when they took on Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, their hopes of qualification have taken a hit due to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Middle Eastern outfit, making their final match against Iran appear an uphill battle.
With a one-day break in proceedings set to give the players much-needed respite ahead of the final round of fixtures, the permutations have become clear for those still struggling to secure spots in the Round of 16. Vietnam and Malaysia have already secured progression while Laos have been eliminated in the tournament, leaving the fate of the remaining four South East Asian teams up in the air.
Thailand takes on defending AFC U23 Champions Uzbekistan, needing a victory to progress. A draw between Qatar and Bangladesh could see the War Elephants through with merely a draw, but coach Worawoot Srimaka will want to avoid such unnecessary risks ahead of such a defining encounter. A defeat for Thailand would all but eliminate them, piling the pressure on this young and inexperienced side.
East Timor faces an almost impossible task of overcoming a -9 goal difference when they take on Syria, needing to first pip the UAE to Group C’s third spot before hoping that the other third-placed teams aren’t able to win their final games.
Myanmar will have to beat Iran by a margin of four goals or more if they wish to take their final qualification spot, but a victory by any means should be enough to secure their progression through the third-placed ranking, assuming that their final goal difference is greater than that of North Korea.
With ten of sixteen knockout stage positions still up for grabs, the final round of group games promises to be an enthralling affair.