Thailand Are Champions
By Dannie Abu Basrah

Bandar Seri Begawan - Thailand was crowned the new champions of the Hassanal Bolkiah Trophy for Asean Under-21 Youth Football Championship 2005 when they easily defeated Myanmar 3-0 in the final at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium last night.

Three first half goals were enough to kill off the spirited challenge of Myanmar in a slippery pitch.

Thailand meant business as early as the first minute when they opened accounts through Olan Limsamphansanti who sent the Thai supporters wild scoring with a header from a right corner.

Then afterwards top scorer Preecha Chaokla added two more goals in the 25th minute with a wonderful lob over the Myanmnar goalie after latching on a through pass and on 35th minute with a flick header from a cross.

The three early goals took the wind out of Myanmar and despite a spirited figlitback found the Thai defenders in no mood to compromise.

Both teams were reduced to 10 men towards the end of the match. In the 86`h minute, Thailand's Prat Samakkrat was redcarded after two bookable offences while in the 90"' minute, Myanmar's Sun Day

Thien was shown a straight red card. The Fair Play Award went to Vietnam while Thailand's Atthipol Poolsap got the Best Player Award.

This year's championship was participated by nine Asean countries namely Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Fifty-five goals were scored in the championship-45 goals in the preliminary round, seven goals in the semifinals and three goals in the final. The two-week championship also involved 19 matches between Group A and Group B, the semifinals and the final last night. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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