Surakarta: Laos earned one of their best-ever results in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™, twice leading away to six-time runners-up Indonesia before fighting back to earn a point in a 3-3 draw after a thriller in Group B at Manahan Stadium on Thursday.
Laotian teen sensation Phousomboun Panyavong opened the scoring in the ninth minute only for Kadek Arel to level three minutes later. Phathana Phommathep restored Laos’ lead straight from the restart before skipper Muhammad Ferrari made it 2-2 on 18 minutes to cap a whirlwind nine-minute spell.
More goals came in the second half, one each with Indonesia’s Ferrari giving the hosts the lead for the first time on 72 minutes before substitute Peeter Phanthavong levelled 12 minutes from time.
Laos got the game underway and contributed to a frenzied opening couple of minutes. Both teams won corners inside three minutes, looking to force the issue early. Those exchanges seemed to set the tone for what was about to come.
Laos took the lead when capitalising on a misplaced pass in midfield, doing so with devastating effect. A loose pass from Dony Pamungkas to Arkhan Firki was pounced upon quickly by Anousone Xaypannya, playing in Bounphachan Bounkong whose defence-splitting through-ball into Phousomboun found the back of the net via a slight deflection.
The goal kicked off an almost unbelievable next few minutes as Indonesia soon drew level through Kadek, rifling in a loose ball in the box after Laos had failed to clear.
Undeterred though, Laos soon regained their lead, doing so almost immediately from the restart. Ironically, it was goalscorer Kadek who misplaced a pass that allowed Anousone to intercept and release Bounphachan who, bearing down on goal, ushered the ball to his right to Phathana who fired home via a deflection.
Incredibly, just five minutes later parity was restored once again. A long, arrow-like throw from wing-back Pratama Arhan caused havoc in the Laos box, and after a touch off Ferrari, Indonesia were back level.
After a Bounphachan effort that whistled just over the crossbar and a Kadek header that hit the post, the two sides went in at half-time at 2-2 and needing to catch a breath.
The first 15 minutes of the second half weren’t played at quite the same pace as much of the first period was, but both teams were pressing for a third goal. But not before the hosts were reduced to 10 men as on 69 minutes, Marselino Ferdinan was shown a straight red for a late lunge on Phathana.
A third goal for one team eventually did come. On 72 minutes Indonesia took the lead for the first time in the game. A corner from the right was nodded home by Ferrari for his second of the evening to put the Garuda in the driving seat to go on and seal the points.
But this time it was Laos’ turn to draw level, doing so on 77 minutes with Phanthavong turning in a cut-back from six yards out. After seven minutes of stoppage time, the match ended 3-3 with both teams feeling as though they did enough to win.
Indonesia. who beat Myanmar in their opening game, now top the group on four points and next travel to Viet Tri to take on Vietnam on Sunday. Laos, meanwhile, have one point from two games and take on the Philippines in Vientiane on the same day.
Share now
