Contributed by reader

Victoria Junior College, Saturday, June 20, 2009 – DPR Korea beat Thailand 3-2 in a pulsating Group C football match of the 2009 Asian Youth Games to put one foot into the main draw of the AYG football competition.

Thailand, who contributed fully to this entertaining and hard-fought encounter, can still make it into the main draw even if they finish second in group C, though they would need to overcome a playoff match with the runners-up of group D.

VJC has hosted many National Schools’ football matches but it is not often when a match here is watched over by armed police officers maintaining a strict cordon around the stadium.

Security is of course a necessity in high-profile competitions such as the AYG and thermal scanners were also in place to screen all spectators entering the stadium.

A mention must also be made of the friendly Jurongville Secondary School students who provided yeoman services for this match, greeting every spectator as he walked past the main gate.

When both teams formed up for the pre-match formalities, one would be forgiven for fearing the worse for the Thailand team, whose average height is at least half a head shorter than the crew-cut North Korean players.

When the match kicked off, it was apparent that the fears were unfounded for the Thais were more than a match against the pre-match favourites due to their speed and agility.

North Korea, who arrived in Singapore a day earlier than their opponents, strung together many eye-catching moves but often had no finishing due to a reticence to shoot.

The Thais, on the other hand, also conjured up good moves down the right flank but could not muster a clean shot as somehow the ball would not sit up nicely for their strikers as they failed to adjust to the bounce of the ball.

North Korea took the lead in the 29th minute when Ro Kwang Yong converted a rebound from close range. When the North Korean right-midfielder was played in on the right and with clear sight of goal, the Thailand defenders scrambled towards him to block the shot.

Instead, the ball was clipped to the far-post for the left-winger to hit a first-time volley which was well stopped by Pipatpong Jit On, the Thai custodian. Ro was on hand to tuck home the rebound to spark off celebrations that saw all ten North Korean outfield players slide towards the corner flag.

The industrious Thailand players probed incessantly but found little change from the two North Korean centre-backs but a moment of controversy on the stroke of half-time almost gave the team in blue jerseys an equaliser.

Singapore referee Sukhbir Singh stopped play to allow treatment to a North Korean player, Jo Kwang Myong, when the ball was in keeper Kwon Kum Chol’s hands. After treatment, the referee restarted play with an uncontested drop ball in the penalty box which was picked up by Kwon.

Kwon then released the ball onto the ground before picking it up again, still inside his own box. Referee Sukhbir Singh correctly spotted that as an infringement and blew for an indirect free-kick inside the box, 14 yards from goal.

Curiously, both teams were oblivious to the implications of the referee’s decision and both sets of players were still standing in the middle of the field waiting for Kwon to launch the ball up. After a perculiar 20 seconds’ wait, three Thai players went to the penalty box to confirm with the referee the nature of the award.

The North Koreans were still nowhere back in their own box. Technically, the Thais could have played the ball and kicked the ball into the empty net. Curiously, they waited for the North Koreans to come back into the box and formed the wall.

One can also argue that since the ball was in North Korea’s possession in the first place, out of sportsmanship, the Thais should simply kick the ball out and return possesion to the Koreans and not capitalise on the ‘technical’ mistake of the keeper.

Nevertheless, after the all confusions, the end result was a thunderbolt of a shot and a superb reaction save from Kwon to preserve the Korean’s lead into the break.

The North Korean played a high line in the opening period of the second-half and the Thais resorted to long balls to spring the defence. Each time a Thai player got to the end of a long ball, the Korean centre-backs were quick to make up grounds to clear the danger.

Three well-taken shots from distance also proved no obstacle for Kwon as the Koreans seemed prepared to play out a single goal victory.

The game changed when Thailand scored a deserved equaliser in the 61st minute. A through ball down the middle for once bisected the Korean centre-pairing and Daochalermwong raced through to sweep the ball under the outrushing Kwon, and sparked off their own celebrations of ten outfield players piling onto each other.

That was the start to an exciting last 20 minutes where the action was end-to-end. Thailand pushed forward for a second goal and was caught out when Ri Jong Hyok was sent racing clear on goal to a long ball played from his own half.

Both the Thai centre-backs surged back and caught up with Ri who then turned and held the ball, gesturing for support. However, he suddenly turned 180 degrees towards goal catching the Thai defenders unawares and lifted the ball over Pipatpong for an excellent individual goal.

That was scored in the 66th minute of this 80-minute match and the Koreans seemed to have secured an unassailable lead three minutes later, when Jo Sol Sang was one of three Koreans who attacked a cross when the entire Thai backline stood still, and powered the ball into the net with a well-timed diving header from 6 yards. One of the Korean players was injured during the elaborate celebrations and had to be carried off the pitch.

Thailand displayed the fighting spirit their senior teams have always been known for and gave the scoreline a better reflection of the game when captain Chaoroenruen bent a superb curling, dipping free-kick into the top-corner of the net from 20 yards in the 73rd minute.

Chaoroenruen had another chance two minutes from the end with a free-kick from a similar distance but hit this one against the wall.

Both teams must be congratulated for putting up not just an entertaining game, but showing high technical standards and good fitness. It was certainly not easy maintaining such a level of intensity for 80 minutes in the afternoon heat.

This match also gave the hundred-odd spectators a chance to witness youth football where the ball is played on the ground, instead of the ‘long-ball tactics’ often seen in schools’ matches in Singapore. Both sets of players also showed good discipline and always got up and played on after hitting the gorund, instead of yelling indiscriminately at the referee or retaliating against the opponents.