Sports Notes - Thailand Wins SEA Games Title - December 2005

James Loving NR Teerathep ‘Leesaw’ Winothai's hat trick led Thailand to another SEA Game title.

James Loving - National Radio Text Service - Saturday December 10, 2005

Teerathep Leads Thailand to SEA Games Title - Is Singapore' Coach Movia Indonesian coach Peter Withe's Worst Nightmare? - ESPN Analyst Suggests Luxemburgo Good Choice For Man U - NR Top 10 According To Google - FIFA Top 10

THAILAND WINS SEA GAMES TITLE

This years SEA Games was marred in controversy. Prior to the start of the event the Cambodia Olympic Committee replaced the national team and sent a club squad in its place on a weeks notice..

Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was reported, as saying the games weren't up to standard when the Thais were involved in several controversial decisions when competing against the SEA Games host the Philippines.

The one thing that was consistent about these games was Thailand won the football title for the seventh time in a row in Bacolod, Philippines Sunday December 4th. It was the Thai's 12th title in 23 SEA Games.

Led by Teerathep Leesaw Winothai's hat trick the Thai's defeated Vietnam 3-0 in the final.

The Thai's road to the championship was produced with victories in the first round that began with a 1-0 victory Nov. 23rd over the host PHILIPPINES.

That was followed with a 2-1 win Nov. 27th against MALAYSIA and a 1-0 win against Cambodia Nov. 29. The Thai's played their reserves in the Cambodia game.

In the semifinal Dec. 2nd they defeated Indonesia 3-1 and then the title 3-0 victory against Vietnam Dec. 4th. The Thai's previously won titles dating back to 1993 when they won the title in Singapore.

The winning streak that began in the 17th SEA Games in SINGAPORE 1993 was followed by the 18th SEA Games in CHIANGMAI 1995, 19th in INDONESIA 1997, 20th in BRUNEI 1999, 21st in MALAYSIA 2001, 22nd in VIETNAM 2003, and this the 23rd SEA Games in PHILIPPINES 2005

During that time the Thais overall record is 36 victories; three draws and zero losses in 39 games.

THAILAND SEA GAMES SCORES to the title - First Round- Nov. 23 defeated the Philippines 1-0 - Nov. 27th. 2:1 over Malaysia: - Nov. 29, 1-0 over Cambodia. Semifinal - Dec. 2nd. 3-1 over Indonesia & Final 3-0 over Vietnam

TOUGH LOVE???

Since Thailand coach Charnwit Polcheewin took over the Thai national team job in May the word was that he was very strict on his players.

To me it brought back memories of the criticism of then Japan coach Philippe Troussier.

The bottom line is you could say that the Thai coach's tactics helped bring home the bacon… another Thailand SEA Games title.

INDONESIAN COACH PETER WITHE'S WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

The SEA Games brought together Indonesian coach Peter Withe to face his old nemesis Singapore coach Radojko Avra Movia.... AGAIN.

At the Pre- SEA Games in Bangkok in September Withe recalled his first meeting with Movia when both were active players in England's 1st division.

Movia was the goalkeeper for Notts County who were newly elevated to the first division (now Premiere League). Withe was a 15-20 goal striker for then European champions Aston Villa.

It was the first game of the season for both teams. "They beat us 1-0," Withe exclaimed.

The two met again last year in the Tiger Cup after Withe was in charge of Indonesia for only three weeks. Movia was triumphant again.

At this years 2005 SEA Games Withe lost again to the Singapore coach whose Singapore U-23 side defeated Withe's Indonesian squad.

Does Movia have Withe's number or what?

PHAM VAN QUYEN VIETNAM'S RISING STAR

Vietnam's striker Pham Van Quyen had a good game against Malaysia scoring both goals in a come from behind 2-1 victory. He also scored two goals each in the games against Singapore and Laos.

Quyen first stood out as a member of the 2002 Vietnam U-20 team when they played in the ASEAN U-20 championship games in February 2002 in Phnom Pen, Cambodia.

Football Asia.com reported that Van Quyen is hailed as the messiah of Vietnam football after scoring the goal that defeated the Korea Republic in a 2004 Asian Cup qualifier.

LUXEMBURGO TO MAN U???

An ESPN sports analyst based in Singapore suggested this week that recently fired Real Madrid coach Vanderlie/Wanderly Luxemburgo would be a good replacement for Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson.

What makes that opinion so absurd is that the Wandering man doesn't like to SPEAK ENGLISH.

One can never forget his outrageous behavior when he refused to answer ONE QUESTION IN ENGLISH to an AP reporter in a post game press conference in 2000 when Brazil played the Thai national team in Bangkok. At that time the translations were made in Thai and Portuguese.

Luxemburgo responded by SPEAKING IN ENGLISH for several minutes telling the reporter why he didn't want to speak in or be TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH.

The amount of time Luxemburgo spent saying why he didn't want to answer ONE QUESTION IN ENGLISH was enough time for him to tell life story.

To suggest Luxemburgo would be a good coach for Man U raises a couple of QUESTIONS:

1. Do most of the players on Man U speak ONLY ENGLISH?

2. How many Man U players speak Portuguese?

Luxemburgo coaching Man U would be a nightmare. Attitude makes a difference.

MORE WITHE

Winothai is one of my favorite players since he broke on to the scene by standing out as a 16-year-old in the 2001 SEA Games in Malaysia. His six SEA Games goals in the tournament were the events best.

After the 2001 SEA Games the striker then went on to play for Crystal Palace youth squad. He was unhappy with the lack of playing time there and returned to Thailand to play for the national team and club sides.

Until this year he was all but invisible and not a chosen or featured in the Thai national sides.

At the Pre-SEA Games Peter Withe now Indonesian coach was in charge of Thailand when Winothai returned from his Crystal Palace stay to Thailand.

Withe said that he didn't choose the striker for the national side because he couldn't run eight laps around a quarter of a mile track within 12 minutes. He could only run seven and a half laps.

The now 20-year-old Winothai was a standout in the Pre- SEA Games registering seven goals and was the Thai's top goal scorer.

He followed that Pre SEA Games performance in the Philippines SEA Games by blasting five goals into the back of the net. The icing on the cake was his hat trick in the championship match against Vietnam.

He also scored two goals in the 3-1 semifinal victory over Indonesia headed by his former Thai coach Withe.

Can the reemergence of Winothai skills disprove the value of that running test? Does playing time make a difference?

NOTE: Malaysia defeated Indonesia 1-0 in the third place bronze medal.

According to Google National Radio's Top 10 stories are: (1) Jim Murray, (2) Royal Palace (3) NBA Trivia, (4) Michael Jordan (5) Jerry West Builds Memphis (6) Freshie Boy & Girl Contest (7) OOPS FAT Did It Again (8) ASEAN Games (9) Cambodian Football (10) Angkor Wat

Past Most Mentioned: (1) Walter Payton, (2) Marshall Faulk (3) Barry Bonds (4) Digital Divide Data.

Rank/Team/Points

1. Brazil - 841

2. Czech Republic

3. Netherlands - 791

4. Argentina - 774

5. France - 772

6. Mexico - 768

7. USA - 766

8. Spain - 764

9. England - 757

9. England - 754

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on 19 December 2005.

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