Maldives through to SAFF finals, will face India
| DATE: 2009-12-12 | PRINT | SHARE
Sri Lanka seemed in top form at the beginning of the match, taking possession of the ball and making early attempts at goal. After two good but failed attempts on goal by the Sri Lankans, Maldives finally found the rhythm of the game and then began their domination of the game which lasted pretty much the rest of the match.
The Sri Lankan defence were hard pressed to keep the striking trio of Ashfaq (Dhangadey), Fazeel (Oppp) and Thoriq from dashing through even from the beginning and as the game wore on it soon became clear the defence was no match for the lightning-quick strikers. 15 minutes into the game, Dhangadey had his first chance on goal when he dribbled through the defence and found himself facing only the Sri Lankan goalkeeper. However, he was a fraction of a second too late with the shot. Finally, the deadlock was broken by Thoriq who headed in a cross from the right, giving Maldives the lead in the 21st minute.
Minutes later, Dhangadey missed his second opportunity to get himself on the score sheet after failing to connect with a cross from Fazeel while the goal was wide open. The score remained 1-0 at the half time mark.
The second half began just like the first one, with Sri Lanka taking the initiative and seeking to even the score. Their adventurous play yielded results as they were able to equalize, but the goal just seemed to spur the Maldivian team into higher gear as they responded with a second goal almost immediately, taking the lead once again.
Oppo scored the second goal at the 62nd minute as the Sri Lankan goalkeeper fumbled an easy save and the ball slipped through his grasp and beyond the goal line.
The third goal of the match was the most spectacular, possibly even the best of the tournament, as Dhangadey dribbled his way past defenders and shot the ball over the goalkeeper’s reaching hands, from a narrow angle, and into the net. In the 82nd minute, Dhangadey again whizzed past several hapless Sri Lankan defenders only to be brought down inside the penalty area, winning Maldives a penalty shot. Oppo converted the penalty into their fourth goal but injured himself while taking the shot and had to be taken off the pitch. As the game drew to a close, substitute player Ali Asad scored the last goal of the match, finishing off Sri Lanka with a devastating 5-1 win.
| DATE: 2009-12-12 | PRINT | SHARE
Sri Lanka seemed in top form at the beginning of the match, taking possession of the ball and making early attempts at goal. After two good but failed attempts on goal by the Sri Lankans, Maldives finally found the rhythm of the game and then began their domination of the game which lasted pretty much the rest of the match.
The Sri Lankan defence were hard pressed to keep the striking trio of Ashfaq (Dhangadey), Fazeel (Oppp) and Thoriq from dashing through even from the beginning and as the game wore on it soon became clear the defence was no match for the lightning-quick strikers. 15 minutes into the game, Dhangadey had his first chance on goal when he dribbled through the defence and found himself facing only the Sri Lankan goalkeeper. However, he was a fraction of a second too late with the shot. Finally, the deadlock was broken by Thoriq who headed in a cross from the right, giving Maldives the lead in the 21st minute.
Minutes later, Dhangadey missed his second opportunity to get himself on the score sheet after failing to connect with a cross from Fazeel while the goal was wide open. The score remained 1-0 at the half time mark.
The second half began just like the first one, with Sri Lanka taking the initiative and seeking to even the score. Their adventurous play yielded results as they were able to equalize, but the goal just seemed to spur the Maldivian team into higher gear as they responded with a second goal almost immediately, taking the lead once again.
Oppo scored the second goal at the 62nd minute as the Sri Lankan goalkeeper fumbled an easy save and the ball slipped through his grasp and beyond the goal line.
The third goal of the match was the most spectacular, possibly even the best of the tournament, as Dhangadey dribbled his way past defenders and shot the ball over the goalkeeper’s reaching hands, from a narrow angle, and into the net. In the 82nd minute, Dhangadey again whizzed past several hapless Sri Lankan defenders only to be brought down inside the penalty area, winning Maldives a penalty shot. Oppo converted the penalty into their fourth goal but injured himself while taking the shot and had to be taken off the pitch. As the game drew to a close, substitute player Ali Asad scored the last goal of the match, finishing off Sri Lanka with a devastating 5-1 win.
