The Laos National U-19 Football Team is to face Thailand this evening on the back of a historic winning streak, writes Soukkaseum Detvongsa.
The team of young players took a huge step forward at the AFF U-19 Youth Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia this year, winning four-straight matches and taking twelve goals, guaranteeing a place at the semi-finals.
Under the guidance of new coach Michael Weiss, the Laos team took an easy victory in its first match against Timor Leste on 3 July.
Despite difficulty against the opponent in previous tournaments, the Laos team came out on top with a two-nil (2-0) result.
Hot on the heels of victory over Timor was a match against Cambodia on 7 Jul. Laos dominated the field, playing an excellent game and scoring two goals in the first half.
When it came to the second half, Cambodia snuck in a goal, but it was not enough for them to even the odds, with Laos coming out on top 2-1.
Next came Singapore on 9 July, with a strong start but unable to shake the Lao players, who finished the game victorious by scoring 3-1.
Laos also came out on top during its last game at the group stage, taking a 1-0 win over Malaysia.
18-year-old Phoutthavong Sangvilay, who scored the goal of the match, thanked all the players on his team for the victory.
“I’d also like to thank coach and all our supporters for helping us win. I am so overjoyed and will do my best in the upcoming matches,” he said.
The Laos team will go head to head with Thailand this evening at 20:00 hours.
Center-forward Peter Phanthavong, with three goals under his belt, said of the upcoming match, “I am ready to play for Laos and I’ll put all my effort into this match under the guidance of our coach.”
To Laos football fans, he said, “please kindly cheer us on!”
