Stepping up: Defender La’vere Corbin Ong in action during Malaysia’s match against Thailand in the King’s Cup. — FAM
PETALING JAYA: It’s simply a case of practice makes perfect for defender La’vere Corbin Ong, who turned out to be Malaysia’s unlikely hero in their shootout win over Thailand in the King’s Cup on Thursday.
The 31-year-old Johor Darul Ta’zim fired the Harimau Malaya ahead in the 32nd minute when he anticipated Safawi Rasid’s pinpoint cross and beat Thailand goalkeeper Kampon Phatomakkakul with a top-class finish.
The game ended 1-1 after Pamsa Hemviboon equalised in the 92nd minute, but Corbin was the toast for Malaysia when he scored the winning penalty in the 5-3 shootout win at the 700th Anniversary of Chiang Mai Stadium.
Malaysia will play Tajikistan in the final tomorrow.
Corbin attributed his heroics to diligent practice and execution of tactics in training sessions.
“The goal that I scored was a result of what we practised in training. Whether it is open or set-piece play, we worked on those crosses and anticipated them often,” he said.
“The coach had a tactical plan and we worked on that at training and executed it during the match.’’
He added that managing the pressure well during the penalty shootout was key to the team’s win.
‘’When it comes to penalties, it’s always a pressure cooker. But we dealt with it like professionals, stayed calm and did our jobs.’’
Meanwhile, Pan-gon hailed his charges for showing great spirit and going the extra mile to win the tough match.
“Conceding a goal in stoppage time was hard to handle. But in my 25 years of coaching, I have faced this challenge many times,’’ he said.
“The players were the heroes as their commitment and fighting spirit made the difference.”
