Struggling to defeat Timor Leste, Malaysia team heavily criticized: 'Don't dream of winning the championship'

Returning to Bukit Jalil Stadium to face Timor Leste in the second round of the 2024 AFF Cup, the Malaysian team set a goal of a big win. However, after the first half, the "Malaysian Tigers" were unexpectedly led 2-1 by their opponents. It was thanks to Paulo Josue's double in the second half that the Malaysian team was able to win 3-2.

Malaysia team struggled to beat Timor Leste despite playing at home

After 2 matches, coach Pau Marti (Spanish) and his team have 4 points, temporarily leading Group A with 1 point more than the second-placed team, Thailand (Malaysia played 1 more match). However, the way the Malaysian team has played since the beginning of the tournament has made fans dissatisfied.

The Star newspaper commented: “In both first matches of the 2024 AFF Cup, the Malaysian team faced weaker opponents. However, coach Pau Martí’s team showed a weak, lifeless and uncohesive performance. More importantly, in both matches, Malaysia were the ones who lost by 2 goals first. It was only thanks to luck that we have 4 points like now.

During the break between the match with Timor Leste, many fans expressed their anger and left early. From a bustling "fortress", Bukit Jali Stadium is now increasingly deserted. Malaysia will soon face Thailand and Singapore - the teams holding the most AFF Cup championships. If things do not improve, the Malaysian team will have a much harder time. Don't even dream of winning the championship! What the Malaysian team needs to do now is to play better to get through the group stage and regain the trust of the fans."

Malaysian fans are not satisfied with the way coach Pau Marti and his team play.

Meanwhile, the New Straits Times criticized the fighting spirit of the Malaysian team after two matches at the AFF Cup 2024. They said this was the biggest reason why coach Pau Marti and his team encountered many difficulties.

“Coach Pau Marti tried to inspire the players on the sidelines but it didn’t seem to work. His announcement that he would leave the Malaysian team right before the first match has severely affected the players’ morale.

Dominic Tan - Malaysia's captain in the match against Timor Leste is the clearest evidence of the team's weak spirit since the beginning of the tournament. When we conceded 2 goals, Dominic Tan made direct mistakes and could not keep up with the opponent. On the other side of the battle line, Timor Leste's captain João Pedro is the opposite spirit. This guy has 1 goal and 1 assist, determined in every move and many times humiliated Dominic Tan every time they faced each other directly," the New Straits Times emphasized.

Coach Pau Marti is not satisfied with the performance of Malaysian players after 2 matches.

After the hard-fought victory over Timor Leste, coach Pau Marti also admitted that Malaysia is facing many difficulties. He shared: “What happened in this match is difficult to explain. Malaysia is facing many difficulties but sometimes we have to accept things that are beyond our plans. In addition to not being in a really good spirit, Malaysia is also full of worries when many players are injured. I hope that when they return, Malaysia will play well and have more luck.”

Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 is broadcast live and in full on FPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vat-va-ha-timor-leste-doi-tuyen-malaysia-bi-chi-trich-nang-ne-dung-mo-vo-dich-185241211232112347.htm