Kor Royal Cup Final
Buriram United 2-2 Chonburi (Chonburi win 4-3 on penalties)
A 95th minute goal from Ludovick Tatam with virtually the last kick off the game saw Chonburi come from two down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Buriram United in the Kor Royal Cup final. The Sharks then went onto to win the resultant penalty shoot-out 4-3 as they lifted the cup for the fourth time in five years.
The TPL champions started the game in the ascendancy and they could have scored twice in the first five minutes. Jirawat fired a shot across goal and Sintaweechai had to be alert to tip a Sumanya chip over the bar.
Buriram certainly were the better side in the opening period as they seemed to overrun the Chonburi midfield. The Sharks front two seemed isolated upfront as the league runners-up posed little threat.
It was no surprise when Buriram opened the scoring on the 31st minute. Theeratorn was given too much space to run through the Chonburi midfield. The youngster exchanged passes with Askar before his scuffed shot deflected off Diakite past the wrong footed Chonburi keeper, Sintaweechai. Teerathorn's shot looked like it was going wide and the goal should go down as an own goal in my opinion.
A couple of minutes later the lead was doubled when Frank Achaempong got his left boot to a Jirawat cross.
Chonburi had barely posed any shots on target, but they were back in the game as the half time interval approached. Adul pounced as Sivaruck's block with his legs fell kindly into his path after the Buriram keeper had denied Ludo.
The unwell Kazuto Kasido came on for the second half and with his arrival Chonburi began to improve. They held plenty of possession although they never really tested Sivaruk in the Buriram goal. Buriram meanwhile looked content to sit on their 2-1 lead as the clock slowly whittled down.
Just as the trophy engraver was getting ready to carve the letters "Buriram United" as 2012 winners, Ludo had other ideas as he swivelled in the six yard box to convert Chonlatit's cross.
The injury time leveller sent the match straight into penalties as no extra time was to be played.
The scoring of the penalties went: Jirawat (BU) miss, Diakite (Ch) goal, Suchao (BU) goal, Akarawin (Ch) miss, Theeratorn (BU) goal, Sukree (Ch) miss, Prathum (BU) miss, Adul (Ch) goal, Ekwalla (BU) goal, Therdsak (Ch) goal, Ohandza (BU) miss, Kushido (Ch) goal
So it was Chonburi who lifted the Kor Royal Cup. For long periods off this game, that appeared unlikely. Buriram will regret not killing the tie off when they could have. Chonburi on the other hand will be delighted that they kept fighting right to the end. Next week both sides will open their respective TPL campaigns. I expect they'll relish doing battle again as the season progresses.
No comments:
Post a Comment