Cambodia beat Timor-Leste 3-0 in the AFF Championship group stage on Sunday. The hosts took control early and never looked back, with two first-half goals from S. Hav setting up what proved to be a straightforward afternoon.
And here's the thing — Cambodia's opening strike at sixteen minutes came from a moment of clarity rather than sustained pressure. They didn't camp in the final third, but by then Timor-Leste had already turned to the kids and were second to everything in midfield. The second goal at sixty-three minutes was the one that killed the game, and by then the visitors had been out-thought on the touchline.
Statistics tell a different story than the result. Timor-Leste held 58 per cent possession and created four big chances, yet only managed four shots on target all afternoon. Cambodia were more clinical with seven shots on target and three big chances, but the real picture came in the numbers — ten successful tackles against fifteen for the visitors, twenty-eight clearances to nineteen. Things came to a head when Timor-Leste gifted the goal, and the hosts kept their heads.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the break, with seven changes between forty-six and eighty-nine minutes. Neither side had a red card, though V. Im and R. Jom picked up yellows. Cambodia's goalkeeper made three saves while Timor-Leste's keeper was called into action four times.
The result leaves Cambodia in a better position in the group, while Timor-Leste's recent run continues to disappoint. They'd lost to Indonesia 3-0 and Singapore 2-0 before this, and now this defeat adds to the concerns around the camp.