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Soccer failure caps RI's dismal run at SEA Games
Itâs all over: Thailandâs Sarawut Masuk (right) scores the winning goal past Indonesiaâs goalkeeper Kurnia Meiga in the menâs soccer final at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Naypyitaw on Saturday
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Itâs all over: Thailandâs Sarawut Masuk (right) scores the winning goal past Indonesiaâs goalkeeper Kurnia Meiga in the menâs soccer final at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Naypyitaw on Saturday. Thailand won 1-0. (AP/Vincent Thian) (right) scores the winning goal past Indonesiaâs goalkeeper Kurnia Meiga in the menâs soccer final at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Naypyitaw on Saturday. Thailand won 1-0. (AP/Vincent Thian)
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span class="inline inline-none">It's all over: Thailand's Sarawut Masuk (right) scores the winning goal past Indonesia's goalkeeper Kurnia Meiga in the men's soccer final at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Naypyitaw on Saturday. Thailand won 1-0. (AP/Vincent Thian)
Indonesia's under-23 team showed unrelenting fighting spirit during the soccer final against Thailand in Naypyitaw on Saturday, but they still fell short of winning the much-sought gold.
A goal by Sarawut Masuk in the 21st minute gave Thailand a 1-0 victory, which also sealed Thai domination of the medal tally at the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
The soccer gold, which was won late on Saturday evening, took Thailand's gold medal collection to 107, in addition to 94 silver and 80 bronze medals.
With the biennial multi-sporting event due to close on Sunday, Thailand's position at the top proved to be insurmountable. Thailand was followed by host Myanmar (84 gold, 61 silver and 85 bronze medals) and Vietnam (73, 85 and 86).
Indonesia, which emerged as the overall champion two years ago, ended in fourth place with 64 gold, 83 silver and 109 bronze medals.
With the loss in Saturday's match, Indonesia's hopes that it would end its long soccer-gold drought ' it last won gold in 1991 ' were not fulfilled. It was the second consecutive time Indonesia has lost in the final, following the team's defeat in 2011 at the hands of Malaysia.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had earlier asked the nation to pray for the soccer team's success.
'Let's pray for the under-23 team to win against Thailand in the SEA Games 2013 this evening,' the President posted on Saturday on Twitter via his @SBYudhoyono account.
Trailing by just one goal, Rahmad Darmawan's side piled the pressure on Thailand in the second half, managing to create a number of chances in the match, which was broadcast live across Indonesia.
However, the Thai team proved resolute in defending their advantage and clung on to their one goal lead until the end, leaving Indonesia unable to salvage a little pride by beating their opponents.
The Zeyar Thiri Sports Stadium was not the only battlefield that testified to Indonesia's failure to capitalize on its chances.
Earlier on Saturday, Ayip Rizal and his teammates were edged out from winning gold after being beaten into second place by Thailand 20-25, 17-25, 21-25 in the men's volleyball at the Zeyar Thiri Indoor Stadium.
Indonesia's taekwondo and judo teams are returning home empty-handed after the athletes failed to conjure any victories.
Selviana Angela lost in the taekwondo final in Naypyitaw, leaving the team without a single gold in the competition, which offered a total of 21 gold medals, at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium.
Selviana lost to Cambodian Seavmey Sorn 5-7 in the women's under-73 kilogram division and had to settle for silver, Antara reported.
Meanwhile, the loss in the judo arena, which represented Indonesia's last chance to secure a gold medal, left Indonesian judo officials so shocked that they refused to receive the silver medal in protest over an alleged unfair judgment during the match.
Horas Manurung was adjudged to have lost in his under-90 kg match against Myanmar hopeful Zin Linn Aung. According to Indonesian officials, the result was unfair because the referee had not called for a break when Horas' shoulder was locked. They argued that Zin Linn had benefited from the situation, as he launched an attack while Horas, unaware of the referee's decision, was not yet ready.
In the chess competition, Indonesia, which had won five gold medals before Saturday's matches, added two silver medals to the overall tally in the ASEAN standard chess and women's team rapid-chess events.
In the 2000-meter traditional boat race, the Indonesian women's team of 20 crew members crossed the finish line a mere three seconds after the Myanmarese team, and won silver.
In the diving arena, it was once again Malaysia who spoiled Indonesia's bid for gold in the men's 10-meter synchronized springboard event with Andriyan and Adityo Restu Putra finishing on a score of 327.51, behind Malaysia's Ooi Tze Liang and Abdullah Muhammad, who scored 386.28.
