Malaysia midfielder Gary Steven Robbat said his team will play to salvage some pride in Monday's Group B SEA Games clash against Brunei.
Ong Kim Swee's side lost to Thailand 1-0 last Thursday after being humiliated 5-1 by Vietnam two days earlier -- these results have dashed their hopes of qualifying from the group for the semifinals. Harimau Muda have only three points from their three matches, the points coming from their 1-0 win against unfancied Timor-Leste in their opener on May 30.
"The least we can do is wind down our campaign by winning our last two matches against Brunei and Laos [on Thursday]. The wins might be pointless, but we need to salvage our pride," said the Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) player.
23-year-old Gary, who missed the 2011 and 2013 SEA Games through injuries, is disappointed that his only appearance in the biennial Games has been a forgettable experience.
"I had a golden chance to score against Thailand but I was slow to react," Gary, who captained his side against the defending champions, told The Star. "I could only toe-poke the ball and it was not good enough. If only I had some pace in my shot, we would still be alive in the competition.
"We're still in a daze and struggling to accept that we won't be in the semifinals. But that's football. The other teams were better than us this time. We need to accept this."
Champions Thailand and Vietnam are virtually in the semifinals from Group B after having won all four of their matches. The leaders will face off on Wednesday for group supremacy.