conceding 2 goals in 4 minutes, Thailand was coming back from opponent China in the 1/8 round of the match after Vietnam defeated Jordan. Thus, the "War Elephants" at the end of the 2019 Asian Cup have high expectations, with a scenario where they do not take anything for fun.
In the group stage, the Thai team had to change head coach after losing 1-4 to India on the opening day. Mr. Rajevac left the chair for assistant Sirisak to replace him. Despite their best efforts to win a second ticket to Group A, Chanathip and his teammates could not go further.
Speaking after the loss to China, caretaker coach Sirisak did not disappoint because his students had done the miracle that Thai football had to wait for more than 47 years.
"My students and I have no regrets about losing to China in this round. The team had to change coaches while the tournament was taking place, so the expectations were not high.
I respect all the players and members of the team, when together creating this historic moment," Coach Sirisak shared.
After the defeat, the domestic media did not show any signs of concern to Chanathip and other players such as the opening match against India. Most of them are words of encouragement, everyone understands that the 2019 Asian Cup still has many things that are not complete, not the fault of the players playing below their ability.
Saying goodbye to coach Rajevac, Thai football is still struggling to find a new coach for the national team. Many sources said that it could be the legend Kiatisuk. However, "Zico Thai" has not yet given an official answer. Everyone was still waiting with a breath.
The failure in the 1/8 Asian Cup round against Thailand may be a regret because with their strength and class, the No. 1 team in Southeast Asia can dream of reaching the quarter-finals. However, in the context of chaos, the ticket for the round of 16 is an acceptable condition for everyone to look back, learn from experience and look forward to future tournaments.
