The 1-2 defeat to the Philippines in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semi-final was a shock for the Thai team. The Golden Temple team is considered to be superior to its opponent in both strength and expertise, especially when they have the service of young star Suphanat and a number of Thai players such as Jonathan Khemdee, Patrik Gustavsson...
The Thai team can only blame themselves for missing so many chances. Captain Akirapong had at least 4 shots wide despite being in a favorable position facing the opposing goalkeeper.
Subjectivity and partly due to the difference in the artificial turf field are considered the main reasons why the "War Elephants" suffered a defeat on the away field. This is also the first loss of the Thai team to the Philippines in more than half a century.
On the other side, the victory over Thailand was certainly a big morale boost for the Philippine players. In fact, coach Albert Capellas' team played well throughout the journey to this second leg of the semi-finals.
They have a tight playing style based on players with good physique. Up front, faces like Monis, Reyes or Kristensen always know how to create breakthroughs. Besides, the Philippines team also maintains an annoying defense style, lurking counterattacks. Therefore, this will be a difficult problem for the Thai team in the upcoming match at Rajamangala Stadium.
The Philippines only need a draw to make their first appearance in the ASEAN Cup final. Meanwhile, Thailand needs to win by two goals to reach the final.
In case Thailand wins by only 1 goal, the two teams will have to continue to determine the winner in 2 extra periods and a penalty shootout. In theory, the pressure is mostly on the team of the Golden Temple.
However, Thailand is still the team with the strongest attack in this year's tournament with the diverse and highly effective playing ability of the stars on the attack line. They have scored 19 goals after the first leg of the semi-final.
With the home field advantage, coach Masatada Ishii's team will certainly cause the Philippines a lot of trouble in the rematch.
With the current situation, it is likely that the Philippines will enter the match with a defensive strategy, creating a solid concrete block in front of the home team's goal. As for the Thai team, they will take the initiative to attack, increasing the pressure to find a goal in the hope of a successful comeback.
This promises to make the second leg of the semi-final match between Thailand and the Philippines taking place at 8:00 p.m. today (December 30) at Rajamangala Stadium exciting and dramatic.
Expected lineups of Thailand and Philippines
Thailand team: Patiwat, Khamdee, Auksornsri, Promsupa, Pumwisat, Pomphan, Chamratsamee, Bureerat, Supachok, Suphanat, Patrik.
Philippines team: Kammeraad, Kempter, Bailey, Ugelvik, Tabinas, Linares, Monis, Reyes, Rublico, Kekkonen, Kristensen.
