Thailand team entered the ASEAN Cup semi-finals with the top spot in Group B after 4 consecutive wins, scoring 10 goals and not conceding any goals. However, many opinions from fans from the land of the Golden Temple believe that the performance of coach Anthony Hudson's team still lacks proactiveness and has not created a convincing enough game.
A major Thai newspaper pointed out that the problem lies in the way they deploy their playing style and operate in the match. Against Myanmar, they only had 46% of possession time. Therefore, experts worry that the current playing style will make it difficult for Thailand to face higher quality teams.
This newspaper also draws attention to the possibility of Thailand meeting Vietnam in the final. If they overcome Singapore, Thailand will have the opportunity to test their ability against a highly rated opponent in Southeast Asia.
A final match with the Vietnamese team also means going beyond the ASEAN Cup. This could be a close test of what Thailand will face at the 2027 Asian Cup, where the team needs to compete with higher-level opponents," the author emphasized.
Thailand's limitations also need to be placed in the context of force. ASEAN Cup 2026 does not belong to FIFA Days, so many clubs do not release players, causing the Thai team not to have the strongest squad. The dense schedule and continuous movement also affect the preparation process.
Coach Hudson also has to calculate personnel according to each match. In the match against Myanmar, some players who received yellow cards were kept to avoid the risk of being suspended in the semi-finals.
According to Thai newspapers, the 2027 Asian Cup will be a real test for the "War Elephants". This team is in the same group as Japan, Qatar and Indonesia. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team is in Group E with South Korea, UAE and Yemen.
