Tomorrow (September 7), the Thai team will face the Russian team in the 2024 Triumvirate Cup international friendly tournament at My Dinh Stadium at 8:00 p.m.
Speaking before the match, head coach Valery Karpin of the Russian team said: "My team and I are ready for tomorrow's match. Our goal is always to win. The Thai team is at the same level as Vietnam, has good players, so the Russian team has prepared plans to control these players. I only pay close attention to the playing tactics, not any individual.
Some players have not played in the match against Vietnam (September 5 evening) but have watched the match and reviewed the field conditions to have the best preparation.
The frequency of playing 2 matches in 3 days makes it difficult for us to practice, for example, after the match against Vietnam, the players only had 1 practice session. But the whole team knew this before coming to Vietnam, so the players were ready and had certain preparations.
We have been kept informed and updated on the weather situation. The team is taking it into consideration but is not overly concerned about it."
Meanwhile, player Danil Glebov shared: "I am very ready to play because I did not play in the match against Vietnam. Many players in the team are the same. I believe the coach and coaching staff will provide information about the opponent and give us tactics so we know what to do for tomorrow's match."
On the Thai team's side, head coach Ishii Masatada said: "Yesterday (September 5), I watched the match between Vietnam and Russia. Russia is a team with a good attacking style. The head coach of Russia also shared that he will use good players in the match against Thailand. Therefore, we have prepared carefully for tomorrow's match.
In this tournament, we have 2 matches against Vietnam and Russia. I do not evaluate which match is better or which match uses a better lineup. The main purpose is to see how players in the same team coordinate with each other to have my own assessment."
Sharing about the fact that both Thailand and Vietnam failed to make it to the 2026 World Cup qualifying round 3, Mr. Ishii said that is the reason why the Thai team is focusing on the younger generation.
"Tournaments like this are an opportunity for us to see the level and performance of young players. The squad going to Vietnam lacks key players like Chanathip because I want to create conditions for young players, want to see how they will perform without their seniors.
I come from Japan, a country with the most developed football in the continent. Through this tournament, I want to have a specific assessment of my students because most of the team are players playing in Thailand, not abroad," said Mr. Ishii.
Meanwhile, Thai player Weerathep Pomphan commented: "Russia is a strong team but Thailand is also well prepared. This is a good opportunity for the young generation and new faces to show their skills. Tomorrow, we will try our best."
Talking about the Indonesian team's development in the region, the Thai midfielder affirmed: "Indonesia has a strong force, a very good group of naturalized players. If in the future we meet this team, Thailand needs to prepare very carefully."
