Thailand has created a safe gap against Singapore after a 3-1 victory in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals a few days ago, thereby taking a significant advantage before the rematch at Rajamangala.
The highlight in the performance of the "War Elephants" is the way this team handled the match without much ball control. They only held the ball for 28%, but still launched 13 shots and had 6 shots on target.
Teerasak Poeiphimai scored 2 goals, Seksan contributed 1 goal. Meanwhile, Irfan Fandi was the only scorer for the island nation team.
Thailand chose to play proactively at necessary times instead of trying to control the ball. Quick transitions helped the away team exploit the space behind Singapore's defense. The ability to finish the situation is also a point that creates a clear difference between the two teams.
Singapore once had positive results against Vietnam and Indonesia in the group stage, but when facing Thailand, this team revealed many problems. Holding the ball a lot did not help Singapore create enough pressure, while mistakes in defense continuously opened up opportunities for the opponent.
Coach Gavin Lee admitted that his players made too many mistakes against a quality team. However, this coach still believes Singapore can improve before the second leg.
With a 3-1 victory in the first leg, Thailand only needs to avoid losing by a difference of 3 goals or more in the second leg to qualify for the final. Conversely, Singapore must win by at least two goals if they want to put pressure on the opponent and open up opportunities to reverse the situation.
The second leg semi-final between Thailand and Singapore takes place at 8:00 PM on August 18th at Rajamangala Stadium.
