The Thai team suffered a 0-2 defeat to Vietnam at Rajamangala Stadium on the evening of August 22. Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai scored in the second half, helping coach Kim Sang-sik's team create a significant advantage before the second leg at My Dinh Stadium on August 26.
Although the home team is at a disadvantage, Sarach Yooyen still maintains confidence in his ability to compete for the championship. According to the Thai captain, the fact that the final match is organized in a round-robin format helps his team have 90 minutes to correct mistakes.
Fortunately, the final still takes place in the first and second leg format. There is still one more match, 90 minutes in the second leg final for us to fight. I think the score of 2-0 is not too big a gap," Sarach Yooyen shared.
This midfielder highly appreciates the counter-attacking ability of the Vietnamese team. According to him, Thailand letting the opponent have a lot of space when switching positions has caused the home team to pay the price.
The counter-attacks of the Vietnamese team are their very powerful weapon, really scary. The Vietnamese team deployed very well in the first leg, making it easy for Thailand to concede two goals. We should have been more focused, especially when playing at home," Sarach Yooyen said.
The Thai captain predicts that the Vietnamese team may continue to choose a defensive counter-attacking style of play in the second leg. Therefore, Thailand needs to control the ball better, limit gaps behind the midfield and be especially wary of the opponent's situational changes.
Besides, Sarach Yooyen believes that Thailand must find an early goal at My Dinh to create reverse pressure on the Vietnamese team. If there is a goal to narrow the gap, the psychology and game of the away team may change.
The players are growing up after each match. The mood of the whole team is still quite good. Everyone still believes that if they score an early goal in the second leg, motivation will return to the Thai team," he emphasized.
Midfielder Seksan Ratree also expressed regret that Thailand could not score in the first leg. This player especially mentioned a finishing situation that was blocked by goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik in the first half.
According to Seksan Ratree, if Thailand had taken advantage of the opportunity and scored the opening goal, the match might have taken place in a different direction. However, he affirmed that the team still has a chance in the second leg and needs to quickly adjust after the defeat.
The 2-0 victory at Rajamangala Stadium helps the Vietnamese team have a great advantage before the decisive match at My Dinh. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team only needs to continue to maintain concentration and promote efficiency in transition situations to aim for the goal of defending the ASEAN Cup 2026 championship.
