After the 1-0 victory over the Philippines in the third match of Group B of the ASEAN Cup 2026, coach Anthony Hudson admitted that the Thai team faced many difficulties in the pre-match preparation process.
Sharing after the match, the strategist of the "War Elephants" said: "We have to admit that when we arrived in the Philippines, we arrived at the hotel near 3-4 am and only had one chance to practice before the match. Of course, now we have to focus on fully recovering the athletes as soon as possible when we return to Thailand and rehearse on Thursday".
According to Mr. Hudson, the dense travel schedule makes Thailand not have much time to prepare. However, the team still won all 3 points thanks to Waris Choolthong's headed goal in the 84th minute, thereby maintaining a winning streak after three legs and maintaining the top spot in Group B with 9 points.
This coach also said that the coaching staff will prioritize helping the players recover quickly before the confrontation with Myanmar - the team that just won big against Laos 7-2 to continue to nurture hopes for the semi-finals.
He emphasized: "The goal of the next match against Myanmar is to win. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to rest the athletes after the previous 2-3 matches. Some people have convulsions, injuries, stiffness or fatigue, but the players who have played all played well. The goal is to try to fully recover the previous athletes, but we confirm that when we face Myanmar, we will try to win".
In the last match of Group B, Thailand will face Myanmar in an important confrontation for the semi-final race. With 9 points after three matches, the "War Elephants" are holding a great advantage in the group top spot competition, while Myanmar is also determined to create a surprise after destroying Laos to continue chasing the leading group.
