After the 0-2 defeat to Vietnam on the evening of August 22, coach Anthony Hudson said that coach Kim Sang-sik's personnel adjustments were a suitable response to Thailand's way of organizing the game.
When asked about the Vietnamese team replacing both Xuan Son and Thanh Long quite early, coach Anthony Hudson said: "Not exactly, when looking at the starting lineup we can clearly understand who they are and how the adjustment takes place. I am not surprised because coach Kim Sang-sik is reacting to how we build our playing style".
Coach Anthony Hudson said he is proud of the players' performance, especially the young faces.
I am extremely proud of this team, especially the young players. However, deep down, I have a little regret that if their fitness was better, with more careful physical preparation to compete, they could have done much more at this tournament," coach Anthony Hudson shared.
According to the English strategist, the fact that players are not in the best physical condition significantly affects their ability to play, especially at the end of the match.
If they were a little more energetic, they could have maintained their form until the end of the match and finished more sharply in front of the opponent's goal. However, I still have special feelings for these players. I love those young men, they have dedicated everything and possess extremely great potential," he said.
Thailand controlled the ball more in the first half and created some dangerous opportunities. However, the home team could not take advantage of them successfully. In the second half, the Vietnamese team played more effectively and successively scored thanks to Hai Long and Quang Hai.
Coach Hudson believes that the experiences at ASEAN Cup 2026 will help Thai young players mature more.
Our journey has not stopped here. Everyone in the dressing room believes that we can go further; this is a good opportunity for their development," coach Anthony Hudson said.
He further emphasized: "I think that our trio of strikers needs to improve their fitness, which is the most important factor at the moment, need to be stronger and more sensitive. However, I do not want to turn this tournament simply into a test playground or player development".
Despite losing 0-2 in the first leg, coach Anthony Hudson affirmed that Thailand is still looking forward to the second leg with high determination.
We are still very focused on the goal of playing in Vietnam and striving to bring an impressive performance," he affirmed.
The second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final will take place in My Dinh, on August 26.
