On the evening of August 18, the Thai team lost to Singapore 1-2 in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals. However, the team still won a ticket to the final thanks to a 4-3 overall victory. Thailand's performance at home was heavily criticized by fans.
According to coach Anthony Hudson, the tight schedule has affected the players' fitness. He said: "I am always asked about our playing style. I will not go into tactical details, but the last two matches we have played in three days, not counting travel time.
We have many new players, and we are facing teams that have played well in the group stage. The fitness of each player is not enough to fully meet the playing style that we have planned.
The English coach admitted that he understands the expectations of fans, but emphasized that reaching the final of the ASEAN Cup 2026 is the most important thing.
When the match result does not meet expectations, questions will definitely arise, because every fan has very high expectations. But in the end, we reached the final. We have to play every three days, although many players are still in pre-season training, which is time to build fitness. So it is very difficult to play the football we want," Hudson continued.
The defeat to Singapore marked Thailand's first home defeat to this opponent after 17 years. With Hudson, he also ended the 10-match unbeaten streak with the home team, which has been maintained since he took over the team at the end of 2025.
Hudson also revealed that he was aware of the criticism of the Thai national team, but he chose to respond with his performance on the pitch.
I understand that being questioned is normal. In the team, people say that this team is facing a lot of criticism, both about the players and the fact that we may not go far.
But now we have reached the final. I am proud of all the players, as well as the veteran players who helped lead the team. Even if there are only 2-3 days to prepare for each match, I am still proud of what everyone has achieved," Mr. Hudson emphasized.
In the final, the Thai team will meet the winner of the Vietnam vs Malaysia match. In the first leg semi-final, the Vietnamese team won against the opponent 2-0 away from home.
