Message from Thailand head coach
The Thai team is considered the “king” of Southeast Asia, having won the AFF Cup 7 times. In the last two editions, the team from the Golden Temple country won the championship, Theerathon Bunmathan and Chanathip Songkrasin - the top players in the region helped Thailand regain the position that had fallen to Vietnam a few years ago. But that does not mean that the “War Elephants” are satisfied at the top of the region. In addition to the desire to reach the Asian level, Thailand continues to renew its aspirations in Southeast Asia.
The new head coach Ishii Masatada was chosen to replace Mr. Mano Polking, a generational transition was immediately established. Chanathip and Theerathon stepped back into the background, leaving the "stage" for Ekanit Panya, Supachok Sarachat or Suphanat Mueanta. In addition to the 3 players mentioned above, a squad that was not too experienced - considering the number of appearances for the Thai National Team - was chosen by Mr. Ishii.
In fact, many people hastily thought that it was Thailand's B team. They also thought that the AFF Cup was no longer a hot front for the representative of the Golden Temple country. However, Mr. Ishii thought differently. Most of the Thai players at this time have not played many matches for the national team, but that does not mean that they lack talent and desire to compete. The concentration, caution and effort were shown by Thailand right from the way they prepared and played against Timor Leste. Against the weakest team in the tournament and considered the "points warehouse of the group", Thailand still practiced in secret, keeping their tactics a secret until the match.
At Hang Day Stadium on the evening of December 8, Thailand scored in the 4th minute. After that start, the young Thai players continuously put the ball into the opponent's goal. However, in addition to the impressive number of 10 goals, the attitude of the Thai players was very respectable. After each time they put the ball into the opponent's net, they quickly ran into the goal to hold the ball and then put it back on the halfway line as if they were the team that was losing.
“We want to give the audience a feast of goals. The team also wants to play with all our might. If we see a chance to score many goals, my teammates and I will try our best,” said Suphanat Mueanta, who scored twice against Timor Leste after his team's 10-0 victory.
Challenge to Vietnam, Indonesia
After the match ended, coach Ishii Masatada was not too happy. If anything, he was satisfied with his players' desire. “I studied Timor Leste carefully. During the days leading up to the match, they were the only name I was concerned about. I did not want to think about the next matches when there was still an obstacle waiting in front of me. After the first half, when Thailand was leading 4-0, I still wanted the players to try to improve their playing style. The players tried to fix their mistakes in the first half and they scored 6 more goals after the break. What I was happy about was that every time they scored, they tried to collect the ball to restart. They really did very well, especially their determination,” said the head coach of the Thai team.
The media and fans called this a practice match for the Thai attack, because Timor Leste was too weak and Thai players could easily score. Thailand's 10-0 victory in the opening match also entered the Top 5 matches with the biggest score difference in AFF Cup history. However, from Mr. Ishii's perspective, that statistic is not important, but the key lies in the fact that Thai players have shown both their level and attitude in the match.
Looking at the way the Thai team plays, the Vietnamese and Indonesian teams - the top candidates competing for the 2024 AFF Cup championship - also need to be wary.
Remember, not many Thai players are still in the AFF Cup winning squad 2 years ago. Therefore, they are eager to win the first Southeast Asian championship in their professional career. This is good for Thailand, but also... a concern for other opponents.
