AFF Cup 2024, Vietnam team 0-0 Thailand: Xuan Son competes with Suphanat

* PRE-MATCH COMMENTARY

Throughout the Thai team’s journey to win tickets to the AFF Cup 2024 final, Suphanat left a bold mark. He scored 5 goals, 4 assists and is a strong candidate for the title of Best Player of the tournament and top scorer. Notably, he became the hero of the Thai team when he scored the decisive goal in extra time in the semi-final second leg against the Philippines even though his fever was not completely gone.

Immediately after the semi-final second leg, Suphanat had to be hospitalized to receive special care. However, he still did not have time to travel to Vietnam with his teammates on December 31 and had to fly later on the morning of January 1. Suphanat was quite fresh in the Thai team’s January 1 afternoon training session, but clearly, with such a schedule, this striker cannot reach full fitness to be able to start in the first leg of the final.

Coach Masatada Ishii was forced to put his trust in other players. And fortunately for the Japanese strategist, the Thai team still has Supachok Sarachat and Benjamin Davis.

In this group, the most notable is Supachok. He has experience playing in the J1 League for Consadole Sapporo Club, has a long history of “winning the team”, and won the AFF Cup 2020. Without Suphanat, Supachok is the player assigned to operate widely, creating connections. between the midfield and striker of the Thai team. He is extremely dangerous whenever he has the ball near the opponent’s penalty area. Although this striker is not really sharp in finishing situations due to his habit of being a perfectionist, he is still a threat to the Vietnamese team’s defense.

Benjamin Davis is less famous, but just as excellent. Even in the semi-final second leg against the Philippines, the player from the new Fulham training facility played better than his seniors. Davis possesses very good tactical and technical vision, causing many difficulties for the opposing defense. He forced the Filipino players to foul him in the middle of the field, receiving 2 yellow cards and creating 4 passes to create opportunities for his teammates. Not to mention coach Ishii’s unused “secret card” Ekanit Panya, or midfielders like Peeradol and Weerathep who are always ready to explode.

Before the first leg of the final, many experts said that the competition between Suphanat and Xuan Son would decide the “fate” of the match. Suphanat’s absence while Xuan Son is still at full strength is a great advantage for the Vietnamese team. However, “Golden Star Warriors” still need to be careful.