Thai media: Coach Ishii and his team were shocked after losing to the Philippines, shocking the whole country

Thailand is surprising

Meeting the Philippines in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 semi-finals, the Thai team played disappointingly, losing the match 1-2. Sandro Reyes (21st minute) and Kike Linares (90+5th minute) are the players who scored 2 goals for the home team. Filipino house. Meanwhile, Thailand’s goal was scored by defender Suphanan Bureerat at the end of the first half.

Faced with Thailand’s unexpected defeat, newspaper Siamsport commented: “The Thai team was shocked when they played on the Philippines’ field. We tried to set up a beautiful match, aiming for a big win to have a big advantage before the return match, but all plans went bankrupt. Coach Masatada Ishii’s team did not enter the game well, allowing their opponents to dominate at the beginning of the match. If the home team is more disciplined, Thailand’s goal may even be put on alert. Everything in the second half was improved by Thailand, but it was not enough. The Philippines’ final punch in the 90+5 minute left Thailand stunned and admitting defeat.

The Thai newspaper continued to point out the reasons why “War Elephants” failed: “Coach Masatada Ishii still uses the familiar 4-3-3 formation, but the strange thing is that Suphanan Bureerat was brought in to play in the position. Right-back position replaces Nicholas Mickelson. In addition, midfielders Saringkarn Phromsupha and Jonatharn Khemdee, who have never played together before, were used. For 90 minutes, Thailand played in panic, especially when having to run on the artificial field.

Second, the Thai midfield played lackluster the whole match, this helped the Philippines easily choose the match they wanted. Third, Thailand wasted too many opportunities. In the second half, coach Masatada Ishii showed off his leadership skills, giving us many opportunities, but the Thai players kept missing them. Therefore, the Philippines’ goal in the last minutes was a punishment for Thailand. Finally, Thailand’s biggest weakness is the lack of any unique attack lines in the middle. At the same time, we also don’t have any attacking players who can come on the field and change the outcome of the match, especially after Suphanat Mueanta left the field injured in the 64th minute.”

Meanwhile, sheet Thairathalso criticized the Thai team after losing to the Philippines. “The Philippines’ victory shocked the whole of Thailand. After 52 years, we lost to our opponents again and this is a valuable lesson for Thai football. At the same time, coach Masatada Ishii must try to adapt and quickly improve the weaknesses immediately so that the “War Elephants” can return. Fortunately, for Thailand, the second leg will be played at home in Rajamangala. and the chance to reach the final is still intact”, newspaper Thairathemphasize.