The Thai team highly appreciates Xuan Son.
The Vietnamese national team will face Thailand again in the 2024 AFF Cup final, with the first leg taking place at 8 PM on January 2nd. While Vietnam convincingly defeated Singapore 5-1, Thailand struggled to come from behind against the Philippines to advance to the final.
Speaking to the press on the afternoon of January 1st, Thailand's coach Masatada Ishii affirmed that his players would try to defeat Vietnam in the final.
"The Thai team lost the first leg of the semi-final against the Philippines, so in the next two matches, we will try to win as expected. However, the Vietnamese team is very strong," Ishii analyzed.
Coach Masatada Ishii
The Vietnamese national team has not beaten Thailand in the AFF Cup for the past 16 years. In their last seven encounters, Quang Hai and his teammates have only managed draws and losses against the Thai team. In a friendly match in September at My Dinh Stadium, Vietnam opened the scoring through Tien Linh, but subsequently lost 1-2.
However, Mr. Ishii commented: "It's impossible to compare the Vietnamese team from September with the team now. They have improved and changed their lineup. They also possess their most important player, Nguyen Xuan Son."
After landing at Noi Bai International Airport last night, the members of the Thai national team immediately traveled to Viet Tri ( Phu Tho province) to settle into their accommodations before beginning preparations for the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final against Vietnam at 8 PM on January 2nd.
The Thai national team is currently undergoing a hectic training, match, and travel schedule. After their semi-final victory on the evening of December 30th, coach Masatada Ishii and his team only had this morning to rest and recover before immediately heading to Vietnam. Before the first leg of the final, Thailand only had one full day to practice tactics and adapt to the weather in Phu Tho.
"It's not just Suphanat Muenta who's having problems; several other players are injured. I will work with the coaching staff to ensure the players are in the best possible physical condition," Ishii said, expressing concern about the players' fitness. "After the semi-final, we immediately have to play away. I will try my best with the whole team to achieve the best possible result and aim for a victory," Ishii added.
The Thai and Vietnamese national teams have a three-decade history of rivalry in Southeast Asian tournaments, but according to Coach Ishii, he hasn't experienced the concept of "rivalry" between these two teams because he's only been coaching Thailand for a year. "People call this match a classic, so I have high expectations for the atmosphere on the field. I hope both teams will play well," the Japanese coach concluded.
Watch the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 live and in its entirety onFPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-ishii-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-manh-nhung-thai-lan-se-thang-o-tran-cau-kinh-dien-18525010111124936.htm
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