In the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Turkmenistan and Thailand are in Group D. After the first round, both teams won, earning 3 points. Therefore, the match between the two teams is considered the "final" of the group, the winning team is likely to take the top spot and get a ticket to the final round.
Despite having a lower FIFA ranking, with home field advantage, Turkmenistan is expected by experts to cause many difficulties for Thailand. In the last 2 matches, Turkmenistan has been in good form, remaining undefeated. Especially when facing strong teams in Asian football such as Uzbekistan, Iran... Turkmenistan also plays confidently, ready to push up the attacking formation.
The Thai team (in white) is expected to face many difficulties when playing away at Turkmenistan.
PHOTO: PHUC THANG
As predicted by experts, the Turkmenistan team unexpectedly pushed up their formation and played close, causing Thailand a lot of trouble. Right in the first minute, the fans at Ashgabat Stadium had the opportunity to cheer when the Turkmenistan team opened the score. The player who brought joy to the home team was striker Mihail Titow with his classy handling in the Thai team's penalty area.
Thailand is helpless
Conceding an early goal, the Thai team increased their attacking pressure. However, the artificial pitch greatly affected Thailand's short play. In the first half, Thailand did not have a single shot on target. If goalkeeper Khammai had not played brilliantly in the 12th minute, the Thai team's net could have shaken after Saparow's powerful header.
In the second half of the first half, the Thai players gradually got used to the playing conditions, creating a better game. The away team held the ball for about 60% of the time, creating a lot of pressure on the Turkmenistan goal. In the 35th minute, the highest striker on the attack line, Supachai Chaided, headed the ball accurately, equalizing the score 1-1 for the Thai team.
It seemed that the equalizer would help the Thai team play better, but the opposite happened. Just 2 minutes after the equalizer, the Thai team's net shook for the second time. The player who helped the Turkmenistan team lead 2-1 after the first half was midfielder Yhlas Saparmämmedow with an unstoppable close-range shot.
Turkmenistan surprisingly leads Thailand (white shirt) 2-1 after the first half
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT
In the second half, the Thai team increased the tempo of the match in search of an equalizer. With captain Chanathip Songkrasin playing in the center of midfield, Thailand launched many attacks in the middle. However, when approaching the Turkmenistan penalty area, the Thai team struggled and could not finish.
On the opposite side, Turkmenistan actively deployed a defensive counter-attacking style of play. When awarded set pieces, the Central Asian representative often made dangerous crosses, causing the Thai goal to falter. In the 66th minute, from a corner kick on the right wing, captain Mekan Saparow rushed in and finished close to the goal, raising the score to 3-1 for Turkmenistan.
In the last 20 minutes, the Thai team played with all their might, sending many attacking players onto the field. Outstanding attacking stars such as Ben Davis and Poramet Arjvirai were all used by coach Masatada Ishii. The Southeast Asian representative also continued to dominate possession (nearly 70%), with up to 8 more shots. However, all of them were inaccurate, not even once penetrating the Turkmenistan team's net.
The Thai team (in white) was unable to penetrate Turkmenistan's net in the second half.
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT
Losing 1-3 to Turkmenistan, the Thai team only has 3 points after 2 matches, ranking 2nd in Group D of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. More importantly, this loss could cause Thailand to lose many points on the FIFA rankings as they are more than 40 places higher than Turkmenistan. On the opposite side, Turkmenistan has 6 points after 2 matches. The Central Asian representative solidifies the top position and opens the door to the 2027 Asian Cup.
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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hang-cong-be-tac-thai-lan-thua-soc-turkmenistan-canh-cua-du-vck-asian-cup-hep-dan-nhu-viet-nam-185250610231039619.htm
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