A diversionary tactic by the Thais?

Thailand's disappointment

The Thai national team failed to defeat Laos in a friendly match on the evening of November 17th, which was also the final warm-up for coach Masatada Ishii's team before the 2024 AFF Cup.

The 1-1 draw at Thammasat Stadium was a surprising result, as for the past 14 years, Thailand had won every match against Laos with a large margin, mostly by two goals or more. Laos is also 91 places lower than Thailand in the FIFA rankings. However, the team from the land of a million elephants had a memorable friendly match, holding the reigning AFF Cup champions to a draw.

Thailand (in purple) failed to beat Laos in a friendly match on the evening of November 17th.

At Thammasat Stadium, even without fielding their strongest team (a complete change from the 0-0 draw against Lebanon), Thailand was still clearly superior to Laos. While Thailand remains the "powerhouse" of Southeast Asia, having lost only 1 of their last 16 AFF Cup matches, Laos is in very poor form, having won only 1 of their last 13 games. Before facing Thailand, Laos had just lost 1-3 to Malaysia. Coach Ha Hyeok-jun's team is in a rebuilding phase. The South Korean coach himself is constantly rotating the squad, as he has yet to find a stable core for Laos.

However, Thailand's underwhelming performance actually gave Laos their best game in years. Despite controlling possession with 77% and having 20 shots (compared to Laos' 6), Thailand squandered many opportunities. Finishing was a problem for coach Masatada Ishii's team, especially in the first half. Thailand pressed forward, but Ishii's young players either failed to finish well or made mistakes in crucial moments, rendering their dominant possession meaningless.

The goalless first half gave Laos hope. Entering the second half, coach Ha Hyeok-jun's players played with more confidence and sharpness, boldly controlling the ball and launching counter-attacks. The Laotian team didn't just blindly rush forward; when they regained possession, they played a series of quick passes from their own half to find space.

The Laos team played with great effort.

As a result, even though Thailand wanted to press forward, they couldn't increase the tempo. The "War Elephants" took the lead but were pegged back by Bounphachan Bounkong, one of Laos' best players in recent years. Thailand threw their entire team forward in the final 20 minutes, but it was too late. Laos defended resolutely and provided good cover, while the home team was impatient and their finishing was ineffective.

No need to hide your cards.

Following the failure in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, coach Ishii affirmed: "This setback is an opportunity for the Thai national team to restructure its squad and pave the way for young players."

In their last five matches against Vietnam, the Philippines, Syria, Lebanon, and Laos, the Thai national team used very different lineups and tactical formations.

Coach Ishii used young players against Vietnam and Laos, while at the King's Cup, where Thailand defeated Syria and the Philippines, a squad of veterans was selected. The victory at the King's Cup showed that, with a full squad, the "War Elephants" remain a strong team.

However, since the AFF Cup is not a FIFA-sanctioned tournament, Thailand may not be able to field their strongest team. Coach Ishii also understands that they cannot continue to rely solely on Chanathip Songkrasin or Theerathon Bunmathan. The defeat against China in the World Cup qualifiers also showed that Thailand's peak generation has reached its limits.

The Thai team is still formidable.

Therefore, coach Ishii was forced to rejuvenate the squad. Thailand's young players are very good, but youth always comes with instability. Suphanat Muenta and his teammates might play well against Vietnam, but they could also struggle against Laos. That's the risk that comes with promoting young players to the first team, a risk that Ishii probably anticipated.

Therefore, the 1-1 draw against Laos was not a tactic to hide their true strength. The "War Elephants" are still in the process of building a new team, so they can't always play well.

Essentially, they remain a strong team, with a playing philosophy and experience far superior to the average in Southeast Asia. However, the shortcomings revealed recently show that Thailand still has weaknesses that, if Vietnam has the opportunity to meet them in this tournament, they could exploit.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-thai-lan-khong-thang-noi-lao-ke-nghi-binh-cua-nguoi-thai-185241118103204858.htm