Playing away against the Philippines, Thailand has one thing to worry about…

The clash between the Philippines and Thailand is the second semi-final of the 2024 AFF Cup. The first leg will take place at 8 PM on December 27th at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the second leg will be held at 8 PM on December 30th at the Rajamangala Stadium in Thailand. As usual, the 2024 AFF Cup semi-final will be broadcast live on VTV2, VTV Can Tho, as well as the VTVgo and VTV Times apps. In addition, viewers can also watch onFPT Play platforms.

The Thai national team is still proving itself to be the number one contender for the AFF Cup 2024 title.

Historically, Thailand has a clear advantage over the Philippines. Since 2014, the two teams have met a total of six times in the AFF Cup, with Thailand remaining undefeated (4 wins, 2 draws). Notably, in these six matches, the Philippines have never managed to score more than one goal against Thailand. In their most recent encounter (December 26, 2022), Thailand also defeated the Philippines convincingly 4-0.

Highlight Indonesia 0-1 Philippines | ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024

Furthermore, in the 2024 AFF Cup, the Thai national team is also showcasing a convincing style of play. Coach Masatada Ishii's team, despite not having their strongest lineup, easily won all four group stage matches, confidently advancing to the semi-finals as group A winners. Thailand also scored 18 goals (an average of 4.5 goals per game) and conceded only 4, giving them a significantly better goal difference than all other teams in the tournament. Expected stars like Suphanat Mueanta, Patrik Gustavsson, and Teerasak Poeiphimai all shone brightly, each scoring 3 goals in the group stage.

Suphanat Mueanta (10) has 3 goals after 4 group stage matches

The Thai national team needs to get used to artificial turf early on.

Unlike Thailand's overwhelming strength, the Philippines had a more challenging group stage campaign. Coach Albert Capellas' team earned 6 points after 4 matches, finishing second in Group B behind Vietnam (10 points). Aside from creating a surprise by defeating Indonesia 1-0 away from home to snatch a place in the semi-finals, the Philippines haven't made much of an impression yet.

In their fifth appearance in the semi-finals (the previous four were in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2018), the only advantage giving the Philippines confidence in challenging Thailand is the Rizal Memorial Stadium. This artificial turf pitch has caused many opponents to struggle when playing away. In the group stage, the Vietnamese team also faced many difficulties to secure a 1-1 draw. Even after the match, several players had to leave the field with scratches.

The Rizal Memorial Stadium posed a challenge for the Vietnamese national team in the group stage.

Thai media reports suggest that coach Masatada Ishii seems to have recognized this difficulty and quickly adjusted the training plan. After the group stage, Thailand began training on the artificial turf of the Bangkok Thonburi Football Development Center. This is seen as a sensible preparation, minimizing risks for the Thai players when they play away against the Philippines.

“Coach Masatada Ishii needs to urgently change the training exercises to help the Thai players quickly get used to the artificial turf. Don't forget… to bring antiseptic when playing at Rizal Memorial. The Vietnamese team had to leave with serious injuries, and certainly big challenges await Thailand in the first leg of the semi-final,” Thai Raith commented.

Watch the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 live and in its entirety on FPT Play, at: http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-thi-dau-ban-ket-aff-cup-2024-lam-khach-cua-philippines-thai-lan-lo-ngai-mot-dieu-185241223151522758.htm