Why did Thailand criticize the Vietnamese national team and... Xuan Son: 'Ask them if they're afraid of us?'

Defender Chalermsak Aukkee believes that, given Thailand's impressive current form, Vietnam is the team that should be afraid in the 2024 AFF Cup final.

How did the Thai team reach the final?

The Vietnamese national team will face Thailand in the final of the 2024 AFF Cup. While coach Kim Sang-sik's team defeated Singapore over two legs with a total score of 5-1, Thailand also beat the Philippines with a total score of 4-3 to reach the championship match of the Southeast Asian tournament for the third consecutive time.

Despite Vietnam's strong performance with a six-match unbeaten streak, Thai defender Chalermsak Aukkee still believes that Kim Jong-un's team is the one that should be worried in the AFF Cup final.

The Thai opponent unexpectedly mentioned Xuan Son.

PHOTO: NGOC LINH

"Thailand's form is getting better and better, and we're not afraid to face the Vietnamese team in Bangkok. You should be asking whether the Vietnamese team is afraid of Thailand," Chalermsak replied to a Thai reporter's question about whether the "War Elephants" were intimidated by their opponent.

Chalermsak also stated that he didn't know who Nguyen Xuan Son was, and argued that the Vietnamese national team striker couldn't compare to Thailand's central defender Jonathan Khemdee. "Who is Xuan Son? Is he really that strong? Just wait and see how Xuan Son compares to Khemdee. I'm sure Khemdee is much stronger than Xuan Son," Chalermsak asserted.

The Thai team faced difficulties in the second leg of the semi-final against the Philippines. After leading 2-0, coach Masatada Ishii's team conceded a goal to reduce the deficit to 1-2. In the final minutes, the Philippines put pressure on Thailand and hit the post once. Fortunately avoiding conceding another goal, Thailand took the game into extra time, before Suphanat Muenta scored in the 116th minute to send the "War Elephants" straight to the final.

According to Chalermsak, the victory helped Thailand relieve pressure. "I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders," he affirmed. Coach Masatada Ishii also emphasized that Thailand's victory opened the door to continue their journey in the 2024 AFF Cup.

Thailand is unbeaten in their last 6 matches against Vietnam (2 wins, 4 draws). The last time the "War Elephants" lost to Vietnam in the AFF Cup was 16 years ago, in the first leg of the 2008 AFF Cup final at Rajamangala Stadium (Vietnam won 2-1 thanks to goals from Vu Phong and Cong Vinh).

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sao-thai-lan-che-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-va-xuan-son-hoi-xem-ho-so-chung-toi-khong-185241231113726633.htm