The Thai player is not in good physical condition.
The Thai team just exerted themselves for over 120 minutes against the Philippines in the second leg of the semi-final on the evening of December 30, 2024. The "War Elephants" secured their place in the 2024 AFF Cup final by defeating the Philippines 4-3 over two legs, but the team from the land of the golden temples also paid a price. Playing at such a high intensity for such a long period has worn down the physical condition of the Thai players, making them susceptible to injury. After the second leg of the semi-final, at least two players from the team were not in their best physical condition. The dangerous substitute Teerasak Poeiphimai came on in the 64th minute but had to leave the field in the 78th minute. According to Thai media, Teerasak Poeiphimai had to go to the hospital to check a back injury, so his chances of recovering in time for the final are very low. Meanwhile, Suphanat Mueanta wasn't even fully fit to play in the second leg of the semi-final on December 30, 2024, but coach Masatada Ishii was forced to field the 2002-born striker in order to decide the match in extra time. Suphanat suffered from a high fever after the semi-final and had to be hospitalized, so he will arrive in Vietnam later than his teammates.
The Thai team is confident, but they have less time to recover compared to Vietnam.
After a hard-fought victory against the Philippines, the Thai national team had to fly to Vietnam to play the first leg of the final at Viet Tri Stadium. According to the plan, the "War Elephants" were divided into two groups, arriving in Vietnam on the evening of December 31st, then traveling from Hanoi to Phu Tho that same night. Therefore, Coach Ishii and his team only had one training session in Vietnam (January 1st), which was also their first time familiarizing themselves with the official match pitch.
Highlights Thailand 3-1 Philippines – ASEAN MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC Cup 2024 Semi-final Second Leg
It's clear that the excessive exertion in the second leg of the semi-final against the Philippines, coupled with a packed travel schedule, put Thailand at a disadvantage going into the first leg of the final against Kim Sang-sik's team. Coach Ishii admitted immediately after the second leg of the semi-final: “From now until the first leg of the final, we only have two days of rest. Some players are injured, and this is unfortunate. However, the Thai team will try their best with the remaining players. Regarding the plan for the final, Thailand will have a strategy for each match… We want to win both remaining matches and win the AFF Cup 2024.”
The Vietnamese team has several advantages going into the first leg of the final. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team rested from the evening of December 29th, didn't have to travel, and most importantly, played at home. However, Thailand is a team of class and resilience. The "War Elephants" always know how to overcome difficult situations. This was proven in the match where Thailand was 2 goals down but staged a spectacular comeback to win 4-2 against Singapore. The final result in the semi-final against the Philippines also confirmed the "War Elephants'" resilience. Thailand's strength lies in their ability to play exceptionally well when put in a difficult position, forcing them to accelerate at certain moments to find a goal. Therefore, the Vietnamese team needs to be extremely cautious if they want to win the first leg of the final.
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