Why was Thailand's goal considered unsportsmanlike?

In the 64th minute of the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final, the Thai national team scored an unsportsmanlike goal against the Vietnamese national team, causing much controversy.

The two teams argued after Thailand's goal, scored by Supachok Sarachat, in the 64th minute - Photo: NGUYEN KHOI

In the 64th minute of the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 final on the evening of January 5th, the Thai team scored a beautiful long-range goal from Supachok Sarachat, giving Thailand a 2-1 lead. Notably, Supachok scored while the Vietnamese players were waiting for a fair-play pass. Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , a Vietnamese FIFA-level referee said: "In the previous situation, the Vietnamese team cleared the ball out of bounds for some reason on the field. After the ball was put back into play, the Vietnamese players waited for the opponent to return the ball fairly, so there was no contesting. But the Thai players didn't return the ball and decided to play and score. The referee or VAR couldn't intervene in this situation. The referee could only call the captains and head coaches of both teams to talk. Specifically, if a goal was scored like that, they should have played fairly, allowing the team that conceded to take the ball back and return the goal. However, Thailand's decision was not to. Because if they did, they would clearly be at a disadvantage and could lose. The Vietnamese players also made mistakes in this goal-scoring situation. We must always be ready to play fair in any situation; we can't wait for them to proactively play fairly."

Captain Duy Mạnh argues with the referee about Thailand's unsportsmanlike goal - Photo: NGUYỄN KHÁNH

Although Thailand's goal was deemed legitimate, it lacked fair play and sportsmanship . Therefore, even before the final match between Thailand and Vietnam ended, Vietnamese fans reacted fiercely on social media. This story will undoubtedly continue to spark debate among fans and the media after the final match concludes.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vi-sao-ban-thang-cua-thai-lan-duoc-goi-la-thieu-fair-play-2025010521545829.htm#content-1