Xuan Manh spoke his "heartfelt" words, the Thai captain did not mention Xuan Son but praised someone else...

Thai midfielder: Vietnam team is different now

Speaking at a press conference at noon on January 1, Thai midfielder Peenadon Chamratsamee affirmed that past achievements cannot be used to say that the Thai team has an advantage over the Vietnamese team in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final. Before the match taking place at 8:00 p.m. on January 2, both teams were cautious.

"The Thai players will work with coach Masatada Ishii to analyze the playing style and techniques of the Vietnamese team," Peenadon assessed. Midfielder Peenadon is Thailand's captain at the 2024 AFF Cup, taking over the captaincy role previously held by Theerathon Bunmathan and Teerasil Dangda.

Thailand midfielder Peenadon

Peenadon was the author of the opening goal in the second leg of the semi-final against the Philippines, when he seized the opportunity to finish the ball into the roof of the net of the opponent's net. Although having difficulty when the Philippines dragged the match into extra time, but with the spirit of the defending champion, Thailand overcame.

"Spirit is Thailand's strong point in this tournament," Peenadon said. As for the Vietnamese team, the 32-year-old midfielder said that this opponent "organized a better defense than they did in the AFF Cup 2022."

According to the midfielder of the Thai team, the battle between the two teams in the final of the AFF Cup 2024 will be very tense. "The Vietnamese team has Hoang Duc, Quang Hai and Ngoc Tan playing well in the midfield. These are important faces of Vietnam. Hopefully the two teams will play well," Peenadon added.

Xuan Manh: Don't worry about the past

After the victory over the Philippines in the second leg of the semi-final, Thailand defender Chalermsak Aukkee shared with the press: "Ask the Vietnamese team if they are afraid of Thailand? I don't know who Nguyen Xuan Son is. Can he compete with Jonathan Khemdee of Thailand? Trust me, Khemdee is much stronger than Xuan Son."

When asked if he was afraid of Thailand in the context of the Vietnamese team drawing and losing all 7 recent matches, defender Pham Xuan Manh said: "Over the past 2 days, I have read the newspaper and know that there are such statements. However, I do not live for the past, but only focus on the present and look towards the future. And the future will start from this match tomorrow.

We should only focus on ourselves. The Vietnamese team will try our best to start the new year well. Coach Kim Sang-sik told us that one is to win, two is to win, three is to win, so the whole team will play with that spirit to aim for victory."

Xuan Manh is not afraid of opponents

Xuan Manh has played in... 3 positions since the beginning of the tournament: right center back, right back and left back. According to the player born in 1996, no matter what role he plays, he always follows the tactics set out by the head coach.

"We have been training hard in Korea. And now, the final match is coming. For many years, I have always aimed for victory when taking the field against Thailand. The Vietnamese team will focus on listening to the coach's tactics and follow the right tactics to win," Xuan Manh concluded.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/xuan-manh-noi-loi-gan-ruot-doi-truong-thai-lan-khong-nhac-den-xuan-son-ma-khen-nguoi-khac-185250101125837063.htm