" As the defending champions, we have the pressure to defend the title. However, I focus on what I can do. This is not only about the championship but also the future of Thai football. After the World Cup qualifiers, we know that this is the time for us to look for a new generation for the Thai national team ," coach Ishii Masatada shared at a press conference before the match between Thailand and Timor Leste.
On December 8, the Thai team entered the Southeast Asian tournament with a match against Timor Leste. This match took place at Hang Day Stadium. Timor Leste was considered the home team and they chose Hang Day as their main stadium.
Coach Ishii Masatada.
Coach Ishii Masatada said: " We have been preparing since December 2 and now the players are ready for the tournament. In addition, I also thank the Vietnam Football Federation for supporting the organization of the match between Thailand and East Timor. At the beginning of the tournament, we only had a few players but today we have more players. They understand what the coach requires and know what they need to do ."
The Thai team could not summon some important pillars such as striker Chananthip Songkrasin, Supachai Chaided, midfielder Sarach Yooyen, defender Sasalak Haiprakorn, Theerathon Bunmathan. The Golden Temple team "changed blood" its force, 10 older generation players were absent. In addition, some other stars did not participate in the tournament due to injury.
According to coach Ishii Masatada, the Thai coaching staff knew about the shortage of players 3 months ago and have prepared all plans to deal with it. The Japanese coach focuses on building a young squad and many Thai-origin players, helping them improve their professional skills. The Thai League is an important platform for the Thai team to search for players.
Thailand is in Group A with Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Timor Leste.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hlv-ishii-masatada-chung-toi-gap-ap-luc-phai-bao-ve-danh-hieu-ar912051.html
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