South Korea coach Masatada Ishii believes Thailand can do better after a 1-1 draw with South Korea in the third match of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup - Asia region.
The Japanese coach helped the 101st-ranked team in FIFA gain points against the 22nd-ranked opponent. This was also Thailand's first draw against South Korea in the 21st century. Therefore, he received applause when he entered the press conference room at the Seoul World Cup stadium after the match on the evening of March 21.
Masatada Ishii thanked his players for their hard work and was happy to take a point against a strong opponent. "Of course, I'm not 100% satisfied," said the Thai head coach. "It would have been better if the team had made fewer mistakes, but the players still deserve praise."
Coach Masatada Ishii before Thailand's 1-1 draw with South Korea. Photo: FAT
Thailand conceded the first goal in the 42nd minute, but equalized in the 61st minute thanks to substitute striker Suphanat Mueanta. The Southeast Asian representative only had 21% possession, taking six shots compared to the home team's 25. But thanks to disciplined defense while the Korean strikers lacked sharpness, they made a historic draw.
Coach Ishii said Thailand applied high pressure at the beginning of the match, but the team is applying flexible tactics to adapt to many times. "The players play with abundant energy and respond well to many tactics," said the 57-year-old coach. "Korea is also not stable when changing head coach."
With China drawing 2-2 with Singapore, the draw with South Korea helped Thailand continue to rank second in Group C with four points, equal to China but with a better goal difference (+1 compared to -2). Therefore, Thailand is holding the advantage in the race with China for a ticket to the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
Main events of the match between Thailand and South Korea in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup - Asia region.
Meanwhile, South Korea had to share points with a Southeast Asian representative for the second time in a row, after drawing 3-3 with Malaysia in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup. Interim coach Hwang Sun-hong regretted not winning because of missed opportunities. He also admitted that he had little time to organize the team's play after replacing Jurgen Klinsmann.
"The disappointing thing is that the overall gameplay is not stable," Hwang said. "I think the players have not yet gotten rid of their inertia, so they are a bit hasty."
Despite not winning, the Korean head coach affirmed that the players showed 100% solidarity, after internal conflicts from the scuffle between Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in. Therefore, he still believes that Korea will overcome Thailand in the rematch on the opponent's field on March 26.
Hieu Luong
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