Thailand coach admits Japan is too strong compared to Southeast Asia's level

Coach Masatada Ishii (Japanese) of the Thai team said: "We lost heavily but this is nothing strange. This was a match that created a challenge for the Thai team from start to finish."

"Therefore, no matter how many goals we concede, the match against Japan is not a complete failure for the Thai team. This is what I said before the match. Playing at Japan's national stadium (in Tokyo) is also a source of pride," coach Ishii added.

Thailand coach Ishii admitted that Japan is much stronger than the Southeast Asian representative (Photo: FAT).

The match between Thailand and Japan on January 1 is a preparation match for both teams before participating in the 2023 Asian Cup.

At the Asian Cup, Thailand is in Group F with Kyrgyzstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The Thai team will meet Kyrgyzstan on January 16, Oman on January 21 and Saudi Arabia on January 25.

Meanwhile, Japan is in Group D with Iraq, Indonesia and Vietnam. Notably, Indonesia and Vietnam are Southeast Asian teams, with many similarities to Thailand.

Japan made Thailand concede 5 goals (Photo: FAT).

Coach Masatada Ishii commented on the quality of the Japanese team compared to Thailand: "This is my first time leading a national team. I immediately realized that the gap between the Japanese team and a Southeast Asian team like Thailand is very far."

"I will learn from the loss to Japan to apply to the next matches, especially for the Asian Cup," coach Masatada Ishii added.

This comment can also be applied to Southeast Asian teams in general, because the level gap between Southeast Asian teams like Vietnam and Indonesia and the Japanese team is still very large.

In the 2023 Asian Cup, the Japanese team will have its opening match against the Vietnamese team on January 14. On January 24, Japan will meet Indonesia. In between the two matches, Japan will meet Iraq on January 19.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/hlv-thai-lan-thua-nhan-nhat-ban-qua-manh-so-voi-trinh-do-dong-nam-a-20240101205116343.htm