Thailand makes a very surprising move, coach Kim Sang-sik adds unpredictable counterweight
Báo Thanh niên•25/08/2024
The Football Association of Thailand is preparing to appoint Japanese coach Takayuki Nishikaya to lead the U.23 team of the land of golden pagodas.
This is the next step in shaping a new style of Thai football, in contrast to the style of Vietnamese teams. Currently, leading the Thai national team is coach Masatada Ishii, a Japanese coach. With the addition of coach Takayuki Nishikaya (former coach of Mito Hollyhock Club) in the U.23 team, all the most important teams of Thai football are led by Japanese coaches.
Coach Takayuki Nishigaya of Thailand U.23 team
PHOTO: FAS
This is probably the new direction of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) in shaping the style of their teams. Previously, many Thai players have been shining in Japan's J-League: Chanathip Songkrasin (Consadole Sapporo and Kawasaki Frontale, from 2017 - 2023), Theerathon Bunmathan (Vissel Kobe and Yokohama Marinos, from 2018 - 2021), Teerasil Dangda (Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Shimizu S-Pulse, from 2018 - 2020), Sarach Yooyen (currently playing for Renofa Yamaguchi Club) and Supachok Sarachat (Consadole Sapporo).
Coach Ishii of the Thai national team
FAT
Thai players are successful in Japan, Japanese coaches work for Thai teams, and Thai football finds that the Japanese style of football suits them. The Japanese style of play is more attack-oriented, ball control-oriented, and small-group coordination is also the style that the Thai team wants to apply. It can be seen that against any opponent, in any international tournament, big or small, recently, the Thai team wants to apply the above mentioned style of play.
Midfielder Supachok Sarachat (7) of Thailand is playing for Consadole Sapporo Club of Japan.
FAT
Thai players are basically small but skillful like Japanese players. Perhaps Thailand sees this as a suitable path to develop its own style of play in the future. And when Thai football turns to Japanese coaches, building a Japanese-style playing style, Thai football once again contrasts with the current style of the Vietnamese team. Our teams in recent times seem to be suitable when led by Korean coaches, from coach Park Hang-seo, through a short period under coach Gong Oh-kyun (leading the U.23 Vietnam team at the 2022 U.23 Asian Cup) and now coach Kim Sang-sik. Unlike Japanese coaches who like to build a ball-controlling style of play, Korean coaches like a fast, tight style of play on the home field and lightning-fast counter-attacks. With Korean football, they like to play more wide than Japanese teams. Therefore, when led by Korean coaches, Vietnamese football always has very good full-backs, such as Doan Van Hau, Vu Van Thanh under coach Park Hang-seo and Ho Tan Tai, Phan Tuan Tai now. No style is completely superior to another. Nor is there a completely optimal playing style compared to another. The main problem is still which football background is suitable for which style, which playing style, then each football background will let its teams apply that style and playing style. Japan and Korea are both leading football backgrounds in Asia, approaching world level, it is not surprising that football backgrounds in Southeast Asia pursue the philosophy of Japanese and Korean football. With Thai and Vietnamese football, when one side chooses the Japanese style and the other side chooses the Korean style, there is another contrast between Thailand and Vietnam, another interesting comparison between two football backgrounds that are formidable rivals in Southeast Asia!
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