Thailand beat Hong Kong 1-0

Hong Kong Thanks to the only goal by veteran striker Teerasil Dangda, Thailand defeated Hong Kong with a minimal score in a friendly match at So Kon Po Stadium on the evening of June 19.

* Goal scorer: Teerasil Dangda 62'.

Hong Kong made four changes from their 1-0 friendly loss to Vietnam, while Thailand made five changes from their 2-2 draw with Taiwan. Midfield duo Phitiwat Sukjitthammakul and Channarong Promsrikaew replaced Weerathep Pomphan and Thitipan Puangchan.

According to Scorebar , Thailand controlled the ball 64%, had 17 shots with seven on target. Hong Kong only had one shot on target, out of seven shots.

35-year-old veteran Teerasil Dangda celebrates his 63rd goal for the Thai team. Photo: FAT — 35-year-old veteran Teerasil Dangda celebrates his 63rd goal for the Thai team. Photo: *FAT*

Throughout the first half, Hong Kong's goal was constantly bombarded but the ball rarely found its target. Teerasil Dangda and Supachok Sarachat each had two chances, but both shot over the bar.

In the second half, the match suddenly heated up. In the 47th minute, Huang Yang hit Sarach Yooyen. The Thai players reacted strongly and demanded a red card, but the Singaporean referee only gave the Hong Kong captain a yellow card.

After many attempts to besiege the goal, Thailand finally found a goal in the 62nd minute. Channarong passed the ball through Hong Kong's defense for Dangda to run down and score with his right foot. This was also the only goal of the match, helping Thailand end a streak of three consecutive draws and losses.

As for Dangda, he scored his 63rd goal for the Thai national team, only eight goals away from Kiatisuk Senamuang's record. The striker born in 1988 also reached 124 matches, 10 matches short of Kiatisuk's record.

After a series of friendly matches in June, Thailand will wait until September to host the traditional King's Cup tournament with the participation of three guest teams: Iraq, Lebanon and India. In October, they will go to Europe for training, meeting Georgia and Estonia respectively before playing the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia.

Starting lineup

Hong Kong: Yapp Hung-Fai, Kwung Chung Leung, Vas Nunez, Nok Hang Leung, Law Tsz-Chun, Tan Chun Lok, Huang Yang, Yue Tze-Nam, Sun Ming-Him, Matthew Orr, Wai Wong

Thailand: Chatchai Budprom, Nicholas Mickelson, Elias Dolah, Chalermsak Aukkee, Peerapat Notchaiya, Sarach Yooyen, Phitiwat Sukjitthammakul, Channarong Promsrikaew, Chanathip Songkrasin, Supachok Sarachat, Teerasil Dangda.

Hieu Luong

Source link