Coach Ishii and his team were shocked by their loss to the Philippines, causing a stir across the country.

Thailand surprises

Meeting the Philippines in the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup semi-finals, the Thai team played disappointingly, losing 1-2. Sandro Reyes (minute 21) and Kike Linares (minute 90+5) were the players who brought home 2 goals for the home team Philippines. Meanwhile, Thailand's goal was scored by defender Suphanan Bureerat at the end of the first half.

Before Thailand's unexpected defeat, Siamsport commented: "The Thai team was shocked when playing on the Philippines' field. We tried to set up a beautiful match, aiming for a big win to have a big advantage before the second leg, but all plans failed. Coach Masatada Ishii's team did not start well, allowing the opponent to dominate the match early. If the home team had been more careful, the Thai goal could have been put in a state of alarm. Everything in the second half was improved by Thailand but all was not enough. The Philippines' final punch in the 90+5 minute left Thailand stunned, accepting defeat."

Thailand team unexpectedly lost on the Philippines field

The Thai newspaper continued to point out the reasons why the “War Elephants” failed: “Coach Masatada Ishii still used the familiar 4-3-3 formation, but the strange thing was that Suphanan Bureerat was put in to play in the right-back position instead of Nicholas Mickelson. In addition, central defenders Saringkarn Phromsupha and Jonatharn Khemdee, who had never played together, were used. Throughout the 90 minutes, Thailand played in panic, especially having difficulty running on the artificial pitch.

Second, the Thai midfield played poorly throughout the match, which made it easy for the Philippines to choose the game they wanted. Third, Thailand wasted too many opportunities. In the second half, coach Masatada Ishii showed his talent as a coach, helping us have many opportunities but the Thai players kept missing them. Therefore, the Philippines' goal in the last minutes was a punishment for Thailand. Finally, Thailand's biggest weakness is that they do not have any special attacking lines in the middle. At the same time, we also do not have any attacking players who can come on and change the game, especially after Suphanat Mueanta was injured and left the field in the 64th minute.

The Thai team squandered opportunities in the second half and conceded a goal in the final minutes.

Meanwhile, Thairath newspaper also criticized the Thai team after losing to the Philippines. “The Philippines' victory shocked the whole of Thailand. After 52 years, we have lost to our opponent and this is a valuable lesson for Thai football. At the same time, coach Masatada Ishii must try to adapt and quickly improve the weaknesses immediately so that the "War Elephants" can return. Fortunately, for Thailand, we will play the second leg at Rajamangala Stadium and the chance to reach the final is still intact,” Thairath newspaper emphasized.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/truyen-thong-thai-lan-thay-tro-hlv-ishii-soc-nang-vi-thua-philippines-gay-chan-dong-ca-nuoc-185241227232658501.htm