Relentless Kirins aim to make it six straight
Sukhothai’s Somchai becomes third coach to lose job this season
>> Defending champions SCG Muang Thong United will be trying to extend their perfect record to six wins when they host Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thai League 1 tonight.
Fresh from two consecutive 3-0 victories against Chonburi last weekend and Pattaya in midweek, Muang Thong are heavy favourites against the Swat Cats.
The Kirins have a maximum 15 points, two more than Buriram United and Chiang Rai United.
Muang Thong have now won 14 Thai league matches in a row since June last year to match Buriram’s record.
While Muang Thong’s strike force is formidable having scored 12 goals, their defence, marshalled by Brazilian Celio, is also second to none having kept a clean sheet from the start of the season.
Muang Thong coach Totchtawan Sripan is likely to rest some key players as the Kirins will play at South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.
Muang Thong’s assistant coach Santi Chaipuek said: “We have more games to play than the other teams in the Thai league so we have to rotate players.”
Santi added that his team were not focusing on bettering Buriram’s record by winning their 15th straight match.
“We are more focused on getting three points in every match. Every match against Nakhon Ratchasima is difficult and we are expecting another tough game.”
ML Orus Devakul, general manager of Nakhon Ratchasima, said: “Muang Thong have many national players and their performance is much better than last year. In any case, we are hoping to steal a point from the match at the SCG Stadium.”
Meanwhile, Sukothai head coach Somchai Makmoon became the third casualty in just a little more than a month into the new season after earlier departures of Chalermwut Sa-ngarpol of Super Power and Si Sa Ket’s Dusit Chalermsaen.
While Chalermwut resigned on Wednesday night, Somchai was sacked by Sukhothai yesterday after a string of below-par results by the team.
Sukhothai have so far collected only three points after picking up a lone win against four losses and are in 16th place in the 18-team league.
Sukhothai chairman Somsak Thepsuthin said: “We would like to announce that it is the decision of the [team’s] executive board to sack head coach Somchai Makmoon. We have had talks with coach Somchai and we agree that the decision is in the mutual interest of both parties.
“For the Sunday’s [tomorrow’s] game with Suphanburi, we have appointed our technical chief Songdej Samoerkum as the caretaker coach.”
Before the league goes into an international break after this weekend’s fixtures to allow the national team prepare for their World Cup qualifiers later this month, Bangkok Glass will take on Bangkok United in a clash of local giants tonight.
The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) yesterday named 29 players to undergo training at the national team camp.
Three new faces have been invited to the camp which will be held at Kirin Valley, Khao Yai from March 16 to 21. They are Gionata Verzura (Ubon UMT United), Manuel Tom Bihr (Bangkok United) and Wattana Playnum (Muang Thong).
Thailand play their sixth Group B game of the final Asian phase of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia in Bangkok on March 23 before facing Japan away on March 28.