Away draw gives Thailand the edge in Suzuki Cup semi-final
Malaysia in tight spot after goalless draw
Despite a performance described as “disappointing” and “boring” by star Thai playmaker Sanrawat Detchmitr, the War Elephants have gained the upper hand in their 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final battle with Malaysia.
The goalless draw in front of a crowd estimated at 85,000 at Bukit Jalil stadium in Saturday night’s first leg of the semifinal has tipped the balance in favour of the Thais, who host the second leg at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium on Wednesday.
The Thais are now firmly focused on pressing the home turf advantage and seal their place in the final of the regional championship that they are trying to win for the third time in a row.
Sanrawat said: “We are disappointed that we couldn’t score a goal, but we didn’t create many chances as well.
“It was really boring that we played more defence than offence. I understand that every player, including myself, is bored with this defensive style but it is an advantage now that we did not concede a goal.
“The outcome of the second leg depends on us, not Malaysia. But if we still play like this, then there would be nothing to say. We have to win the game at Rajamangala stadium.”
Thailand coach Milovan Rajevac admitted that the Malaysians were the better side on Saturday night, but added: “In the end, I’m satisfied with the result.
“Malaysia did create a lot of chances, but not all these chances were 100 percent clear chances. Only some of them were.
“Malaysia played well, but we also dropped the ball at times. But in four days, we will play in Bangkok. So we go back and focus on preparing well for that game.
“We had a good game tonight, fans were really passionate, and we enjoyed the game. The Malaysian players ran a lot and they gave 120 percent.
“We didn’t want to play defensively. But Malaysia were really aggressive and were motivated and wanted to score the goal. So we played a little bit deeper. The atmosphere and the different type of grass had an impact too.
“It was a hard match. We were supposed to score one goal tonight. But we lacked a bit of concentration and sharpness in attack.”
Malaysia coach Tan Cheng Hoe is expecting a tough game in Bangkok on Wednesday.
Tan said: “We dominated the game and we just didn’t convert our chances. It’s gonna be a tough game in Bangkok but we are confident of going there and getting a result.
“We think Thailand will be playing the same way in Rajamangala, with their attacking force. So we need to focus on preparing the team for that game.
“Overall, the players played well and stayed calm and composed. Despite knowing the Thais have more quality, our players kept playing well and I’m pleased with that. Obviously we could have [had] a 1-0 win at least.”
Meanwhile, Vietnam brightened their chances of making it to the final of this year’s Suzuki Cup by edging the Philippines 2-1 in the first leg of the semi-final in Bacolod last night.