The football world was buzzing when the Thai national contingent scored an early goal in the 23rd minute of the game, a beautiful long-range effort from the boots of Sarach Yooyen, at the iconic Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
Nonetheless, this proved to be a deceptive moment of triumph as the Chinese Football team fought back, surprising everyone with a 2-1 victory in Group C of Asian qualifying. This was brought about by wave after wave of attacks, culminating in goals from Wu Lei and super-sub Wang Shangyuan.
Feeling the pain of the defeat, a despondent Nishino talked to the press. “We fell short of our expectations tonight. The intention was to take the fight to the Chinese, riding on home advantage to secure our place in the next round of the qualifiers.” he regretfully said. “This result was not part of the game plan. Going forward, it’s vital for us to tighten our game. We need to leave this loss behind us quickly and turn all focus to the fixtures ahead.”
Nishino, however, wasn’t all gloom in his statement, adding a glimmer of hope onto the Thai team’s horizon. “We’re down but not out. Yes, it’s the first match and a setback, but I firmly believe in our potential. We still got our eyes firmly set on the upcoming games, maintaining the objectives we outlined at the start of this journey.”
Notwithstanding, an injury blow has hit the Thai squad as key-attacking midfielder, Chanathip Songkrasin, may likely to sit out against Singapore in the upcoming qualifier due to an ongoing injury issue. “Songkrasin is an important part of our strategy, but his injury is not something we can rush. His health comes first,” confessed the coach.
Nishino, however, was assured in his troop’s ability to step up to the plate, drawing reference to the strength and skills within the 26-man squad. “We have quality players who can rise to the occasion and fill any gap. I have full confidence in their capability to clinch a victory against Singapore this Tuesday,” he affirmed.
As the dust settles on the first round, South Korea are majestically at the top of Group C, boasting a 3-point lead following an emphatic 5-0 trounce over Singapore. China follows closely at second on goal difference, largely owing to their victory against Thailand. It sets up an exciting clash on Tuesday evening between Thailand and Singapore who will both be vying to salvage some pride and open their first points account of the qualifiers.
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