Losing to Singapore in the semifinals is still better than losing to Vietnam in the final!
Thailand lost to Singapore in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup semifinals, but that's still better than losing to Vietnam in the final this Saturday.
Thailand's national team was defeated at home by Singapore 1-2 but still advanced to the ASEAN Cup 2026 final with a 4-3 aggregate score. This was another match where the “War Elephants” faced criticism from fans on social media.
It must be admitted that we did not start well in this match, with few shooting opportunities in the first half hour. Physical fatigue from playing every three days plus travel made it clear that playing ideal football was difficult… The ideal approach would be quick attacks and pressing high or playing beautifully. Anthony Hudson recognized these issues and tried to address them.
Moreover, in this match, we fell behind first, which had not happened in the previous five ASEAN Cup 2026 games. This unfamiliar situation showed that Singapore's quality compared to the group stage teams is much better. In the group stage, Thailand played similarly to the first half of last night’s match but did not concede because goalkeeper Kampol made saves or opponents missed their chances.
This defeat not only drew criticism from fans but also cost Thailand 3.40 FIFA ranking points, dropping them to 92nd in the world in real-time rankings.
Looking at it from another angle, losing this game is still better than losing to Vietnam in the final this Saturday, which is a crucial match likely to decide the ASEAN Cup 2026 champion. It also offers a chance to simulate how to respond when trailing an opponent.
When asked if we can compete with Vietnam by adjusting our tactics and learning from this game, I believe we can. Remember, Vietnam drew 0-0 with Singapore in the group stage.
Also, our current squad is not the full team that will play during FIFA days, such as in the Asian Cup 2027.
Additionally, we have many under-23 players who have passed the ASEAN-level test, including Chaipol Adton, Seksan Ratri, Theerasak Phaepimai, Yosakorn Burapha, Usama Tiangkham, Khakhana Khamyok, and Waris Chuthong. Imagine if we had a full team competing with youth players—would they get this many opportunities?