“FIFA ASEAN”: Can Thailand really avenge Vietnam!?
The ASEAN football event, “ASEAN Cup 2026,” has concluded.
Looking at the overall picture without bias, I think both Thailand and Vietnam
have achieved their respective goals.
Certainly, this is another occasion where the “Golden Stars” team has achieved tangible success.
That success is defending their ASEAN championship title for the first time.
This marks their fourth ASEAN Cup trophy in history.
This achievement justifies their investment in suspending their league for this tournament.
This was to ensure their full-strength national players could participate to the fullest.
Abandoning the old “extreme nationalism” policy, they chose to shortcut by naturalizing foreign players, especially Brazilians.
This greatly strengthened their national team in a leap forward.
Whatever others may think, I admire the clear strategy of the Vietnamese Football Association.
They deliberately targeted and eliminated their team’s weaknesses related to players’ physique and individual skills.
We can’t blame them since their nationality laws facilitate naturalization more easily than ours.
It’s simply less difficult for them compared to Thailand.
Anyone would likely choose this path if it brings concrete success for their country.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s national team has seriously adopted a “transcend ASEAN” policy.
They fielded what is essentially a “B team” for this competition for the first time.
This too can be considered a success according to their goals.
Especially coach Anthony Hudson, who overcame intense pressure to lead the mixed Thailand squad to the finals.
Although the style of play in each match sometimes displeased or frustrated Thai fans,
overall, the results were not damaging.
Most importantly, many young players have emerged as key future contributors to the senior national team.
In the final, every Thai player on the pitch played with heart, managing a 2-2 draw away against Vietnam, nearly winning.
In summary, coach Hudson’s mission in this ASEAN Cup was clearly “passed” without issues.
Now we await the next tournament in less than a month: the “FIFA ASEAN” in Indonesia.
The Football Association has clearly stated this event requires full effort and commitment as it occurs during FIFA dates.
There should be no problems calling up players, as all clubs must release them to serve the national team without holding back.
This is an ideal opportunity to settle the score and finally resolve doubts over Vietnam.
The question is whether our Thai national team, with a full-strength squad,
can really beat the Vietnamese team (plus the naturalized Samba players) or not?
The only worry is about player call-ups, even though FIFA rules are clear.
But when the squad list is announced,
some big clubs (sometimes) often cite a hundred excuses,
leading to their players withdrawing at the last moment.
This is something we frequently encounter nowadays.
In Thai football’s current era, big clubs often hold more power than the national team.
As everyone has seen repeatedly by now!!!
- Bee Bangpakong -