Igniting Thai football spirit! Thailand U20 narrowly defeated UAE 1-0 to start the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on a high note.
The Thailand U20 national team won against UAE in a challenging match.
UAE players are bigger and more physical, playing aggressively in every challenge. However, Coach Bo and his excellent staff analyzed the opponent’s videos—a rare feat for a youth team. I admire the backroom staff for their thoroughness; they identified UAE’s aerial strength, allowing Thailand to overcome it. Now, I’d like to praise the players position by position...
Poomropee made several crucial saves—not many, but enough to keep a clean sheet for us.
In this match, our defense was outstanding. Vision and Jirapong, the two center backs, tightly marked Yannick Müller, UAE’s number 23 striker. He probably had only one shot on target throughout the game.
We achieved this because our players maintained their strength and did not let the game drop. I must commend everyone’s fitness—they were fit enough to contain UAE.
Right-back Jakrapol and left-back Thanyakorn performed excellently. Special praise goes to Thanyakorn, who advanced actively and even had chances to score.
Danupol and Surachet controlled the midfield well, though unfortunately Surachet suffered a heavy tackle and had to be substituted.
On offense, Natthakorn was dynamic with good dribbling and taking on opponents but lacked a finishing touch. On the right, Pongphet wasn’t as flashy but executed the tactics well and connected effectively with teammates.
Striker Siwakorn held the ball skillfully, then shifted and shot cleverly, using his advantage in positioning to shield the ball from the larger UAE defenders before scoring. His development after just over a month training in Japan is very impressive.
Substitutes Naphat and Pawarit also brought energy to the game. Don’t forget this squad is still missing Itthimon and Theeraphat, who are playing professionally in Japan.
This is nearly a full-strength team, and performing like this in the first match is a pass. The next game against Turkmenistan won’t be easy—they defeated Iraq 2-1.
Regardless, starting off this well should help revive interest in Thai football. This tournament is important—it marks the beginning of our path to the U20 World Cup. Let’s continue to support the Thai national team enthusiastically.