Anthony Hudson opened up after Thailand's national team lost to the Philippines in the FIFA ASEAN CUP 2026 group stage.
On 29 Sep 2026, Anthony Hudson spoke following the match between the Thailand national team, known as the "War Elephants," and the Philippines national team, the "Filipino Warriors," which ended in a defeat for Thailand in the third match of Group B in the FIFA ASEAN CUP 2026 group stage.
Anthony Hudson said, "First, I must congratulate the Philippines. I thought they played very well tonight. Their coaching staff did a great job. Of course, we are disappointed with the result. I believe that making multiple changes to the lineup in one game caused some loss of continuity and cohesion. But our main focus remains on the final, which is the important issue."
"I’m not focusing on any single Indonesian player. I think Indonesia has a squad full of dual-nationality players. You know they have physical strength, agility, and a strong desire to play. Their strength lies in teamwork and high spirit combined with good physical fitness. It’s a game we are looking forward to."
"Overall, we are happy to have qualified for the final since after the second match, especially after beating a team that hadn’t lost for 27-28 matches. We are satisfied with that. This allowed us to rest about 5-7 players in this game, which makes the team ready for the final and is a very good situation."
"We changed about 8-9 players from the previous game. The reason for so many changes, as I said, was to keep our players fresh. If this game had been a must-win to advance, it would have been a different challenge. But that’s why we chose to rest the players."
"Our main goal is to win this tournament. Regarding the recent game where Indonesia faced Bangladesh, I think it was somewhat different from their usual matches because before that, Indonesia had tough, closely contested games against Malaysia and Singapore, which are strong rivals in the ASEAN Cup. I see them as a very good team. As I said, Indonesia has many mixed-heritage players who are tall, strong, agile, and possess team spirit and unity. We are looking forward to this game."
"I’m disappointed with this game’s result because we wanted to win. But ultimately, resting many players to be fully prepared for the final is the right decision. Playing in Jakarta, both I and the players feel excited to perform in front of a large crowd. I believe that atmosphere will bring out the best in the team. I have spoken with many players; everyone is eager for this game. For coaches and players, this is the kind of match everyone wants to play—one with lots of fans, a lively atmosphere, and a final. It’s the game we have been waiting for."
Thailand’s next match will be the FIFA ASEAN CUP 2026 final against Indonesia, ranked 118th in the world, at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 5 Oct 2026 at 20:00.
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