Check out the pillars of the Thai team - the 'heavyweight opponent' of the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup
(Baonghean.vn) - Since the second World Cup qualifiers, it has been more than 5 months since the "War Elephants" have not gathered and have not had any warm-up matches before going to Singapore. Coach Polking also only took over the job in early November and has not yet met his players.
In the context of the preparation work ofAFF Cup 2021With the current situation of the Thai National Team, Mr. Polking can only rely on the brilliance of the stars who have become famous abroad. The most regrettable absence of the Thai National Team is full-back Sasalak Haiprakhon. The player who is playing in Korea for Jeonbuk Hyundai is injured and has not been called up by coach Polking.
High quality goods
Thai press said that 4 stars who have been playing in Japan: midfielder Chanathip (Consadole Sapporo), striker Dangda, goalkeeper Kawin, defender Theerathon (Ykomaha, not participating in AFF Cup 2018) and midfielder of U23 Leicester Thanawat will start and become the pillars of the Thai team in Singapore. These are all players that Vietnamese audiences are familiar with and have clashed with our players many times.
The first player that Que Ngoc Hai and the coaching staff of the Vietnam team must be wary of is 28-year-old midfielder Chanathip, who is playing for Consadole Sapporo in the J1.League. The small player is only 1.58m tall and weighs 55kg but has a very strange left leg. He is often placed on the left wing, with extremely annoying dribbling and constantly turning around. After the 0-0 draw with the Vietnam team a year ago, Chanathip did not play for the national team, but at Consadole Sapporo, this midfielder played 21 matches and scored 1 goal. Van Thanh will have a hard time keeping up with this player.
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| Captain Dangda (10) will lead the attack. Photo: FAT |
33-year-old veteran Dangda is playing for BG Pathum United in Thai League 1 with very good form, after 12 appearances he has scored 5 goals. This striker has a playing style quite similar to Anh Duc, simply not dribbling, leading a lot, ready to shoot when there is space. With a height of 1.81m and very strange in choosing positions, he is truly a worthy opponent for Que Ngoc Hai. Having played in J1.League has helped Captain Dangda be much more dangerous in off-ball movements no matter what formation Thailand plays with.
Left-back Theerathon of the Thai National Team is playing in the J1.League for Ykomaha, the team currently ranked second in the Japanese national championship. Playing in 25 out of 36 matches for this club shows how good Theerathon is in form. Only 1.71m tall, Theerathon can still keep up with foreign players in the J1.League thanks to his good personal technique. The defender's crosses have quite an unpleasant trajectory, in addition, Theerathon also works hard to dribble into the opponent's central area. The left wing of the Thai National Team is very strong with 2 players playing in the tournament considered the best in Asia.
Goalkeeper Kawin, 31 years old, who is playing in the Belgian championship (after leaving J1.League), has been recalled to the Thai national team. Among the 3 goalkeepers of the "War Elephants" present in Singapore, Kawin, Chatchai and Siwarak, the goalkeeper of Oud-Heverlee Leuven Club is of course the most highly regarded. With 10 years in the goal of the Thai national team, with 56 matches played, Kawin seems to continue to play the role of number 1 goalkeeper of the "War Elephants".
Young talent
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| Young Thai football talent Thanawat. Photo: Leicester City |
Thanawat, born in 2000, is a young talent of Thai football. The young talent from the Golden Temple country was born and lived in France since childhood, so he received very systematic technical training. He once played for the French U17 team. With his father's Thai origin, Thanawat was recruited by Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha for training with the goal of being able to contribute to Thai football. In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Thanawat was given the opportunity to play by coach Akira Nishino and played very impressively.
This striker has only played in Premier League 2 and appeared in the Thai national team for 3 matches but has been highly rated. Thanawat can play as a striker or an attacking midfielder depending on the situation on the field and the tactical requirements of the coach.
