On the evening of December 6th, at Rizal Memorial Stadium, Philippines vs. Thailand: Thailand dominated the home team!

Arriving in the Philippines on December 4th, coach Kiatisuk Senamuang didn't hesitate to declare his intention to win against the Philippines at the Rizal Memorial Stadium to set the stage for the second leg of the semi-final at home four days later. Based on their performance so far, the Thai team has every reason and confidence to achieve this.

In the FIFA rankings, the Philippines leads Southeast Asia and has reached the semi-finals of two consecutive AFF Cup tournaments (2010, 2012), but their playing style relies entirely on naturalized foreign players, most notably P. Younghusband, Manuel Ott, and Jerry Lucena.

In contrast to the host nation Philippines, the visiting Thai team is emerging as a top contender for the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup title with a well-balanced squad, youthful energy, and high morale, especially after having advanced from the group stage with three consecutive wins. In the three group stage matches, coach Kiatisuk used three different midfield variations; therefore, it is unclear what formation the former star will deploy in tonight's match against the Philippines. This will be a challenge for coach Thomas Dooley and his players if they want to neutralize the Thai attack.

There was some skepticism after the Philippines lost 1-3 to Vietnam in their final group stage match, but Thomas Dooley believed that a week's rest was the necessary time for the players to recover mentally and physically, enough to overcome the youthfulness and confidence of Thailand.

“Our performances in the first two group stage matches against Laos and Indonesia were excellent, but when we faced Vietnam, they played so well that we had to accept defeat. Now I know how to deal with a team that plays similarly to Vietnam. Thailand is a young team, but they are a formidable opponent, having won all three group stage matches. Thailand plays similarly to Vietnam, and it won't be easy. But we have a week of rest. I'm sure the team will be in different form, and the players will perform to the best of their abilities,” said coach Thomas Dooley before the match.

“We are ready for the match. The only thing we are worried about is the weather. According to the forecast, a big storm will hit the Philippines this weekend. We played on artificial turf in our two group stage matches in Singapore and won against Malaysia and Myanmar, so there is nothing to worry about. I have instructed the players to play offensively. We will try to score and win. If we win the first leg, it will be easier for us in the second leg,” – Thailand national team coach Kiatisuk declared.

In November, Thailand beat the Philippines 3-0 in a friendly match and have never lost to this opponent in their last 14 encounters, which gives them confidence in winning.

According to the Cultural Center