Vietnam team teaches Thailand team a lesson in sportsmanship at Rajamangala

The Thai team accepted to play ugly, even going against the spirit of fair play to win, but their focused attitude on playing football helped the Vietnamese team win the AFF Cup 2024.

Tuan Hai and the Vietnamese players scored in the disappointment of Weerathep Pomphan

Photo: Ngoc Linh

The ugly face of the Thai team

In the 64th minute, Supachok Sarachat unexpectedly raised the score to 2-1 for the Thai team with a shot from outside the penalty area, surprising the Vietnamese team and many fans present at Rajamangala Stadium, because Dinh Trieu had previously proactively thrown the ball out of bounds when Hoang Duc was injured.

The referee, after discussing with both coaches, accepted this goal. But as Supachok and the Thai players tried to find a reason for themselves, the awkwardness in the fans' celebration said otherwise.

The cheers at Rajamangala since that goal have not been as loud as before!

Thailand is the king of Southeast Asia with 2 consecutive AFF Cup championships, and a record 7 times crowned. But on the night of January 5, that great pride was hurt when Coach Masatada Ishii's students chose to go against the spirit of beautiful football.

The Thai team was no longer itself at Rajamangala.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Not only was the goal considered "stolen" by Southeast Asian fans, the Thai players also showed their ugly faces with a series of fouls and tricks to frustrate the Vietnamese players. Weerathep Pomphan's red card was a typical image of the Thai team's dirty play.

Giving up their strong point of playing technical football, the Thai team paid the price when they were no longer themselves. When Tuan Hai brought home the equalizer 2-2, it was clear that the "War Elephants" players had lost their spirit.

Vietnam Team: Well-deserved championship!

Thailand's confidence was severely damaged not only because of Pansa Hemviboon's own goal but also because of the seed of "fear" that had sprouted before, when the Vietnamese team, under a lot of pressure, still focused on playing football.

Weerathep Pomphan left the field holding his head after receiving a red card

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Right from the start of the match, contrary to many predictions, coach Kim Sang-sik arranged the team to proactively attack the home team Thailand.

That fearless spirit helped the Vietnamese team take a 1-0 lead thanks to Tuan Hai, who came to the AFF Cup 2024 with his legs still not fully recovered from an injury, and was kept in the dark throughout the tournament before surprisingly starting in the second leg of the final and becoming a hero.

Even in the most difficult moments, when witnessing Thailand disregarding everything to score 2 goals, including lack of fair play and tough play... the Vietnamese players remained calm to not get carried away, not retaliate but focus fully on playing football.

The Vietnamese team deserved to win thanks to their concentration on playing football.

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Especially after Supachok's goal, the Vietnamese players reacted in a wonderful way. The red-shirted boys surprised Thailand, not having the bitter revenge as the Thai people expected, but instead showing a strong spirit of not giving up.

After the match, defender Ben Davis - the best player on the Thai side reluctantly used the word "unlucky" to describe his team's defeat. But perhaps he himself also understood that the "War Elephants" had suffered a complete defeat in front of the home crowd.

This is not the first time Thailand has lost to the Vietnamese team at Rajamangala, but it will certainly be their most unforgettable defeat, as the "War Elephants" lost themselves in the eyes of Southeast Asian fans, before the sportsmanship lesson from the Vietnamese players.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-day-cho-doi-thai-lan-bai-hoc-tinh-than-the-thao-tai-rajamangala-185250105231943483.htm