Coach Masatada Ishii: Thai players made mistakes that allowed Xuan Son to score

" We met the Vietnamese team twice in the past three months. Between these two matches, the difference was very clear. In this match, the Vietnamese team had Nguyen Xuan Son, but not in the previous match, " coach Masatada Ishii said at a press conference after losing to the Vietnamese team.

In a friendly match in September 2024, the Vietnamese team lost 1-2 to Thailand at home. In the first leg of the AFF Cup 2024 final, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team defeated this opponent 2-1 thanks to a double from Xuan Son.

In the first half, the home team controlled the ball less but created more chances. In the second half, Xuan Son shone with 2 goals. The Vietnamese team let the opponent score 1 goal in the final minutes of the match but still won 2-1 to maintain the advantage after the first leg.

Coach Masatada Ishii was not too disappointed with the loss to Vietnam.

The Japanese coach said: " As everyone knows, Xuan Son is a quality player. Thailand made a mistake today and let this player score ."

In recent days, coach Masatada Ishii has experienced many unhappy milestones. Under the guidance of this strategist, the Thai team lost to the Philippines for the first time in 52 years in the first leg of the semi-finals. During the away match at Viet Tri ( Phu Tho ), the Thai team suffered its first defeat against Vietnam in 27 years.

" In the match against the Philippines, we lost 1-2 in the final minutes. In this match, we scored an equalizer and these are two completely different situations. In fact, both opponents have become stronger and more progressive over the years, I don't pay much attention to these figures ," said Mr. Ishii.

Mr. Ishii said the Thai team still has a chance in the return match. They will return home on the morning of January 3 and prepare for the final match against Vietnam on January 5.

Mai Phuong

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hlv-thai-lan-lan-truoc-tuyen-viet-nam-khong-co-xuan-son-ar917919.html