The 2-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan in the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup is the perfect support for Thailand, before coach Masatada Ishii and his team face Oman in the second match.
With 3 points as capital, the Thai team only needs 1 point against Oman to maintain second place and almost certainly enter the round of 16 with an early round. Because with 4 points as capital, if not finishing second in the group, Thailand is still sure to be in the group of best third-placed teams.
In the match that just ended at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, the Thai team took the initiative. Coach Ishii's students' strategy was to press hard when Oman deployed the ball, but when the opponent successfully circulated the ball, the Thai team's formation would "condense" very quickly in their own half, narrowing the space and preparing for pressing to regain control.
The Thai team (white shirts) played confidently against Oman
With a style of play that knows itself and its opponent, Thailand made it difficult for Oman, who is also struggling to rejuvenate its squad. The "War Elephants" even had a chance to score first. In the 16th minute, Theerathon Bunmathan took a corner kick and Elias Dolah headed it in with a powerful header. However, the ball hit the Oman goalkeeper and bounced back.
The Thai team did not have as much possession as Oman, but there were many good ball circulation situations to open up scoring opportunities. In the first half, in addition to the "failed celebration" when Dolah's header was very close to scoring, Thailand also regretted that Theerathon's shot was not difficult enough to beat the Oman goalkeeper. In terms of chances in the first 45 minutes, the "War Elephants" created three times more than their opponents.
In the second half, Oman pushed up their formation, focusing on attacking Thailand's two flanks and exploiting set pieces. However, facing the solid defense of the "War Elephants", Oman's attack was very deadlocked, lacking any key moments.
When the ball was hung into the penalty area, goalkeeper Patiwat was always ready to rush out to take advantage of his arm range to clear the danger. The Thai goalkeeper's excellence with at least 3 good punches in the second half helped coach Ishii's team to overcome the physical difference that Oman tried to exploit.
Holding Oman to a 0-0 draw, Thailand has 4 points after 2 matches, temporarily maintaining the top position in the table with 1 point more than Saudi Arabia (but having played 1 more match than their opponent). This is a very positive result for coach Masatada Ishii and his team.
Because even if they fall to third in the worst case scenario in the final round, with 4 points in hand, Thailand is almost certain to enter the round of 16 as one of the 4 best third-placed teams.
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