World Cup hopes hanging by a thread as Thais face Socceroos in crucial qualifier

Friday saw both teams suffer a similar fate, with the Thais going down 3-0 to Saudi Arabia, and Australia surrendering their perfect record with an upset 1-0 loss to Oman. But Thailand’s defeat was more damaging to their chances of qualifying for the last-10 team stage. 

The Saudis’ first win of the campaign helped them leapfrog Thailand into the runners-up spot with five points from four matches, one ahead of Winfried Schaefer’s men, who are level on points with Oman at the foot of the table.

The Riyadh debacle means Thailand now need to win their remaining two matches and hope other results go their way if they are to secure qualification. First up, though, are an Australian side desperate to bounce back from a shock defeat and claim at least the draw they need to ensure their place in the final qualifying round. The task for Thailand seems daunting. 

But if Schaefer is seeking inspiration, the German trainer need not look beyond Thailand’s last meeting with the Aussies. The opening match of the group fixtures saw the Socceroos stretched to the limit by the visiting Thais before eventually coming from behind to snatch a 2-1 win.

The switch of venue due to ongoing flooding in the capital might also be a blessing for Schaefer, who likes to emphasise the importance of strong home support. Supachalasai is not as big as Rajamangala, but the old astadium will more readily become the cauldron of noise the Thais need to make home advantage count.

“I have no problem at all with us playing at Supachalasai stadium. It may accommodate only 20,000 but our fans will be closer to the players. It will be a good atmosphere. I hope fans can help us win the game,” said the 61-year-old Schaefer.

After watching his side give away three second-half goals against the Saudis, the 61-year-old German, who took over the post in July, is set to make changes to the defence with Muang Thong United defender Nataporn Phanrit restored at the heart of the back line.

Though main striker Teerasil Dangda’s condition is improving, Schaefer revealed the Muang Thong player, who scored in September’s Brisbane fixture, was still struggling with an ankle injury and would sit on the bench as an option of last resort. 

Deprived of Teerasil in Riyadh, Schaefer made the surprise decision to hand Kirati Keawsombut, who cut short his training stint at Thai-owned English club Leicester City, a rare start. But the Buriram PEA forward was largely ineffective before being replaced by Chonburi FC’s Pipob On-mo in the second half. Pipob now looks set to take on the role of lone striker today.

While admitting that the Thai cause had not been helped by Australia’s loss to Oman, Schaefer is preaching a cautious approach against Holger Osieck’s men even though his team need a win to keep alive their hopes of qualification.

“I’m not happy about Australia’s result. It’s not good for us, as they come here with big motivation to right what went wrong in Oman. It leaves us in a difficult situation now.

“Although we have to win tomorrow, that doesn’t mean we’ll go all out to claim three points. The first thing we need to do is not concede a goal. If we leave space at the back against a top-quality team like Australia, we will get punished,” said the German. 

Regarding the Australia fixture as a “final” for the Thais, Schaefer is confident he can lead his charges to what would be a famous win over the world No 20 Socceroos, given his track record in games of such importance.

“I have found myself in situations like this before. I’ve not lost in the previous three ‘finals’ of my international coaching career. So why should I not be able to win the fourth,” said the former Cameroon manager.