Thais wary of Rijkaard's Saudis in qualifier

Few predicted that the Thai team, languishing in 117th place in the world rankings, would occupy second spot in Group D after two matches. As things stand, the resurgent Thais, who trail pacesetters Australia by three points after a win and a loss, have put themselves firmly in the race for a qualification spot in a section that also includes Oman.
Clearly, the Thais’ points tally far exceeds expectations for a team that was until recently a disjointed unit under former England and Manchester United captain Bryan Robson.
However, Winfried Schaefer’s appointment as manager has sparked a revival, highlighted by a remarkable start to the qualifying campaign that saw Thailand take group favourites Australia down to the wire in a 2-1 loss in Brisbane before a hugely impressive 3-0 victory at home to Oman last month.
The onus is now on Schaefer’s men to build on the momentum and take a step closer to the last-10 team stage, where four tickets and a play-off spot for a berth in the Cup finals in Brazil are up for grabs.
The clash against third-placed Saudi Arabia is crucial to Thailand’s chances, as victory would tighten their grip on second place with a 5-point gap if the other result in Sydney goes their way. However, the Saudis are awkward opponents.
Traditionally regarded as one of the continent’s powerhouses, Saudi Arabia, who had their run of four consecutive World Cup appearances snapped last year in South Africa, are a side in transition. Dutchman Frank Rijkaard has been drafted in to oversee an overhaul, but early results of the former Barcelona manager’s reign suggest the Middle East team remain a work in progress.
As such, many believe this is a good time to face Rijkaard’s charges, who managed only a goalless draw with Indonesia in a tune-up match on Friday. However, anyone writing off a team with a resumé as glittering as the Saudis’ does so at his own peril. And though the Thai’s win over Oman was emphatic, it must be conceded that the fixture fell in the month of Ramadan, which may have influenced the outcome.
There are several unfamiliar names in the Saudi travelling party, but Rijkaard still has quality players such as Yasser Al-Qahtani, the top goal-scorer in the Asian Cup in 2007, at his disposal.
Schaefer believes his men have a tough task on their hands against Saudi Arabia. The German was dismayed to have been misquoted as lacking respect for his opponents during the match build-up.
“I hope for a very good match tomorrow. Saudi Arabia are one of the best teams in Asia. I don’t understand why there are stories like those on the Internet. I’ve always said that I have big respect for this team,” said the 61-year-old Schaefer.
After a relatively disappointing turnout for the Oman game, the German manager again called on home fans to turn up at the stadium to help his charges clinch a crucial win towards qualification.
“I hope we play well. It’s a chance for us to earn what could turn out to be a priceless three points. We all know it will be difficult. Saudi have played four times in the World Cup finals. They also have a fantastic coach.
“It’s not easy. If you watched the Saudi v Australia match, you would see they really played well before Australia took the lead. They had three or four shots but [Mark] Schwarzer was in great form.
“The Australians had the luck in that game. We also need the same luck tomorrow but we have to perform well and hope fortune will be on our side. I also hope supporters will come and lift the team to victory.”

Fixtures
Group A
At Singapore: Singapore v Jordan
At Shenzhen: China v Iraq
Group B
At Beirut: Lebanon v Kuwait
At Suwon: South Korea v UAE
Group C
At Pyongyang: North Korea v Uzbekistan
At Osaka: Japan v Tajikistan
Group D
At Bangkok: Thailand v Saudi Arabia
At Sydney: Australia v Oman
Group E
At Jakarta: Indonesia v Qatar
At Tehran: Iran v Bahrain