Bullish Schaefer eyes World Cup lifeline

On Tuesday, the Thais went down 10 to leaders Australia but put on a strong showing at a packed Supachalasai stadium where they put the visitors, ranking 20th in the world, under sustained periods of pressure.
The result ensured the Australians’ berth in the last-10 stage as group winners, while the Thais were left on the brink of elimination after suffering a second successive defeat following a 3-0 drubbing in Saudi Arabia last Friday.   
But Thailand, who have four points from five matches, received a stay from execution when the second-placed Saudis missed a chance to book their berth after a goalless draw against Oman.
The Riyadh stalemate set the stage for a frantic finale to the group campaign, with three sides separated by a single point still in with a chance of claiming the remaining qualification spot in the final round of group fixtures in February.
The Thais need to win in Oman and hope the result in the other match goes their way if they are to follow Australia into the next round, where four tickets to the World Cup in Brazil are up for grabs.  
The 61-year-old Schaefer rued his side’s lack of cutting edge in front of goal after a late header from Brett Holman condemned the Thais to a third defeat in the campaign.  
“Even though we lost, I really appreciate the players’ effort during the game. I’m also grateful for the support of our fans, who stayed firmly behind the team throughout the match. 
“It was a great 90 minutes. We worked really well. What cost us the win was the lack of killer instinct in front of the goal,” said the German, who has revived the team’s fortunes since taking over in July.
The former Cameroon manager believes the Australia loss was part of his side’s learning curve as he tries to transform Thailand into one of the region’s top teams.
“We’re not out yet, thanks to the Saudis’ draw with Oman. It’s a consolation for our efforts. I felt the loss to the Aussies was a bit harsh given our display in the game. We made one mistake and got punished. We have to learn from that.”
The veteran trainer is optimistic that his side will be stronger against Oman in February, when he expects to have all his best players available for the game in Muscat.
“Teerasil [Dangda] and Teeratep [Winothai] should be back to full fitness by the time we play the decisive match against Oman. That would give us a huge boost. With the quality in our team, I believe we could squeeze into the next round.”