Thailand expecting tough Korean challenge
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Regional powerhouse South Korea, who are fielding their pre-Olympic squad, will prove formidable for hosts Thailand in the first match of the King's Cup football tournament today, according to Arj-harn Song-ngarmsup.
Experienced Arj-harn was recently drafted into manager Winfried Schaefer’s team as a staff coach to replace Surachai Jaturapattarapong, who decided to leave his post to concentrate on coaching Thailand Premier League club Bangkok Glass.
Arj-harn’s first task in his new role is to help Thailand regain the title in the country’s most prestigious event, in which they also face two European teams, Denmark and Norway, apart from the Koreans.
Played in a round-robin format, Thailand begin their campaign against the South Korean under-23 side coached by former international Hong Myung-bo at Rajamangala National Stadium, a match Arj-harn believes would be quite tough for his charges.
“We could not have asked for a more difficult task than this one in our first match. It will be tough against the Koreans, even though we face their under-23 team.
The South Korean name guarantees a tough test no matter which side we face.
“The Koreans’ strength lies in their teamwork. More importantly, they attack from both flanks, which is very effective. Their defence is also very tight. However, we have a plan in place to handle them,” Arj-harn said.
Many members of the team may be tired after being involved in the Thaicom FA Cup final between Muang Thong United and Buri Ram PEA midweek, which the latter won in extra time. Arj-harn admitted he was concerned about the condition of his players.
“We’re now trying to ensure that the lads will be in the best possible shape for tomorrow’s game,” he said.
“We’ll mainly focus on keeping it tight at the back and wait for chances to hit them on the break. We need to close down their supply line on both flanks. I still believe we’re good enough to beat them.”
The 42-year-old Hong Myung-bo, whose players currently sit on top of their qualifying group and in the driving seat to book a berth in the London Olympics, believes taking part in the annual tournament will be good for his team.
“It’s a great honour for us to get an invitation to the tournament. All participating teams are strong. Norway and Denmark are very good teams, while Thailand are improving. I’m sure we’ll earn lot of benefits from this tournament.”
NBT Channel will televise the match live from 7pm.
