Soccer team's medal quest ended by Iraq

The game at the Incheon Football Stadium presented a mental test for the Thais after the bitter disappointment of failing to reach their first final at the fourth attempt. On Tuesday hosts South Korea handed them the first defeat of their Asian Games campaign with a 2-0 semi-final loss. The reverse not only ended their five-match winning streak, it also marked the first time the Thais failed to hit the target after amassing 15 goals on the way to the last four.

With the bitterness of defeat still lingering, Thailand needed to show character if they were to claim a first-ever podium place after fourth spots at the 1990, 1998 and 2002 Games. 

The Thais faced a further pre-match blow with coach Kiatisak Senamuang’s revelations that he would take a break from coaching after the end of the campaign. 

The game started at a frantic pace, with both sides having early scoring chances. The Thais breathed a huge sigh of relief when they survived a major scare only two minutes in when the defence somehow failed to clear a routine cross and the ball reached Iraq’s talisman Younus Mahmood inside the box. 

However, the Iraqi captain and forward, who led his side to a fairytale triumph at the Asian Championship seven years ago, contrived to send his shot wide of the target with only the keeper to beat.

The Thais quickly broke up the field but Kroekrit Thawikan, one of the outstanding performers in Incheon, spurned a glorious opportunity. After being sent clear on the right side of the box, his low effort was kept out by Iraqi keeper.

Although the Thais saw more of the ball in the early stages, it was the Iraqis who looked more threatening with quick raids into the Thai area. They faced another nervous moment when Mustafa Shabbini rose highest to meet a cross from a left-side free-kick but his downward header deflected off a Thai player and bounced onto the crossbar. The Middle East side still looked more likely to break the deadlock, with Amjed Muntafik slipping away from his marker to get on the end of a corner but glancing his header just wide of the far post.

Having been on the back foot for a long period, the Thais came close to scoring twice in quick succession on the stroke of half-time. Forward Adisak Kraison, the team’s top scorer in the tournament with five goals, was first released on the left side of the area, side-stepping a defender before seeing his effort blocked by the keeper. Nurul Sriyankem then fired harmlessly wide of the target after the Thais won possession just in front of Iraqi box.  

The Thai defence, which had looked watertight for most of the campaign, leaked another goal after the interval when Mahmood atoned for his early mistake by powering a thumping header into the net from a right-side corner just after the hour mark.

Finding themselves a goal behind, Thailand upped the tempo in a bid to force their way back into the match, with Charyl Chappuis twice coming close with long-range efforts. It proved futile as the Thai team’s ambitions were dashed by the final whistle and fourth spot beckoned once again.