FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

No excuses as Thailand suffer humiliating defeat in China

No excuses as Thailand suffer humiliating defeat in China

Without a bulk of the squad and national head coach Kiatisak Senamuang absent, Thailand's interim coach Klairung Threejagsang offered no excuses for the team's 3-0 defeat at the hands of China in a friendly on Friday.

The Thai side arrived in Wuhan with only 15 players and without their talismanic coach 41-year-old Kiatisak, who opted to take a break after leading the country to the fourth spot at the recent Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. 
It was left to Kiatisak’s two assistants, Choktawee Promrat and Klairung, to hold the fort for the team’s rare outing on the “Fifa Day”, a date slated for international match by the world soccer’s governing body.
The game proceeded against the will of those two men temporarily put in charge of the team, whose request for the postponement of the match was ignored by Thai football authorities. They were aware that the result would be taken into account in calculating the Thai team’s place in the world ranking.
The Thai team, which Choktawee himself called an “ad hoc” side, was far from ready for the game. It was quite clear before the game that there would never be a repeat of the 5-1 win the Thais managed on their previous visit to China in June last year.
However, the Thais produced a decent performance by at least keeping the Chinese side, coached by former Portsmouth manager Alan Perrin, at bay for over an hour before a goalkeeping error gifted the hosts the opening goal to set them on the way to a well-deserved win.
Klairung made no excuse for the team’s loss in the fixture arranged as part of preparations for next month’s ASEAN Championship.
“I would like to apologise to the fans. All the lads did their job as best as possible. The team cannot be blamed for the result. We’ll try to correct what went wrong in order to keep improving. I’m grateful to all the support and the blessing from everyone,” Klairung posted on his Facebook page after the match. 
 
Suarez back in business
Luis Suarez returned for Uruguay for the first time since his infamous World Cup biting shame and helped the South Americans to a 1-1 friendly draw against Saudi Arabia.
The 27-year-old Barcelona star’s shot from an angle on 47 minutes in Jeddah came back off the far post before hitting Hassan Muath Fallatah for an own goal.
Suarez was replaced with 20 minutes to go but his hopes of a winning international return were ruined by Naif Hazazi’s last-minute equaliser for the former Asian champions.
Although still serving a nine-match competitive international ban for sinking his teeth into Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, Suarez is allowed to play in friendlies.
Suarez, whose club ban ends in two weeks when Barcelona face bitter rivals Real Madrid, could have scored just before coming off when he pounced on a dreadful back pass.
But with only goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah to beat, he tried to dribble past the shot-stopper and was tackled.
“Happy to wear this shirt again, gives me so much joy. Love the shirt. Uruguay!!,” tweeted Suarez after the match.
Asian champions Japan gave Javier Aguirre his first win with a laboured 1-0 victory over Jamaica while Australia struggled to a 0-0 draw in sweltering Abu Dhabi.
nationthailand