Chanathip to go out in attack mode against Myanmar
Attacking midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin is ready to pull the strings to help defending champions Thailand claim early advantage in the Asean Championship semi-final first leg against Myanmar in Yangon today.
The 23-year-old was unwell when Thailand defeated the Philippines 1-0 in their final group match in Manila that ensured their place in the last four of the biennial tournament with a perfect record as Group A winners.
But the Muangthong United player, who has been heavily linked with a move to J-League newcomers Consadole Sapporo, confirmed he was ready to play at the Thuwanna Stadium against hosts Myanmar, who entered semi-finals for the first time since 2004.
“I have fully recovered from my cold. I’m ready to play as are my teammates. It’ll not be an easy game but we’ll stick together and perform strongly.
“Myanmar is a strong side. They have young and experienced players in the team. I think they’re a good team. With big crowd behind them and their players fighting for every ball, it would be a tough task for us without any question,” said Chanathip, dubbed “Messi Jay” for having a similar body shape as Barcelona star Lionel Messi and, like the Argentine, a good dribbler.
With the Myanmar fixture falling in the early days of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s reign, national coach Kiatisak Senamuang has vowed that his men will fight for the country’s new king.
“We’re now 100 per cent ready. We reviewed our tactics to make sure everyone has a better understanding of the game. We faced many top teams in Asia before but we will show Myanmar the respect they deserve. We will not take them lightly and play cautiously.
“Now that we have a new King we’ll play for both the late King, who we believe is watching us from above, and King Rama X,” said the former national striker, whose side is the only Southeast Asian team to make the final round of Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The 43-year-old coach insisted his side, whose haul of four titles puts them level with Singapore as the tournament’s most successful country, was unfazed by the prospect of playing in front of full house crowd at the 32,000-capacity venue.
“We want to see Myanmar fans flock into the stadium. That will make it more interesting. When we play at home we normally play in front of a capacity crowd. We’ve received a good reception since landing here. So, I hope supporters of both teams will enjoy the game tomorrow.”
Thailand will host the return leg at Rajamangala National Stadium on December 8.
