TEERASIL TAENGTA, left, challenges for the ball with Iraq’s M Ali during their pre-Olympic qualifier at Royal Thai Army stadium yesterday.

The game had largely lacked excitement and looked headed for a goalless draw - which would have been enough to keep the hosts in the hunt for a place in the final qualifying round - when Iraqi forward Kerrar Muhamed clinically fired the ball past the Thai goalie at the death.

It virtually secured the visitors' passage into the next round.

The defeat was mainly due to the dismissal of second-half substitute Kriangkrai Pimrat, who had been on the pitch for only five minutes when sent off for a heavy tackle. The ruling knocked the home side out of its stride after they had looked to be controlling the game.

Although mathematically, Thailand still has a chance to seal one of two qualifying slots from the group, it looks near impossible in reality, as coach Prapol Pongpanich's men must hope for either North Korea or Iraq to fail in the remaining two fixtures.

Knowing that it would take something of a near miracle to clinch qualification, Thai team manager Kasem Jariyawatwong acknowledged that his side's chances were all but gone.

"Considering the outcome, our chances of participation in the Olympic finals next year are over," said a crestfallen Kasem.

"It was very difficult to get into our normal rhythm today. It looked as though all things went against us as we were unable to take our chances and got a red card which we should not have received," Kasem bemoaned.

"The ejection of Kriangkrai proved very costly. Hopefully, it will be a lesson for players who come into the national team in the future - that when you are reduced to 10 men, it is nearly impossible to swing the game back in our favour.

"Although our hopes have ended, we cannot abandon our mission. Instead, we need to complete it in the best way we can. We still want to win the remaining two matches and restore our pride," said Kasem, who also hinted that he would step down from the post after the group stage is over.

Without suspended striker Teeratep "Leesaw" Winothai, who scored all Thailand's goals in their group campaign, the hosts looked much less effective in attack.

However, Prapol refused to blame that setback for their failure in break the visitors' resistance as the Iraqis comfortably managed threats from the Thai side.

"It was difficult to make any inroads into the Iraqi team, whose tactics were defensive. They packed men in defence, leaving little room for us to create any openings. If we had had Leesaw in the side today, our attack would have been better. But, I'm not sure whether we could have scored," Prapol said.

Apart from Leesaw, Thailand were also without key midfielder Apiphu Sunthornpanawet, who also served a one-match suspension, which forced Prapol to make another tactical change.

Prapol opted to use 3-5-2 formation in a bid to gain an upper hand in midfield over Iraq. Although it seemed to work, with Thailand appearing to enjoy a bigger portion of possession in the first half, the visitors were barely threatened by the home team.

Despite seeing less of the ball, the visitors looked more ominous, particularly in counter-attack. Seven minutes from half-time, Muhamed sent a signal of what was to come when he picked up a chested pass and dispatched a fierce drive that went inches wide of Chalermkiat Sombatpan's right hand post.

After the interval, the visitors threatened the Thai goal and should have opened the scoring in the 48th minute when Muhamad leapt above Thai defence in the six-yard box to connect a left-side cross with a header. The effort lacked power and failed to trouble Chalermkiat.

That scare stung the hosts into action and they began gradually controlling the pace of the game before Kriangkrai's red card swung momentum back to the visitors, who made the most from their numerical advantage.

Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation