Thai hopes rise after defeating Qatar

[SOCCER] Thailand got a confidence boost ahead of the upcoming Asian Cup with a 2-0 victory over Qatar at Rajamangala National Stadium yesterday. 

The first match between the two sides was called off on Saturday with the score tied at 1-1 due to a heavy half-time downpour.

Earlier in the day, yesterday, there were ominous signs as dark clouds brought rains to Bangkok, raising fears that the rearranged match might suffer the same fate as Saturday's game. However, the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped around an hour prior to the kick-off.

Having watched his team put on a much better performance than on Saturday, national coach Chanvit Pholchivin was confident his side could post a serious challenge in the quadrennial Asian tournament.

"The win has given us a confidence boost and I think we can advance into the later stages of the tournament," said Chanvit.

As admission to the stadium was free, fans continually poured in throughout the match.

The game marked the first time that the Thai team donned the Nike national team outfits. Previously, they had for long worn the Football Thai [FBT] brand shirts.

The home team started in enthusiastic style unlike in Saturday's match. Just three minutes into the game, they sent an early warning when left back Nataporn Phanrit headed a Tawan Sripan corner-kick narrowly over the cross bar from inside the six-yard box.

However, the breakthrough was not long in coming for the hosts. Four minutes later, captain Tawan put his side ahead with a goal that was created by senior players.

Veteran striker Kiartisak Senamuang linked up well with Terdsak Jaiman on the left side before the diminutive midfielder, who scored the equaliser on Saturday, laid the ball to the edge of the box for Tawan to fire in a powerful drive.

The hosts' threat wilted as the visitors began finding their rhythm. Just before the half-hour mark, the home team survived a big scare when Majdi Siddiq intercepted the ball before delivering a delightful cross to Mustafa Abdullah who slid in front of the Thai defence but was unable to beat Thai keeper Kosin Hathairattanakul with his close-range effort.

The Thai team was back at work afterwards but failed to extend their advantage and the score remained unchanged at half-time. After the break, both teams fought it out and Datsakorn Thonglao came close to scoring but his effort from a tight angle on the right side of the box beat the Qatari goalkeeper only to crash against the outside of the far post.

The hosts had another glorious opportunity when Kiartisak ran one on one with a defender towards the goal but the striker, whose physical condition had been an issue, showed signs of lacking match fitness as he failed to grab the chance and was even unable to take a shot before the danger was cleared. He was substituted soon after the hosts made it 2-0 through Sutee's penalty in the 71st minute.

With a clear lead established, Chanvit opted to give substitutes a chance to impress before he picks the final 23-member squad for the Cup. 

Kitinan Sanguansak

The Nation