T&T Cup Final - Sunday 16th!

T&T Cup final, or at least the group match that will be played as a one off final is back on this Sunday.

So, what can we expect in the matchup against Vietnam?

So far, Peter Reid's charges have played in two cagey matches, against much more fancied opponents in North Korea and Saudi Arabia, who both of high hopes of making the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

In 2 matches, Reid has called upon 17 players so far:

Kittisak Rawangpa
Suree Sukha
Chonlatit Jantakam
Niweat Siriwong
Suchao Nutnum
Krisadee Prakobkong
Teeratep Winothai
Surat Sukha
Isarapong Lilakorn
Patiparn Phetphun
Salahudin Arware
Nataporrn Phanrit
Datsakorn Thonglao
Arthit Sunthornpit
Teerasil Dangda
Kosin Hathairattanakool
Pichitphong Choeichiu

And for his final squad against Vietnam this Sunday, he can also call upon:

Pipat Thonkanya
Anon Sangsanoi
Ronnachai Rangsiyo

All of which are strikers and posibly the best strikers of the season that has just finished. But it would appear that Reid doesn't really love the highly fancied Anon Sangsanoi and has overlooked the Thonkanya and Rangsiyo, whom formed a championship winning partnership in favour of 2nd Level player Isarapong Lilakorn.

Now, the latter lad did score goals last year for Khon Kaen, but can he really lead the line this Sunday? I very much doubt it, and i'm guessing he's one for the future and was only selected as a way of Reid telling us that he is selecting the squad and not FAT.

Weekend Selection

So what can we see this weekend? Formation of 4-4-2 rather than the 4-4-1-1 that has been played recently.

In 2 games, both Keepers have had a run out. Kosin has always been my favorite, but maybe thats just because i know more about him (and the fact he's a good lad in general). But i would be tempted to give Kittisak another run out.

In defence, new Captain Siriwong picks himself along with Sukha, whom i would not have played if it was for testing reasons, but he hasen't played to much, so i would use this as an opportunity to get his fitness up. In there with them, i'm guessing Phanrit and Chonlatit Jantakam will get a look in.

Midfield is generally built around Thonglao, Pichitphong Choeichiu and Suchao Nutnum which is probably as steady as it goes and they do have a fair few caps between them. The final spot will probably go to Arthit Sunthornpit, and Surat Sukha should be suspended for his recent sending off at Saudi.

Up front we go to the, what would seem the heart and soul of the team, with Leesaw (Winothai), but i'd like to see him benched this weekend, after all, he's going to Europe shortly so we got to start living without him. Pipat can do a job, as good as anyone and should be partnered by PEA teammate Ronnachai Rangsiyo or Dangda.

But then, thats all my opinion. Over to you Mr Reid.

My Squad Selection

--------------Kittisak Rawangpa----------------------

--Sukha----Siriwong----Phanrit-----Jantakam -------

--Sunthornpit-----Thonglao------Nutnum------Choeichiu---

-------------Thonkanya------------Rangsiyo

Congratulations Nantawat Thansopa

Natawat Thanspoa has been crowned leading goalscorer of the AFC Champions League for 2008.

A great personal achievement. He scorded 9 goals overall. And how did he do it? Easily of course.

He simply waited for Beijing Guoan and Nam Dinh to show up at the Chulalongkorn University Sports Stadium, Bangkok and smashed in 7 goals.

His other 2 goals came away to Nam Dinh and Beijing.

International Round Up

International Friendly

Saudi Arabia 1 - 0 Thailand

Reid tastes his first defeat with a 1-0 loss to a decent Saudi side which will once again eb hoping to qualify for the World Cup. It's one of these games where you don't think we would get anything out of it apart from a slap on the backside and a wave goodbye with a 3-0 defeat. So it's pleasing to see the result, although i haven't seen any of the play.

Looks like Reid has a side to build upon and just needs that bit of luck in the final 3rd. Up next is Vietnam, in a game we should really win in a match to win the T&T Cup.

AFC Youth Championship

Thailand came 3rd in their group, winning 1 match and losing 2.

Results:

Australia 1 - 0 Thailand
Thailand 3 - 2 Jordan
Uzbekistan 1 - 0 Thailand

As, seems to be the case for most Thai teams, at national and club level. We can more or less hold our own, but we can't quite get the results we want. Going down 1-0 to both Australia and Uzbekistan are not bad results really.

The opening game against Australia, the lads were half a sleep and struggled to adapt to a much stronger Australia team. But they kept on plugging away and nearly knicked a goal at the end of the game.

Now, this is an improvement on many sides from the ASEAN region, as normally we would cave in and get thumped 4 or 5 nil. But hanging in their against the run of play nearly helped us get a point.

In the second match, coach Kawin had a few players back from suspension and played an attacking game, of which put us into a 3-0 lead. But this is another problem of nations in this South East Asian area, they let a 3 goal lead slip to a 10 man Jordan, a game that really should have been put to bed.

In the 3rd game, with the lads pumped up, they came again close to upsetting a much stronger Uzbek side, but having had a player dismissed, we couldn't find that all important win, something that was always going to be hard, especially when going a goal down. We were up against it, and generally speaking, we always are, and sometimes make it to hard for ourselves, but it was a good showing

All over for Young Thai's

Uzbekistan defeated Thailand 1-0 in the AFC Youth Championship, to end our dreams in the group stage. Uzbekistan qualified along with Australia.

It also ends our hopes of world cup glory in Egypt next year.

Youth Championship Result

Thailand defeated Jordan 3-2 which gives them a chance of qualifying for the next Round if they beat Uzbekistan in 2 days time.

Goals from Attapong Nooprom, Yodrak Namueangrak and Anusorn Srichaloung put the lads 3-0 up before a late fightback by 10 man Jordan.

Full report here: http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168329805.html

TOT FC enter Vietnamese Club Competition

The event will run from November 27 to December 7 at Go Dau Stadium in the southern province of Binh Duong.

Participating teams Binh Duong, Dong Tam, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Matsubara (Brazil), TOT (Thailand), New Radiant (Maldives) and a Korean student team (South Korea) will be divided into two groups.

The tournament will take place at the same time as the AFF Cup so Vietnamese teams will not have national players.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/sports/2008/11/811707/

Youth Championship Result

Thailand lost their opening game to Australia 1-0, the other match in the group also ended 1-0 to Uzbekistan over Jordan.

The senior team had their T&T Cup game cancelled due to heavy rain. The match has now been re-arranged for 16th November.