Thailand coach proud of players after eliminating Vietnam

"I'm proud of the players, of the way that they defended, especially in the second half. Thailand showed great teamwork and fought for each other. We kept a clean sheet in the whole game. We knew that we could attack but didn't, because defending was more important. Sadly our main goalkeeper was injured and couldn't play. But we will try to win the AFF Cup for him," Polking said in the post-match press conference.

Before the game, Polking said his team would keep playing attacking football like in the first leg. But during the game, Thailand defended most of the time and only made a few chances in the second half. Although dominated by Vietnam throughout the match, Thailand were able to keep a clean sheet and win the semifinals.

"Just like what we have predicted, Vietnam attacked right from the start. Thailand’s job was to concentrate and slow down the tempo of the game. In the first half, we had to fight to keep a clean sheet. But in the second, it was easier because Vietnam played long ball and that was not a problem for us. We defended really well. However, we understand that the team will have to play even better in the final," Polking said.

Thailand will play two legs of the AFF Cup final against Indonesia on December 29 and January 1, 2022.

"The game with Indonesia will be tough. But the important thing right now is we have beaten Vietnam, the previous champions and we are really confident," Polking added.

 

 

Thailand coach proud of players after eliminating Vietnam

Thái Lan 0-0 Việt Nam