Hat-trick hero Teerasil Dangda
Thailand's soccer team coach Winfried Schaefer hailed his team's attacking power after watching them secure an Asean Championship semifinals berth with a game to spare with a 4-0 thumping of Myanmar in their second Group A match.
After setting the early pace with an opening 2-1 victory over the Philippines, three-time champions Thailand needed a win against their neighbours to guarantee avoiding a repeat of their groupstage exit in the tournament two years ago.
A Teerasil Dangda hattrick helped power the Thais to the emphatic win over an error-prone Myanmar side at a nearly deserted Rajamangala National stadium on Tuesday night.
With a semifinal spot now assured, the pressure is off for Schaefer's side as they head into tomorrow's final group match against 2008 champions Vietnam. Even so, the game is far from meaningless since the Thais still need at least a draw to clinch the top spot and the advantage of playing the second leg of the semifinal at home.
Having avoided a repeat of the 2010 catastrophe, when Thailand failed to reach the knockout stage for the only second time in their history, the 62yearold Schaefer praised all his players for a perfect start to their campaign.
"Everyone deserves the credit, not just the 11 on the pitch. All of them played a part in our success. Against Myanmar it was not easy. We looked a bit sluggish in the opening stages. I told them to keep going and they eventually took the lead."
The German admitted he had to tweak his tactics at halftime to counter the threat posed by Myanmar's star player Kyi Lin.
"I adjusted the way we marked him [Kyi] after the break. He caused us a lot of problems in the first half, with both Theerathon [Bunmathan] and Anucha [Kitpongsri] confused about their positions while keeping an eye on him."
The change helped deliver only the second win for Thailand in five meetings with Myanmar at the tournament.
"After the interval, I instructed Adul [Lahsoh] to take care of Kyi and our play improved considerably, especially on the left flank. That helped us scored three secondhalf goals."
The German heaped praise on Muang Thong United hitman Teerasil, whose treble took him at the top of the tournament scoring chart.
"With the hattrick, Teerasil consolidated his status as the best striker in the region at the moment. We are very lucky to have him in the team. He showed his lethal touch with his third effort from Theerathon's perfect delivery, which for me was our best goal," said Schaefer.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/11/29/schaefer-hails-lethal-hitman-teerasil/
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