Thailand's football coach Winfried Schaefer says his team has the key to unlock the defence of defending champions Malaysia in the first leg of the Asean Championship semi-finals at the intimidating Bukit Jalil stadium today.
Thailand, the three-time champions, may have hoped for easier opponents in the last four when they qualified as winners of the Group A with a perfect record, the only side in the eight-team finals to achieve such a feat in the group stage. However, they had to face dour Malaysia, who overcame a dismal 3-0 start against Singapore to clinch the second qualifying spot in Group B.
More worryingly, the Thais are encountering a team that looks to have found form at the right time, evidenced by their 2-0 win in the final group match against Indonesia, the same side they beat to clinch their maiden title in the biennial tournament.
Nevertheless, the 62-year-old Schaefer is convinced his players will come away with a positive result from the game, which is likely to be played in front of 100,000 noisy home fans. After the tricky trip, Thailand host the return leg four days later.
"We have no injury concern in our team. All of the players are fit and the team morale is very good thanks to the support from our fans," he said.
"Undoubtedly, the away match in Malaysia is not easy and we need each of our players to keep his concentration throughout the game. They must stick to the game plan. Possession and passing could be the deciding factors in the outcome of the match.
"The team for tomorrow's match may not be the same side that played in our first two matches against the Philippines and Myanmar. We may make some changes to the team in tactical sense. Given the team is currently in such good shape, I believe we will be able to avoid defeat in the first leg," the veteran coach said.
Defender Panupong Wongsa, who has shone in his new role as captain, echoed the German's sentiments. "We're not afraid of them. Actually, if we compare the players of both teams, we're clearly a better team. But, we can't underestimate them even though 6 to 7 of their regulars are struggling with injuries," Panupong said.
"We will get Datsakorn [Thonglao] back from injury and I believe he could cause a lot of problems to the Malaysian defence with his accurate passing and ability to conjure up a killer pass. It means our striker Teerasil [Dangda] would get more opportunities to score."
With only Malaysia between the Thais and the final against either Philippines or Singapore, Worawi Makudi, the Football Association of Thailand president, said this year was a good chance for the Kingdom to reclaim a title that has eluded them since 2002.
"After a decade of disappointment, this is our chance to return where we belong. With the players' strong performances plus Schaefer's hard work, I'm confident we can beat Malaysia on their home soil," Worawi said.
Channel 7 will televise the match live from 7pm tonight.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/12/09/we-can-beat-malaysia-coach-schaefer/
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