Thai players (in white) during their 6-7 loss to Indonesia in the AFF U23 Championship semi-final, 25/7/2025. Photo: Anh Khoa

* Thailand - Philippines: 8 p.m. Monday, on VnExpress.

Thailand initially viewed the AFF U23 Championship as a springboard for their gold medal aspirations at the 33rd SEA Games later this year. However, their performance has been underwhelming. After an initial 4-0 victory against Timor Leste, they only managed a 0-0 draw with Myanmar in their final group match. Despite topping Group C, coach Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul's team has faced criticism from fans.

In their semi-final against Indonesia, Thailand performed better, leading for most of the match. However, naturalized striker Jens Raven's equalizer for the hosts shifted the game's momentum. Thailand subsequently lost 6-7 in a penalty shootout, marking their second consecutive failure to reach the AFF U23 Championship final.

This string of poor results, including pre-tournament losses to Hong Kong (2-3) and the UAE (1-2), has put Thawatchai's team under pressure. A win is their only way to appease fans.

According to leading Thai sports newspaper Siam Sports, the team needs to address their lack of finishing if they hope to defeat the Philippines. Their main concern is the condition of key midfielder Chanaphat Buaphan.

In their two most recent U23 encounters, Thailand scored 5 goals against the Philippines: in the 2015 AFC U23 Championship (5-1) and the 2023 edition (5-0). This time, however, it won't be easy.

The Philippines has had a successful tournament, reaching the semi-finals for the first time. They even opened the scoring against Vietnam before losing 1-2.

Thirteen of the 23 players in the Philippines squad play for university teams in the US, Japan, and the Philippines. Strikers Otu Banatao and Javier Mariona are considered their most dangerous players. They also have Jian Caraig, whose powerful throw-ins are reminiscent of Indonesia's Robi Darwis and Pratama Arhan.

With less pressure, the Philippines can focus on their preferred defensive counter-attacking style. This tactic led to a shock 2-0 win against Malaysia in the group stage, and their 0-1 loss to hosts Indonesia came from an own goal.

Predicted lineups:

Philippines: Guimaraes, Muens, Leddel, Merino, Banatao, Reyes Pena, Carino, Lucero Luis, Tanigco, Caraig, Mariona.

Thailand: Sarawat, Suksakit, Ratree, Boonlha, Burapha, Prahanth, Wandee, Sienkrthok, Yotsakon, Otton, Noi Wong.

Duc Dong