Thailand, having already secured a spot in the final after two victories against Pakistan and Vietnam, saw coach Anthony Hudson actively rotate his squad to rest key players. Experienced players such as Chanathip Songkrasin, Sarach Yooyen, and Nicholas Mickelson were benched. In attack, Jude Soonsup-Bell was positioned as the furthest forward, supported by Supachok Sarachat and Anan Yodsangwal.

These changes, coupled with a heavy rain that made the pitch slippery before kickoff, led to a poor start for Thailand. In just the 3rd minute, the Philippines opened the scoring. From a precise cross on the right wing by Paul Tabinas, Bjorn Martin Kristensen surged in to finish from close range, giving the Philippines an early lead.

Kristensen celebrates his goal against Thailand in the FIFA ASEAN Cup at Si Jalak Harupat stadium, Bandung, Indonesia on 2/10.

After halftime, Thailand regained control of the match and found an equalizer in the 55th minute. Receiving a pass from Seksan Ratree, Iklas Sanron executed a curling shot that beautifully found the back of the net, leveling the score at 1-1.

Coach Hudson's team then improved their play, creating several chances to take the lead. A notable opportunity saw Jude Soonsup-Bell face the Philippines goalkeeper directly but fail to convert.

Immediately after that wasted opportunity, Thailand was punished. In the 68th minute, Andre Leipold broke down the right flank and delivered the ball into a dangerous area. Kristensen was perfectly positioned to tap in from close range, completing his brace and securing a 2-1 victory for the Philippines.

For the remaining time, coach Hudson brought on Chanathip and some other starters to increase pressure. However, these late substitutions could not reverse the Thai team's fortunes, and they had to accept their first group stage defeat.

This victory allowed the Philippines to exit the tournament with pride. In the concurrent match, Vietnam overcame Pakistan with a 4-2 score.

The defeat does not affect Thailand's top spot in Group B, but it highlights a significant gap between coach Hudson's starting players and reserve options. This will serve as an important lesson for Thailand before entering the championship match against Indonesia on 5/10.

Lineups:

Thailand: Khammai, Praisuwan, Thongtham, Kanitsribampen, Saipetch, Ratree, Sanron, Sarachat, Yodsangwal, Soonsup-Bell, Bureerat.

Philippines: Mendoza, Rublico, Nyholm, Aguinaldo, Tabinas, Ingreso, Ott, Kekkonen, Schrock, Leipold, Kristensen.

Xuan Thu