Hanoi, 25 August 2026 – Thailand head coach Anthony Hudson appeared alongside captain Sarach Yooyen at the pre-match press conference ahead of the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final against Vietnam. Both appeared tense ahead of the decisive encounter, while Hudson seemed surprised by the scale of media interest, with around 70 journalists packed into the press room.
Thailand arrive in Hanoi facing a difficult task after suffering a 2-0 defeat at Rajamangala Stadium in the first leg. Despite the deficit, Hudson made it clear that the War Elephants have only one objective at My Dinh.
“Thailand’s only goal is to win. We will have to fight with everything we have,” Hudson said.
Sitting alongside his coach, Sarach was equally defiant and insisted Thailand still believe they can turn the final around.
“Nothing can stop us from reaching the championship. Thailand still have a chance, and we will do everything we can to bring the trophy home.”
The midfielder was also asked whether Thailand’s first-leg defeat could be attributed to the team competing at the tournament without its strongest possible squad. Sarach rejected the suggestion that the national team should be divided into first- and second-choice groups.
“For the Thailand national team, there is no such thing as Team A or Team B. Whoever steps onto the pitch gives everything for the team.”
One of the most discussed moments following the first leg came when Hudson instructed his players to remain on the pitch and watch Vietnam celebrate their 2-0 victory at Rajamangala.
The English-American coach explained that he wanted his squad to remember the painful moment and use it as motivation for the return leg.
“Football is an emotional battle. We have been together all the way to this stage. Vietnam are very strong, and I respect them. But I want the players to believe that they still played well. We only lost the first leg, and there is still an opportunity. Thailand need to remember that moment and use it as motivation for the second leg.”
Hudson was also asked whether he was concerned about potentially losing his job should Thailand fail to overturn the deficit. He argued that his team’s circumstances heading into the tournament were very different from Vietnam’s.
“I haven’t been able to have all of Thailand’s best players available for the ASEAN Cup 2026. Vietnam, on the other hand, began their preparations early, had their full squad and came into the tournament with a strong desire to win the title. I think the Football Association of Thailand will understand that situation.”
Despite the two-goal deficit, Hudson believes the first-leg scoreline did not fully reflect Thailand’s performance. The hosts created several opportunities in Bangkok but were repeatedly denied, most notably by Vietnam goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang.
Hudson, however, refused to reveal how Thailand intend to approach the return leg tactically.
“Losing 2-0 is just the scoreline. In reality, we created a lot of chances in the first leg. Of course, the result was disappointing, but I still insist that it is not over for Thailand. As for how we will play tomorrow, I cannot reveal that now.”
Asked where the challenge of overturning a 2-0 deficit in Hanoi ranks among the most difficult matches of his coaching career, Hudson declined to make comparisons.
“Every match and every competition in my career has been different. I don’t compare the difficulty of tomorrow’s game with other matches. I am only focused on finding a way to deal with this game. I want my players to prove themselves and show everyone who we are.”
Thailand will also need to find a way past Le Giang, who produced a Player-of-the-Match performance in Bangkok and made several outstanding saves to preserve Vietnam’s clean sheet.
Hudson acknowledged the goalkeeper’s quality but challenged his attackers to be more clinical in the decisive second leg.
“He is a very good goalkeeper, so I have told my players that we need to finish our chances better. We will find a way through Vietnam’s defense, even though tomorrow’s match will come with enormous pressure.”
Thailand must now produce a major comeback at My Dinh National Stadium on August 26 if they are to deny Vietnam the title. The Golden Star Warriors enter the second leg with a 2-0 aggregate advantage, while Hudson’s side know there is no room for error as they fight to keep their ASEAN Cup 2026 hopes alive.
VSN/RPT
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