Chiangrai United lifted their second domestic cup in just two seasons with a 1-0 victory over Bangkok Glass at a rain-soaked pitch at the Thammasat Stadium.
Curiously, both sides came to this encounter with the fates of their respective coaches already sealed. After a fifth-place finish in the league, Chiangrai boss Alexandre Gama is preparing for new challenges next season and is widely expected to take up the job as the head coach of the Thai U23 National Team.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Glass, still reeling from a shock last-day relegation, have announced the appointment of former Thai National Team star Dusit Chalermsan despite keeping current coach Anurak Srikerd in the dugout for the cup final.
After a torrent of rain delayed the much-anticipated kickoff, the game finally got underway at the Thammasat Stadium in Rangsit at 20:15 local time.
Chiangrai United had the better of preceedings in the opening 20 minutes, with Brazilian striker Rosimar “Bill” Amancio missing a pair of speculative efforts in an attempt to give his side the lead.
Bangkok Glass began to turn the tide as the half progressed, with striker Surachat Sareepim missing a golden opportunity to put his side ahead shortly after the half-hour mark.
The deadlock was finally broken when a quick Chiangrai counter caught the Rabbit’s back line out, allowing William Henrique to find the net at the end of a lung-busting run.
However, the relegated side refused to give in, fashioning a number of chances as Gama’s side regressed into a defensive shape in order to see out the victory. The pressure finally told when Sarawut Masuk’s shot deflected off Tasasak Srisai’s outstretched arm in the second minute of stoppage time, with the Rabbits rightly winning a penalty after a quick consultation with VAR.
Striker Ariel Rodriguez was given the opportunity to seal the victory from the spot with the last kick of the game, but goalkeeper Chatchai Budpom managed to get down to his right fast enough to keep his clean sheet. The veteran goalkeeper’s excellent save proved to be the last action of the game, compounding Bangkok Glass’ misery and winning the game for his side.
This loss leaves no room for sugar-coating the Rabbit’s relegation, as the club hierarchy prepare for a fight to hold on to some of their star players and rebuild ahead of next season. Chiangrai too face a fair amount of uncertainty ahead of the next campaign, but their time to shine isn’t yet over as they ready themselves to take on league champions Buriram United in the FA Cup final next weekend.