Thai striker Adisak Kraisorn recalls his experience playing at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in 2014, as Thailand lost 3-2 on the night but won 4-3 on aggregate, lifting the AFF Cup title.
“I remember that day clearly. That Malaysia side were really strong, meanwhile I was just a youngster, and still new to the first team. It was my first time playing in front of almost 100,000 fans and to be honest, I was quite nervous and overexcited.”
“The Malaysian supporters were almost cheering right from the warm-up and it got even louder once the game kicked-off. At that moment I found it really difficult to play. We were 3-0 down after 70 minutes and everything was going Malaysia’s way.”
“However we couldn’t give up because we knew that one goal was all we needed to turn things our way. Obviously, it was a fantastic comeback, so credit to all my teammates for not giving up.”
Adisak’s thoughts on how Thailand can deal with the home crowd this Sunday.
“Forget about communication. Once you’re in the stadium, you will be flooded by the noise of the home supporters – nobody knows what anybody is saying! Therefore, the best plan is to focus from the first to the last minute, most importantly the beginning 15-20 minutes. We must not concede early because that could really hurt us in the long run. Plus, the Malaysian players would only gain more confidence thanks to the home support.”
“Nevertheless, I have faith that my teammates can handle [the Bukit Jalil crowd]. We will try to stay positive because if we do well, and things go our way, the cheering will die down. Imagine what it would feel like if we can prove our quality in front of a [full house at the Bukit Jalil stadium], winning their respect.”
Source: FA Thailand
Obb Deewajin
Football Tribe Thailand