Thailand Coach Hails Lesson From Japan Rout

Alfred Netiphong Sritonginthorn, head coach of the Thai national women's football team, addressed the media following Thailand's 0-8 defeat to Japan in the opening round of Group E at the 2026 Asian Games.

"I did not expect to play against such an excellent team, and I was not surprised by the quality of their players or the speed of their game," Alfred said. "Truthfully, this was probably the first time we have faced a team of that caliber. We were able to assess ourselves and understand why we fell short. Response speed and decision-making speed are the most important things."

The coach explained that Japan's rapid play style exposed the need for quick individual decision-making under pressure. "For me, football is not about teamwork alone—it is about individuals who come together as a team. It is about each person's unique ability and their decisions, especially those split-second choices made under pressure. Now we understand what it takes and what we must do to improve and reach that level."

Alfred noted that losing to a top-five world-ranking team carries a positive lesson. "It is always a positive when we lose to a team at that level. We did not lose to a lower-ranked team; we played against a genuine world-class side. Before the match, we tried to manage tactically and play our own game rather than focus solely on countering Japan. However, we saw that this approach did not work well in the second half. Once we began to adapt to that pace, our physical condition and energy declined, and we conceded four more goals."

He acknowledged some progress during the second half. "I was fairly satisfied with the first twenty minutes of the second half. The team began to adjust to that speed. However, physically, it was too demanding to maintain that intensity for a full ninety minutes."

Alfred stressed that the defeat was not about tactics, game plan, or skill. "Today was purely about response speed and decision-making speed. In facing the remaining two teams, I have decided to make substitutions at halftime because I need to preserve players for the next two matches. This allows other players to become familiar with and play at that level of speed."

He concluded: "Playing against a top-five world team like Japan is an extremely important lesson. Today was not about game plan, tactics, or skill—it was about response speed and decision-making under pressure. Football is not just about teamwork; it is about the unique potential of individuals coming together. Although playing at this game speed for ninety minutes is physically too demanding for us right now, this is a crucial opportunity for us to assess ourselves, identify what needs fixing, and develop so we can reach that level in the future."

Thailand's next match will be against Chinese Taipei in Group E on September 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Thailand time at Ecopa Stadium in Shizuoka, Japan. The match will be broadcast live on MCOT HD 30 and the AIS Play app.