Thailand coach: 'Treat the score as 0-0, the second leg against Singapore is like a final'

Thailand national team head coach Anthony Hudson has instructed his players to set aside their lead from the first leg, consider the scoreline still 0-0, and enter the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final return match against Singapore as if it were a final.

On August 17 at 2:00 PM, at the press conference room of Rajamangala Stadium, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) held a pre-match press conference ahead of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final second leg between Thailand, ranked 94th in the world, and Singapore, ranked 148th.

Attending the press conference were head coach Anthony Hudson and striker Patrik Gustavsson.

At the press conference, Hudson stated: "First of all, I welcome everyone to today's press conference. The match against Singapore will be a tough one. They are a top team with complex tactics. They are performing well, have a good head coach, and play very good football.

Regarding the performance in the first leg, I am very proud of my players for their efforts. However, we will strive to do even better at every moment of the match. Today's training session must also continue to improve and adjust.

Now we must concentrate and think that the score is still 0-0. This match is still like a final, another game against a very difficult opponent.

Regarding the incident after the first leg in Singapore, it was a match full of emotions, which is normal in football. I myself am a passionate person, and at that time emotions were still running high. But I affirm that I respect Singapore, head coach Gavin Lee, and their players, who have done a great job.

After the match, I went over to talk and explain that there were some situations during the game that made me and the coaching staff unhappy. For example, before my team conceded a penalty, a player held the ball for a throw-in for 14-15 seconds, while the rules are very clear.

After the match, I told Gavin Lee that Singapore is a good and strong team, so why do they need to do such things when they already have enough quality to face Thailand. Because emotions were still high, there were others involved, but the matter is over.

I have always respected Gavin Lee and all the Singapore players. The next morning when I woke up, I saw that story all over my news feed and felt quite embarrassed. I FaceTimed my mom, expecting congratulations, but the first thing she said was asking why I did that. I also felt a bit ashamed.

I want myself and all the players to think that the score is still 0-0. I will also tell the team this, because I don't want the players to be complacent or think this match will be easy.

I want everyone to play as if the score is still 0-0, with the same intensity as the first match, so that we are all determined to win this game.

Regarding possible changes to the lineup, I think I am lucky because all the players have worked hard from day one, and that gives me a lot of confidence.

Whether there are changes or not, our advantage is that all players in the squad have quality. We will consider physical factors and freshness. Even if we change the lineup, I believe our performance will not drop by even 1%.

Regarding the criticism directed at me during my time with the Thailand national team, to be honest, it doesn't affect me much.

However, there are some things that disappoint me and make me feel sorry for the players. During each training camp, I think they deserve recognition and positive evaluations because they all work very hard and deserve acknowledgment.

Regarding my coaching style, in the last 2-3 training camps, the group of players has been different, and the context has also been different. This is also a new group of players.

If you look at the statistics, I feel that what we have achieved is quite amazing and impressive as we reach the semi-finals.

In the first match against Singapore, we were not yet good enough in terms of composure in ball control and the intensity of our play. This is my task, to improve those aspects.

This training camp also has 6-7 new players. Some people feel pressure, but after going through the match, I think everyone will relieve that pressure.

Finally, speaking about Singapore, after the recent match, we must admit that they are currently very strong and have improved a lot, while also receiving great support from their fans.

Looking back earlier, they also performed well against Indonesia and Vietnam. Personally, I am still disappointed that in the last match we should have scored 1-2 more goals.

Regarding how I motivate the players, I am just myself. I try to talk, encourage the players, help them prepare both physically and mentally, and play with high intensity, boldly attacking and defending.

The most important thing is that the players must dare to play. As for me, I just do the job I want to do, which is trying to push them at every moment of the match."

Meanwhile, Thailand striker Patrik Gustavsson shared: "The first match was a tough game, but we finished quite sharply and scored 3 goals, although considering the flow of the game, we should have scored more.

The result of the first leg gives us more confidence for tomorrow's match. We still have 90 minutes left and must continue to give 100% effort, because Singapore will certainly also play at 100%. We will prepare with confidence to deal with them.

Regarding returning to the Thailand national team after 17 months, as I said before, 2025 was the hardest year since I became a football player because I struggled with injuries all year.

My goal upon returning is to play in top physical condition like before and regain my previous confidence. The goal of a football player is to be part of tournaments like this, reach the final, and lift the championship trophy.

Every time I wear the Thailand national team shirt, I always give 100%. There are fans who come to support, and my family is very proud.

If I get the chance, I will play at 100%, holding nothing back. I admit it was a very difficult year, and I am very happy to be back with the national team once again.

I also want to invite fans to come to the stadium to support us tomorrow and give the whole team extra motivation."