Coach urges U23 stars to stay sharp for tourneys
The team, coached by Thawatchai Dumrong-ongtrakul, lost a penalty shootout against hosts Indonesia in the semi-finals before beating the Philippines 3-1 in a third-place playoff match on Monday.
"I would like to thank everyone who played in the Asean U23 Championship. As we all know this is my first tournament as the national head coach. Throughout the tournament I got to learn about all the players. It was a great time spent together," said Thawatchai after the team arrived late on Wednesday.
"It was a pity that we could not reach our goal of winning the tournament. But of course, there are a lot more important tournaments coming up such as the AFC U23 Championship qualifying round in September and, most importantly, the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December.
"Some players will make the team in these tournaments and some may not, so I would like every player continue to work hard, especially when they are with their clubs. They have to try to have as much game time as possible and maintain their fitness.
"For those who do not make the team for the next tournament, just keep working hard because my staff will continue to monitor your form for future tournaments," he added.
The U23 team will next take part in the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers with the Thais hosting Malaysia, Lebanon and Mongolia for the Group F battles from Sept 1-9 at BG Stadium.
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