Thailand beats Singapore 3-1 in ASEAN semi-final first leg
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- Thailand beat Singapore 3-1 in the first leg of the ASEAN football championship semi-finals on Saturday (Aug 15), extending their unbeaten streak against the Lions to 11 games (last 10 wins) since Singapore's 2012 victory.
- Teerasak Poeiphimai scored twice in the first half — a deflected opener in the 14th minute and a 26th-minute header after dispossessing skipper Hariss Harun — before Seksan Ratree added a third in the 50th minute on a Patrik Gustavsson cross.
- Shawal Anuar had a first-half penalty saved by Thai keeper Kampol Pathomakkakul, and Jacob Mahler blazed a chance over from a few meters out after the cooling break with the goal gaping.
- Ilhan Fandi pulled one back for Singapore in the 83rd minute with a curling shot from outside the box, but the late rally failed to seriously test the Thai defense as the 3-1 scoreline held.
- Thailand (ranked 94th globally) is the highest-ranked side in the tournament, while Singapore sits 148th — the gap reflecting the seven-time champions' recent dominance over a Lions side that hasn't won the title since 2012.
- Singapore head coach Gavin Lee told the home crowd "the fans didn't give up on us, we cannot give up on ourselves" and said "anything is possible" with this group, while Thailand's Anthony Hudson called it "only half-time" and praised a "solid performance" ahead of the Bangkok return leg.
- Singapore finished second in Group A behind defending champions Vietnam, having beaten Cambodia 2-1, beaten Timor-Leste at home, drawn 0-0 with Vietnam away, and drawn 1-1 with Indonesia to reach the semis.
Why it matters: Singapore trails 3-1 heading into the Bangkok second leg against Thailand, the tournament's highest-ranked side at 94th globally (vs. Singapore at 148th). Coach Gavin Lee said "anything is possible" with his group, but the deficit came despite stretches where Singapore dominated possession and had a penalty saved plus a Mahler sitter blasted over — the Lions haven't beaten Thailand in roughly 14 years.
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