Thai player: Ask if Vietnam is afraid of us?

After Thailand beat the Philippines 4-3 to enter the final match against Vietnam in the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Chalermsak was asked if he was worried about the two finals on the evening of January 2 and January 5, 2025. The center-back replied: "Thailand's form is getting better and better, and we are not afraid of meeting Vietnam in Bangkok. You should have asked if Vietnam is afraid of Thailand."

Chalermsak plays as a central defender, so he will likely face Xuan Son in the next two finals. The Brazilian striker is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot with 5 goals, after only three matches for Vietnam.

"Who is Xuan Son?", Chalermsak replied when asked about the naturalized Vietnamese striker. "Is Xuan Son very strong? But let him compete with Khemdee. I guarantee Khemdee is much stronger."

Khemdee is 1.9 m tall, is a half-Danish player and was also born in this country. Since the beginning of the ASEAN Cup 2024, the 22-year-old central defender has also said that he wants to be in the typical squad and help Thailand win the championship. Meanwhile, Chalermsak is a pure Thai player, 1.82 m tall and won the AFF Cup 2022.

Xuan Son is 1.85 m tall, has a thick body, and weighs over 90 kg. Since his ASEAN Cup debut in the 5-0 win over Myanmar in the final round of the group stage, he has had a hand in 80% of the team's goals. The Nam Dinh Club striker has not only made a splash domestically but also attracted the attention of the regional media.

Witnessing Xuan Son's performance in the second leg of the semi-finals on the evening of December 29, Thai football expert Ta Lao even compared this striker to "software that wins all video games".

Before the second leg of the semi-final in Bangkok on the evening of December 30, Chalermsak declared that Thailand would make the entire Philippine team cry because they could not reach the final. His statement angered the visiting fans and they wanted revenge. Despite losing 3-4 on aggregate, the Philippines still made it difficult for Thailand to go into extra time.

In a post-match interview, Chalermsak said he felt relieved that he had not been "hit by his own petard". "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders," the 30-year-old centre-back said after the match. "I said that before the match not to put the Philippines down, but because we have a talented coach Masatada Ishii who respects his players and vice versa. I didn't mean to put pressure on my teammates."

Thailand lost 1-2 to the Philippines in the first leg at the Rizal Memorial artificial turf stadium on the evening of December 27. In the return match at Rajamangala, Ishii's team led 3-2 on aggregate, but were leveled at 3-3 in the 84th minute, shortly after Chalermsak left the field to make way for Jonathan Khemdee.

The Philippines squandered a chance to score the decisive goal late in the second half, only to concede in extra time with a goal from Suphanat Mueanta in the 116th minute.