Thai media erupts with emotion after missing World Cup ticket like Vietnam

Thai media expressed deep regret after the country's women's U20 team failed to secure a ticket to the 2026 Women's U20 World Cup, as their elimination scenario shared many similarities with Vietnam's women's U20 team.

In the quarterfinals of the 2026 Asian U20 championship, Thailand's women's U20 team lost to South Korea's women's U20 team 1-2 after 120 minutes of play, thus officially ending their World Cup dream. Despite being rated lower, the Southeast Asian representative played with great resilience. After trailing due to Nam Seung Eun's header, Thailand fought back strongly and equalized 1-1 in the 72nd minute through Madison Casteen's effort. However, the turning point came in extra time when Park Juha scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute, securing victory for South Korea.

After the match, Thai media conveyed profound disappointment. The site Krian Buriram wrote: "Thailand's women's U20 team missed their World Cup dream. The young players gave their all, but it was still insufficient to earn a ticket to the U20 World Cup. They lost 1-2 to South Korea's U20 team in extra time and regrettably halted in the quarterfinals.

It is truly regrettable that the players performed very well, competing with more than 100% effort. They even outperformed their opponent, but minor mistakes cost the team dearly, leading to defeat."

Moreover, many other opinions expressed empathy for the young players: "It's truly heartbreaking for the girls! They fought until their last ounce of strength. Thailand's U20 team ran tirelessly, dedicating themselves exhaustively before losing 1-2 to South Korea, thereby missing the World Cup in a deeply unfortunate manner. The team still has many areas needing improvement, from tactics, playing ideas to accumulated errors.

But amidst the sorrow, the potential and determination of the young players, who will be the future of Thai football, are clearly visible. Ultimately, perhaps only the word "regrettable" remains… but their hearts and spirit have conquered all".

This scenario somewhat resembles that of Vietnam's women's U20 team. In the earlier quarterfinal match, Coach Okiyama Masahiko and his team suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat against Japan's women's U20 team, a comprehensively superior opponent in terms of caliber. From the first half, Japan led 3-0 with overwhelming dominance, before sealing a 4-0 victory in the second half. Despite great effort, Vietnam's women's U20 team had few opportunities against the opponent's strength.

Thus, both Southeast Asian representatives halted in the quarterfinals and missed the 2026 Women's U20 World Cup stage. Meanwhile, the four teams advancing are South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and China.

Despite the defeat, what Thailand's and Vietnam's women's U20 teams displayed still offers many positive signals. Their competitive spirit, effort, and the development potential of the young players are highly valued, promising to be the foundation for the future of women's football in the region.