A new AFC U23 chapter! 亚洲杯23 澳大利23VS泰国23
2026-01-08
分享比赛
Australia come here to this tournament with something to prove. The memory of the last U23 Asian Cup, where they went out without scoring a single goal, is still fresh, especially for Tony Vidmar. You can sense that this group has been built with that frustration in mind, with an obsession for intensity, tempo and being aggressive from the first whistle.
The qualification phase already told us a lot about this team. Scoring 20 goals, even if some opponents were clearly inferior, shows a side that wants to dominate matches rather than manage them. I liked how Australia didn’t slow down after going ahead, something that younger national teams often struggle with.
Players like Nathanael Blair stretch defences constantly, and the midfield profile is much more modern than in previous cycles: box-to-box players, good physical presence, but also enough quality to keep the ball and dictate the rhythm when needed. This is no longer an Australia U23 side that only relies on power and duels; there is a clear intention to play proper football.
Preparation hasn’t been perfect, and Vidmar himself has been very honest about that, but the core idea is clear. Australia want to press high, force mistakes and play most of the match in the opposition half. Against a team like Thailand, that approach can be decisive if executed well. Defensively, I feel Australia are also more mature than in past tournaments. There is more balance, and players who understand when to defend deep and when to step out aggressively.
Thailand’s story is very different. Qualifying with a last-minute goal against Malaysia showed character, but also highlighted some of their limitations. They arrive here without several key players from that qualifying campaign, and that matters a lot at this level. Chemistry is crucial in short tournaments, and missing important pieces forces adjustments that are hard to perfect in just a few training sessions. Tawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul has done solid work with this generation, and Thailand will not be naive, but the lack of continuity is a problem.
Alongside with Syria, for me are the worst team in the tournament. And we have seen how Syria was destroyed 5:0 by Japan - a similar side to Australia. That game is a good example of what I'm expecting here and the difference between teams like Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia or China and others like Syria, Thailand or Jordania.
Tactically, Thailand will look to stay compact and hurt Australia on the counter. Iklas Sanron is the type of winger who can punish you if you lose focus for a second, and Australia must be careful with their full-backs’ positioning. Still, for counters to be effective, you need to survive long enough without conceding, and that is where I see the biggest issue for Thailand. If Australia score early, the whole game script changes dramatically.
Overall, I expect Australia to take control of the game quite quickly. The energy, the depth in the squad and the hunger to make a statement after past disappointments should be evident. Thailand will compete and have moments, but sustaining that effort for the full match against such an intense opponent feels unrealistic. If Australia impose their tempo and are clinical in the final third, this could turn into a very convincing opening performance.
该文章通过有道机器翻译，仅供参考:
澳大利亚来到这里是为了证明一些东西。上一届U23亚洲杯，他们一球未进就出局了，这让人记忆犹新，尤其是对托尼·维德马来说。你可以感觉到，这支球队在组建之初就有挫折感，对强度、节奏和进攻的痴迷。
预选赛阶段已经告诉了我们很多关于这支球队的事情。打进20个进球，即使一些对手明显落后，也表明这支球队想要统治比赛，而不是管理比赛。我喜欢澳大利亚在前进后没有放慢脚步，这是年轻的国家队经常遇到的问题。
像纳撒尼尔·布莱尔这样的球员不断地伸展防守，中场结构也比之前的循环更加现代化：禁区球员，良好的身体状态，但也有足够的能力在需要的时候控球并控制节奏。这不再是一支只依靠实力和决斗的澳大利亚U23国家队；有一个明确的意图，那就是踢好足球。
准备工作并不完美，Vidmar本人对此非常坦诚，但核心理念是明确的。澳大利亚想要高压，迫使失误，并在比赛的大部分时间在对方半场进行。面对像泰国这样的球队，如果执行得当，这种方法可以起到决定性的作用。在防守端，我觉得澳大利亚也比过去的比赛更加成熟。这里有更多的平衡，球员们知道什么时候防守深入，什么时候进攻。
泰国的情况则大不相同。在预选赛对阵马来西亚的比赛中，最后一分钟的进球显示了他们的个性，但也凸显了他们的一些局限性。他们在预选赛中失去了几名关键球员，这在这个级别的比赛中很重要。在短时间的比赛中，化学反应是至关重要的，缺少重要的部分会迫使球员做出调整，而这些调整很难在几次训练中得到完善。Tawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul在这代人身上做得很好，泰国不会天真，但缺乏连续性是一个问题。
在我看来，叙利亚是本届杯赛最差的球队。我们也看到了叙利亚是如何被日本以5:0的比分摧毁的——日本和澳大利亚的情况类似。这场比赛很好地证明了我对日本、澳大利亚、沙特阿拉伯或中国等球队与叙利亚、泰国或约旦等其他球队之间的差异。
从战术上讲，泰国将寻求保持紧凑，反击澳大利亚。伊克拉斯·桑隆是一种边锋，如果你有一秒钟的注意力不集中，他就会惩罚你，澳大利亚队必须小心他们边后卫的位置。不过，要想反击有效，你需要坚持足够长的时间而不认输，这就是我认为泰国面临的最大问题。如果澳大利亚提前得分，整个比赛剧本就会发生巨大变化。
总的来说，我希望澳大利亚能很快控制比赛。在经历了过去的失望之后，球队的活力，阵容的深度以及对发表声明的渴望应该是显而易见的。泰国队会参加比赛，也会有机会，但在面对如此强大的对手时，保持这种努力打满整场比赛是不现实的。如果澳大利亚在最后三分之一的比赛中保持节奏和冷静，这可能会成为一场非常令人信服的开场表演。
