Thai FA Cup Final 2011
Buriram PEA v Muangthong United
The FA Cup final will be played this Wednesday night at the Supachalasai Stadium. Buriram will be looking to complete the second part of their bid for a historic treble. They have already bagged the TPL trophy and will also take on Thai Port next month in the final of the Toyota League Cup.
Current form and recent history would point towards Buriram taking the cup back to the New I-Mobile Stadium. Since the formation of the PEA and Buriram hybrid back in 2010, Muangthong have failed to find the net against their opponents in the four previous meetings. PEA have enjoyed two 1-0 victories in Buriram while both games at the Yamaha finished in stalemates.
Despite struggling to overcome Songkla in the semis, Muangthong have had some impressive victories on the road to the final. Samut Prakarn United were spanked 9-0 in the early rounds while Pattaya were knocked for 6 without reply. Add to that a 4-0 victory over Sriracha in the quarter finals last week, it shows us that some of Muangthong's best form has been saved for this competition. The Kirins have blown hot and cold in recent times, but lifting the FA Cup would see them end the season on a respectable note.
TPL
Police United v Osotspa (Thurs)
This will be the last game of the season for both sides. A win for Police United would seal a top half finish for them. Three points for Osotspa would lift them into the giddy heights of 5th place.
Division 1
JW Rangsit v Air Force (Wed)
The equation is simple for JW Rangsit. Win this game and they'll beat the drop to the Regional League. A loss would be a disaster for Rangsit with a final game looming against a Buriram FC side who are unbeaten on home soil this season. JW currently have 36 points which is one more than Customs on 35. After this match, both teams have one left to play.
Incidentally, Air Force having nothing to play for since they secured their first division status last weekend.
If betting was legal in Thailand, I would lump on JW Rangsit. In addition to AFU having nothing to play for, presumably, the two clubs have a friendly relationship too as AFU let Rangsit groundshare with them...
ReplyDeleteMe too. I'd also have a large sum on Chantaburi beating RBAC on Saturday which means Customs are doomed. Well doomed until they reshuffle the leagues again!!
ReplyDeleteGood point. There's me thinking they will just have a play-off between Loei and Rayong, but if 2010 is anything to go by then the relegated Div 1 sides will get a chance of a reprieve. That said, there will likely to be two places up for grabs: Songkhla's and Phuket's.
ReplyDeleteI expect we'll see Nakhon Pathom reappearing in some form for next season's division 1. That would solve one of the places up for grabs.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've just read that the Songkhla chairman believes that Hat Yai could take Songkhla's place! This can't be allowed to happen.
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