King's Cup 2019 - As it happened: Thapa goal seals third place finish for India

Follow the LIVE scores and updates of the King's Cup third-place playoff match between Indian national football team and Thailand national football team in Buriram.

Thapa celebrates after scoring India's opening goal against Thailand in the King's Cup.

Good afternoon and welcome to the LIVE blog of the King's Cup third-place playoff match between Indian national football team and Thailand national football team in Buriram.

 

That's all from us for the day and the King's Cup. We will bring you the LIVE coverage of the Intercontinental Cup with India taking on Syria, Tajikistan and North Korea between July 7 and 18 in Ahmedabad. Good bye.

Be back for the match report and reaction from India manager Stimac, which will soon be up on the site.

Thapa's star continues to rise with his winning goal early in the half. He also made two crucial off the line clearances in each half showcasing his defensive value to the side.

Thailand was the better side over ninety minutes but squandered most of its opportunities. India hung on for long periods to come out 1-0 winner. Adil Khan made a storming return as a center back to the Indian team and made some timely interventions and blocks.

Stimac and his men will take that with all those changes and playing against the host after just two days after the opening game in difficult conditions.

The referee blows for full-time and India registers a win! It's the first win of the Igor Stimac era as India hangs on to a third place finish.

90+3' Amrinder comes out and clears a long punt forward. Good decision by the Mumbai City shot-stopper.

90+1' SAVE! Amrinder comes out for a cross from Theerathon and the 'keeper somehow gets a fortunate save from a Teerasil header on the jump!

Four minutes of added time.

89' A dangerous free-kick from the right sees three Thai players attacking the ball unmarked inside the six-yard area. Chamrasamee misses his header. India on the back foot here.

87' Adil with another crucial intervention! The ball looked set to fall into the path of a Thai attacker but Adil sticks out his right leg to take the abll away from his path.

86' Sahal makes the jump to clear the ball away from a Thai attacker.

85' Thapa gets a block on Theerathon's cross from the left. Corner kick for Thailand.

81' Sahal goes for a knuckle-ball free-kick. His shot is on target but lacks pace and is easily collected by Siwarak.

Sahal lines up for a free-kick from outside the area. He has scored from this position for Kerala Blasters reserves in the 2017-18 second divison.

76' Sahal is into the act immediately. He turns from one Thai player before evading another challenge to open up space on the counter and plays Thapa on the right. Thapa plays a cross into two Indian attackers which is collected by Jackichand, who is closed down in the area.

India change: Samad Sahal comes on for Raynier. We won't be seeing Chhetri today.

75' Supachai goes for goal, but its off target!

India's interchange play has not been good so far in the second half. It's been an one-way traffic in the second period.

Thailand change: Hemviboon Panga comes on for Suphan.

69'Nearly India's second! Good pressure on Thailand defenders inside its own area. Theerathon plays a back pass to the 'keeper which Manvir quickly closes down which puts off Siwarak and goes dangerously close into its own net. Defender Suphan goes after it to clear it and ends up clattering against the post! Looks like his shin collided with the post and he looks in serious pain.

Thailand change: Chamrasamee comes on for Tanaboon Kesrat.

66' Sumanya beats Adil on the right side of India's penalty box but Jhingan is alert and clears the ball the cut-back from the Thai attacker.

64' Thapa given room to receive and turn from 40 yards outside Thailand goal. He makes a run towards goal and lets a shot from distance but its not on target.

Sarachat has made a telling impact since coming on around the 40-minute mark.

61' Dangerous delivery in from Sarachat. He lopps a ball over Adil Khan for Teerasil to attack unmarked. The Thai skipper's header, however, is straight at Amrinder! India left back Subhasish Bose was nowhere to be seen...

60' Sarachat cuts in from the left and lets fly at goal, gets a deflection of his own player and narrowly goes wide of the goal.

57' Thapa once again makes a clearance inside his own box from a Thailand clearance.

Another change for India. Another FC Goa forward Jackichand comes on for Farukh.

56' Opportunity wasted by Sarachat. He is played free on the left but doesn't take a first-time shot which allows Jhingan to cross over and cover his angle and force him outside the area.

Not a good game from Balwant in his 50-minute outing. The FC Goa attacker Manvir is brought in in the hope that he could hold the ball up front better.

India substitution: Manvir Singh comes on for Balwant.

50' Thapa with some neat footwork down the touchline on the left before being fouled.

49' Farukh strikes the post! The ball breaks free to him outside the Thailand box and he takes a left-footed shot outside the area and his low strike hits the post! Balwant collects the rebound and could only find the side-netting.

48' Sumanya in the thick of things again! He receives the ball inside the India box, turns and shoots but Jhingan's body is in the way of the shot.

45' India restarts the game.

Second half

Teams are back out for the second 45 minutes. Can India hang on to its lead?

Stimac will want to regroup his side and want a more organised set-up when they return from the break.

59 per cent possession for Thailand at the end of the half, having taken seven shots in total. Only two have been on target, however.

Indian players have tired out after the 25-minute mark and Thailand has looked the better side stringing together some good chances. Adil Khan playing his first game in national colours has had a belter so far. He provided the assist for Thapa's goal before making some crucial interventions and blocks to deny Thailand.

A positive start from India, but it hasn't created any clear-cut chance from its passing move. India has had one shot and has taken the lead through it. It has got a few lucky breaks and has capitalised on it once but failed to convert another through Farukh and Balwant towards the end of the half.

Half-time whistle goes and India goes into the break with a 1-0 lead from Thapa.

46+2' What a chance for India to double the lead and it's squandered. Farukh gallops down on Thailand's goal after Adil's clearance from the corner kick. He waits to square the ball for Balwant's run but his pass is played short, which allows Adison to nick the ball away.

45+1' Adil on alert again! Sarachat is free on the right and has time and space to take a shot at goal but Adil flies in to make the block.

Three minutes of added time as Thailand attacks India's goal.

43' Thapa is freed on the left side and he swings in a cross for Balwant but the ball is played too close to the Thailand goalkeeper to come out and collect.

41' Adil is at it again! He beats Thitiphan in a foot race inside his own box and clears the ball out for a corner.

A Thailand change already. Thanthatemee goes off for Sarachat.

40' Sumanya is played inside India's left side of the box. The attacker hangs a cross into the box but Adil charges at it and heads the ball away from the box.

37' Thailand is piling on the pressure now! Another shot comes in from outside the box but Amrajit is well behind the shot and collects it into his gloves.

35' Thapa! The midfielder makes a crucial save off the line from a corner kick! The header from the Thailand attacker was goal-bound!

33' Feisty from Amarjit! He comes in hard at the back of the Thailand player. Foul for Thaland.

31' Balwant and Farukh combine well up front but Balwant is flagged outside while played through on goal.

Water break with India looking good so far. Thapa has scored five times for both club and country this season.

22' Thailand equalises but it's flagged outside! That would have been some goal too had it stood. India defence caught napping this time, as a ball from the right catches them off guard and Teerasil loops it into the net with an overhead effort. The linesman, however, flags it offside.

This is Thapa's second international goal. His first, too, coming against Thailand in the AFC Asian Cup in the 4-1 win in January.

17' GOAAAL! It's the boy with the golden touch! Anirudh Thapa gives India the lead. It's all a bit scrappy but India will take it. Raynier with a poor free-kick from the right which gets ping-ponged into the left of the box which Adil chases down. He cuts in a low cross into the face of the goal and the Thailand defence goes to sleep but Thapa is alert to it. He runs in behind them at the far corner to slot the ball into the net!

15' Thailand right-back Tristan is freed on the right for a cross. He cuts in to his left side and hurls in a cross which evades his attacking men, who had made good runs into the box.

13' Balwant plays a pass down the left channel for Balwant to chase but the pass has too much pace for the striker.

Commentator says he never thought he would see India play out from the back. Encouraging sign from Stimac, but a long way to go.

11' Sumanya with a shot from outside the box after cutting in from the left, but its way over the goal.

10' Good recovery from Thapa to clear the danger. Thailand gets the ball into India's box after good play from the left side. The ball is cut back into the edge of the area for a shot but Thapa sneaks into to boot the ball away.

Correction: Farukh on the left side of attack and Raynier on the right.

India dominating possession so far with Thailand struggling to get hold of the ball.

6' Thapa's resulting free-kick is not a good one and the referee gives a free-kick Thailand's way after an Indian attacker nudges into the back of his opponent.

6' Thapa makes a run into the Thailand area before being forced wide and fouled on the eight side touchline.

5' Miscommunication between Vinit and Amrinder but India manages to clear the ball out of danger.

3' Balwant flagged outside after a move culminating from a thrown in on the right side.

Thapa, Vinit and Amarjit form the midfield three.

Raynier on the left, Farukh side on the right of attack. Adil Khan slots into the center back position with Jhingan. Bheke moves into the right-back position.

1' Kick-off at the Chang arena. Balwant fouled outside Thailand's box for a shoulder barge.

Thailand will line up in 3-4-1-2 formation. India looks to be setup in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

India in blue and Thailand in yellow.

First half

Time for the national anthem.

'Go India!' scream bellows out of the players' tunnel as the teams make their way out to the pitch.

There is a good turnout at the venue with the home supporters hoping for a win today.

We are just less than 10 minutes from kick-off at the Chang Arena.

Here's what Stmac said after the setback in his first game as India boss Talking after the game, the newly-appointed Indian coach said: "This is a good lesson for the Indian players. You can feel the European academy’s work in the (Curacao) players’ movement, you can feel it in their self-confidence. This is an absolutely different brand of football." He added: "To grow to that level, from where they (Indian players) are now, it takes many working hours, much more discipline, passion, and self-confidence. It is a long process. But what is keeping our faith and optimism up is that we have young players. Another good thing about the Indian players is that they are quick learners. They learn together." While the side conceded three goals in the opening half, Stimac made three changes in the second half - handing Raynier Fernandes, Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Soosairaj Michael debuts - that offered the side much more stability. Rahul Bheke, Sahal Abdul Samad and Brandon Fernandes also made their debuts for the team. "Our team was like the weather today - one half the sun was shining and the other half there was a storm. After we made changes at half-time, we started playing better and we were controlling possession much better. Especially in closing the midfield down and their dangerous passes," he said. The Croat went on to note that his side needed to improve its decision making in the attacking third. "We had 5-6 good chances in the second half to score second goal and maybe come back and put some pressure on them in the last 10 minutes, but our decisions were not good in the final third. When we were supposed to shoot we passed and vice versa. There is a long way for us to keep learning," he said.

 

Stimac handed six competitive debuts in the opening game; three from the start and three from the bench. Here is how they fared.

Both teams are coming off defeats; India lost 3-1 to Curacao while Thailand lost 1-0 to Vietnam.

Thailand XI: Siwarak; Pavee, Suphan, Adiborn; Tristan Do Tanaboon, Thitiphan, Theerathon; Sumanya; Teerasil, Supachai

Stimac opts for a second string side, makes eight changes from the 3-1 defeat to Curacao. No Bengaluru FC regulars Chhetri, Udanta and Gurpeeet in the starting line-up. Kerala Blasters' Sandesh Jhingan will captain the side.

India XI: Amrinder; Adil, Jhingan, Bheke, Bose; Vinit, Amarjit, Raynier, Thapa; Farukh, Balwant

Igor Stimac's first game in charge of the Indian team saw him hand six players debuts during the 1-3 loss to Curacao in the opening match of the 2019 King's Cup, in Buriram, on Wednesday.

India will be in action against Thailand, which is ranked 114 in the latest FIFA World ranking.

The game is live on Star Sports 3 and will be streamed on Hotstar .

Full squad Goalkeepers : Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Kamaljit Singh Defenders : Pritam Kotal, Rahul Bheke, Sandesh Jhingan, Adil Khan, Subhasish Bose Midfielders : Udanta Singh, Jackichand Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Anirudh Thapa, Raynier Fernandes, Pronay Halder, Vinit Rai, Sahal Abdul, Amarjit Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Michael Soosairaj Forwards : Balwant Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Farukh Choudhary, Manvir Singh