Theerathon Bunmathan might have intentionally drawn a second yellow card in the UAE match to ensure his slot in the Vietnam-Thailand match next month.
Theerathon delayed resumption of play in the late minutes of the Thailand-UAE match despite Thailand’s 2-1 lead. The 29-year-old was given a yellow card by Sri Lankan referee Hettikamkanamge Perera.
Theerathon was shown a yellow card in the last minutes, his second booking of the World Cup Qualifiers, which means he will be suspended from the Thailand vs Malaysia match on November 14.
Many fans think it was intentional because Theerathon will now have a clean slate for the Vietnam vs Thailand match. Otherwise, he might have received a yellow card in the Malaysia match and had to sit out at the tough game against Vietnam.
Thailand is leading group G with 7 points after an impressive 3-1 win over tough rival UAE.
Akira Nishino’s team will play Vietnam at My Dinh stadium on November 19. Thailand and Vietnam are now tied on points.
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