Courtesy: The AFC.com


The big interview: Suphawut Thuenklang

Dec 11 2016

Suphawut Thuenklang (Photo courtesy: Real United Thailand Instagram Account)

After starring on the continental stage at this year’s AFC Futsal Championship with Thailand and the AFC Futsal Club Championship for Chonburi Bluewave, Suphawut Thueanklang was to then showcase his talent to a wider audience at September’s FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia where he helped his nation equal their best-ever performance.
Late winter in Tashkent is a far cry from the sunny climes of the Gulf of Thailand but the unfamiliar surroundings had little effect on Suphawut Thueanklang, the Thai futsal hotshot who ensured a year that began in the Uzbek capital would reach a climax in the Colombian city of Medellin.

Overlooked by the Chimgan Mountains’ snow-capped peaks to the east and dotted with vibrant bazaars, the picturesque Central Asian city played host to the AFC Futsal Championship in February. The tournament carried extra significance as the top five teams would book their ticket to the 2016 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Colombia.

Twenty-seven-year-old Suphawut scored twice in a comfortable 6-1 quarter-final victory over Australia as Dutchman Victor Hermans’ side advanced to the last four and secured their passage to South America. It was only Thailand’s fourth game of the tournament, yet Suphawut had taken his tally to 10 goals, including hat-tricks against Tajikistan and Southeast Asian rivals Vietnam.

In front of a rapturous Uzbekistan Stadium two days later, Thailand were tasked overcoming the hosts to reach a third continental final. They failed, by the narrowest of margins, as Uzbekistan scraped through on penalties following a 2-2 draw. Suphawut, who set up both goals and scored from the spot, went on to net four more in the 8-0 drubbing of Vietnam as Thailand claimed third place and the forward bagged the Top Scorer award with an outstanding 14 goals in six games.

The hosts ultimately fell just short in the final after suffering a 2-1 reversal to Iran.

“In Uzbekistan we didn’t lose any games. We did very well and I’m very proud of the team but unfortunately we lost on penalties,” said Suphawut five months later in the lobby of Bangkok’s Grand Fourwings Convention Hotel. It was the morning after his club side, Chonburi Bluewave – a team packed with Thailand internationals – had, ironically, ousted Uzbekistan’s Almalyk FC at the quarter-final stage of the AFC Futsal Club Championship.

“Back then they had the advantage of playing at home,” noted Suphawut, who scored one in a 4-1 victory played out in front of more than 10,500 spectators at Bangkok Arena. “Just like they were, we were inspired by the full stadium. The fans are like a sixth player and give us confidence and a fighting spirit. The players at Almalyk are nearly all in the Uzbekistan team so obviously we wanted revenge.”

Unfortunately for Suphawut and his team, who had previously swept aside all challengers with relative ease, their run came to a shuddering halt in the semi-finals when Iraq’s NAFIT Al-Wasat secured a 4-1 victory after extra time in a game that saw two Chonburi players dismissed.

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A 6-1 scoreline over Dibba Al Hissin SCC of the United Arab Emirates meant the forward, once more, had to settle for third place. This time Suphawut had netted a respectable four times, but teammate Jirawat Sornwichian took home the Top Scorer accolade with seven goals. Japan’s Nagoya Oceans, who Chonburi had eased to a 3-1 victory over in the group stage, went on the win a third title after defeating NAFIT on penalties after a 4-4 draw.

But, as with Asia’s premier international futsal competition in Tashkent, the continent’s number one club tournament had proved a resounding success with the home side drawing in record numbers. Chonburi’s semi-final at Bangkok Arena was witnessed by more than 11,000 fans – a new high for a venue more than an hour’s drive from the city centre.

“Ever since the Futsal World Cup was held in Thailand [in 2012], people in the country started to know about the sport,” explained the prolific marksman.

"Now more people recognise me around the country too. Before the national team didn’t get much exposure but over the past few years competitions have been shown on television and there is a growing futsal community in Thailand who know and love the game. The skill and ability of the players is at a very high level and this is why I believe it has grown in popularity.”

Born in the western province of Ratchaburi – home to Thailand’s renowned floating market – Suphawut first played football as a youngster before taking up futsal at 13. He idolised David Beckham in the 11-a-side game and, of course, Brazilian legend Falcao in the sport he chose as his career path after deciding his attributes were better suited to five-a-side.

The number 9 moved to Chonburi, an industrial city around 100 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, in 2007 to team up with his current club side. But it’s a brief spell away from his motherland that he classes as pivotal to making him the player he is today.

“When I was 20 I went to Santiago Futsal in Spain for a training camp and it was a huge part of my development,” he noted. “It was a shortcut for me to get experience as I was training with many great players who play in the top leagues in the world. This taught me how to play futsal at the highest level, and I brought this experience back to Chonburi and the national team.”

Honing his skills overseas proved invaluable as Thailand’s star on the futsal court scored thrice, including the stunning Goal of the Tournament against Costa Rica, in the 2012 World Cup as the Southeast Asians qualified for the last 16 for the first time before elimination to Spain. Just a few months earlier Thailand had finished runners-up to Japan in the AFC Futsal Championship with Suphawut finishing joint top scorer on seven goals.

A year later he spearheaded Chonburi’s march to a first AFC Futsal Club Championship. Again his side’s top marksman, with four goals, Suphawut netted a last-minute equaliser against Iran’s Giti Pasand Isfahan to take the final to penalties. He scored, naturally, and his side won the shootout 4-1 as their main man was named Most Valuable Player.

Ahead of the World Cup, which the Southeast Asians went to without the departed Hermans, the goal-machine was bullish about his side’s chances and confident they could improve on their performance as hosts.

Paired in Group B with Russia, Egypt and Cuba and with a number of players – including captain Kritsada Wongkaeo, Jirawat and Jetsada Chudech – reaching their peak years, Colombia represented a genuine chance for new coach Miguel Rodrigo’s team.

“We think we can get through that group and we want to at least make the quarter-finals,” said Suphawut prior to the global showpiece. “The squad has been together for a long time and we have matured together so I expect us to do well. If you compare the national team to Brazil and Portugal we might be two or three steps behind, but for the next level teams we are not so far away.”

The group proved to be tough, though, and Thailand lost their opener 6-4 to Russia, who eventually finished as runners-up to Argentina after knocking out Iran in the semi-finals.

Suphawut opened his side’s account against the Russians before going on to net a hat-trick in an enthralling 8-5 win over Cuba to give Thailand a fighting chance of progressing to the last 16. A narrow 2-1 victory against Egypt, this time with Jirawat the hero, ensured a second successive knockout phase.

Unfortunately for Thailand they came up against an ever-improving Azerbaijan – thanks in part to an influx of naturalised Brazilians – and went down 13-8 after extra time. The influential Suphawut added two more to his tally but Spaniard Rodrigo’s side had been unable to withstand their opponents’ five-goal extra-time blitz.

Nonetheless, Suphawut returned to Southeast Asia satisfied with Thailand’s showing on the world stage at a tournament in which Asia’s heightened futsal stature was evident. Iran claimed a stunning penalty shootout victory over defending champions Brazil on route to the semi-finals while debutants Vietnam also progressed to the knockout stage.

Suphawut, meanwhile, finished as the continent’s top scorer with six goals and, for the second World Cup in succession, claimed the Goal of the Tournament after his quick footwork bewildered Cuba goalkeeper Brenieht Suarez before rounding off the scoring against the Caribbean nation.

“This was my second World Cup and overall I’m happy with my performance. Thailand have shown the world that we are a team to fear and that we can compete at the top level,” he reflected upon returning to his homeland. Unfortunately we were unlucky not to get to the quarter-finals but we will learn from our mistakes and improve for the next event.”

At 27, Suphawut has time on his side and has every intention of returning to the World Cup in four years’ time, while there is also a desire to ply his trade overseas at some point.

“We have a very bright future as a team and an organisation, as the association is trying to improve the structure and develop a new generation of players. But this team will definitely be around for the next World Cup. I think we will improve further and be a difficult team to beat; I’m already looking forward to it. Personally, I’d also like to play in Japan one day.”

Whatever the future holds, the name Suphawut Thueanklang is sure to be heard ringing around futsal arenas for years to come.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com