NEW!! Chonburi v Sukhothai - Match Preview: 2021

TPL

Chonburi v Sukhothai

Chonburi Stadium

Saturday 20th March, 2021

Match Preview

by Dale A Farrington

Yesterday we celebrated the 13th anniversary of one of the biggest nights in our club's short history. The 3-1 home win against Melbourne Victory in the AFC Champions League is undoubtedly a landmark occasion. It will never be forgotten by those of us who were lucky enough to be there or for the influence it had on Thai football as a whole. The affect was seismic. However, that was then and this is now.

Tonight we will play in an arguably bigger, more important fixture. Make no mistake about it, this one is huge. So massive, in fact, they'll be able to see it from space. For when Sukhothai roll into town later this evening, an entire province that once sang heartily to salute the successes of a football club that brought so much joy to the people, will hold its collective breath and stand silent. Struck dumb by fear and realisation. Fingers will be placed over eyes and sofas pushed in front of tvs. It'll be nervy, uncomfortable, scary even, but we won't be able to look away no matter how distressing it gets. This is more than twenty two men kicking a bag of wind around. So much more.

But how will it end? 

Who knows?

Our recent form has been poor. Extremely poor. In the twelve matches since the season re-re-started, we have picked up a paltry eight points and scored a meagre eleven goals - seven of which came in two games. It's simply not good enough. It is - in a nutshell - relegation form. And there's the "R" word. There's no escaping it, we are in real danger of going down. Going down. Going. Down. Just let that sink in. Chonburi FC - the original big club, trailblazers on and off the pitch, entertaining, winning teams packed with internationals and playing in front of the league's biggest crowds are clinging on to their top flight status by their badly chewed fingernails. And it's horrible. I don't like it. I want it to go away. I want the good days back. I want to be happy again.

Hopefully, the players are hurting as much as I am. As WE are. Hopefully, they are as pained and as abashed as I am. As WE are. Hopefully they care enough, and are brave and strong enough, to go out onto that pitch later today and deliver a performance worthy of the many great sides that have gone before them. Hopefully they give us what we deserve. Hopefully...

Because, if not, they will not only go down, but they will go down in history as the mob that failed us. The mob that let us down and took us down. Sure, the problems run deeper than the playing staff, but for 5,400 drawn out seconds on the 20th March, 2021, our fate is entirely in their hands. Or, more accurately, at their feet. The buck stops here. As soon as those eleven young men cross that white line there is nothing anyone else can do but watch and wait and worry and hope. We need eleven battlers. Eleven fighters. Eleven heroes. And we need to score one more goal than the opposition. It's that simple.

Finally, if we do manage to get the right result and secure our safety, I really hope there aren't any celebrations. Quite frankly, that would be downright embarrassing. No, a firm handshake with the vanquished and the officials, then disappear down the tunnel to contemplate where we go from here. That would be the correct and proper response to a win tonight, followed by the management taking a good hard look at itself and asking "how did we get here? And what can we do to get better?" For me, the realisation that they themselves are the ones who are responsible for the once mighty Chonburi FC being in this awful position, and admitting it, would be a real reason to rejoice. And a big step towards to putting things right. Surely we deserve that?