SINGAPORE -- A dream run thus far at the 2026 ASEAN Championship for Singapore hit its first major hurdle on Saturday.
Unfortunately, the damage from just one game could already be enough to derail their entire campaign.
With a classy and clinical display at Jalan Besar Stadium, despite only having 28% of possession, Thailand cruised to a 3-1 away victory in the first leg of their semifinal against the Lions.
In truth, they did not really need the ball by the 26th minute after racing to a 2-0 lead on the back of Teerasak Poeiphimai's clinical double.
Although Thai football has long been synonymous with dominating the play, the War Elephants showed they can be equally effective as a counterattacking team -- with Seksan Ratree adding a third -- again on the transition -- to effectively end the contest in the 51st minute.
But if there is one thing Singapore have proven in the Gavin Lee era, they never give up. Ilhan Fandi came off the bench to pull one back with six minutes remaining to ensure they have a lifeline -- even if it is the slimmest -- to take to Tuesday's second leg at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium.
At the end of the day, the Lions only have themselves to blame for some uncharacteristic lapses at the back.
Losing possession inside their own half paved the way for the Thais opener as two incisive passes -- first from Kakana Khamyok followed by Seksan -- saw Teerasak take the ball into his stride before calmly stroking a shot past Izwan Mahbud.
Teerasak was then left completely unmarked inside the area to head home Waris Choolthong's inch-perfect right-wing delivery for his second, while Seksan had also somehow been allowed to make his way into the Singapore box unattended to neatly finish off Patrik Gustavsson's low cross.
The hosts spurned a glorious opportunity to pull one back in the first half as well, when Shawal Anuar had a penalty -- awarded upon VAR review for a shove on him by Yotsakorn Burapha inside the six-yard box -- expertly kept out by Kampol Pathomakkakul.
"No doubt, Thailand always have quality -- but we'll hold our hands up and say we put ourselves in quite a few unnecessary difficult moments and made it easy of them," said Singapore coach Gavin Lee.
"When you have players of their quality, they will punish you.
"Ultimately, if we look at past history, we haven't conceded goals like that in a long time. We got caught twice in quick succession and that's shame on us. We should have dealt with the big moments.
"But there are other things we need to work on, like pushing Thailand all the way back and forcing them to defend with 11 players. Credit to them -- they have the ability to break on the counter, so our ability to not be exposed in this kind of situation again is going to be vital on Tuesday.
"Now it's a [recency] bias. We only remember that moment inside the box [when opponents were left unmarked] but, for me, it's the five plays that happened before that we should not have let lead to that.
"If it [a penalty] happens again, I'll put my money on Shawal Anuar to score. It happens. In football, like life, things happen. You saw Shawal never gave up and kept going. He will be one of the most disappointed persons but the question is how we deal with it and go again."
Prior to Saturday's game, Lee had called for the Lions to deliver a performance "worthy" of the support they have been shown by their fans, with tickets for the game selling out in just seven minutes when they went online on Wednesday.
Acknowledging that they did not deliver on that, Lee says they now simply have to make amends in the second leg -- retaining belief that they can still get the job done in Bangkok.
"The biggest disappointment is that we couldn't put up the performance and result worthy of the fans' support," Lee added. "They were amazing.
"Even towards the end, they kept singing and cheering, and the boys just kept going.
"It's easy to back the team when we're doing well. Tonight we didn't do so well but they're still there with us. It's a bit new for the players but this is where we want to be as a group, and the players will be kicking themselves to repay the fans' support.
"You can get knocked down in life -- no problem. It's how you go again.
"The most important thing is the manner in which we leave the changing room and stadium tonight. If we think it's over, then yeah, whatever tactics we try, we have no chance.
"But we spoke and I saw their faces - they're very determined to go there and right the wrongs. If the fans didn't give up on us, there's not reason we should give up on ourselves.
"With this group we have, anything is possible when we go to Bangkok on Tuesday."