THAILAND LIFE AND CULTURE
Thai League Match Preview — The Warriors
Kirin winger Jaroensak Longgorn is ready for battle
Match Day Magazine — Inside Kirin: Muangthong United vs Lamphun Warriors F.C., Sunday, April 21st, 2024.
Welcome to the Thunderdome Stadium and tonight’s Thai League fixture with Lamphun Warriors F.C.
Tonight’s Opponent
The Warriors are in their second T1 season. They finished 10th in 2022–23 and are currently seventh. Their manager is the tactician Alexandre Gama, who has plenty of Thai League experience, including being at the helm of Muangthong United in 2019.
One player Gama may call on tonight is defender Aly Cissokho (#22). The French international, at 36, has a distinguished career that includes top-class clubs Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Lyon.
The Kirin Are Ready and Waiting
The Songkran holidays mean the squad is rested and ready.
Said attacker Willian Popp (#7), “We have had time to recover fitness and are ready. Playing at home gives us an edge, but we must be careful against Lamphun. They are having a good season, and they have a strong attack against which we must guard.”
The Kirn are missing Purachet, Soponwit, and centre-back Songwut.
The trio are in Qatar, competing for Thailand in the AFC U23 Asian Championships, hoping to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thailand defeated Iraq on Tuesday and will face Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan, with the final match tomorrow.
Kirin Profile #11 — Jaroensak
Muangthong United’s speedy winger, 26-year-old Jaroensak Wonggorn, is playing the best football of his career.
Since joining Muangthong at the start of the second leg of the 2022–23 season, Jaroensak has put in 36 appearances, scoring nine goals, seven of them this season.
He’s also represented Thailand 15 times. Jareonsak’s recent performance against Tottenham’s Song Heung-Min caught the attention of many, and rumours were flying of a move to a J.League team. He was one of three players the Kirin sent to train with Urawa Reds last season.
Born in Kanchanaburi, by age 17, Jaroensak was training with the Nakhon Pathom Municipality Sports School. He began professional play at 19 with second division club Air Force Central. By 23, he was playing with Samut Prakan City in Thailand’s top-flight league.
Jareonsak joined Muangthong from B.G. Pathum United.
What’s Next for Muangthong United?
After tonight, just five games remain in the 2023–24 season. The Kirin will travel to Buriram next weekend and will be back at the Thunderdome for the final time on May 4th against Sukhothai F.C.
The club is also competing in the semi-finals of the Revo League Cup, with a pending match date announcement.
Stay updated on Muangthong United through our social media channels:
- Twitter(X), Tiktok: @MuangthongUtd
- Instagram: muangthongunited
- Facebook: MuangthongUnitedFootballClub
