I come to the 80th Anniversary Stadium intent on adding one more Thai Premier League venue to my tally. At the close of the 2023/24 season I had managed all but two but all three promoted teams for this season play in stadiums I hadn't visited for a fixture. Two weeks ago I removed one of these venues by attending a game at Rayong Provincial Stadium. Today I will remove a second. Oddly the away team down in Rayong is the home team today playing True Bangkok United who are consistently one of the leagues better teams.
As form goes, both teams have had reasonable starts and are within a point of each other but the 'Swat Cats', the home team's nickname are clear underdogs as they try to re-establish themselves in this league having been relegated in 2023.
The weather in the stadium is warm and dry but thundershowers have never been far away during the monsoon season. The all-purpose stadium is impressive with a capacity of over 20,000. Securing tickets won't be an issue here and at 100 baht offer excellent value. If I have found a negative inside the stadium, it's the feeling of being remote from the action since there is so much space around the pitch for the running track and for other field events.
The game kicks off at 7pm and there is quite a crowd here full of anticipation. Can David slay Goliath? The game opens with predicable caution as the teams look to settle but soon a pattern emerges with the home team preferring the long-ball game while Bangkok have a good shape in midfield and look the more creative and dominant. This forces the Swat Cats to go over the top which prove ineffective. So far neither team can create a clear cut chance with the goalkeepers easily gathering in shots from range so the first half ends goalless but you do sense that Bangkok have it in them to go on and win.
The second half continues much as the first half ended but approaching the hour mark cracks begin to appear in the Nakhon Ratchasima defence as desperate measures are taken to clear their lines. It's no surprise then that Bangkok take the lead in the 69th minute but it's taken a counter attack to achieve it. I delightful through ball from Mahmoud Eid sees the home defenders running back to goal but it's too late. Dutchman Richairo Živković has stolen a yard and fires over the home keeper. It's 0 : 1 and there's hardly a murmur. Now can the Swat Cats respond? it seems a hopeless task. The only chance is to find a killer pass from somewhere. It's a tall ask as they push forward. Then in the dying moments substitute Thani Plodkaew floats in a cross from the left that sails over the packed goal area into space beyond the far post. Another sub Anurak Mungdee comes racing in from the right wing and smashes the ball across goal into left-hand corner and the whole stadium erupts with cries of delight. There really is no time left now for either team to respond and it ends honours even. The home team do a lap of honour to the delight of the 10,000 plus crowd as if they've won the league. It's no surprise. Bangkok have had 69% ball possession with a win probability of 61%. In the end was the cross into space for the equaliser intended or a stroke of luck? There are fine margins in football between success and failure.

Source: Site Visit