FUTERA UNITED 2-2 LOPBURI PT UNITED

Sunday 11th May 2025 - 16:00pm Thailand / 09:00am GMT - TSP - VRU Stadium

Futera United completed their Thailand Semi Pro 2025 season with an incident-packed 2-2 draw against Lopburi PT United at the VRU Stadium, leaving hopes of promotion to T3 hanging in the balance.

An overnight deluge in Bangkok had left the VRU Stadium heavy in parts, with the surface certain to cut up as the game progressed, sapping players’ energy. A spate of injuries forced Futera to line up with a back three of Tewit, Bas, and Sanook, while Ram and Aek occupied the wingback roles. Futera kicked off with confidence and found joy down both flanks, but Aek and Ram’s final deliveries were lacking quality. A mix-up in the Futera box in the 21st minute saw the ball fall kindly to the Lopburi striker, whose well-struck shot grazed the top of the bar, much to the relief of the Futera fans.

A cagey first half with few clear chances saw Phu come close to putting the hosts ahead, as a swift counter-attack played him in, only for his fierce left-footed strike to be well saved by the Lopburi goalkeeper. On the stroke of half-time, Seagame broke down the left flank and delivered an excellent low cross, with the sliding Ram just inches away from opening the scoring for Futera.

Coach Breeze rang the changes at half-time, introducing Nuang, Jew, and Beem for what was set to be a frantic finale to the season. In the 56th minute, Aon drove at the Lopburi defence, exchanged a neat one-two with Ninja, and calmly chipped the advancing goalkeeper to open the scoring for Futera. Minutes later, Phu had the chance to double the home side’s lead but shot high and wide from a tight angle. That miss proved costly, as in the 62nd minute, Futera failed to clear the ball multiple times, allowing a fine cross to be powerfully headed home by the Lopburi centre-back to level the scores.

Remarkably, Futera regained the lead just a minute later. More impressive work from Aon saw his slide-rule pass find Ninja, who was tackled by the Lopburi centre-back, only for the ball to be diverted into the Lopburi net by his defensive partner for a fortuitous own goal.

Once again, Futera were unable to hold onto their advantage. Poor defending from another cross, again from the right, allowed the Lopburi striker time and space to smash home an equaliser, making it 2-2. Futera responded strongly, pushing Lopburi back, with the outstanding Beem a constant threat. A short corner found Beal, who glided past several defenders before squaring to Aon, whose shot from the edge of the six-yard box flew over the bar.

The game, which had simmered with tension, exploded in the 85th minute when the Lopburi centre-back went through the back of Aon for a blatant foul. Heated verbal exchanges followed before Jew, in a moment of madness, launched himself at a Lopburi player, sparking an unsavoury melee involving players and coaches from both sides. Once order was restored, the referee showed red cards to both Jew and Nuang, leaving Futera to play the final ten minutes with only nine men.

Play resumed with a free-kick to Futera, and Phu’s wickedly curling effort was well saved by the Lopburi goalkeeper, who managed to scramble the ball away for a corner. Credit must go to Futera’s nine men, who continued to take the fight to Lopburi, with Beem and Aon’s direct running tormenting the visitors’ defence. Lopburi came close to snatching a late winner when a drive from the edge of the box flicked off the top of the bar, but Futera stood firm. The referee's final whistle signalled the end of an exciting 2-2 draw, met with loud boos and jeers from the frustrated Futera supporters.

First, let's address the elephant in the room: the dismissals of Nuang and Jew. With a stand full of impressionable young PSW teams, these two experienced players have disgraced the name of Futera with their disgraceful conduct. Nuang’s cowardly kick-out and Jew’s complete loss of composure are inexcusable. I cannot see either of them being part of Futera’s plans moving forward. It is particularly sad for Jew, who has been with us since the beginning, but his performances this season have been well below his usual standards, and to be sent off twice is simply unacceptable. While we value passion and commitment, there is a clear line, and both players crossed it. Personally, I see no way back for them.

As for the game itself, I thought Aon enjoyed his best performance in a Futera shirt, while Beem’s ability to carry the ball is a joy to watch. Both wingbacks found themselves in excellent positions during the first half, but their final delivery and decision-making were poor; they lacked the confidence to drive at the opposition’s defence. Defensively, we were at sixes and sevens in the second half, conceding twice from crosses after multiple opportunities to clear our lines. We lack vocal leaders on the pitch who can organise and pull players back into position when required. That said, I believe we have the nucleus of a team capable of competing, but we must strengthen with top-quality players, not just squad fillers. A typical Futera season, full of highs and lows, but there is plenty to be optimistic about for the future.