Japan must approach Thailand with caution and be wary of their crafty tactics in Tuesday's Group B match in the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, says Afshin Ghotbi, the former manager of Buriram United.
Japan have arrived in Bangkok bearing the emotional scars of a controversial 2-1 defeat at home to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, while Thailand put up a brave fight before succumbing to a late penalty in a 1-0 defeat in their group opener away to Saudi Arabia.
Both sides have lodged formal protests with Fifa against what they say were questionable refereeing decisions in the matches.
Thailand was incensed after striker Teerasil Dangda went down in the penalty area following contact with goalkeeper Yasser Al-Mosailem but Chinese referee Fu Ming awarded only a free kick outside the box.
Fu then awarded a penalty to Saudi Arabia in the last 10 minutes after Saudi substitute Fahad Al Muwallad tumbled over following an innocuous challenge by midfielder Sarach Yooyen.
Japan's experience in major international competition will give them the edge, but Thailand will not be easy to beat on home turf, said Ghotbi, who has managed Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan and was recently sacked by defending Thai Premier League (TPL) champions Buriram United after a run of poor form.
"Thai players are generally technical, dynamic and physically and mentally strong. Due to the nature of Thai football, the Thai players also possess the gamesmanship qualities (winning fouls, wasting time, etc)," Ghotbi told Kyodo News by email.
"Everything is possible in international football. The gap continues to shrink between nations and the race for the World Cup is more exciting for the fans.
"For all the teams competing for World Cup spots, the key will be taking maximum points at home. Thailand will be a difficult team to beat at home, and Japan must approach the game with caution," the former Iran coach said.
Ghotbi said that one advantage the Thais do have is that the main players in their squad play for the same club side, Muanthong United FC, where former S-Pulse defender Naoaki Aoyama also plies his trade.
"The Thai national team lacks the experience at the global stage to compete with the best in Asia such as Japan. The majority of Japanese national team players compete in the European leagues, giving them an edge on many levels compared to the Thai players who compete in the Thai Premier League," said the Iranian-American.
"One small advantage for the Thai national team may be that the main players are on the same club side Muanthong United FC, so they train and play together throughout the year."
Football is the most popular sport in Thailand, but until a few years ago, there was a lot more interest in the European game than the TPL and the national team, says Atsuo Ogura, international marketing and sales manager at Chonburi FC.
"It used to be that football news was 90% about the English Premier League and 10% about the TPL," said Ogura, the son of former Japan Football Association chief Junji Ogura.
"But there is more interest in the TPL and now it is about half and half. The national team is a cash-cow business, the same as it is in Japan."
Thailand striker Teerasil is the danger man that Japan must keep a watchful eye on, Ogura said.
"Teerasil plays for the same team as Aoyama and according to Aoyama he is in a different dimension in every department. He could more than hold his own even in the J-League," Ogura said.
In addition to Thailand and Japan, Group B includes Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.