AFC Asian Cup: Keerati chops down Korean club

Bangkok – Keerati Keawsombat netted the winner as an experimental Thailand side defeated Korean National League outfit Ulsan Hyundai Mipo 2-1 in a friendly at the Rajamangala Stadium on Wednesday.

The Telephone Organisation of Thailand striker, who turned 23 the day before the match with the two-time Korean National League champions, scored the decisive goal four minutes into the second-half after a 12th minute free-kick from Ulsan's Lee Jae-min had cancelled out the hosts' opener, which came in the second minute courtesy of a Therdsak Chaiman penalty.

Thailand coach Bryan Robson rested several key players with the former Manchester United and England international fielding a number of players from the U-23 side that failed to pick up a medal at last year's SEA Games in Laos as the Thais gear-up for the King's Cup tournament.

Thailand open the four-team competition in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday when they face 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifying Group E rivals Singapore, with King's Cup holders Denmark facing Poland on the same day.