Five years after 13-0 World Cup mauling, Thai women look to future

BANGKOK: Thai women's goalkeeper Sukanya Chor Charoenying will never forget her World Cup debut five years ago - a record 13-0 defeat to the USA.

FIFA meet in Bangkok on Friday to name the 2027 Women's World Cup hosts - reviving painful memories for Sukanya and captain Kanjana Sungngoen who have turned their 2019 nightmare into inspiration for the future.

Sukanya, now 36 and teaching sport at a Bangkok university, said she wept all the way back to the team hotel after the 2019 mauling in France.

"We were so ready to play against them. We truly believed that we'd put up a hard game for them," she told AFP.

Instead Sukyana was on the receiving end as Megan Rapinoe's all-conquering US team inflicted the biggest defeat in a World Cup finals match, men's or women's.

"I couldn't accept it," Sukanya admitted.

"I used to refuse to watch any clips from that game for years. I didn't talk to my family about it at all."

A respectable 3-0 defeat in a warm-up against hosts France gave Thailand some confidence going into their opening match against the defending champions.

At half-time they were 3-0 down in Reims, but worse was to come as the USA ran riot with 10 second-half goals to set them on their way to lifting the trophy for a fourth time.

"You know what made me really sad about it? It's that I knew everyone was watching back home," Sukanya said, fighting back tears.

"That day we were heartbroken that we had disappointed the Thai people."

Sukanya and her teammates came in for cruel mockery online in the wake of the defeat.

But there was also fierce criticism of the Americans for their treatment of Thailand, who were making only their second appearance at the World Cup proper.

Some pundits and fans said the wild celebrations of the Americans