Thailand goalkeeper Sukanya Chor Charoenying paid tribute to United States forward Carli Lloyd for offering words of encouragement after the Americans scored 13 goals in the team’s women’s World Cup opener on Tuesday.
The U.S. was ruthless in its demolition of the Asian side in their Group F match in Reims, France, with Lloyd grabbing the final goal in stoppage time.
Sukanya, however, wrote a message of thanks to Lloyd on Twitter alongside a picture of the two embracing after the final whistle at Stade Auguste-Delaune.
“Thanks so much, Lloyd. Your words that you told me make me strong. Keep going for this tournament and so on. Firstly, I felt disappointment in worst situation but this is the biggest experience in my life,” Sukanya said on Thursday.
Thanks so much, Lloyd. Your words that you told me make me strong. Keep going for this tournament and so on.firstly, I felt dispointment in worst situation but this is the biggest experience in mylife.☺️☺️☺️🇹🇭❤️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/BdFxbc0GgW
— ช.ผลิตค้าบ😜😜 (@chor_1987) June 13, 2019
Lloyd responded to Sukanya with a message of hope for the rest of the tournament.
“All you can do is give it your best each and every day. Keep fighting and never give up!! Still 2 more games to play,” she said.
Thailand is making its second successive World Cup appearance but failed to make it out of the group stage last time out in Canada in 2015.
It will be difficult for Thailand to bounce back, given its next opponent is 2016 Olympic silver medallist Sweden on Sunday, while the U.S. faces Chile later on that day.