BURIRAM, Thailand -- Since joining Buriram United in the middle of 2024, Neil Etheridge has established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper at the club.
But last season, with the Thai League 1 giants juggling multiple competitions, it was another seasoned campaigner in Chatchai Budprom who got the gig for the ASEAN Club Championship.
Chatchai, actually three years Etheridge's senior, would go on to play a pivotal role in ensuring Buriram would be crowned champions of Southeast Asia -- remarkably making three crucial saves in the penalty shootout victory over Công An Hà Nội in the final.
This season, however, Etheridge has had his taste of regional rivalry on the club front -- having previously experienced it on the international stage with Philippines in the ASEAN Championship.
After making his tournament bow in Buriram's fourth game of the campaign -- a 4-1 win over BG Tampines Rovers, which was also his sole appearance in the group stage -- Etheridge returned to the starting XI for the semifinals against Johor Darul Ta'zim.
A 3-1 win away from home in the first leg looked to have put Buriram firmly in control of proceedings, only for JDT to mount a stirring fightback at Chang Arena last Wednesday -- where the latter scored two goals in the regulation 90 minutes to force extra-time, before Kingsley Schindler's dramatic extra-time winner ultimately ensured the Thai outfit would be marching on.
The last obstance standing in Buriram's way of a successful title defence is another Malaysia Super League outfit in Selangor and, while Etheridge is likely to once again be called upon -- starting with Wednesday's first leg in Petaling Jaya -- he is unbothered by what role he plays, as long as the end result is more success for the team.
"The more important thing is the club win it," he told ESPN. "It's not about me.
"I didn't play a minute in it last year but I was so happy for 'Boy' [Chatchai] to lift the trophy, and he saved the penalties that won us the competition in the end.
"For me, it's about this club. It's about the players. It's not just about indiviuals.
"I played my part [against JDT] and I know how crucial I am for this club. Whoever steps on that field for Buriram is very important."
Etheridge was partially responsible -- albeit in contentious fashion -- in JDT's fightback last week, when he conceded a penalty that led to Bérgson da Silva opening the scoring from the spot on the evening.
Having raced out to the edge of the box to claim a high ball, Etheridge then spilled it under pressure and -- in a desperate attempt to gather to loose ball -- ended up clattering into Marcos Guilherme, which was deemed a foul only upon VAR review.
Nonetheless, he would go on to preserve his team's passage to the final right at the death when -- in the 121st minute -- he would produce an outstanding reflex save to keep out a knuckleball freekick from Óscar Arribas that initially had him moving in the wrong direction.
Yet, Etheridge was quick to dismiss the notion that he had came to his team's rescue, deflecting the credit to the entire team especially given they had even finished the match with nine players following red cards to Guilherme Bissoli and Goran Čaušić.
"No, no," he replied, midway through the suggestion that he had won the tie with his last-gasp save. "For me, it was [down to the] whole team once again.
"It was the same in the [AFC] Champions League [Elite round of 16 shootout win over Melbourne City] and I saved the penalties. For me, the team did so well.
"We were down to nine men with 15 minutes to go or something. The boys dug so deep once again, and we deserve to go through to the final.
"I knew that I wouldn't change my decision [on the play that led to JDT's penalty]. I guess that's experience.
"I'm experienced. For me, [after that incident] it was about helping the team for the rest of the game."
Although they had never met prior to 2024, Buriram and JDT have now faced off six times in the past two seasons -- both in the ASEAN Club Championship, as well as the continental ACL Elite.
A rivalry that was bound to exist between two teams both looking to be recognised as Southeast Asia's biggest club is only intensifying with each new occasion they lock horns.
At times over the past fortnight, it did look as though there was genuine animosity and dislike between them as both legs were peppered with flashpoints, and even taunting at the final whistle.
Still, Etheridge believes it is simply part of parcel of the game.
"I think it's passion, you know," he added. "Both clubs, both sets of players, know how big both of these clubs are.
"For us, we wanted to get through to the final. We gave ourselves a nice cushion [from the first leg], made it hard within 90 minutes [of the second leg], but ultimately [got] through to the final -- and it was something for the supporters to go home and cheer about.
"We won it last year in fashionable style and [this tie] was two Southeast Asian giants playing up against each other in the semifinal.
"We didn't win but obviously we get through to the final, and that's the main thing."
