Vietnam team won 2-0 against Malaysia in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals on the evening of August 16.
Xuan Son opened the score at the end of the first half with an impressive header, before Faris Danish on Malaysia's side scored an own goal in the second half. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik's team create a favorable gap before the second leg semi-final at My Dinh Stadium on August 19.
After the match, Malaysian newspapers said that their team had gone through a disappointing match and faced a very difficult task away from home.
A leading newspaper commented that the Malaysian team, although there were times of creating pressure, could not penetrate Vietnam's defense.
It was a forgettable night for Malaysia when they lost to Vietnam 0-2 in the first leg of the semi-finals and the players had to find a way to create a comeback at Hanoi," this newspaper wrote.
Meanwhile, another newspaper focused on the differences in experience and the ability to take advantage of opportunities between the two teams.
According to the author of the article, the Vietnamese team does not need to completely control the match but still knows how to take advantage of important moments to create a difference. The victory right in Kuala Lumpur helped Mr. Kim Sang-sik's team take a clear advantage in the race to win a ticket to the final.
CNN Indonesia newspaper again mentions the prospect of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final between Vietnam and Thailand. This page assesses that the two teams are approaching a decisive confrontation after both winning favorable results in the first leg semi-finals, and recalls that Vietnam and Thailand have shared the championship in the last two ASEAN Cups.
In Thailand, Siamsport assessed Vietnam's performance as effective and sharp. "The Vietnamese team played sharply and effectively, showing that their chances of winning a ticket to the ASEAN Cup final are very high," this newspaper wrote.
Meanwhile, another reputable newspaper in the land of the Golden Temple also paid attention to Vietnam, but placed this result in relation to Thailand's performance.
Thailand controls the ball less, plays slowly, but still wins thanks to achieving maximum efficiency. Vietnam is worried when seeing Thailand win in this way," the author of the article commented.
Returning to the Vietnamese team, in the second leg, coach Kim Sang-sik's team only needs to preserve the two-goal advantage to win a ticket to the next round. Malaysia must win by a score difference of two goals or more if they want to reverse the situation.
