In the 32nd minute of the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final between Vietnam and Thailand, striker Nguyen Xuan Son was injured and had to leave the field on a stretcher, giving way to Nguyen Tien Linh.
Previously, the player born in 1997 won a high ball dispute with Thailand's Pansa, then entered the penalty area but fell with his leg bent.
Xuan Son appeared to be in pain and had to seek medical attention. After 2 minutes, the 27-year-old striker left the field on a stretcher, most likely with a broken leg. He was immediately taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Thus, the striker of the Vietnamese team officially ended his first ASEAN Cup in the national team jersey.
In this year's Southeast Asian Championship, Xuan Son has only played since the match against Myanmar in the group stage. After 4 matches (1 group stage match, 2 semi-final matches, 1 first leg final match), Xuan Son has scored 7 goals and had 3 assists.
Notably, he scored a double in his team's 2-1 victory over Thailand in the first leg of the final.
This number helped Xuan Son set an ASEAN Cup record for the Vietnamese team when he scored in 4 consecutive opening matches. He surpassed the 28-year record of former striker Le Huynh Duc (3 matches).
Xuan Son is also the first player to score 7 goals in an ASEAN Cup for the national team. This number will increase if the 27-year-old striker continues to score in the second leg of the final on January 5 away.
