Ready to end Vietnam's 24-match unbeaten streak
The Thai team suffered their first defeat under Anthony Hudson when they lost to Singapore 1-2 in the second leg of the semi-finals. However, they still qualified for the final after a 5-3 overall victory. The Thai team is aiming to conquer the 8th ASEAN Cup championship title.
With the Vietnamese team, the team is on a 24-match unbeaten streak. In the semi-finals, Mr. Kim Sang-sik's team easily overcame Malaysia with a total score of 4-0. With a strong attack, notably Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Dinh Bac (each scoring 5 goals), the Vietnamese team confidently aims to successfully defend their title.
This is the 3rd consecutive time the Vietnamese team has faced Thailand in the ASEAN Cup final. However, a shocking statistic shows that it has been 3 years, 7 months and 5 days, or 1,313 days, since the last time the Thai national team defeated the Vietnamese team in this playground.
Their latest victory was in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2022 final on January 16, 2023, when Thailand won 1-0 thanks to a beautiful goal from Theerathon Bunmathan at Thammasat Stadium in Rangsit.
In terms of overall achievements in the ASEAN Cup arena, in 15 encounters between the two teams, the Thai team has an advantage with 7 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses. However, in 3 previous encounters in the ASEAN Cup finals, the Thai team has lost to Vietnam 2 times in 2008 and 2024.
Match analysis
According to Thai media, the first leg final will be very balanced and tense. Although the Thai team plays at home with the cheers of fans and possesses a diverse attacking squad, the lack of sharpness in finishing and fatigue due to the dense schedule can hinder the ability to effectively attack Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team under the guidance of coach Kim Sang-sik is in stable form and undefeated for a long time. Their strength lies in counter-attacks and the threat from naturalized player Nguyen Xuan Son. Therefore, in the first leg and not applying the away goals rule, the two teams are likely to play cautiously in the early stages of the match, before launching decisive blows.
Thai media emphasized that a defeat to the Vietnamese team in the first leg final is unacceptable. This is creating great pressure for coach Anthony Hudson. According to them, the Thai team will not be able to rely on defensive play to aim for victory because the Vietnamese team's attack is very strong. Instead, they expect their team to play confidently, control the ball well and attack strongly to defeat the opponent.
The 2026 ASEAN Cup final first leg between Thailand and Vietnam will take place at 8:00 p.m. on August 22.
