Convincing victory after 27 years
Vietnam won 2-1 against Thailand in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final (January 2 evening) at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho. Striker Nguyen Xuan Son scored a double for the home team, before Chalermsak Aukkee pulled one back for the "War Elephants".
This victory not only gives the "Golden Star Warriors" an advantage before the second leg of the final, but it also has historical significance, marking the first time the Vietnamese team has defeated the Thais at home in about 27 years.
Commentator Quang Huy shared: "Since the 1998 Tiger Cup, Vietnam has not won against Thailand at home in official tournaments. We only won once at the 2008 AFF Cup but on away ground.
Now, Vietnam has won against Thailand at home. This is not only meaningful in terms of the result but throughout the match, the Vietnamese team also showed an unexpected attacking style when facing their rivals. That is especially special when the Vietnamese team has Xuan Son in the squad.
Never before has the Thai team played against Vietnam and lost so convincingly as this time. Previously, if they lost, it was because they were short of players or had many problems. But in the first leg of the final, the "War Elephants" played with everything they had, played with reasonable tactics but could not stop Xuan Son and were defeated by the Vietnamese team."
The second leg is predicted to be difficult.
After the first leg of the final, the two teams traveled to Thailand to prepare for the second leg, which will take place at 8:00 p.m. on January 5. Although they have an advantage over their opponents, the 2-1 score is still very fragile for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team.
Nguyen Xuan Son and his teammates will have to face many difficulties when the Thai players have basically grasped the playing style of the Vietnamese team. Besides, the "Golden Star Warriors" will have to overcome the pressure of playing at Rajamangala Stadium with a capacity of 55,000 seats.
"I think the second leg will be very difficult for the away team. The Vietnamese team entered the game with a proactive style of play, but the connection between positions was not as expected. The players could not communicate with each other, forcing the ball to be passed long to Xuan Son. There were times when coach Kim Sang-sik's players were tense.
Meanwhile, the Thai team always knows how to maintain the distance of the formation, somewhat restraining the Vietnamese players, except for Xuan Son. Although there are times when they are not in good shape, the technical and tactical foundation of the Thai team is very even. If they are out of shape, the Thai team will only slow down and Vietnam will lose its style of play.
The Thai players played steadily. No matter how Vietnam attacked, this team always had enough people to cover. Their movements impressed me a lot. When attacking, holding the ball in the middle of the field or defending, the "War Elephants" always had enough people, were very smart, and ensured professional indicators," commented commentator Quang Huy.
However, commentator Quang Huy expressed his confidence that the Vietnamese team will continue to improve their playing style, making the second leg more effective and attractive.
Commentator Quang Huy said: "Coach Kim Sang-sik is like his compatriot Park Hang-seo before, that is, knowing himself and knowing his enemy, hiding his weapons. Through each match, the team reveals its strengths but still brings strangeness to the opponent.
The Korean coach is still exploiting the potential of his students well and knows how to use Xuan Son as well as arrange satellites for him. The first thing for the Vietnamese team in the upcoming match is not to be subjective against the Thai team!".
