Master Kim continues to show "magic
Two goals in the second half from Hai Long and Quang Hai helped the Vietnamese team win against Thailand 2-0 away from home, in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final. This result helped the Vietnamese team open up a great opportunity to win the tournament because in the second leg the team played at home.
The biggest difference in this match lies in the timely, wise and reasonable personnel adjustment of coach Kim Sang-sik. In the second half, he successively brought Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai onto the field. These two players scored, bringing victory to the Vietnamese team.
“Three days after an inspiring substitution led to a victory that helped them win a ticket to the ASEAN Cup 2026 final, coach Kim Sang-Sik of the Vietnamese national team made another excellent move when he helped his team gain an important advantage in the decisive match, with a 2-0 victory over Thailand,” ESPN Asia commented.
Previously, in the second leg of the semi-finals, Mr. Kim Sang-sik put Nguyen Xuan Son on the bench and put him in the second half. This striker made a difference when he scored 2 goals to help Vietnam win against Malaysia 2-0, thereby winning the final 4-0 to enter the final.
In the match on the evening of August 22, the Korean strategist continued to make other excellent adjustments. Quang Hai was on the bench even though he was wearing the captain's armband. He was only brought on from the 2nd half and unleashed a dangerous volley, sealing a 2-0 victory for the home team. Before that, Hai Long scored after only 4 minutes on the field, taking advantage of Dinh Bac's assist.
According to ESPN, coach Kim Sang-sik deserves praise for not being afraid to change the squad. His personnel changes are all reasonable, timely and create a decisive turning point for the match.
Meanwhile, Korean media emphasized that Mr. Kim Sang-sik continues to create "magic" with the Vietnamese team when defeating Thailand for the 2nd consecutive time right on the opponent's field at the ASEAN Cup 2026. The results on the evening of August 22 help the Vietnamese team have a 24-match unbeaten streak under Mr. Kim. According to them, with the important victory in the first leg, the Vietnamese team is almost certain to successfully defend their title.
Difference from finishing efficiency
Goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang had an excellent match day when he saved many dangerous shots from Thai players. However, according to former striker Sarayoot Chaikemdee, the "War Elephants" did not take advantage of opportunities well, with many weak shots.
Statistics show that the home team Rajamangala launched 14 shots but only 3 were on target, a far lower rate than Vietnam (12 shots, 5 on target). In the first half, the Thai team created good pressure, many times had the ball in the Vietnamese penalty area but did not take advantage of it successfully.
The home team's young strikers such as Yotsakorn Burapha and Teerasak Poeiphimai missed clear opportunities. This issue has been mentioned by the Thai media before the final and continued to be revealed in the match against Vietnam.
According to Sarayoot, it is time for the Thai team to thoroughly solve this problem. The solution, according to this former striker, is that the team needs a dedicated coach for the strikers, guiding them to improve their weaknesses in finishing. This person is not necessarily Sarayoot but could be someone else to guide young Thai strikers to improve their skills.
In front of the Thai team will be the second leg final match with the Vietnamese team at My Dinh Stadium, taking place on the evening of August 26. The opportunity for them to reverse the game is not many because the Vietnamese team has too many advantages in hand.
