On the evening of January 2, at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho province), the Vietnamese team won 2-1 against the Thai team in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final. Notably, striker Nguyen Xuan Son scored both goals for the Vietnamese team. This impressive achievement helped the number 12 of the Vietnamese team continue to maintain his leading position in the list of top scorers with 7 goals.
Before the first leg of the final, defender Chalermsak said he did not know who Xuan Son was. When asked about this statement from the number 5 of the Thai team, Xuan Son said: "I heard about this but I don't really care. What I want is to bring victory to the Vietnamese team. I don't care and want to focus on the match."
Regarding the combination with Hoang Duc, Xuan Son shared: "He is a very special player. He always observes how I move, the match will be easier with Hoang Duc. He is smart. I coordinate with Hoang Duc, Quang Hai will create flexible changes".
On the other side of the front line, coach Masatada Ishii of the Thai team also praised Nguyen Xuan Son's performance and said that he was the difference in the Vietnamese team's lineup. He said in the press conference after the match: "As everyone knows, Xuan Son is a quality player. Thailand made a mistake today and let this player score."
The second leg of the final between the two teams will take place at 8:00 p.m. on January 5 at Rajamangala Stadium (Thailand).
