The Vietnamese team created a great advantage against Malaysia after a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals on the evening of August 16th in Kuala Lumpur.
After most of the time encountering difficulties when the home team played offensively and controlled the ball better, Xuan Son seized the opportunity to open the score for the Vietnamese team in injury time of the first half with a classy header after Truong Tien Anh's cross.
In the second half, Faris Danish accidentally put the ball into his own net after Quang Hai's dribbling, helping the away team double the gap. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik's team create a favorable gap before the second leg taking place at My Dinh Stadium.
After the match, coach Kim Sang-sik highly appreciated the efforts of his players, but said that the team still has a lot of work to improve.
“We had a hard away match, but I am happy that the team won 2-0. This is the result of the players playing their best. I also want to thank many fans who came to the stadium to cheer for us," Mr. Kim said.
The victory away from home helps Vietnam stand at a great opportunity to win the right to enter the final. However, the Korean coach believes that his students should not be subjective in the second leg.
He said: "Although we won 2-0, we have only gone halfway. The team still has tactical shortcomings that need to be prepared more carefully, and at the same time help the players quickly recover their fitness to head towards the second leg.
Today (August 17), the Vietnamese team returned home to prepare for the decisive match at My Dinh Stadium.
The ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-final second leg between Vietnam and Malaysia takes place at 8:00 p.m. on August 19 at My Dinh Stadium.
