ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ Final 1st Leg – Report: Vietnam 2-1 Thailand
Phu Tho: Vietnam have earned a slight advantage over Thailand in this ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 Final following a 2-1 home win over Thailand in Thursday’s first leg at Viet Tri Stadium.
03/01/2025 10:39:02After a goalless first half, Nguyen Xuan Son headed home the game’s opening goal on 59 minutes, before adding a fine solo second on 73 minutes, getting his just rewards after a golden performance from one of the Gold Star Warriors’ brightest stars.
Thailand pulled a goal back, though, through Chalermsak Aukee in the 82nd minute to ensure that the tie is still on something of a knife edge. It had been his error that led to Vietnam’s second goal.
It was a match that saw Thailand dominate possession but Vietnam, once again, showed that they can be clinical when required and don’t need much of the ball to get the result they need and were still able to land nine shots on target – three times as many as Thailand.
Xuan Son stealing the ball high up the pitch and powering his way to goal with just a minute on the clock reminded Thailand’s backline of the task at hand over these two legs. The striker is the tournament’s top scorer and was hungry for more goals.
His burst forward led to the first proper chance of the game, forcing a corner but Bui Tien Dung headed just wide. Not long after, Xuan Son let loose with a powerful drive but it was straight at the goalkeeper.
Vietnam grew in confidence and had shown early on that their press was effective but Thailand were unwavering in their insistence to play out from the back. Vu Van Thanh’s half-volley nine minutes in flashed just wide of the post – the hosts were starting to get a bit of traction.
Having thus far been unacquainted with the Vietnam goal, Thailand eventually were able to test the goalkeeper on 13 minutes. A wonderfully struck diagonal ball from Suphanan Bureerat was brought down with a deft touch by Ekanit Panya in the box, but Nguyen Dinh Trieu was equal to the resulting shot.
Fashioning shooting opportunities from second-balls was a method both teams used but the competition’s two top-scoring teams went in at the interval at 0-0, despite Thailand’s 68% possession and Vietnam’s ten shots.
Vietnam started the brightest in the second half, enjoying slightly more possession than in the first. Xuan Son was proving difficult to control and there was a sense of if rather than when a goal was going to come.
Patrik Gustavsson came close on 56 minutes, then Nguyen Quang Hai for Vietnam forced a great save from a half-volley a minute later.
But then the goal finally came with the hosts breaking the deadlock just shy of the hour mark through Xuan Son.
Quang Hai’s cross from the right was headed back across goal by Van Thanh for Xuan Son to rise and power home a header from six yards out.
Needing a response, Gustavsson came closest to leveling when played through by Ben Davis but his left-footed effort whistled over the bar.
The miss proved decisive as Vietnam got the second goal, again through Xuan Son who pickpocketed a dawdling Chalermsak Aukee on the halfway line before making a beeline for the box and drilling the ball into the bottom corner.
Eight minutes from time, Thailand pulled a goal back via an Aukee glancing header from a looping ball from deep, atoning for his error that led to Xuan Son’s second goal. His celebration was muted and more of an apology but it gives the War Elephants a lifeline.
Thailand now have to do what they did against the Philippines and overturn a first-leg loss if they are to clinch a third ASEAN Championship in a row, and fifth out of the last six.
Vietnam will feel confident heading into Sunday’s match having looked defensively assured and dangerous going forward. The all-important second leg in Bangkok will kick off at 8 PM local time on Sunday, January 5.
