Thailand 2–0 Vietnam: A Brave Effort Falls Short
Vietnam entered the decisive match against Thailand with a depleted squad, after Xuân Son was forced to leave the team on the evening of 28 September. Quang Hải, Văn Vĩ and Thành Chung had already been ruled out due to injuries. Despite missing several key players, the fighting spirit of the “Golden Star Warriors” remained undiminished.
01/10/2026 10:23:32Head coach Kim Sang Sik surprised many by handing starting berths to Ngọc Bảo, Minh Khoa, Tuấn Tài and Tài Lộc. Notably, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh was deployed in midfield in a relatively free role, frequently pushing forward to put pressure on Thailand’s penalty area.
Vietnam made an active start, but the turning point came in the 10th minute when Sarach Yooyen unleashed a powerful long-range strike, leaving Lê Giang with no chance. After conceding, Vietnam responded strongly and took control of the game. In the 22nd minute, Tài Lộc tested Thailand’s defence with a shot from 28 metres, before Quang Vinh curled an effort just over the crossbar three minutes later. In the 37th minute, Tài Lộc found the back of the net, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Thailand went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
At the start of the second half, head coach Kim Sang Sik introduced Hoàng Đức, Minh Hoàng and Hoàng Hên as Vietnam stepped up their efforts to find an equaliser. Vietnam pushed higher up the pitch, pressing Thailand deep in their own half.
Hoàng Đức was heavily involved in building attacks, while Quang Vinh and Minh Hoàng were encouraged to exploit the flanks. In the 53rd minute, Hoàng Đức delivered a superb long pass for Quang Vinh to run onto, but his subsequent delivery into the box failed to produce a goal. Four minutes later, Hoàng Đức again found himself in front of the penalty area following a combination between Minh Hoàng and Hoàng Hên. However, the Vietnam captain’s first-time effort was saved by the Thailand goalkeeper. In the 62nd minute, Hai Long came on to replace Thành Long.
The 0-2 defeat meant Vietnam missed out on a place in the final. Under the tournament regulations, if two teams are level on points, head-to-head results are considered first, followed by goal difference.
However, despite missing at least five key players, the Golden Star Warriors fought until the final whistle, with Kim Sang Sik and his players giving everything they had. There was a sense of frustration as Vietnam were unable to find a goal despite creating several clear chances, particularly in the second half when Thailand were forced to sit deep and defend in numbers for much of the time.
