Bắc giang
Vietnam inch close to ASEAN Cup title with 2-1 victory over Thailand
Vietnam have edged towards the 2024 ASEAN Cup trophy after coach Kim Sang-sik’s side clinched a convincing 2-1 victory over Thailand in the first leg of the final game at Viet Tri Stadium on Thursday evening.
Naturalised forward Nguyen Xuan Son was once again the hero of the match with a brace as the Golden Star Warriors registered their fourth win against the War Elephants after 30 meetings between the two sides.
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Foward Nguyen Xuan Son scores a brace as Vietnam beat Thailand 2-1 at home in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final. |
Thailand were the better side regarding ball control in the first half but it was the host team who produced more shots, with attempts by Xuan Son, Van Thanh and Thanh Chung.
However, neither side could open the scoring before half-time despite their concerted efforts.
It was not until the 59th minute that the deadlock was broken, with Xuan Son heading home from close range after a favorable header assist from teammate Van Thanh.
Thailand missed two consecutive chances to equalise the game with Ben Davis failing to beat goalkeeper Dinh Trieu and Gustavsson shooting the ball closely wide.
Xuan Son punished the visitors’ wastefulness by scoring his second goal in the 73rd minute to double Vietnam’s advantage.
A fantastic brace against Thailand helped the naturalised forward further solidify his leading position in the top scorer race with seven goals.
Suphanat blasted a shot at the crossbar in the 81st minute before Chalermsak headed home to pull back a goal for the War Elephants shortly later.
Xuan Son came close to earning a hat-trick several minutes before the final whistle but goalkeeper Patiwat made a timely save.
With the 2-1 victory, Vietnam will need only a draw in the return leg at Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok) on January 5 to clinch the overall trophy of the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
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