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On January 2 evening, the Vietnamese team beat Thailand 2-1 in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup finals at Viet Tri Stadium in the northern province of Phu Tho, gaining an advantage before the second leg at Rajamangala Stadium of Thailand on January 5.

In the post-match press conference, Kim said that former national coach Park Hang-seo once said that the Vietnamese team was no longer afraid of the Thai team. “After today's victory, we have demonstrated our strength against our opponents; no mountain cannot be overcome. I know that the Vietnamese team hasn't won against Thailand at home for 27 years, so today’s victory is very important, bringing our fans new hope as we start 2025.”

A smiling Coach Kim Sang-sik after the match. (Photo VFF)

Evaluating the opponent, the Korean coach said that he and his staff frequently analyze their rivals before each match to devise corresponding tactics, employing different strategies with the common goal of achieving victory.

In this match, we assessed that the Thai players possessed good physical strength and height, so I instructed Nguyen Xuan Son to play aggressively. Not only Son, but all the players performed admirably and demonstrated their desire to win. I am satisfied with the 2-1 victory, yes we could have won by a larger margin, but the players need to work on their mentality and gain experience to prepare for the second leg. After this match, we will analyze our performance again and rest before heading to Bangkok for the second leg, Kim said.

Additionally, Kim noted that a lack of caution at the end of the match led to the Vietnamese team conceding a goal. This experience will serve as a lesson for the team to avoid negligence and improve in the second leg of the finals.

The 2-1 victory for Vietnam was significantly aided by naturalized striker Son, who scored twice against goalkeeper Patiwat. Son's presence has greatly enhanced the Vietnamese team's attacking capabilities.

Regarding Son, the coach added: I am very happy to have Son on the team. He is an essential player and performed exceptionally well.

Coach Masatada Ishii of the Thai team acknowledged that the Vietnamese team was different compared to their friendly match in September, particularly with Son in the lineup. Son is a player of high quality. In this match, our players made some mistakes that allowed Son to score, Ishii noted.

Previously, in their two semi-final matches against the Philippines, the Thai team also faced a 1-2 defeat in the first leg, but won 3-1 in the second leg, advancing to the finals with a total score of 4-3. However, Coach Ishii remarked that the circumstances of the two first-leg matches were entirely different, so it is uncertain whether Thailand will achieve a favorable result at home.

The Japanese coach emphasized that historical data, with Thailand not losing to Vietnam away in 27 years, was not the defining issue. The primary goal for the Thai team is the development of their players following this tournament, he said.

A rollercoaster of emotions at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium, which ended in the most deserved victory for the Vietnam national football team, who overcame every obstacle thrown at them to win the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Championship final 3-2 against Thailand on Sunday.

The result meant that Vietnam became the champions of ASEAN football for the third time in history, and for the first time they won the trophy away from home.

Having started the year on a winless streak and having to change the coach, no one could foresee such a result in the ASEAN Championship for Vietnam.

But in the same manner as their victory on Sunday, the team overcame all the difficulties to find the victory, six years after their last win in 2018.

The win will go down in history as one of the best ASEAN Championship finals ever played and the party has gone on into the night in cities across Vietnam.

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