Vietnam’s Resurgence: A Remarkable Comeback Story to Lift the SE Asian Football Trophy in Thailand’s Backyard.
The Golden Dragons claimed a thrilling aggregate win over Thailand in the 2024 ASEAN Championship final, with a 5-3 victory across the two legs. The first match, hosted in Vietnam’s Phu Tho Province, ended 2-1 to the home team. In the return game at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium, Vietnam struck early. A swift counter-attack from a free kick in their own half saw Pham Tuan Hai break free and delicately chip the ball over the Thai goalkeeper to give Vietnam an eighth-minute lead. Pham Tuan Hai wheels away in celebration after scoring in the second leg of the 2024 ASEAN Championship final. His goal gave Vietnam an early lead over Thailand. Image credit: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Thailand responded with a quick break of their own in the 24th minute, but Nguyen Thanh Chung’s well-timed tackle halted Supachok Sarachat’s progress. However, just minutes later, Vietnam’s defense was breached. A long-range strike from Ben Davis beat the goalkeeper, leveling the score at 1-1. ...