Advantage Vietnam in the Asean Championship final after rare win over Thailand
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Vietnam forward Rafaelson being mobbed by his teammates after scoring in the 2-1 Asean Championship final, first-leg win over Thailand at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho province on Jan 2.
PHOTO: AFP
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PHU THO – Vietnam recorded a rare win over Thailand in the first leg of the Asean Championship final at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho on Jan 2.
The 2-1 triumph was their first success over the Thais in eight matches, having last beaten the reigning champions in June 2019 at the King’s Cup.
In fact, this is just the fourth time the Vietnamese have beaten their neighbours in 30 matches since 1995, having lost 18 of those.
Their hero once again was Rafaelson, the 27-year-old Brazil-born striker who is the tournament’s runaway top scorer with seven goals.
His second-half brace set up an intriguing second leg at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Jan 5.
He said: “I try to score goals in every game because this is my job. The players worked hard today. We’ll keep focused for the next game.”
The first half on Jan 2 was anything but intriguing, however, as a much-changed Thailand made several sloppy errors early on but Vietnam failed to capitalise.
Both goalkeepers were barely tested, with Nguyen Dinh Trieu and Patiwat Khammai having to make only one save each.
But the second stanza was a different story as the match sprang to life.
Rafaelson set the tone with a diving header that went over the bar on 51 minutes, before Nguyen Quang Hai forced Patiwat into a save seven minutes later.
But the home side were not to be denied.
On 59 minutes, Quang Hai’s deep cross found Vu Van Thanh at the back post and he duly headed the ball across goal for an onrushing Rafaelson to open the scoring.
War Elephants coach Masatada Ishii responded by sending on star attackers and brothers Suphanat Mueanta and Supachok Sarachat.
The 22-year-old Suphanat had been named Man of the Match four times, having registered four goals and four assists.
He was hospitalised with a reported 40 deg C fever before the semi-final, second leg but came on in extra time to score the winner against the Philippines.
Before the pair could influence the game, Vietnam could have gone 2-0 up when Nguyen Hoang Duc slipped in Rafaelson with a through ball, but his powerful shot was too close to Patiwat.
Thailand then started to come into the game, with former Singapore youth player Ben Davis and Patrik Gustavsson (who is on four goals for the tournament) both having chances.
On 73 minutes, the Golden Star Warriors made it 2-0. Rafaelson dispossessed centre-back Chalermsak Aukkee near the halfway line and barrelled towards goal before beating Pansa Hemviboon and then shooting past Patiwat.
A spectacular long-range Suphanat free kick should have brought the Thais back into the game, but it bounced off the underside of the bar and out.
In the 82nd minute, Chalermsak atoned for his earlier error by pulling one back for Thailand by heading home a deep cross.
Despite having three times fewer shots on target than Vietnam (nine), that goal means the tie remains well poised ahead of the decider in the Thai capital this weekend.
