'Kim Sang-sik's Vietnam' Makes New History in Vietnam Again, First Two-Gole Victory on Thai Soil as Rival Thailand... Aiming for First Back-to-Back ASEAN Cup Titles

*This content was translated by AI.

The Vietnamese national football team, led by head coach Kim Sang-sik, secured a decisive victory in an away match against their biggest rival, Thailand. This marks the first time that Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO) has achieved a two-goal margin victory over Thailand on Thai soil.

On the 22nd (Korea time), Vietnam defeated Thailand 2-0 in the first leg of the 2026 ASEAN Cup final at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. According to the FIFA rankings, Vietnam is ranked 99th and Thailand is ranked 94th.

The match was decided in the second half. In the 17th minute of the second half, Nguyen Hai Long finished off a heel pass from Nguyen Dinh Bach with a left-footed shot, shaking the Thai goal net. With momentum on their side, Vietnam added another goal seven minutes later through a left-footed volley by Nguyen Quang Hai, maintaining a two-goal lead until the final whistle.

The victory was significant as it not only rewrote Vietnamese football history but also brought them one step closer to winning the tournament.

According to Vietnamese media outlets such as VN Express, today's victory will go down in history as the first time Vietnam has achieved a two-goal margin or more in an away match against Thailand. Prior to this, all of Vietnam's away victories against Thailand, including those by the A national team and youth teams such as the U-23 and U-17 Yeon Ryeong-byeol (CEO) teams, were one-goal margin wins.

Vietnam has also extended its record of consecutive A-match matches without a loss to 25 games. During the tenure of former coach Park Hang-seo, the longest streak was 18 consecutive matches without a loss. However, since Kim Sang-sik took over as head coach, Vietnam has continued its unbeaten run for 25 consecutive matches. During this period, the record stands at an impressive 22 wins and 3 draws, with 65 goals scored and only 10 conceded.

With today's victory, Vietnam has secured a favorable position ahead of the second leg of the final, which will be held on the 22nd at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam. Even if they lose by one goal to Thailand in the second leg, they can still claim the title. Since the away goals rule does not apply in this tournament, even a two-goal loss would result in extra time being played at home.

If Vietnam secures the title without any major upset and wins on aggregate score across both legs against Thailand, it will achieve back-to-back ASEAN Cup titles for the first time in history, following their 2024 victory. Previously, under coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnam won the title in 2018 but was eliminated in the semifinals in 2020, ending their bid for consecutive titles. In the 2022 final, they settled for the runner-up position.

If 'Kim Sang-sik's Vietnam' wins the title again this tournament after 2024, it will not only achieve back-to-back ASEAN Cup titles for the first time in history but also cement Kim Sang-sik's name in Vietnamese football history as the coach who has led Vietnam to two ASEAN Cup championships.

Head coach Kim Sang-sik said, "This was a match that proved our players are superior and delivered more impressive performances than the Thai players. However, today is only the first leg. With the second leg remaining at My Dinh, we will prepare even more thoroughly."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.