Hot Vietnamese football news today, August 17: Vietnam national team returns to Hanoi; Xuan Son sets a new record at the ASEAN Cup.

Breaking Vietnamese football news on August 17: Vietnam's national squad returns to Hanoi; Xuan Son establishes a new milestone at the ASEAN Cup.

Vietnam national team returns to Hanoi

After a 2-0 victory over Malaysia in the first leg of the ASEAN Championship 2026 semifinals, the Vietnam national team quickly returned to Hanoi to prepare for the rematch at My Dinh Stadium.

As planned, coach Kim Sang Sik's squad left Malaysia at 12:45 PM on August 17. The preparation time is quite short, as the return leg of the semifinal is scheduled for 8:00 PM on August 19 at My Dinh Stadium.

The victory in Kuala Lumpur gave Vietnam a significant advantage. Xuan Son opened the scoring late in the first half, and an own goal by a Malaysian player helped Kim Sang Sik's team close the match with a two-goal margin.

The excitement for the return leg was already reflected in the ticket market. The second round of online ticket sales on the OneU platform quickly sold out, while ticket prices in some trading groups were pushed higher.

Despite holding the advantage, the Vietnam team must maintain focus because the knockout stage does not apply the away goals rule.

With the home support at My Dinh, coach Kim Sang Sik's players have a great opportunity to advance to the final and continue their journey to defend the ASEAN Championship title.

Xuan Son sets a new record at the ASEAN Cup

Nguyen Xuan Son continues to leave a special mark in the Vietnam national team jersey by setting a record in the ASEAN Cup knockout stage.

In the 2-0 win over Malaysia in the first leg of the ASEAN Championship 2026 semifinal, Xuan Son opened the scoring in the 45+5th minute with a header from a cross by Truong Tien Anh. The goal brought the 1997-born striker's tally to six goals in the ASEAN Cup knockout stage, making him the Vietnamese player with the most goals in this phase.

Previously, Xuan Son had five goals in the 2024 ASEAN Cup knockout stage, including a hat-trick against Singapore in the semifinals and two goals in the two-leg final against Thailand. This new achievement helps him surpass Nguyen Tien Linh and equal Thailand's Chanathip Songkrasin and Woorawut Srimaka.

Xuan Son is now only two goals behind Teerasil Dangda in the knockout stage. Over two ASEAN Cup editions, he has scored 10 goals in 10 matches.

At the national team level, Xuan Son maintains an impressive record with 14 goals in 14 appearances.

SLNA welcomes back 5 former players

SLNA has added five players who graduated from the club's academy, returning to Vinh Stadium ahead of the 2026-2027 season. Among them, Dang Van Lam and Le Van Quy are considered to have strong chances to compete for starting positions.

The five returning players are Dang Van Lam, Le Van Quy, Phan Xuan Dai, Ngo Van Bac, and Trinh Hoang Canh. They previously left SLNA to play for other clubs on loan or via transfer, before being brought back into the plans by coach Van Sy Son for the new season.

Dang Van Lam is the most notable name. The 1999-born midfielder has played several seasons for SLNA's first team, then went on to play for Quang Nam and Hanoi Police FC. When playing for Quang Nam, Van Lam was frequently used by coach Van Sy Son, making about 16-17 appearances, scoring 2 goals, and providing 1 assist.

Le Van Quy also draws attention after returning from Dong Thap. The 2004-born midfielder has been regularly tested on the right flank in friendly matches, standing out for his energetic play and tackling ability.

Trinh Hoang Canh, Phan Xuan Dai, and Ngo Van Bac will need to work harder to compete for playing time. The return of these five players helps SLNA increase squad depth ahead of the new season.

Malaysia still holds hope

Sergio Aguero praised Nguyen Xuan Son after Malaysia's 0-2 loss to Vietnam in the first leg of the ASEAN Championship 2026 semifinal, while asserting that the home team still believes in their ability to turn the tie around.

Xuan Son opened the scoring for Vietnam with a header late in the first half, before Malaysia scored an own goal in the second half. After the match, Aguero said of the Vietnam striker: "He is my friend, a very good player. He always plays well. Congratulations to the Vietnam team on their victory."

Despite the defeat at home, Aguero said Malaysia has not given up hope ahead of the return leg in Hanoi.

"We have nothing to lose. Playing in Hanoi with a two-goal deficit is a very difficult challenge. However, we still maintain our belief. If we play like we did today and make good use of the chances we create, we have every opportunity to come back," Aguero emphasized.

Aguero previously worked with coach Kim Sang Sik in the ASEAN All-Stars squad and together they defeated Manchester United in 2025. Malaysia will need to win by at least two goals in the return leg to level the tie.