Vietnam National Team: A Final Ticket Beckons

Although they had to work hard, Vietnam secured a 2-0 win against Malaysia in the semifinal first leg, gaining a big advantage for the second leg. The chance to play in the final is calling out to Kim Sang Sik's squad.

Being a guest in Kuala Lumpur has never been an easy challenge for any team in the region. Under pressure from the stands, Vietnam chose a patient approach, maintaining a disciplined defense and coldly waiting for opponents' mistakes to launch sharp counterattacks.

The brightest spot in Vietnam's victory was the brilliant and courageous performance of striker Nguyen Xuan Son. Playing under pressure from the host's attacks and on less-than-ideal pitch conditions, Vietnamese players struggled to impose their game in the early minutes.

However, the patience and spatial awareness of the Brazil-born striker paid off at a crucial moment. Thanks to his intelligent positioning, Xuan Son converted a precise cross from a teammate into the opening goal, creating a decisive turning point for the match. The goal, scored at a very sensitive time, helped Vietnam break a 16-year winless streak in Kuala Lumpur.

Despite winning 2-0 in Kuala Lumpur in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinal, coach Kim Sang Sik stated that Vietnam still needs tactical adjustments and stricter discipline before the return leg at My Dinh. Clearly, behind this favorable result lies a rigorous assessment of tactical execution from the Korean coach.

Coach Kim Sang Sik remained calm and cautious, frankly admitting that Vietnam encountered many difficulties in executing their game plan. Despite a resounding victory, the system not functioning as originally planned left the coaching staff feeling unsatisfied.

In fact, interruptions caused by VAR technology and referee decisions somewhat disrupted Vietnam's rhythm. With the team structure not yet maintaining the necessary smoothness, the value of outstanding individuals spoke at the right time to resolve the match's deadlock.

Playing under pressure from the opposing crowd sometimes caused the team's ability to maintain spacing and transition to lose rhythm. This requires the coaching staff to quickly make timely systemic adjustments before the rematch.

On the other side, Malaysia's coach Tan Cheng Hoe acknowledged that Vietnam's quick transition ability was the most damaging weapon. Although Malaysia created some dangerous approaches to the goal, a lack of sharpness in finishing cost the hosts dearly.

Nevertheless, the Malaysian coach declared that his team had only lost a match, not the whole war. Coach Tan Cheng Hoe aims to find an early goal in the rematch at My Dinh to turn the tide.

Malaysia is now forced to attack in the second leg. They will likely push their entire formation forward to gain an advantage. Coach Kim Sang Sik reiterated that complacency is taboo. Vietnam's coaching staff will urgently analyze technical footage to fix defensive weaknesses and help players quickly recover physically for the decisive battle.

The 2-0 victory right in Kuala Lumpur gives Vietnam a huge advantage in both scoreline and psychology. The long-awaited milestone of winning on Malaysian soil has finally been convincingly broken.

With a two-goal lead, home crowd support, and a proactive mindset, the ticket to the ASEAN Cup 2026 final is already in Vietnam's hands.