"Neither Xuan Son nor I put pressure on ourselves over individual achievements," Dinh Bac said. "Vietnam becoming champions would be the greatest success for both of us. If we get the opportunity to play, we will give everything."

All five of Dinh Bac's goals came during the group stage, including a hat-trick against Timor-Leste. He has also contributed three assists.

His latest decisive contribution did not appear on the goals column.

During Vietnam's 2-0 first-leg victory over Thailand at Rajamangala, Dinh Bac produced a clever backheel inside the penalty area that took Thailand's defenders out of the move and allowed substitute Nguyen Hai Long to score the opener.

It was another reminder that the 22-year-old's influence on Vietnam's attack extends beyond his own scoring numbers.

Even so, Dinh Bac believes there is still considerable room for improvement.

"Although I have scored five goals at this tournament, I personally think I still need to work much harder," he said. "I still have many weaknesses that I need to improve in the future. I need to forget those five goals and focus again on training, my daily routine, nutrition and getting enough rest."

His immediate attention is on Thailand.

Vietnam's 2-0 advantage from Bangkok has left Kim Sang Sik's side in a strong position, but Dinh Bac said the players have effectively erased that scoreline from their minds.

"We don't consider ourselves to have an advantage. We assume the match is still 0-0," he said. "Vietnam will do everything possible to win. Our feet are still on the ground. Whoever starts, all the players are united and determined."

Dinh Bac also expects more from himself after admitting fatigue affected his first-leg performance.

"This is the final match. My teammates and I are very excited and determined to give everything to bring the supporters a victory," he said. "I was a little tired and wasn't very happy with myself in the first leg, but I will come back better in the return leg."

Beyond the ASEAN Cup, Dinh Bac has another ambition.

If the right opportunity arrives, he wants to test himself outside Vietnam, with Japan his preferred destination.

"I really hope that one day I can play in a higher-quality league, perhaps somewhere else in Asia," he said. "I really like Japanese football. It is very developed. I am ready to take on that challenge and see how far I can go. When you challenge yourself with something, only then do you know what you are capable of. You cannot know whether you will fail or succeed until you take the opportunity. So if I have the chance, I definitely want to play in Japan one day."

For now, however, Japan and the Golden Boot can wait.

Dinh Bac has one immediate target: beating Thailand at My Dinh and helping Vietnam retain the ASEAN Cup.

Dai Nam