Hosting Singapore at the Viet Tri Stadium in the second-leg semifinal, the Vietnamese national team secured a 3-1 victory.

Xuan Son opened the scoring with a penalty near the end of the first half and completed his brace in the 62nd minute.

The Brazilian-born striker had a chance to achieve his first hat trick for Vietnam but chose to let Tien Linh take the penalty in the final minutes of the match.

Similarly, in the first leg in Singapore, Xuan Son also passed up a penalty opportunity, allowing Tien Linh to take the shot instead of securing his own brace.

Despite only joining the action in Vietnam’s final group-stage match against Myanmar, Xuan Son has scored five goals in just three matches, placing him at the top of the ASEAN Cup 2024 scoring chart.

Current rankings of top scorers

Trailing Xuan Son is Singaporean forward Shawal Anuar, who has scored four goals. However, with Singapore eliminated by Vietnam, Shawal’s chances of competing further in the race have ended.

Four players are tied with three goals each, including three from Thailand: Suphanat (3 goals, 4 assists),  Patrik Gustavsson (3 goals, 2 assists), Mueanta (3 goals, 4 assists).

From Vietnam, Tien Linh has also netted three goals and contributed one assist, while Quang Hai has tallied two goals and two assists.

With two final matches remaining for Vietnam, Xuan Son is in a strong position to claim the ASEAN Cup 2024 Golden Boot.

Thien Binh