Coming off the bench with half an hour to play, Nguyen Xuan Son struck twice as Vietnam swept Malaysia aside 4-0 on aggregate, drawing praise from Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai media.
There was to be no Malaysian miracle at My Dinh Stadium.
Vietnam defeated Malaysia 2-0 in the second leg of their ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinal on August 19, completing a commanding 4-0 aggregate victory and booking another final showdown with Thailand.
And once again, the decisive figure was Nguyen Xuan Son.
Introduced in the 59th minute, the striker needed only three minutes to break the deadlock before adding a second in the 89th minute. His devastating cameo ended Malaysia’s hopes and sent Vietnam into a third consecutive ASEAN Cup final.
The result also extended Vietnam’s remarkable unbeaten run under coach Kim Sang Sik to 24 matches.
Vietnam dominate, but Malaysia refuse to break
Xuan Son came off the bench in the second half and scored both of Vietnam’s goals. Photo: S.N
Kim made five changes to the starting lineup from the first leg, yet Vietnam showed little sign of losing their rhythm.
The hosts attacked from the opening minute, when Truong Tien Anh combined with Nguyen Dinh Bac down the right before Phan Tuan Tai sent a shot narrowly wide.
Doan Van Hau headed straight at goalkeeper Azri Ghani in the 10th minute, while Dinh Bac, Do Hoang Hen and Nguyen Hai Long all threatened as Vietnam controlled possession and attacked from both flanks and through the middle.
Dinh Bac nearly produced the goal of the night in the 24th minute, cutting inside before curling a left-footed effort toward goal, only for Azri to make an excellent save.
Van Hau and Nguyen Quang Hai also tested the Malaysian goalkeeper as the visitors spent much of the first half under pressure.
Malaysia nevertheless survived to reach halftime at 0-0.
The visitors briefly changed the momentum after the break. Pavithran Gunalan and Paulo Josue threatened Patrik Le Giang’s goal in quick succession, forcing the Vietnam goalkeeper into important saves.
That was when Kim turned to his bench.
Xuan Son and Tai Loc entered in the 59th minute, replacing Hai Long and Hoang Hen. The impact was almost immediate.
In the 62nd minute, Vietnam attacked from the left. After the Malaysian defense blocked Tien Anh’s attempt, Xuan Son reacted fastest to the loose ball and drove home the opener.
The striker came close again later in the half before finally delivering the finishing blow in the 89th minute.
Using his strength to hold off a Malaysian defender, Xuan Son surged into the penalty area and beat Azri from a tight angle.
Vietnam had their 2-0 victory. Across the two legs, the score was 4-0.
Malaysia’s ASEAN Cup was over.
Malaysian media concede Vietnam were superior
The nature of the defeat was not lost on Malaysia’s press.
Malaysia’s Metro wrote that the country’s hopes of producing a shock at My Dinh, in front of thousands of Vietnamese supporters, had failed to materialize.
Malaysia had travelled to Hanoi hoping to repeat its dramatic 2014 semifinal comeback in the Vietnamese capital, but Metro acknowledged that the hosts played proactively and were determined to protect the 2-0 advantage secured in Kuala Lumpur.
The newspaper highlighted Vietnam’s pressure throughout the contest and Xuan Son’s decisive second-half introduction.
Malaysia, it noted, managed to hold out until halftime before Kim’s team stepped up the intensity after the interval.
Xuan Son then “broke the deadlock” before completing his brace late in the match, sending Vietnam through 4-0 on aggregate.
Berita Harian was similarly disappointed, describing Malaysia’s hopes of reaching an ASEAN Cup final for the first time in eight years as having “vanished.”
The newspaper singled out goalkeeper Azri Ghani as one of Malaysia’s most important performers during a difficult first half.
But even he could not stop Xuan Son.
Berita Harian described the substitute as capitalizing on confusion in front of Malaysia’s goal for the opener before inflicting further pain with a clinical second in the 89th minute.
Indonesian media hail Vietnam’s dominance
Vietnam dominated Malaysia at My Dinh Stadium on their way to a 4-0 aggregate semifinal victory.
The reaction was similar in Indonesia.
Kompas described Xuan Son as the star of the match after his goals in the 62nd and 89th minutes and emphasized that Vietnam had now reached the ASEAN Cup final for a third consecutive tournament.
The Indonesian newspaper highlighted Vietnam’s first-half superiority, noting chances for Van Hau, Hoang Hen and Dinh Bac and crediting Azri with keeping Malaysia alive.
Malaysia did produce a response after halftime, but Le Giang denied Pavithran and Paulo Josue before Xuan Son took control of the night.
Kompas wrote that the striker finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute before effectively sealing Vietnam’s place in the final with his second goal.
Bola Sports offered a similar assessment, saying Vietnam had advanced to the final in impressive form after defeating Malaysia 4-0 across two semifinal legs.
Thailand takes notice of Xuan Son
Across the border, attention immediately shifted toward the final.
Thai media closely followed Vietnam’s victory because it confirmed a third consecutive ASEAN Cup final meeting between Southeast Asia’s two leading football rivals.
And Xuan Son was the player who attracted particular attention.
Thairath detailed both of his goals, noting how the substitute reacted quickest to score after Malaysia blocked Vietnam’s initial effort in the 62nd minute.
For his second, the Thai newspaper highlighted Xuan Son’s strength in holding off his marker before breaking into the penalty area and finishing past the goalkeeper.
Thairath also pointed to the historical significance of the coming final: a rematch of the 2024 title contest, which Vietnam won 5-3 on aggregate.
Siam Sport likewise emphasized Vietnam’s attacking initiative and Xuan Son’s influence after coming off the bench.
The message from the regional media was strikingly consistent: Vietnam had not merely survived the semifinal. They had controlled it.
Five goals each for Xuan Son and Dinh Bac
Xuan Son’s brace took him to five goals at ASEAN Cup 2026, level with teammate Dinh Bac in the race for the tournament’s top-scorer award.
For Dinh Bac, however, the individual prize is secondary.
“Whether I or Xuan Son scores more goals is not important. The ultimate goal is the championship,” he said. “If Xuan Son wins the top-scorer award, that is also good for the team.”
Xuan Son struck a similar note.
“What I want is to contribute to the team so we can win,” he said. “I want to prepare myself to be in the best possible physical condition. I play for my team, whether the coach gives me 30 minutes or 90.”
For Kim, having both forwards competing for goals is a welcome problem.
“Xuan Son and Dinh Bac are doing their jobs very well, giving everything they have,” the coach said. “This healthy competition will make our team better and help us win the final.”
After dismantling Malaysia, Vietnam now have precisely that opportunity.
Vietnamnet.vn
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