Vietnam’s national football team will attempt to break a 20-year winless streak against Thailand tonight when the two sides meet at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium for the second leg of the ASEAN Cup final.
The match kicks off at 8:00 p.m. local time, with Vietnam holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Bangkok. A draw or win would secure the team’s second consecutive regional title under head coach Kim Sang Sik.
History weighs on My Dinh
Despite their recent success, Vietnam have never beaten Thailand at My Dinh Stadium. In seven meetings there over the past two decades—spanning friendlies and competitive fixtures—the team has recorded four draws and three losses.
The defeats include a 0-2 loss in the 2006 AFF Cup semifinals, a 0-3 reverse in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and a 1-2 friendly defeat in 2024. The draws, while less damaging, still carry frustration. Two 2-2 results—in 2008 and 2022—ultimately cost Vietnam regional titles when aggregate scores fell short.
The only time a draw at My Dinh brought celebration was in 2008, when a 1-1 result secured Vietnam’s first-ever ASEAN Cup after a 2-1 first-leg win in Bangkok. That remains the team’s sole championship victory at the stadium.
A chance to rewrite the record
Tonight’s match offers Vietnam a chance to change that narrative. A win would not only end the two-decade drought but also complete a title defense, marking another milestone for Kim’s squad.
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The team’s recent form suggests confidence. After losing 1-2 to Thailand in a 2024 friendly at My Dinh, Vietnam reversed the result in the ASEAN Cup final last month, winning 5-3 on aggregate—though the home leg was played in Phu Tho Province, not Hanoi.
Striker Nguyen Xuan Son, who scored in the first leg, will be key to breaking the deadlock. Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai, a veteran of past battles, has also been vocal about the team’s determination to secure the win.
This isn’t just another match. For Vietnamese fans, it’s a chance to erase decades of near-misses on home soil. For the players, it’s an opportunity to cement their place in the country’s football history.
The tournament itself, running from July 24 to August 26, featured 10 teams split into two groups. Vietnam topped Group A ahead of Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste, while Thailand advanced from Group B alongside Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos.
If Vietnam succeed tonight, it won’t just be a victory—it’ll be proof that some curses, no matter how long they last, can be broken.