HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam have successfully defended the ASEAN Championship for the first time, following up on their triumph in 2024 by sealing a fourth regional crown on Wednesday -- after a 2-2 draw at Mỹ Đình National Stadium was enough to seal a 4-2 aggregate win over Thailand in this edition's final.
After snatching an important 2-0 victory in Saturday's first leg at Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium, Vietnam were always in a strong position to get the job done in front of their own fans in Hanoi.
Nonetheless, Thailand -- with nothing to lose -- showed great endeavour and belief from the opening whistle, as coach Anthony Hudson had promised in his prematch news conference.
And it took them just 12 minutes to silence the majority of the 38,646 in attendance at Mỹ Đình.
After patiently waiting for an opening down the right before working it backwards initially, it was eventually centre-back Nattapong Sayriya who whipped the ball into the box from deep.
Although Seksan Ratree was unable to kill the ball dead, he succeeded in diverting it into the path of Yotsakorn Burapha -- who clinically drilled away a powerful first-time effort that would find the back of the net despite Lê Giang Patrik getting a hand to it.
Buoyed by taking the lead, Thailand continued to threaten but it was Vietnam who would come closest to scoring again in the first half -- Phan Tuấn Tài with a delightful left-wing delivery that took three opponents out of the equation, only for Rafaelson -- at full stretch -- to send a header back off the woodwork.
Being ahead at halftime was a crucial first step for the Thais but almost immediately after the restart, they were presented a golden opportunity to pull level on aggregate.
With an electric counterattack, the ball was eventually worked to Kakana Khamyok -- who burst past Trương Tiến Anh before getting his heels clipped, with referee Darwish Ahmed Eisa showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
But having picked himself up, Kakana -- who has been one of the brightest sparks for a youthful Thailand outfit at the tournament -- contrived to blaze the resultant penalty wildly over.
Thailand would be made to pay for that 48th-minute miss just four minutes later.
Tuấn Tài was once again enterprising down the left, latching onto Nguyễn Hoàng Đức's raking crossfield pass before playing a lovely cross to the feet of Hêndrio.
Just when it looked like the woodwork would once again come to the visitors' rescue, as Hêndrio send a sidefooted effort off the foot of the post, the ball would fly back across the six-yard box -- where it ricocheted off the feet of the luckless Chatchai Budprom into his own goal.
More to follow...