Naturalised forward Nguyen Xuan Son was once again the hero of the match with a brace as the Golden Star Warriors registered their fourth win against the War Elephants after 30 meetings between the two sides.

Foward Nguyen Xuan Son scores a brace as Vietnam beat Thailand 2-1 at home in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup final.

Thailand were the better side regarding ball control in the first half but it was the host team who produced more shots, with attempts by Xuan Son, Van Thanh and Thanh Chung.

However, neither side could open the scoring before half-time despite their concerted efforts.

It was not until the 59th minute that the deadlock was broken, with Xuan Son heading home from close range after a favorable header assist from teammate Van Thanh.

Thailand missed two consecutive chances to equalise the game with Ben Davis failing to beat goalkeeper Dinh Trieu and Gustavsson shooting the ball closely wide.

Xuan Son punished the visitors’ wastefulness by scoring his second goal in the 73rd minute to double Vietnam’s advantage.

A fantastic brace against Thailand helped the naturalised forward further solidify his leading position in the top scorer race with seven goals.

Suphanat blasted a shot at the crossbar in the 81st minute before Chalermsak headed home to pull back a goal for the War Elephants shortly later.

Xuan Son came close to earning a hat-trick several minutes before the final whistle but goalkeeper Patiwat made a timely save.

With the 2-1 victory, Vietnam will need only a draw in the return leg at Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok) on January 5 to clinch the overall trophy of the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

Tickets for second leg of ASEAN Cup semifinal between Vietnam-Singapore sell like hot cakes

The Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Phu Tho province, which will host the second leg of the ASEAN Cup semifinal match between Vietnam and Singapore, announced on December 27 that tickets for the match will be available for purchase both in-person and online.

Vietnamese young weightlifting team lead Asian championship

Vietnam are among the leading teams at the 2024 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Vietnam have best chance of winning 2024 ASEAN Cup

CNN Indonesia highlighted Vietnam's great chance of winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup, noting that they are the only team fielding their best players in the tournament.

World Trail Majors welcomes Vietnam Mountain Marathon to global stage

Sa Pa’s Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM), the oldest ultra-trail race in the country, has been accepted into the exclusive list of just 12 races on the World Trail Majors circuit.

Tickets for Vietnam's ASEAN Cup semifinal against Singapore sold out in 15 minutes

Tickets for Vietnam's home game in the 2024 ASEAN Cup semi-final with Singapore were sold out just 15 minutes after online sales opened on Sunday.

Vietnamese athletes triumph at Viettel Marathon Series' final leg in Cambodia

The final stage of the Viettel Marathon Series 2024, the first Vietnamese-initiated running event crossing the Indochinese region, took place in Cambodia on December 22.