Vietnam defeat Singapore 2-0 in first leg of ASEAN Cup semifinals
VOV.VN - Vietnam pulled off a convincing 2-0 victory against Singapore in stoppage time with a penalty by striker Tien Linh, and a goal doubling the score by naturalized striker of Brazilian origin Nguyen Xuan Son in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2024 semi-final at Jalan Besar Stadium in the island-city state on December 26 evening.
Despite being considered the better team, Vietnam suffered a hard time finding a goal as the match was filled with intensity and strategic play in the first half.
Coach Kim Sang-sik's students created several scoring opportunities but failed to convert them into goals.
In the second half, striker Nguyen Xuan Son had a beautiful shot into the Singapore net in the 84th minute, but the goal was not recognized as the referee thought the ball had touched Son’s hand before the shot.
Vietnam also missed a number of scoring opportunities and the match remained scoreless until the 90+11 minute when Vietnamese striker Nguyen Tien Linh successfully kicked a penalty, paving the way for Vietnam to secure a win over Singapore. Just minutes later, Xuan Son took turns scoring in extra time to bring the final 2-0 victory to Vietnam.
Singapore tried their best to maintain pressure and created several scoring opportunities but failed to convert any into goals, while the strategy of quick counterattack and solid defense in the final minutes of the match brought well-deserved success to Vietnam.
With the victory, the door to the final match of the ASEAN Cup 2024 is wide open for Vietnam when coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will host Singapore in the second leg on December 29 at Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho province.
