Naturalized striker of Brazilian origin Nguyen Xuan Son strikes a brace, helping Vietnam stun Myanmar 5-0 in a Group B match on December 21.
Naturalized striker of Brazilian origin Nguyen Xuan Son struck a brace and created two assists, while the other goals were scored by Vi Hao, Quang Hai, and Tien Linh.
Coach Kim Sang-sik included Xuan Son in the starting lineup, and the 27-year-old striker quickly made a difference. Within the first 10 minutes, he had two dangerous attempts on goal, though he was unable to convert.
The opportunity for Vietnam came in the 26th minute, when Van Toan delivered a precise cross, but Vi Hao missed the ball from just 5m out. Ten minutes later, Hoang Duc challenged the Myanmar goalkeeper with a header that hit the post. Three minutes after that, Quang Hai executed a spectacular shot, but once again, the post denied Vietnam a goal.
Towards the end of the first half, Xuan Son skillfully dribbled past defenders and set up a great chance, but Van Vi shot wide from less than 10m.
On the other side, Myanmar had two notable shots from Lwin Moe Aung, but goalkeeper Dinh Trieu managed the situation well.
In the second half, Vietnam raised their intensity and quickly made a breakthrough. In the 48th minute, Xuan Son delivered a brilliant pass for Vi Hao to finish into an empty net, opening the scoring for Vietnam. Just six minutes later, Vi Hao returned the favor, assisting Xuan Son to eliminate Myanmar’s defense. The 1997-born striker finished clinically to extend Vietnam’s lead.
At this time of the match, Myanmar appeared fatigued and struggled to withstand Vietnam’s relentless attacks. Kim showed no intention of slowing down, bringing on Tien Linh and Tan Tai to push for more goals.
In the 74th minute, Nguyen Quang Hai extended the lead to 3-0 with a stunning strike from outside the box. Although Vi Hao found the net again, the goal was ruled offside. In the 90th minute, Xuan Son displayed excellent ball control inside the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot to make it 4-0. During stoppage time, Tien Linh added the final goal, securing a 5-0 victory for Vietnam.
Vietnam stand firm in the top spot of Group B and will play Group A second-placed winners Singapore in the semi-finals.
In another Group B match, the Philippines defeat Indonesia 1-0 and will take on Group A winners Thailand in the semi-finals.