Bangkok, 22 August 2026 – Vietnam head coach Kim Sang-sik believes goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang played a decisive role in the Golden Star Warriors’ 2-0 victory over Thailand in the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final at Rajamangala Stadium.
Le Giang delivered an outstanding performance in Bangkok and was named Player of the Match after producing three crucial saves that kept Thailand off the scoresheet. His interventions came in the 36th and 71st minutes before another spectacular stop deep into second-half stoppage time.
The first major save arrived in the 36th minute after Thailand launched a quick counterattack. Yotsakorn Burapha found space inside the penalty area and curled a left-footed effort toward the top-right corner, but Le Giang reacted superbly to tip the ball over the crossbar.
He was called into action again in the 71st minute, getting down well to deny Chaiyaphon Otton’s long-range effort toward the bottom-left corner.
Le Giang arguably saved his best moment for last. Deep into stoppage time, Waris Choolthong produced a dipping strike toward the left side of the goal, but the Vietnam goalkeeper made an exceptional leap to push the ball away and preserve his clean sheet.
Kim was full of praise for the Slovakia-born goalkeeper after the final whistle, suggesting Vietnam could easily have conceded three times without his heroics.
“This performance was even more impressive than Korean legend Lee Woon-jae in his prime, and he is now working as the goalkeeper coach for the Vietnam national team,” Kim said. “Patrik’s form was incredible. Even Ronaldo or Messi would have struggled to score against him today.”
Le Giang’s saves proved particularly important because Vietnam spent much of the contest under pressure. The visitors finished with only 34% possession and recorded fewer attempts than Thailand, with the hosts leading the shot count 16-13.
Vietnam particularly struggled during the opening half as Thailand controlled possession and repeatedly threatened Kim’s defense. However, the match changed dramatically following a double substitution in the 58th minute.
Kim introduced Nguyen Hai Long and Nguyen Quang Hai in place of Nguyen Xuan Son and Le Pham Thanh Long, and the changes produced an almost immediate impact.
Just four minutes later, Vietnam broke the deadlock. A well-constructed move involving Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Dinh Bac released Hai Long, who finished clinically with a low diagonal strike to put the visitors ahead.
Seven minutes later, Hai Long was involved again, this time helping launch the attack that produced Vietnam’s second goal. His pass opened up space for Do Hoang Hen, who advanced before delivering an accurate cross into the penalty area.
Quang Hai timed his run perfectly and met the delivery with a first-time volley, driving the bouncing ball beyond the Thai goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
Kim later explained that Vietnam’s difficult first-half performance was partly caused by the physical and mental demands of their semifinal campaign against Malaysia. The players had little time to fully recover before traveling to Bangkok for the opening leg of the final.
The South Korean coach admitted his side looked disjointed during the first half, with several players showing signs of tension. Vietnam, however, responded by raising their intensity after the break and ultimately punished Thailand with two clinical attacks.
“They proved that they were the better team today and produced an impressive performance,” Kim said. “But this was only the first leg. We still have the return match at My Dinh, and we will prepare for it very carefully.”
The 2-0 victory leaves Vietnam in a commanding position ahead of the second leg at My Dinh National Stadium on August 26. The away-goals rule does not apply in the ASEAN Cup 2026 final.
History also favors Kim’s side. Teams winning the opening leg of an ASEAN Cup final have almost always gone on to lift the trophy. One notable exception came in 2016, when Thailand recovered from a 2-1 first-leg defeat against Indonesia by winning the return match 2-0 at home.
Vietnam are now within touching distance of another historic achievement. Victory over the two legs would see the Golden Star Warriors successfully defend the Southeast Asian title for the first time in their history.
A fourth regional championship would also move Vietnam level with Singapore on four titles, leaving only seven-time champions Thailand ahead of them on the all-time list.
VSN/RPT
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