Thailand come back to beat Vietnam in Hanoi friendly match

Thailand did not field the strongest squad, as defender Theerathon Bunmathan, midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin and striker Supachok Sarachat were absent. Coach Masatada Ishii used five foreign-born players - center-back Elias Dolah, Jonathan Khemdee, defender Nicholas Mickelson, midfielder William Weidersjo and striker Patrik Gustavsson.

Vietnam coach Kim Sang-sik had almost the full squad, with Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Do Hung Dung and Nguyen Tien Linh, although they were no longer at their prime. Kim also gave Phan Van Duc and Nguyen Phong Hong Duy a chance to start for the first time since the AFF Cup final in January 2023.

The two teams started the match with caution. The host opened the score in the 21st minute. From a free kick, Ngoc Hai passed a long ball for Tien Linh to break the offside trap and face the goalkeeper, before finishing with his right foot past Patiwat Khammai.

This was Linh's 21st goal for the national team, after 48 matches, but he closed his eyes and did not celebrate, most likely because he wanted to pay tribute to people who were affected by typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam. Before the match, the two teams also had a minute of silence for the victims of the typhoon. Hanoi itself was suffering from the aftershocks of the typhoon, and My Dinh Stadium only had more than 1,000 spectators.

The joy of the home audience only lasted for five minutes, before Thailand equalized, also from a set piece. Ekanit Panya crossed the ball into the penalty area, allowing Gustavsson to head the ball to Suphanat Mueanta for a tap-in.

Phan Van Duc reacts after missing a chance in Vietnam's 1-2 loss to Thailand in a friendly match in Hanoi's My Dinh Stadium, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

Vietnam conceded the second goal when Hong Duy, in an attempt to clear the ball, failed and accidentally created a pass for Gustavsson, a Swedish-born striker, to finish in the box. Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen could only block the first shot but was unable to stop the rebound.

The best chance for Vietnam to equalize came in the 86th minute when Hoang Duc's long-range shot deflected of the opponent and hit the crossbar. Linh was there for the rebound with a header but did not have enough power to beat goalkeeper Khammai. Thailand also had a chance to score the third goal, when midfielder Channarong Promsrikaew's shot went wide in a one-on-one situation.

Vietnam lost despite being better in most statistics. They had nine shots, while the opponent only had five. The host also had 57% possession and created more corners. Thailand did not seem to give their all in the second half, focusing only on defense.

Vietnam last week also suffered a 0-3 loss in a friendly with Russia. In October, the team will play two more friendly matches against India and Lebanon, before entering the 2024 ASEAN Cup in December.