Thailand midfielder Supachok's controversial goal against Vietnam leads votes for best of the tournament

The poll, launched Tuesday on the homepage of ASEAN Cup, features 10 nominated goals from eight teams. Laos and Indonesia are the only nations without representation in the poll. Vietnam's nominated goal is Nguyen Xuan Son's solo effort in the first leg of the final, where he won the ball from midfield and scored after an impressive run past several defenders before finishing to the far corner with his left foot.

However, the goal that is getting the most votes belongs to Thailand. Sarachat's long-range shot, which temporarily gave Thailand a 2-1 lead at Rajamangala Stadium, has garnered 74.74% of more than 1,300 votes cast.

The goal sparked controversy, as it came from an unfair play. Moments before Sarachat’s shot, Vietnam goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu kicked the ball out of play to allow medical staff to treat midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc. Instead of returning the ball to Vietnam, Thailand's Ben Davies took the throw-in and passed to Sarachat, who unleashed a 30 m shot into the top corner, catching Vietnam's defense off guard.

The controversy over the goal was highlighted by Singaporean coach Firdaus Kassim, who wrote on X that Sarachat "should be ashamed" for scoring in such a situation.

However, the ASEAN Cup homepage did not address the controversy when describing the goal.

"Ben Davis' pass found Supachok in space and he decided to unleash a long-range rocket which whistled past the despairing dive of the Vietnam keeper and into the net for his second ASEAN Championship final goal, having previously netted against Indonesia in the final of the 2020 edition," it wrote.

 

 

Thailand midfielder Supachok's controversial goal against Vietnam leads votes for best of the tournament

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Son's solo goal trails in second place with 25.04% of the votes, while the remaining eight nominees have barely received any votes.

After the match, Surachat explained on social media that the goal was a misunderstanding, claiming he was unaware of the need to return the ball to Vietnam.

The goal could not change the final outcome, as Vietnam scored two more times to secure a 5-3 aggregate victory, dethroning Thailand and clinching their third ASEAN Cup title.

The ASEAN Cup homepage also allows readers to vote for the best team of the tournament, with voting open until Jan. 12.

The individual awards presented immediately after the final include Vietnam's Dinh Trieu as best goalkeeper, Thailand's Suphanat Mueanta as best young player, and Nguyen Xuan Son sweeping both MVP and top scorer.

A screenshot of the poll for the best goal of the 2024 ASEAN Cup on Jan. 7, 2025.