Vietnam entered their last AFC U23 qualifier with a challenging mission of winning the regional heavyweight Thailand, and they delivered the unexpected.
They proved wrong all concerns about lack of experience and chemistry among the players, given their average performance against Indonesia two days earlier.
Coach Park Hang-seo seems to have worked his magic again, as the team had perfect control of Tuesday game, launching attacks repeatedly and disabling all attempts from the opponents.
Forward Ha Duc Chinh opened the scoreboard in minute 17, shooting through the legs of Thailand goalkeeper. Moments into the second half, the score was doubled after Nguyen Quang Hai dribbled past four Thailand players and crossed inside the box for Nguyen Hoang Duc to volley it in.
As Thailand lost their key forward Supachai Jaided to a red card for committing fouls, Vietnam beefed up their attacks and scored two more goals, one from a freekick and another also with Hai's assist.
With three wins, Vietnam have officially qualified for the AFC U23 Championship to be held in Thailand next year. Thailand already have a ticket as a host.
At the previous edition of the tournament, Vietnam presented a stunning performance and overcame more fancied teams to enter the final, where it lost 1-2 to Uzbekistan at the last minute of extra time.