SINGAPORE - Regional powerhouses Thailand moved another step closer in returning to the throne of South-east Asian football after they booked a place in the AFF Suzuki Cup final, following a 0-0 draw with Vietnam on Sunday (Dec 26).
The Thais, 2-0 aggregate winners, will be playing in their ninth AFF Championship final. The five-time champions face Indonesia, who have never won the regional title but have been runners-up five times.
The two-legged affair will be played on Dec 29 and on New Year's Day at the National Stadium.
Thailand, winners in 2014 and 2016, bowed out at the semi-finals of the 2018 edition. They came into this year's tournament determined to make amends.
And while they were unspectacular on the night, in front of 8,121 fans, they were largely untroubled by the defending champions and able to protect their two-goal advantage from the first leg on Thursday (Dec 23).
Alexandre Polking, who became Thailand's head coach in September, said: "I'm unbelievably proud of the players. The second half was amazing and showed incredible team spirit. We knew this was a game of 180 minutes. It was important that we defended compactly (over two legs).
"I never thought I would say this. but I am proud of the defending and it was a masterclass in defending. Today was important to show a good defensive display and it was good to see that we can do that."
Vietnam coach Park Hang-seo, who was unbeaten in 20 matches against South-east Asian opposition before the 2-0 first-leg loss to Thailand, said: "We lost the game and we can't qualify to the final, and we must accept that."
The Vietnamese started brightly, knowing how important it would be to score the first goal.
Twice just before half-time, they were presented with golden opportunities but failed to take advantage.
First, in the 43rd minute, defender Ho Tan Tai was left unmarked at the far post from a corner but his point-blank header went just wide.
Two minutes later, Nguyen Quang Hai found himself in space just inside the box after being picked out from a low cross. The attacking midfielder, however, blazed his effort over the bar.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMie2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvc3V6dWtpLWN1cC1yZXNvbHV0ZS10aGFpcy1nZXQtcGFzdC12aWV0bmFtLXNldC11cC1jbGFzaC13aXRoLWluZG9uZXNpYS1pbi1maW5hbNIBAA?oc=5
2021-12-26 14:53:25Z
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