ASEAN Cup 2024: A highly anticipated final between Vietnam and Thailand.

Regional football is once again witnessing two "dream finals" between two long-standing rivals, Vietnam and Thailand, after both teams failed in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and had to return to seek glory in the familiar regional tournament.

However, things will not be smooth sailing for the team that has won the regional football championship seven times, the Thai national team (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2022).

Due to the match schedule and group stage results ofASEAN Cup 2024The Vietnamese team benefited from securing their qualification, allowing for a three-day recovery and preparation period compared to Thailand's one-day break before the first leg of the final (January 2, 2025). Furthermore, Thailand had to endure a grueling 120 minutes against the physically strong Philippines in the second leg of the semi-final, which will undoubtedly have a significant impact on their performance.

For this reason, many people have offered advice to Kim Sang-sik, essentially suggesting that he should focus all his efforts on winning the first leg by a significant margin, creating an insurmountable advantage against Thailand in the second leg. This advice likely stems from the undeniable fact that playing the second leg of the final on Thai soil will undoubtedly present Quang Hai and his teammates with numerous difficulties and challenges.

Even though it was a narrow, lucky victory against the Philippines, everyone understands that the Thai players played a truly top-class game against a formidable opponent. Therefore, regardless of what is said, the Vietnamese team has long been wary of the Thais, and now, seeing this recent performance, it's only right that they start to "fear" them, as Japanese head coach Ishii and Thai defender Chalermsak have warned.

Before any important match, coaches and players often "boost morale" and intimidate their opponents – this is nothing new. But these two ASEAN Cup 2024 finals will have many new aspects, at least in terms of...Vietnam national teamIntended for our Thai rivals.

Immediately after the second leg of the semi-final, Vietnam's central defender Tien Dung frankly stated that he "would like to play against Thailand in the final" - something few players have dared to say before. Could it be that the current strength and capabilities of the Vietnamese national team allow the players to confidently prepare to face their biggest regional rival?

The performances of Thailand and Vietnam in the group stage and semi-finals have led to differing assessments. The fact that Thailand has conceded 5 goals (compared to Vietnam's 3 so far) clearly demonstrates problems in their defense. Looking ahead to facing the Vietnamese team with strikers like Xuan Son and Tien Linh, the Thais should start to fear them!

Throughout the six matches from the group stage to the present, the Vietnamese national team has fielded six different lineups, and coach Kim Sang-sik's team only faced difficulties on the artificial turf against the Philippines. Despite unavoidable injuries and personnel losses, the Vietnamese team, thanks to rotation and judicious deployment of players, has still met all the requirements set for the two final matches. Furthermore, since Xuan Son was allowed to play, the spirit and strength of the Vietnamese team have significantly increased. Unity, cohesion, and mutual support have been highly demonstrated.

The current challenge for the Vietnamese national team is to allocate resources effectively to ensure a decisive victory in Viet Tri and to have enough manpower for the extremely difficult return leg away from home. The advantages gained in the first leg of the final must be maximized and utilized as effectively as possible, and the fighting spirit must be maintained until the very last minute of the second leg. This means strategic planning for both the short and long term is necessary.

Clearly, the current Thai national team doesn't have its strongest squad and has shown difficulties throughout the tournament, but they still possess the full strength of a top-tier team in the region. This team always knows how to overcome specific challenges with specific methods and personnel, such as the late-game contribution of "prodigy" Supanat in the second leg of the semi-final.

But it must also be said that the Vietnamese team also knows how to gain an advantage, possessing sufficient leadership and tactical prowess to catch their opponents off guard, truly proving that, after two "dream finals," it's still too early to say "who fears whom." And hopefully, the Vietnamese team's goal of winning their third regional football championship will become a reality, continuing the glory of 2008 and 2018.