KUALA LUMPUR: Two-time champions Vietnam advanced to the final of the Asean Cup after beating Singapore 3-1 with an aggregate score of 5-1 in the second semi-final match at the Phu Tho Provincial Stadium on Sunday.
Rafaelson Fernandes emerged as the hero of the Vietnamese team when he struck a double to help the Golden Star Warriors team step into the final of the prestigious tournament.
In a dramatic match, the two teams started the game evenly before Singapore came close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute when Mohd Faris Ramli headed the ball into the home net.
However, the goal was denied by the referee after checking the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and found that Mohd Shawal Anuar was in an offside position, thus disappointing head coach Tsutomu Ogura’s men.
The Vietnamese squad managed by Kim Sang Sik then almost took the lead when their defender Ngoc Quang Chau headed the ball into the goal in the 21st minute but the goal did not count because he rejected Nur Mohd Shah Shahiran’s attempt.
The home team finally breathed a sigh of relief when they managed to open accounts in the first half injury time through a penalty kick taken by Vietnamese-Brazilian hybrid player Rafaelson after being brought down by Lionel Tan in the penalty box earlier.
Entering the second half, the home team strecthed themselves further when Rafaelson once again struck his second goal after receiving a pass from Hoang Ngunyen in the 63rd minute.
Singapore then managed to reduce the deficit, thanks to Kyoga Nakamura’s finish in the 74th minute but the joy did not last long as Vietnam added another goal through a penalty kick by Nguyen Tien Linh in the second half injury time.
The result remained in favour of Vietnam and walked into the final with a 5-1 aggregate score.
In the first semi-final match at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore last Tuesday, Vietnam defeated Singapore through goals from Nguyen Tien and Nguyen Xuan Son respectively in the second half of injury time. — Bernama
