BANGKOK/HANOI (Reuters): Vietnam won the Asean Championship for the third time in their history on Sunday as a 3-2 win over 10-man defending champions Thailand in the second leg of the final in Bangkok sealed a 5-3 aggregate victory for Kim Sang-sik's side.
Pansa Hemviboon's 82nd minute own goal and a stoppage time effort from Nguyen Hai Long secured Vietnam's first success since 2018 as the Golden Star Warriors avenged their loss to the Thais in the previous final in 2022.
Vietnam led 2-1 following Thursday's first leg in Viet Tri and added to their advantage in the eighth minute through Pham Tuan Hai, who lifted the ball home after Pham Xuan Manh's free kick was allowed to bounce in the area by the Thai defence.
Twenty minutes later the home side levelled when Doan Ngoc Tan gave possession away 25 yards from goal and Ben Davis bent a first-time strike around Nguyen Dinh Trieu into the bottom corner.
Supachok Sarachat then gave Thailand the lead on the night and levelled the overall score with a blistering strike in the 64th minute, the ball flying into the top corner from more than 25 yards.
Tensions flared after Supachok's goal and, in the 74th minute, the game turned again as Weerathep Pomphun was dismissed for a second bookable offence as he committed a cynical foul on Vu Van Thanh on the halfway line.
The Vietnamese made their numerical superiority count soon after, substitute Nguyen Quang Hai feeding possession to Tuan Hai and his shot towards the bottom corner was redirected under goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai by the unfortunate Pansa.
Suphanan Bureerat hit the crossbar in the final minute of regulation time as the champions looked to take the defence of the trophy they have won seven times into extra-time.
But the Vietnamese, who first won the title in 2008, killed off Thai hopes in the 20th minute of added time when Hai Long scored into an empty net from distance with Patiwat stranded at the opposite end of the pitch.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Christian Radnedge) - Reuters
