Vietnam beat Malaysia to gain upper hand in ASEAN Championship semi-final

Defending champions Vietnam hold a commanding 2-0 lead over Malaysia after the first leg of their ASEAN Championship semi-final in Kuala Lumpur. The victory gives Vietnam a significant advantage heading into the return clash in Hanoi on Wednesday.

Brazilian-born striker Nguyen Xuan Son, also known as Rafaelson, broke the deadlock with a spectacular diving header just before halftime. This goal came after Vietnam had weathered early pressure from the Malaysian side, managed by Tan Cheng Hoe.

The match saw a controversial moment in the second half when Vietnamese goalkeeper Patrik Le Giang was initially shown a red card for handling the ball outside the area. However, the referee rescinded the decision after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Vietnam sealed their crucial second goal with six minutes remaining. Malaysian left-back Faris Danish inadvertently steered the ball past his own goalkeeper, Azri Ghani, effectively putting the tie beyond reach. Faris had a late chance to pull one back, but his goal-bound strike was acrobatically saved by Le Giang.

The winner of this semi-final will advance to face either Thailand or Singapore in the final. Thailand secured a strong 3-1 lead in their first-leg match, setting up an intriguing return fixture.