Could striker Xuan Son start on bench in Vietnam-Thailand ASEAN Cup final second leg?

Vietnam will host Thailand at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, carrying a 2-0 advantage from the first leg in Bangkok.

With head coach Kim Sang Sik considering his options for the return fixture, one of the biggest questions is whether Xuan Son will retain his place in the starting lineup.

Xuan Son has scored five goals at the ASEAN Cup 2026, level with teammate Nguyen Dinh Bac at the top of the tournament's scoring chart.

The 29-year-old is highly rated for his ability to play independently, hold up the ball, battle defenders physically, and finish from different positions.

Those strengths, however, were largely neutralized by Thailand in the first leg.

The Brazilian-born striker struggled to make an impact during his 58 minutes at Rajamangala Stadium before making way for Nguyen Hai Long.

Whenever Xuan Son received the ball, Thai defenders quickly closed him down, often with one player challenging him directly and another providing support.

Xuan Son had two opportunities in the first half, sending a weak effort straight at goalkeeper Kampol Pathom-attakul before firing another shot wide.

He did not register a shot in the second half before being replaced by Hai Long.

Just four minutes after coming on, Hai Long opened the scoring.

He later played a cross-field pass into space for Hoang Hen, who carried the ball forward before setting up Nguyen Quang Hai for a first-time volley that doubled Vietnam's lead.

Xuan Son has generally produced his best performances at this tournament when coming off the bench.

Apart from starts against Timor-Leste in the group stage and Malaysia in the first leg of the semifinals, when he scored, the striker has found it harder to influence matches from the outset, particularly against defensively disciplined opponents such as Singapore and Thailand.

By contrast, he scored after coming on against Indonesia and struck twice as a substitute against Malaysia in the second leg of the semifinals.

That record could prompt Kim to keep Xuan Son in reserve for the second leg against Thailand and introduce him after the break, when the visitors' defense may begin to tire.

Should Kim make the change, Vietnam could start with Hai Long, Dinh Bac, and Tai Loc in attack, as they did against Indonesia, or use the trio of Hai Long, Dinh Bac, and Hoang Hen, who featured together in the semifinal second leg against Malaysia.