Vietnam take command with away win over Malaysia in ASEAN Cup semifinal first leg

The match in Kuala Lumpur was far from a spectacle in the opening 45 minutes, as rain-soaked conditions and a heavy pitch disrupted the rhythm of both teams, particularly Vietnam.

Misplaced passes, poor first touches, and a lack of fluid combinations reflected the challenging playing surface.

Both sides adopted an aggressive pressing approach, resulting in frequent fouls and yellow cards for Malaysia's Aysar Hadi and Vietnam's Dinh Bac.

Although considered underdogs, Malaysia refused to sit back and instead posed a genuine attacking threat.

The hosts nearly broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, but goalkeeper Le Giang Patrik produced an outstanding close-range save to deny Malaysia's striker and keep Vietnam level.

Vietnam gradually settled into the contest toward the end of the first half, enjoying more possession and putting together sharper attacking moves.

Their breakthrough arrived in dramatic fashion during first-half stoppage time.

In the fifth added minute, Tien Anh raced onto a long pass down the right flank before delivering a pinpoint cross for Nguyen Xuan Son, who powered a header past the Malaysian goalkeeper to give Vietnam a 1-0 lead heading into the break.

Vietnam adopted a disciplined defensive counterattacking approach after half-time. Malaysia piled on early pressure in search of an equalizer, but the visitors' back line held firm, with Le Giang Patrik continuing to impress between the posts.

The game's biggest talking point came in the 60th minute when the Vietnamese goalkeeper was initially shown a straight red card following a collision with Sumareh outside the penalty area.

However, after consulting VAR, the referee overturned the decision, ruling that the Malaysian forward had committed the foul first.

Head coach Kim Sang Sik made several substitutions in the closing stages to reinforce Vietnam's advantage, and his side struck again in the 86th minute.

Quang Hai threaded a dangerous through ball into the box, forcing Malaysian defender Faris Danish into an attempted clearance that ended up in his own net, doubling Vietnam's lead.

Malaysia pushed desperately for a lifeline during stoppage time, but Le Giang Patrik capped off an outstanding performance with another crucial save from a tight-angle effort in the 90+2nd minute.

The 2-0 victory gives Vietnam a commanding advantage ahead of the return leg at My Dinh Stadium on Wednesday.