Vietnam claimed the 2024 ASEAN Championship after making a sensational comeback to defeat hosts Thailand 3-2 in Bangkok on Sunday night.

The Golden Dragons secured an aggregate 5-3 win over the Thais following a two-legged finale, with the first match ending 2-1 in Vietnam’s favor in Phu Tho Province on Thursday.

The return game at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok saw Vietnam take the lead in the eighth minute.

From a free kick deep in their own half, the Vietnamese players executed a brilliant sequence, setting up Pham Tuan Hai to break free and chip the ball over the Thai goalkeeper, putting Vietnam ahead.

In the 24th minute, Thailand launched a quick attack, with Supachok Sarachat breaking through, but Nguyen Thanh Chung came up clutch with a brilliant tackle to deny the opportunity.

However, a defensive lapse by Vietnam just minutes later opened the door for Ben Davis, who unleashed a long-range strike from outside the box, beating goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu to level the score at 1-1 in the 28th minute.

In the 34th minute, naturalized forward Nguyen Xuan Son suffered a severe injury, seemingly a broken leg, and had to be stretchered off, with Nguyen Tien Linh coming on as his replacement.

Six minutes later, Vietnam orchestrated a beautiful attacking move, leaving Vu Van Thanh in a great position, but his shot sailed over the crossbar.

Thailand immediately responded with a dangerous attack, but goalkeeper Dinh Trieu came up big with a crucial save to keep the score level at half-time.

After the break, Tuan Hai found himself in a favorable position in the 51st minute but sent his shot over the crossbar.

Moments later, Ben Davis delivered a pinpoint pass to Patrik Gustavsson, who broke through the offside trap and went for a header, but the ball narrowly missed the target.

In the 55th minute, Vietnam's defense faced intense pressure, but goalkeeper Dinh Trieu and the red-clad defenders heroically threw themselves into the action to avert danger.

However, Supachok unleashed a long-range strike that flew straight into the net, giving Thailand a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute.

The goal sparked controversy, as it came after goalkeeper Dinh Trieu had intentionally thrown the ball out of play to attend to an injured Vietnamese player.

Instead of returning the ball, the Thai players launched an attack and scored, raising questions about fair play.

The turning point of the match came in the 75th minute when Weerathep Pomphan received his second yellow card after two consecutive fouls to stop Vietnam's attack, leaving Thailand with 10 men on the field.

In the 82nd minute, a shot from Tuan Hai forced Pansa Hemviboon into an own goal, leveling the score at 2-2 for the Golden Dragons.

In stoppage time, during the 91st minute, a Thai player’s shot rattled the crossbar of the Vietnamese goal.

The match saw an extended 15 minutes of added time, keeping the tension high until the final whistle.

In the last moment of the game, Vietnam sealed the victory with a quick counterattack.

Hai Long capitalized on the opportunity, firing a long-range shot into an empty net to secure a dramatic 3-2 win for Vietnam.

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