Vietnam book semi-final date with S'pore after 5-0 win over Myanmar
Brazil-born striker Nguyen Xuan Son scored a brace on his Vietnam debut as the Golden Star Warriors thrashed Myanmar 5-0 on Dec 21 to set up a semi-final clash with Singapore in the Asean Championship.
Vietnam, who finished as Group B champions, will meet the Group A runners-up in the first leg of the semi-final at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec 26. The return leg will be in Vietnam three days later.
The other semi-final will pit Group A winners Thailand against the Philippines, who beat a largely Under-22 Indonesia side 1-0 at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta to finish as Group B runners-up.
Xuan Son was the star of the show at the Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho province with two goals and two assists in his first international match.
The 27-year-old, whose Brazilian name is Rafaelson, plies his trade with V-League club Nam Dinh. He became a Vietnam citizen in September and fulfilled Fifa’s five-year residency requirement to play for an adopted country at senior level on Dec 20.
After a goal-less first half, in which Vietnam hit the post twice, the hosts finally went ahead after Xuan Son squared the ball to winger Bui Vi Hao for a tap-in in the 48th minute.
The roles were reversed six minutes later as Vi Hao turned provider for Xuan Son to bag his maiden international goal.
Captain Nguyen Quang Hai made it 3-0 in the 74th minute after trapping a cross from Ho Tan Tai.
Xuan Son then bagged his second goal in the 90th minute, dribbling past two defenders before rifling the ball into the net with his left foot, before setting up substitute Nguyen Tien Linh to seal the 5-0 win.
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