Commentator's booth: Beautiful memories of Rajamangala

15/12/2025 11:53:00 ChampionChatter

Nearly two decades have passed, yet the "living witnesses" have never forgotten the magical Christmas night of December 24, 2008. Vietnamese football celebrated a festival right at Thailand’s sacred Rajamangala Stadium, after Công Vinh, Vũ Phong, and their teammates defeated the hosts 2-1 in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup final (now known as the ASEAN Cup).

That was only the second time in history that Vietnamese football had beaten Thailand at the senior national team level in an official tournament. Naturally, it was no easy feat.

Vũ Phong opened the scoring with a header in the 40th minute following a cross from Tấn Tài. Just two minutes later, Công Vinh doubled the lead after Việt Thắng set him up. Công Vinh’s first goal of that tournament reflected the absolute patience and trust coach Henrique Calisto had in his prized player. We stood firm against the pressure from over 50,000 passionate Thai fans with flares, drums, and flags across four stands at Rajamangala Stadium.

Although Vũ Phong and Công Vinh scored, the standout performers in the first leg of the final were Tấn Tài, Minh Châu, Như Thành, and especially goalkeeper Dương Hồng Sơn. With just two semifinal matches (against Singapore) and two final matches played exceptionally well, Hồng Sơn earned the Best Player award of the tournament and also claimed the 2008 Vietnamese Golden Ball.

Rajamangala is a grand, sturdy fortress built in a distinct Thai architectural style: rough and unpainted on the outside, but inside it’s an arena filled with relentless cheering every time the Thai national teams play there. That’s why the 2-1 victory by coach Calisto’s team was not only a win on the field but also a triumph of courage and steel spirit. It laid the foundation for us to claim the title at Mỹ Đình a few days later.

Under coach Kim Sang Sik, the Vietnamese team clinched the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship right at Rajamangala Stadium this January. Photo: Hoàng Linh

Time has passed, and Vietnamese and Thai football continue to alternate in dominating the region, though Malaysia and Indonesia occasionally intervene. Only the Philippines, since their "miracle" semi-final appearance in the 2010 ASEAN Cup, have not progressed further despite changing development models and strategies. The youth training system in Philippine football remains problematic, and the quickest solution has been to recruit overseas Filipino players.

The two wins against Myanmar and Indonesia in Group C were not surprising for the U22 Philippines, considering that the mentioned football nations are also facing youth development crises. Indonesia, after its golden generation and core foreign-based players who reached the final round of the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, now faces a huge gap in its next generation. However, this does not fully explain the rise of the Philippines. The U22 Philippine team has played very impressively.

Regardless, we must not be careless, as a small mistake in approaching the knockout match will leave no room for correction. Many still remember that at the senior national team level, the Philippines once defeated Vietnam 2-0 at Mỹ Đình during the 2010 ASEAN Cup.

The U22 Vietnam’s opponent in the SEA Games 33 semi-final this afternoon (December 15) is the Philippines, but isn’t the men’s football gold medal final at the SEA Games going to be held again at Rajamangala? At that time, it’s likely that coach Kim Sang Sik’s team will face the host, Thailand.

And there will be another magical night at Rajamangala, why not? So let’s "take care of" the Philippines first.

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