After an enthralling first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Championship final, it is Vietnam who have one hand on the trophy after claiming a 2-1 win over Thailand at Việt Trì Stadium on Thursday.
With each passing match, it looks as though their new striker Rafaelson could singlehandedly get them crowned champions of Southeast Asia for the third time in their history.
Of course, no player can truly win a tournament, or even just a game, for their team on their own.
Even when the attacking players get the plaudits, they still need their defensive counterparts to keep up their end of the bargain in order for the team to get over the line.
Yet, it is almost safe to say that, if Vietnam did not have Rafaelson -- or Nguyễn Xuân Son, as he is now known in his adopted nation -- they would be in a far less promising position to win the ASEAN Championship for the first time since 2018.
Rafaelson had to wait for his Vietnam debut, which explains his delayed bow in the tournament.
Although he had gained Vietnam citizenship in September, he only fulfilled FIFA's five-year residency requirement to suit up for a new nation on Dec. 20.
It meant that he had to sit out Vietnam's first three matches of the group stage, and it did lead to some rivals crying foul at his admissibility to be registered even though he technically was not eligible at the start of the tournament.
It is already clear why opposition teams would have been hopeful that Vietnam would be without the services of their Brazilian-born naturalised import.
When he finally earned his first cap, the 27-year-old weighed in with two goals and two assists in a 5-0 rout of Myanmar that sealed top spot in Group B and a more-favourable draw in the last four.
In the semifinals, he was an absolute nuisance to the Singapore defence as he netted three goals across two legs to inspire a 5-1 aggregate win.
On Thursday, he was at it again.
The imposing Thai centre-back partnership of Pansa Hemviboon and Chalermsak Aukkee may look well-suited to cope with the physical battle that is entailed by 90 minutes against Rafaelson, yet he gave them a real problem.
After a difficult opening 45 initially, Rafaelson was not to be denied a minute before the hour mark when he broke the deadlock in trademark predatory fashion.
When a searching diagonal ball by Nguyễn Quang Hải was nodded back across the six-yard box by Vũ Văn Thanh, there did not appear to be imminent danger but, out from nowhere, Rafaelson reacted quickest and showed the greatest determination to get in ahead of an opponent and guide a header into the back of the net from close range.
As good as he is as a poacher, Rafaelson is also more than capable of the virtuoso efforts.
In the 73rd minute, as he won possession off Chalermsak inside his own half with absolutely no support, it did not look there was much on.
Still, it did not stop him from charging straight towards the opposition goal, where he would eventually skip outside of Pansa and clinically squeeze a shot past Patiwat Khammai in at the far post -- despite having made the angle tricker for himself.
Rafaelson had further chances to complete his hat-trick, which would effectively have killed off the contest even ahead of Sunday's return encounter.
On those occasions, Thailand will be grateful they were able to keep him at bay even though plenty of damage had been done.
And, with a Chalermsak header into the 83rd minute after he had stayed forward following an attacking set-piece, the War Elephants were able to pull one back -- which should give them renewed hope heading into the second leg.
There is still plenty to play for.
Yet, if Thailand were not already aware of the opponent they must stop in Bangkok on Sunday, they will be now.
It is the man who is threatening to singlehandedly win Vietnam the ASEAN Championship.