All throughout the 2024-25 ASEAN Club Championship, Thai League 1 champions Buriram United and Công An Hà Nội of Vietnam never failed to fully showcase their plethora of quality and attacking intent.
Yet, as a torrential downpour began hours ahead of Wednesday's final second leg at Chang Arena in Buriram, it began to look as though more would be needed to decide where the trophy was headed -- especially with the tie evenly poised at 2-2 from last week's opening encounter.
Heroes would emerge. But more so than through ability alone, sheer desire loomed as the defining attribute.
Two protagonists would emerge. One looked certain to be the headline act with the final whistle beckoning. Up to that point, the other had played a bit-part role.
Still, following a thrilling turn of events, it is Buriram who are the new champions of Southeast Asia -- having come from two goals down with just seven minutes remaining to force a 3-3 draw after extra-time, and staggeringly 5-5 on aggregate, before dramatically prevailing 3-2 on penalties.
It was an outcome that never looked on the cards from the time CAHN made a mockery of the waterlogged pitch to take the lead with a brilliant passage of play in the 15th minute.
Latching onto a loose ball on the only spot of turf that perhaps had not retained any rainwater, Jason Pendant proceeded to exchanged a couple of lovely one-twos with Léo Artur and Nguyễn Quang Hải -- the second involving an exquisite back-flick by the Vietnam international -- to break free inside the area and calmly slot a shot past Chatchai Budprom.
While CAHN have had no shortage of scorers throughout the campaign, there were previous occasions when they had to call upon some unlikely heroes -- particularly in the semifinals when goals from defenders Hugo Gomes and Bùi Hoàng Việt Anh bagged the crucial goals that overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit against PSM Makassar.
With Pendant having already continued that trend, Gomes would then play his part again -- venturing forward for a corner and then showing great determination to keep the attack alive and eventually winning a penalty upon VAR review.
Léo Artur would make no mistake in sending Chatchai the wrong way from the spot. CAHN were 2-0 up inside 39 minutes with Buriram, and the majority of the 31,290 in attendance, left stunned.
Still, as impressive as their quality had been in spite of the conditions, sheer grit was always still going to be needed to get the job done -- especially as rain continued to pour down at Chang Arena.
And no one displayed such desire more than CAHN goalkeeper Filiip Nguyen.
Right before halftime, Filip produced a flying save to keep out a towering header by Martin Boakye before having to be alert after Guilherme Bissoli had ghosted in behind his defence and threatened his goal.
As the second half kicked off, it was hardly surprising that it was largely one-way traffic with Buriram showing increased urgency while the visitors did have a cushion to sit back and defend.
In all honesty, CAHN did not particularly do a great job at the defending but it did not seem to matter at the time with Filip having the performance of his life.
Be it a smart save down low to deny Lucas Crispim or claiming a high ball with authority under intense pressure by an aggressive Supachai Jaided, the 32-year-old was equal to any task.
In the 74th minute, Filip produced a stop that initially promised to be the defining moment of the contest.
As the ball was lofted into the CAHN box, Pansa Hemviboon guided a header back across the face of goal to find an unmarked Boakye, who looked destined to score from six yards out.
Somehow -- with a stunning reflex move that saw him stick out his left arm -- Filip would claw the attempt to safety, before Việt Anh followed up with an important block on Pansa's effort on the rebound.
Filip's brave resistance would finally be broken with seven minutes remaining. After such a herculean effort, there was nothing he could do as Buriram's persistence finally paid off.
A speculative effort from outside the area by Crispim arrowed into the path of Supachai and, while he was probably attempting to bring the ball under the control, he inadvertently turned provider as he diverted it into the path of Peter Žulj -- who would expertly find the bottom corner on the swivel.
It still was not going to be enough for Buriram. CAHN only had four minutes of stoppage time to see out but, given a number of delays, play was allowed to continue until the 98th minute.
Then, the final turned on its head with the award of a freekick to Buriram.
From all of 25 yards out, with one final desperate roll of the dice, Crispim swung his right foot at the dead ball with pure fury.
For the first time on the night, Filip looked a mere mortal. Rooted to the spot, he could only watch on in despair as Crispim's superb effort rocked in off the underside of the bar.
As legs got heavier with extra-time now in play, Crispim's never stopped motoring on. For all the Brazilian flair he possesses, he also brings plenty of the endeavour that would see him emerge as Buriram's saviour.
For the third time in succession, Crispim would be involved in a Buriram goal in the 105th minute.
Leading a charge down the right, the 30-yard-old's attempted cross clattered into Giáp Tuấn Dương and out for a corner -- but there was a greater reward to come as the referee penalised the CAHN substitute for handball and awarded a penalty.
Just as Léo Artur had done previously, Bissoli would keep his cool from 12 yards -- sending his spot-kick straight down the middle as the hosts took the lead for the first time across both legs.
Just when it looked as though a stirring comeback had been completed, CAHN issued a response of their own with in the 118th minute -- a moment which Chatchai would probably not look back fondly on.
Having made a decent flying save to push an effort wide, the ex-Thailand international immediately turned to the fans behind him and started lapping up their adulation even though fulltime was still a few minutes away
From the resultant corner, Chatchai would charge off his line only to flap under the delivery -- allowing Alan Grafite to climb at the far post and send a header home.
With penalties beckoning, it appeared that Filip had one final chance to emerge as the bigger of the two heroes.
Crispim was always going to play a less-influential role in the shootout even if he did convert Buriram's second attempt, while Filip would rise to the occasion by keeping out efforts from Boakye and Kenny Dougall.
What neither of them would have been counting on was that, while they taken turns being the protagonist up till that point, there was a villain-turned-hero waiting in the wings.
Staring his opponents straight down the eye, Chatchai would make back-to-back saves from Pendant and Gomes to put Buriram in control of the proceedings.
And even when Dougall's failure to convert Buriram's fifth attempt provided CAHN with an opportunity to extend the shootout, Chatchai ensured that would not be required as he dived to his right and brilliantly denied Việt Anh to win it all for his side.
Considering what a thriller the final had been across both legs, it was arguably fitting that it had to be settled in such a manner.
Two heroes on either side promised to be the decisive figure all evening long.
The villain-turned-hero had the last laugh.