With a 2-1 victory over Myanmar, the Vietnamese women's team has a strong chance of reaching the final of the 2012 AFF Cup.

The match between the Vietnamese and Myanmar women's teams on the afternoon of September 17th was considered evenly matched. Furthermore, the host team, Vietnam, needed a win to have a good chance of reaching the final, as it would likely allow them to avoid Thailand, currently leading Group B, in the semi-final.

The match between Vietnam and Myanmar is considered the most exciting since the tournament opened. Photo: Anh Tài

Due to the importance of the match, both teams started cautiously. In the 8th minute, during a breakthrough into the penalty area, Kim Tien was fouled by the Myanmar defense. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. However, Kim Hong, who took the penalty kick, hit goalkeeper May Khin and bounced away. Luckily, she was quick to pounce on the rebound and score, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.

With an early goal, Coach Tran Van Phat's players became even more enthusiastic and took the initiative. However, their relentless attacking cost Vietnam dearly in the 39th minute. From a corner kick, captain San San Maw scored a beautiful header to equalize 1-1 for Myanmar, much to the surprise of the Vietnamese defense.

In the second half, Myanmar controlled the tempo of the match and drew Coach Tran Van Phat's players into their style of play. In the 65th minute, the visiting team was reduced to ten men when Zar Chi Oo (5) fouled Nguyen Thi Xuyen and received a red card.

In the 69th minute, Hai Hoa committed a foul against a visiting player inside the penalty area, and referee Kate pointed to the penalty spot. However, goalkeeper Kieu Trinh made an excellent save for Vietnam from San San Maw's penalty kick.

In a tense match, in the 76th minute, Chuong Thi Kieu became the hero with a spectacular overhead kick that put Vietnam ahead 2-1.

With a 2-1 victory, the Vietnamese team topped Group B and seems to have a very good chance of reaching the final if Thailand finishes first in Group B after this afternoon's match; in that case, Vietnam would face Laos in the semi-final.

According to Bongdaplus.vn - National Team