Vietnam come from behind twice to salvage a draw against Myanmar | AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022

After more than 90 minutes of engaging football, both Vietnam and Myanmar had to settle for a 2-2 draw in the final round of Group C fixtures in the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 on Thursday. Myanmar went ahead twice but couldn't hold their lead at either point.

Right from the get-go, the encounter unraveled as a boxing match with both Vietnam and Myanmar exchanging blows. Although Myanmar looked better in possession, Vietnam kept hitting them on the break.

Right at the first-quarter mark, Myanmar had a glorious chance when Noe Khin Myat found Tun Win Theingi with a looping cross from a corner. However, Win Theingi's header was right at the Vietnamese keeper.

But in the 26th minute, Myanmar had a clear opportunity to go ahead when Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha brought down winger Noe Khin Myat inside the box. Tun Win Theingi calmly placed the resulting penalty in the bottom left corner with the keeper cemented to her position.

After Myanmar took the lead, Vietnam upped the ante, constantly testing opposition goalkeeper May Zin Nwe with goal-bound attempts. It was all Vietnam from that moment. However, in the additional minutes of the first half, the Golden Star Girls found the elusive equalizer.

In the second minute of injury time, Vietnam won a corner and Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung attempted a curling shot directly from an acute angle. The ball looped over the head of Zin New and landed into the back of the goal. The two teams went into half-time with the scores leveled.

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Vietnam keep matching Myanmar blow for blow through the second half

Coming out after the break, it was Myanmar's opportunity to retaliate. Although Vietnam carried the initial surge, the Burmese side hit them on the break in the 49th minute.

Tun Win Theingi darted down the right flank and she crossed the ball into the box. Tun Khin Marlar arrived at the end of the looping ball and volleyed it home past the keeper. Myanmar were in the lead yet again.

However, around 10 minutes later, Saw Thaw Thaw brought down Nguyen Anh Thi My inside the Myanmar penalty box and Vietnam had a golden opportunity to equalize. Huynh Nhu deceived the keeper and tucked the penalty into the right corner, restoring parity.

For the rest of the second half, the sides couldn't be separated as the sparring continued with neither landing the kill shot. Both sides had half chances but nothing too significant to break the deadlock.

The draw keeps Vietnam in the third spot while Myanmar's journey in this year's AFC Women's Asian Cup comes to an end after finishing fourth. Meanwhile, Vietnam will have to wait until the Group B matches conclude later on Thursday to find out their fate in the knockout stage. The two best third-placed teams will join the respective group winners and runners-up in the quarter-finals.