Achitpol handed Thailand an early advantage with a third-minute opener, but it was Le Quoc Nhat Nam who was on target in the second half to earn Vietnam a draw.
The result left Vietnam and Thailand level on 10 points following four group matches; however, the Thais advanced to the last four as the group winners thanks to their better goal difference (7:5).
Vietnam headed into the Thailand clash targeting a win to conquer the group’s top spot. Yet, their ambition was dealt a blow after just three minutes as Achitpol made use of Luong Duy Cuong’s slippery to burst down before comfortably beating goalkeeper Huy Hoang to open the scoring.
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Le Quoc Nhat Nam celebrates after equalising the score for Vietnam |
Thailand threatened to double their lead in the 25th minute but Huy Hoang successfully saved Achitpol’s attempt in a one-on-one.
After the break, Vietnam intensified their attacks and created a number of clear-cut opportunities, one of which was converted into an equaliser by Nhat Nam six minutes before the hour mark.
In the remainder of the match, Philippe Troussier’s troops retained their pressure and came close to scoring several times, but goalkeeper Thirawooth’s brilliance prevented Thailand from conceding more goals after strikes by Van Truong, Van Khang and Thai Son.
Given the draw, Vietnam are level with Thailand on 10 points but finish second in Group B on goal differences. The defending champions will play Indonesia in the semi-finals, while Thailand will compete against Group A runners-up Myanmar.
Both semi-final clashes are set to take place on May 13, with the title decider scheduled three days later.
