HO CHI MINH CITY (8 May 2015) – Thailand made the final of the AFF Women’s Championship after beating hosts Vietnam 2-1 in extra-time in the second semi-finals that was played here at the Thong Nhat Stadium.
With the win, the defending champions will take on Myanmar in the final match of the tournament this year in two days at the same venue.
“I thought that we were lucky,” said Thai coach Nuengrutai Srithongvian. “We had a few chances to score but we managed to find the back of the net twice. The game was very long so credit to the players for their commitment.”
With several thousands supporting the Vietnam girls from the stands, it was no surprise that it was the home team who were the early aggressors. And it was Vietnam who scored first in the 31st minute when off a Tran Thi Thuy Trang corner, striker Nguyen Thi Lieu headed in the ball from the far post.
Thailand maintained their cool all the way into the second half and just seven minutes after the restart, they got their equalizer when Nisa Romyen beat her marker Nguyen Hai Hoa to score.
The game went into higher after that but neither side could find the winner which forced the game into extra time. And just two minutes in a long ball from deep, saw Nisa racing forward to lob the ball past the oncoming Vietnam keeper Dang Thi Kieu Trinh.
With cramps seeping into the Thai squad, the game was stopped several times and where at one point, they even had to play with just nine players on the field.
But in the end, it was just too late for Vietnam to change the inevitable.
“We need to change some of the ways in which the Vietnam players approached the game,” said Vietnam coach Takashi Norimatsu. “We might not have beaten Thailand today but that does not mean that we cannot beat them in the future. We have a lot of work still to do.”
SEMI-FINALS
RESULT
8 May 2015
Australia 0 Myanmar 1
Vietnam 1 Thailand 2 (after extra-time)
FIXTURES (10 May 2015)
THIRD & FOURTH PLACING – Australia U20 vs Vietnam (1600)
FINAL – Myanmar vs Thailand (1900)
