Substitute Vu Van Thanh scored with a stunning 88th-minute drive to earn Vietnam a 2-2 draw with defending champions Thailand in the first leg of their Asean Championship final in Hanoi on Friday.
Van Thanh smashed a low shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards to level the scores for Park Hang-seo's side after second-half strikes from Poramet Arjvirai and Sarach Yooyen had cancelled out Nguyen Tien Linh's first-half opener.
Thailand will host the second leg in Pathum Thani on Monday chasing a record-extending seventh Southeast Asian title while Vietnam will be looking to claim the trophy for the third time.
The Vietnamese took the lead when Que Ngoc Hai gathered a crossfield ball before swinging in a low cross that Tien Linh met with a diving header to Kampol Pathomkkakul's left.
Thailand, though, cranked up the pressure, Peeradon Chamratsamee forcing Dang Van Lam to push a shot from distance away for a corner while Sasalak Haiprakhon steered wide soon after.
With three minutes remaining in the half, Theerathon Bunmathan's free kick hit the crossbar as Mano Polking's side continued to press.
Their efforts paid off eight minutes into the second half, with Theerathon involved again.
The former Yokohama F Marinos fullback, playing in central midfield, pinged a pass behind the defence for Poramet, who cut back onto his right foot before smashing past Van Lam.
Theerathon unlocked the Vietnamese defence once more in the 63rd minute, his pass from deep cutting through the backline to release Sarach, and he stroked the ball beyond Van Lam.
However, Thailand's defence failed to clear a late corner and Van Thanh's perfectly hit strike arrowed in to level the scores while four minutes into injury time Van Lam's late save denied Ekanit
Read more on channelnewsasia.com
channelnewsasia.com
