HÀ NÔI — Lê Công Vinh’s 50th goal for the national team secured a 2-1 win for Việt Nam over hosts Myanmar in the ASEAN Football Federation’s Group B second match yesterday in Yangon.

Lương Xuân Trường kicked off the attack from the centre, passing the ball to attacking midfielder Nguyễn Trọng Hoàng who went right near the goal line, giving Vinh just enough time to net it from a very close range in the 79th minute.

It was Vinh’s 14th goal in the AFF Cup. He needs three more goals to share the first position with overall top scorer Noh Alam Shah of Singapore.

Earlier, Nguyễn Văn Quyết opened the score 23 minutes into the game.

Quyết converted Việt Nam’s domination into a lead with his smart goal, driving the ball past Myanmar’s goalie and defenders into the net.

It was again Trường who threaded a ball through to Quyết who finished with aplomb.

It answered the question why Trường has been listed as a nominee for the MVP title and is a young player to watch at the Cup.

Earlier, Nguyễn Văn Toàn and Trần Đình Đồng were unlucky to see their shots go wide in the early stages of the game.

Myanman’s only goal was sandwiched between Việt Nam’s winners.

After a lot of attempts, the hosts gradually got some grip on the game and found a hole in Việt Nam’s defence.

Undeterred, Aung Thu, who missed a threatening chance minutes after the interval, tried again in the 73rd minute when he was rewarded as his blistering strike swiveled into the goal.

Earlier, Myanmar could have leveled matters just before the break but Win Niang Soe lashed his shot just over the bar after doing well to get into the box.

In the second match on Wednesday, Việt Nam will play Malaysia who came from behind to beat Cambodia 3-2 in an earlier match of the group, also at Thuwanna Stadium.

Myanmar will play Cambodia in a later game. Both two sides must win this match to maintain their chances for the knock-out stage.

In the Group A’s activities on Saturday, Thailand’s Teerasil Dangda scored a hattrick in their 4-2 win over Indonesia at Philippines Sports Stadium in Bocaue City.

The Thais were up 2-0 at half time following goals scored by Peerapat Notchaiya and Teerasil, but the Indonesians equalised just before the hour mark with a

two-goal flurry from Boas Salossa and Lerby Eliandry.

However, striker Teerasil, the first Thai to play in Spain’s Primera Liga, restored Thailand’s lead in the 79th minute, running onto a through ball from Sarach Yooyen.

Teerasil wrapped up the score four minutes into injury time after more fine work from Sarach, who charged into the box and crossed for the striker.

The Thais, the last Southeast Asian squad still in the running for the 2018 World Cup, played the last two Suzuki Cup finals and are bidding to become the first country to win the Southeast Asian competition five times.

Joint hosts the Philippines later played out a goalless draw against Singapore. — AFP/VNS