Laos lost to Myanmar in the last 6 minutes

Laos caused a shock when they held Indonesia to a 3-3 draw away from home. Therefore, they started the match very confidently when visiting Yangon today. The team from the land of a million elephants almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Phanthavong stole the ball from the Myanmar midfielder and faced goalkeeper Nyi Nyi Aung but was caught.

Just 3 minutes later, Phanthavong had another chance to threaten the goal, but his diagonal shot was cleared out of bounds by defender Thiha Htet Aung. In the 12th minute, Khounthoumphone received the ball comfortably in the penalty area but when he turned around, his shot lacked power and was caught by the goalkeeper.

In the 20th minute, Laos created the clearest opportunity when they attacked the left wing, then passed the ball to defender Lueanthala who entered the penalty area opposite the home team's goalkeeper. However, instead of shooting immediately, Lueanthala dribbled past the goalkeeper and shot over the bar.

Myanmar still has a great chance to reach the semi-finals if they beat Laos, but playing at home, they could not dominate their opponents. In the first 30 minutes, the home team could not keep the ball, allowing Laos to run wild. If the away strikers were more disciplined and accurate, Myanmar's net could have shaken many times.

In the 31st minute, Myanmar had their first dangerous chance when striker Maung Maung Lwin broke through the goal and shot from a tight angle. The ball went through the hands of the Lao goalkeeper, but centre-back Somsanid saved it on the goal line. But the home team only had to wait one more minute to make a breakthrough. From a cross from the right wing into the penalty area, the ball hit Win Naing Tun's head, inadvertently creating an opportunity for Lwin Moe Aung to comfortably head the ball to open the score.

In 12 matches against Laos, Myanmar won eight and drew only four, including a 2-2 draw at the 2022 AFF Cup. Therefore, the 1-0 score made them not safe and had to attack continuously. In the 49th minute, Myanmar coordinated a good free kick, the ball was hung into the penalty area by Maung Maung Lwin for Thiha Zaw to jump high and head the ball but missed the goal from two meters away.

Unlike the first half when they were pressured, in the second half, the home team played better and continuously threatened the opponent's goal. Maung Maung Lwin shot into the Laotian net after a cross from Win Naing Tun, but Win Naing Tun was offside first. In the 61st minute, Maung Maung Lwin escaped to shoot into the Laotian net but the referee raised the offside flag.

In a match where the home team was pressing them to the point of suffocation, the Lao players fought hard to clear the area and then launched a sharp counterattack. In the 77th minute, Phanthavong entered the penalty area and was blocked by the Myanmar goalkeeper and defenders. Despite falling, the striker still tried to knock the ball out and the home team goalkeeper Zin Nyi Nyi Aung made a mistake and let the ball fly, creating an opportunity for Kydavone Souvanny to score an empty net to tie the score at 1-1. This goal meant that Laos had scored against their opponents in all four matches played in this year's tournament.

Laos had stunned Indonesia with their sharp counter-attacks, and this time, Myanmar were the victims. In the 81st minute, they counter-attacked on the left wing before Thongkhamsavath passed the ball to Chony Waenpaseuth, who ran past the goalkeeper and fired into the far corner, making it 2-1.

If this result is maintained, Laos will have five points after four matches and have a glimmer of hope to enter the semi-finals for the first time. However, with the young U22 players, having to travel, playing continuously every three days and lacking experience, the away team could not maintain the result. In the 87th minute, from a corner kick, the Myanmar striker headed the ball but was pushed away by the Lao goalkeeper, but then Win Moe Aung's rebound hit the ground and passed to Win Naing Tun, who comfortably headed the ball from close range to tie the score at 2-2.

Myanmar had to win to advance to the final match against Vietnam for a ticket to the semi-finals. Therefore, they poured in a flurry of attacks in the final minutes and enjoyed the fruits of their labor in the 90+3 minute. Striker Win Naing Tun escaped and headed comfortably in the penalty area but was pushed out by the Lao goalkeeper but he continued to shoot the rebound into the net to seal a 3-2 comeback victory for the home team.

The victory gave Myanmar four points - equal to Indonesia, before visiting Vietnam at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho in the final round. To advance, Myanmar needs to beat Vietnam and wait for Indonesia or the Philippines to stumble. Meanwhile, Laos said goodbye to the ASEAN Cup 2022 with 2 points, along with 7 goals scored, their record number in the history of the tournament.