Stop exaggerating.

(Baonghean)May 21, 2014 was a memorable day for Vietnamese football, as for the first time, our women's football team had the opportunity to turn their dream into reality, just 90 minutes away from qualifying for the Women's World Cup against a relatively evenly matched opponent. However, that dream was shattered by the girls from Thailand. The VFF officials who attended the match, having prepared their speeches for the media, were left regretting the missed opportunity to enhance their image.

The Vietnamese women's national team missed out on the World Cup. Photo: TTVN

With the home advantage and more rest time than their Thai opponents, our girls entered the play-off match carrying the expectations of millions of football fans in the country. However, that very expectation put psychological pressure on Coach Tran Van Phat's players, causing them to lose their composure and stumble at the gates of heaven. This very unfortunate loss brought us "back down to earth," shedding our fleeting dreams and drawing many lessons for the development strategy of Vietnamese football. The fact that the female players fought tenaciously and reached the Asian Championship finals and the play-off match for a World Cup qualification spot is highly commendable.

Although our girls didn't realize their dream, in the eyes of the fans, they are still heroes, who fought their hearts out for the national flag, igniting hope and encouragement for Vietnamese football. However, the reality is that women's football has received very little attention in the past; even the female players had to go without food to save money for expenses. Recently, recognizing the potential for the women's national teams to achieve a miracle, VFF and General Department of Sports officials have been calling for "maximum investment." Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia, Thailand has had a long-standing, systematic training strategy, with players currently playing in Japan, so their qualification for the World Cup is well-deserved and not just a matter of luck or opportunism like ours.

Some argue that this defeat might actually be good for Vietnamese football, because competing in the World Cup isn't about luck and willpower; success requires superior technical and tactical skills and physical fitness. With their current capabilities, if given the chance to play on the world stage, our girls could easily become mere "punching bags" or make a fool of themselves against overwhelmingly stronger opponents. And with this defeat, VFF officials will no longer have the opportunity to "talk big" but must instead get down to business, to work systematically and professionally, to guide Vietnamese football towards higher achievements.

Duc Dung