AfterSEA Games 32,The Vietnamese women's team will begin training to prepare for the 2023 Women's World Cup finals. The team will have training trips in Europe, including a friendly match with Germany, before attending the World Cup in July.

The Vietnamese women's team had their first practice session after making history at the 32nd SEA Games. Photo: Hai Hoang

Sharing before the afternoon practice session on May 23, midfielder Thuy Trang said: Last week, I took 2 days off to visit my family. Currently, my goal is to work hard with the whole team to practice and compete well at the 2023 World Cup. I don't have any further goals yet.

Midfielder Thuy Trang shares before the afternoon practice session on May 23. Photo: Hai Hoang

Coach Mai Duc Chung told us to try to focus on the upcoming tournament, forget about winning and focus on the task at hand to do well. Although we won the Gold Medal at the 32nd SEA Games, the team still has weaknesses so we have to try harder, including poor finishing ability and missing many opportunities.

Thuy Trang practices hard with the Vietnamese women's team. Photo: Hai Hoang

In addition, the absence of Chuong Thi Kieu is a big loss for the women's team. The defenders sometimes lose focus, that is a shortcoming. For me, through each match, even though my teammates and I make mistakes, we all acknowledge and try to overcome them. I believe the whole team will have better results in the future.

Chuong Thi Kieu has not yet recovered from her injury and still has to practice separately. Photo: Hai Hoang

Thuy Trang also said that the whole team had learned a lot after 5 matches at SEA Games 32. "In terms of physical strength, despite the harsh weather in Cambodia, the whole team tried their best. The physical strength of the Vietnamese women's team was worn out, but with the will and spirit of the team, we achieved success. All opponents at SEA Games 32 were strong, equal to Vietnam. The Philippines has good physique and a similar playing style to Europe. Facing opponents like the Philippines, we learned lessons to better prepare for the 2023 World Cup," the midfielder wearing the number 8 shirt shared.

The Vietnamese women's team players had their first practice session in a very relaxed mood. Photo: Hai Hoang

On June 5, the Vietnamese women's team began their second training period in Germany, participating in three friendly matches with Eintracht Frankfurt (June 10), Short Mainz (June 15) and the German women's team (June 24). During this time, the Vietnamese women's team will also have a short trip to Poland and have a friendly match with U23 Poland on June 21.

According to Thuy Trang, the training trip in Germany will help the players prepare better for the 2023 World Cup: "Apart from the German women's team, the remaining opponents all have good physique and tactical awareness. This is a good training trip for us to prepare for the 2023 World Cup."