Vietnam women's national team wins 7-0 against Malaysia, AFC congratulates them on their opening match.

The Vietnamese women's national team started the SEA Games 33 with a 7-0 victory over Malaysia to take the lead in Group B, on the day the AFC Women's Football sent congratulations with the message: "A 7-star start to the SEA Games 33 Gold Medal campaign." The tactical highlights were the crosses from the flanks and aerial attacks, while the decisive moment was a hat-trick by Thai Thi Thao in just 31 minutes after coming on at the start of the second half.

The crucial moment: Thai Thi Thao came onto the field and sealed the match.

Coach Mai Duc Chung brought on Thai Thi Thao immediately after halftime. In the 47th minute, the midfielder wearing number 11 instantly increased the score to 5-0. In the 59th minute, she scored again, before completing her hat-trick in the 78th minute. A substitute player scoring three goals in the second half demonstrates the difference in personnel quality and the ability to adjust the tempo of the Vietnamese women's national team.

Match developments: Aerial duels and crosses from the flanks unlock Malaysia's potential.

Vietnam opened the scoring in the 4th minute. From a cross from the right wing by Nguyen Thi Hoa, the Malaysian goalkeeper misjudged the ball, allowing Hai Yen to seize the opportunity and score. In the 22nd minute, a similar scenario occurred: a cross from the left wing by Hai Linh caused goalkeeper Ezza Ashikin to misjudge the ball's trajectory, creating an opportunity for Bich Thuy to head the ball into the net.

In the 27th minute, the score was 3-0. Van Su made a through pass into the penalty area, Hai Yen broke the offside trap and headed the ball into the net against Malaysia. In the 32nd minute, Truc Huong crossed from the right wing, and Hai Linh connected with a shot to make it 4-0. Towards the end of the first half, Vietnam had three consecutive chances but failed to convert them into goals.

Summary of goals

Tactical analysis: Exploiting the vertical axis and the space behind the goalkeeper.

Vietnam proactively exploited Malaysia's weakness in anticipating aerial balls. Crosses from both flanks constantly put the opposing goalkeeper at a disadvantage, leading to the first two goals and a series of threatening situations. When the opponent dropped deep, through passes like Van Su's opened up space behind the defense, allowing Hai Yen to break the offside trap.

After the break, the presence of Thai Thi Thao added strength to Vietnam's attacking prowess and one-touch finishing ability. Vietnam maintained a high intensity of attack for the final 10 minutes and nearly scored an eighth goal when Ngoc Minh Chuyen's 89th-minute shot hit the post.

React

The AFC Women's Football homepage posted a series of photos and a message: "A 7-star start to the campaign for the SEA Games 33 Gold Medal."

Coach Mai Duc Chung said: “The opening match of the SEA Games, whether in men's or women's football, is always very difficult. Today, the Vietnamese women's team overcame Malaysia - a team that is improving and had good results against Bangladesh. I always remind the players to stay focused and luckily we were able to get the victory.”

Impact and schedule

With a 7-0 victory, the Vietnamese women's national team took the lead in Group B after the first round of matches. In the next round on December 8th, they will face the Philippines.

Selective statistics

• Score: Vietnam 7-0 Malaysia.
• Hat-trick: Thai Thi Thao (47', 59', 78').
• Two goals by Hai Yen (4', 27'); Bich Thuy (22'); Hai Linh (32').
• Three consecutive chances at the end of the first half went unanswered; in the 89th minute, Ngoc Minh Chuyen's shot hit the post.