Huynh Nhu shines, Vietnam women's team defeats Thailand, wins 2025 Southeast Asian Bronze Medal

On the afternoon of August 19, the Vietnamese women's team entered the third-place match of the 2025 Southeast Asian Championship against Thailand. After the unfortunate defeat against U23 Australia in the semi-finals, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team were determined to win the Bronze Medal to complete the tournament.

Right after the opening whistle, Thailand was the better team. After only about 2 minutes, Kim Thanh had to show off her talent to save the opponent's long-range shot. In the following minutes, the away team continued to put pressure on, forcing the Vietnamese defense to retreat deep to defend.

In the 7th minute, Huynh Nhu had a quick dribble on the left wing but was closely marked by two Thai defenders, unable to finish. After a period of pressure, coach Mai Duc Chung's students gradually regained control of the game. Around the 16th minute, Bich Thuy crossed the ball accurately for Thai Thi Thao to jump high and head the ball, but unfortunately it went over the bar.

The match became more heated in the 18th minute when Huynh Nhu made a delicate backheel pass for Bich Thuy to escape. She fell in the penalty area after colliding with Madison Casteen, but the referee refused to award a penalty, and VAR did not intervene.

From the middle of the first half, the match was tense. In the 35th minute, Hai Yen skillfully dribbled past Natcha on the left wing, forcing her to commit a foul and receive a yellow card. In the final minutes of the half, Vietnam created great pressure. In the 39th minute, Huynh Nhu's shot was blocked, the ball bounced to Thai Thi Thao's feet for her to volley, but the shot went just wide of the crossbar.

The continuous efforts finally paid off. At the 45th minute, with a smart pass that eliminated the entire Thai defense, Hai Yen broke through and decisively finished, opening the score 1-0 for the Vietnamese women's team. The first half ended with a score of 1-0.

In the second half, Thailand went all out on the attack. Just a few minutes after the ball started, Casteen and Jinantuya had consecutive chances in the penalty area, but could not overcome the brilliance of goalkeeper Kim Thanh. The solidity of the defense helped coach Mai Duc Chung's players stand firm against the suffocating pressure.

After successfully defending, the Vietnamese women's team launched sharp counterattacks. In the 54th minute, a clear opportunity appeared in Thailand's penalty area but the strikers failed to take advantage of it. In the 58th minute, coach Mai Duc Chung sent Van Su in to replace Hai Yen to refresh the attack.

The tactical adjustments quickly took effect. In the 65th minute, the Thai defense made a mistake, Huynh Nhu took advantage of the opportunity, missing two shots but still putting the ball in the net, doubling the gap. Just three minutes later, it was Bich Thuy's turn to make her mark with a powerful diagonal shot, raising the score to 3-0.

In the final minutes of the match, Thailand did not give up and continued to search for an equalizer. In the 87th minute, from a corner kick, the Vietnamese defense was confused and Kwaenkasikarm took advantage of the opportunity, heading the ball to shorten the score to 1-3. The late goal helped the opponent rise strongly, but the remaining time was not enough for them to create a surprise.

The Vietnamese women's team continued to play with focus, maintaining their advantage until the referee blew the final whistle. In the end, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team won 3-1, thereby bringing home the precious Bronze Medal at the 2025 Southeast Asian Championship./.