Vietnam Women's National Team 7-0 Malaysia: Coach Cornelli admits defeat.

The Vietnamese women's national team defeated Malaysia 7-0 in their opening match of the SEA Games 33. Hai Yen opened the scoring in the 4th minute, and Thai Thi Thao scored a hat-trick. After the match, Malaysia's coach Joel Cornelli acknowledged the clear difference in quality and organization of play, while also praising midfielder Bich Thuy.

Early goal, one-sided game.

From the moment the opening whistle blew, Vietnam completely dominated the game and scored in the 4th minute thanks to Hai Yen. This early goal shaped the match, ushering in a first half where the red-shirted players controlled possession, attacked relentlessly, and gave Malaysia no significant chance to retaliate.

The lead was steadily extended with six more goals, sealing a 7-0 victory and a clean sheet. Thai Thi Thao's hat-trick was a highlight of the smooth performance of Vietnam's attack.

Coach Joel Cornelli: "The Vietnamese national team is too strong."

Speaking after the match, coach Joel Cornelli frankly stated: "The Malaysian women's team tried to start the game as best they could. But our opponent, the Vietnamese women's team, is of vastly different quality. My players tried to play football, to implement their ideas, but the gap between the two teams was simply too big."

Assessing the opponent, he said: "The Vietnamese team is too strong, too different. You have very high-quality players, a very well-organized playing style, and have been playing together for many years. Today I saw many outstanding players in the Vietnamese women's national team. The entire Vietnamese team has a very strong fighting spirit. Among them, I was most impressed by Bich Thuy."

What makes the difference?

Coach Cornelli's comments highlight the core difference: organization and cohesion. Vietnam maintained a stable playing structure, implementing clear and synchronized ideas. From the opening goal in the 4th minute to the subsequent attacks, the precision in their coordination and discipline allowed the red-shirted team to control both space and tempo, while Malaysia struggled to execute their attacking ideas.

Individually, Thai Thi Thao stood out with a hat-trick, Hai Yen set the stage with an early goal, while Bich Thuy impressed the Malaysian side with her quality and influence on the game.

Selective statistics

Malaysia's front

In the next round, Malaysia will face Myanmar, the 2025 Southeast Asian champions. Coach Cornelli affirmed: "The Malaysian team will try to reorganize their playing style in order to conclude the SEA Games 33 with the best possible result."

CTVX