Vietnam women's team awarded one billion dong

Unable to reach the highest position in the 2016 Southeast Asian Nations Championship, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team were still highly rewarded by the Vietnam Football Federation.

In the final match with Thailand yesterday, August 4,The Vietnamese players were behind in the seventh minute, from a header into their own goal by defender Chuong Thi Kieu. However, like most of the tournament this year, the girls in red still played resiliently, creating countless scoring opportunities and in the 87th minute, they were able to equalize 1-1 thanks to veteran striker Minh Nguyet.

In the two extra periods, the Vietnamese team continued to play better, putting pressure on the opponent. However, their failure to take full advantage of their opportunities cost them. After nine penalty kicks, the Vietnamese team lost 5-6. Among the team's four missed shots, there was a controversial situation by Nguyen Thi Lieu in the sixth round.

The Vietnamese women's team (red) had a proud tournament.

The pain of Minh Nguyet and her teammates was perhaps somewhat eased by the positive response from home fans. In the group stage, the Vietnamese team scored 20 goals and did not concede any - including a 2-0 victory over Thailand. In the semi-finals, they went through a tough battle, drawing 3-3 after the match, before narrowly winning in the penalty shootout.

Immediately after the final match, the Vietnam Football Federation sent words of encouragement to coach Mai Duc Chung and his team, and decided to reward them with one billion VND for their runner-up achievement.

Former player Doan Thi Kim Chi from her hometown also promptly sent words of encouragement to her juniors by sharing on social media: "Don't cry, everyone is very proud of you."

Coach Mai Duc Chung expressed regret after the match that his players missed the chance to win the title because they played better but failed to take advantage of the opportunity. However, he was satisfied because the players played well and their physical strength had clearly improved.

Today, August 5, the Vietnamese women's team will return home. The whole team flew together from Mandalay (Myanmar) to Bangkok (Thailand), then split into two routes to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

According to VNE