Vietnam vs Japan 0-4: Learn from the Japanese
According to Thethaovanhoa.vn
Before the match, many fans dreamed of a surprising scenario, a common part of football: Vietnam earning points against Japan, not just one but three points, to secure a direct ticket to the World Cup finals. However, the reality on the field proved that idea to be far-fetched. The vast difference in skill between the two footballing nations was clearly reflected in this encounter.
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| Despite their best efforts, the Vietnamese women's national team (right) has yet to play against the Japanese women's national team. Photo: Quang Nhựt |
After the draw against Australia, Japan was determined to find a victory to break their losing streak. True to the never-give-up spirit of the Japanese, the girls from the Land of the Rising Sun played with great intensity.
On the other side of the pitch, the home team showed no signs of giving up. The aggressive style of play from both teams intensified the match due to the strong tackles from players on both sides. In one-on-one challenges, the Vietnamese women's team was consistently at a disadvantage. In many instances, the Vietnamese girls were forced to lie on the ground after being tackled by their opponents.
In this match, coach Tran Van Phat made only two changes, with midfielders Kim Hong and Le Thi Thuong sitting out. However, he still used the attacking duo of Minh Nguyet and Thanh Huong as the furthest forwards.
The Vietnamese women's team continued to play a high-pressure game across the entire field, making it difficult for the Japanese to control the match as they wished. In many situations, the Japanese girls, in their anger, didn't kick the ball out of bounds but continued to attack even when a Japanese player was already on the ground. The first half had 5 minutes of added time.
Coach Tran Van Phat's players, with their aggressive pressing style from afar, kept Kieu Trinh's goal secure for the first 45 minutes. However, a moment of brilliance from an individual on the visiting team in injury time forced the home side to surrender with a tricky long-range shot from Kawasumi.
This goal conceded truly relieved a great deal of pressure on the reigning world champions. In the second half, the visitors continued to dominate the game and scored three more goals. In the 67th minute, Kiryu, who had just come on as a substitute, found the perfect spot and headed the ball into Kieu Trinh's net.
Having conceded the second goal, the home team gave up. Coach Tran Van Phat brought on substitute players to conserve the energy of the key players. And it wasn't difficult for Ogimi to extend the lead with another header three minutes later.
In the 87th minute, midfielder Kawasumi capped off a successful day for the Japanese team with a goal that sealed a resounding 4-0 victory. On a day when the forwards were underwhelming, Japan's midfield proved key to the win for coach Sasaki Norio's team.
Overall, the Vietnamese national team fully deserved this result because Coach Phat's players were clearly inferior to their opponents. From the fundamentals of football, physique, fighting spirit, and tactical thinking, the world champions were on a completely different level compared to Vietnam.
For a long time, we've consoled Vietnamese football with the idea that its players are small, agile, and technically skilled, allowing them to compete with opponents. However, this idea is completely wrong, because world-class players not only possess superior technique but also exceptional fighting spirit, physical fitness, and physique. Therefore, upgrading a football system is not something that can be achieved overnight.
2Compared to the match against Jordan, the Vietnamese women's national team made two changes to their starting lineup. Tuyet Dung and Vu Thi Nhung started, replacing Le Thi Thuong and Kim Hong. 4With the 0-4 defeat, the Vietnamese women's national team has failed to score a single goal against the Japanese women's national team for the fourth time in their encounters. 6This marks the sixth consecutive defeat for the Vietnamese women's football team against the Japanese women's football team in the six previous encounters between the two nations. 8 In this match, the Vietnamese girls had to lie on the ground 8 times (7 times in the first half and 1 time in the second half) after collisions with the Japanese girls. Statements after the match Coach Sasaki Norio (Japan):In the first half, we faced very strong resistance from the home team. The Japanese team encountered some difficulties. But after the opening goal, the Japanese team played more comfortably, and the players created more opportunities and capitalized on them better in the second half. I am pleased with the players' performance and the result of this match. My young players have adapted better to the weather conditions. Compared to the first match, the players have improved significantly. With 3 points from this match, we have an advantage in competing for the top spot in Group A. Coach Tran Van Phat (Vietnam):First, I would like to congratulate the Japanese team on their victory. This was a very difficult match as the Vietnamese team had to face the world champions. From the start, I asked the players to play tenaciously, defend tightly, and attack when they had the chance. The players did a great job fulfilling my requirements. They fought hard and never gave up. Today, the players expended a lot of energy. In the match against Australia, I will base my decision on the players' physical condition and injuries to determine how they should play – whether to give it their all or conserve energy for the play-off match. |
According to Thethaovanhoa.vn
