Vietnam beat Thailand, entered the quarterfinals of Asian women's football
With a 3-2 victory over their arch-rivals in Southeast Asia, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team won the right to continue with Japan in Group C.
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The Vietnamese girls had a sweet revenge against Thailand, in the match taking place at Bumi Sriwijaya Stadium, Palembang province. Photo:Spring Binh. |
Goals: Tuyet Dung 22', Nguyen Thi Van 33', Nguyen Thi Lieu 40' - Nildhamrong 30', Sornsai 79'
Of the three groups in women's football this year, Group C has only three teams. Therefore, except for Japan, which has superior skills, each match between Vietnam and Thailand is like a final. In the first match two days ago, Thailand lost 0-2 to Japan. Therefore, they must win against Vietnam to save their hopes.
However, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team did not let their opponents do that. Right after the opponent served the ball, the girls in red rushed forward to attack and created the first dangerous opportunity with a move down the left wing. The left wing is also Vietnam's main striker. Even though the opponent had better physical strength, coach Mai Duc Chung still asked his students to press and steal the ball right from the middle of the field.
The game gradually tilted towards Vietnam, and it was not surprising that the team scored the opening goal. In the 22nd minute, in a change of direction of attack on the right wing, the ball was hung to Tuyet Dung's position. The midfielder from Ha Nam controlled the ball for a moment and fired a powerful left-footed shot into the dead corner.
Eight minutes later, in a rare attacking situation, Thailand was awarded a penalty. The referee blew the whistle for a red-shirted defender for a tackle. At 11m, Nildhamrong distracted the Vietnamese goalkeeper, tying the score at 1-1.
However, that did not put pressure on coach Mai Duc Chung's players. Just three minutes later, they re-established the gap. Young striker Nguyen Thi Van broke free and had an impromptu flick over the Thai goalkeeper's head. After scoring, the 21-year-old player ran to share the joy with her teammates and the coaching staff.
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Coach Mai Duc Chung has a special connection with women's football. He has won the SEA Games three times with the team - the most recent being in 2017. Photo:Spring Binh. |
Despite taking the lead, Vietnam showed no signs of slowing down, even continuing to press. The ball was often fed to Tuyet Dung to handle on the left wing. From a similar corner kick in the 39th minute, the Vietnamese Women's Golden Ball crossed for Nguyen Thi Lieu to jump high and head the ball into the near corner, despite being only 1m63 tall. The goal was a worthy reward for the 26-year-old midfielder, as she effectively controlled the midfield.
The two-goal lead gave Vietnam the confidence to retreat deep into the second half. Thailand had more space. They continuously fed the ball into the air to take advantage of their physical advantage, but goalkeeper Khong Thi Hang played calmly, punching the ball away several times. The pressure from the blue team gradually increased and Thailand scored a second goal in the 75th minute, with a close-range tap-in from Sornsai.
In the remaining minutes, Thailand tried their best but could not find an equalizer. In the 85th minute, the blue team hit the post with a long-range shot. That was also the last dangerous shot of the match.
In the quarter-finals, Vietnam will meet the second team in Group A - possibly Taiwan or Indonesia.
