Football 

 HÀ NỘI — Coach Mai Đức Chung said Việt Nam try hard to overcome not only hot weather but also tough rival Chinese Taipei in their second match of Group C at the AFC Women's Asian Cup on March 7 in Australia.

“Luckily, we won the first match against India. Tomorrow, we will play at 1pm. The hot weather is definitely a challenge," Chung said in a press conference on March 6 in Perth.

"Chinese Taipei did play in that time in their previous match and they would adapt to the heat better than us. Playing in the afternoon is not easy but the spirit in this team is strong and players will strive to overcome these disadvantages. We hope to perform like we did in the last match and get the result we want."

The world oldest national head coach added that every team had tactics depending on the opponents. Chinese Taipei lost their opening match, so they may play a bit more aggressively this time compared to how they played before.

A second win will see Việt Nam step to the quarter-finals but the 74-year-old tactician stressed the importance of keeping his players focused.

“In this group we have to keep fighting to move forwards. We must stay focused and give our best if we want to go far in this tournament.

“Chinese Taipei have improved a lot over the past four months after changes in both squad and coaching board. They have experienced players and naturalised members from Japan. They lost to Japan with a relatively small-gap result.

"Tomorrow match will be important for us and we need to be careful and prepare well," he said. 

Striker Phạm Hải Yến also took part in the briefing and said the 2-1 win over India pushed Việt Nam's confidence in this tournament.

“We are in good condition and will strictly follow our tactics in the next match. We are aiming for a positive result against Chinese Taipei,” she said.

In the other side, head coach Prasobchoke Chokemor is confident his players would rebound against a buoyant Việt Nam to earn first points.

“After the defeat, the aim is for us to bounce back,” said Prasobchoke. “The focus now is to stay strong, maintain our belief, and look ahead to the next match with confidence. 

Chokemor deployed a deep-lying block against Japan and the Thai tactician is expected to adjust his defensive setup against the 33rd SEA Games champions.

“We are not worried about what tactics we are going to use against Việt Nam. My priority is defining the key principle – to play for the win. How we do it can vary. Every game is different, but the fundamental mindset remains the same. You must always play to win," she said.

“Our goalkeeper Wang Yu-ting did exceptionally well against Japan. She’s still very young but this experience will help her grow. I believe she can become one of the top goalkeepers in Asia.” 

It will be the third meet of the two sides in the Asian Cup within 10 years. Việt Nam won their last two games in the 2022's playoff match and in 2006's group stage after losing their maiden encounter in 1999. — VNS