Anh Đức

PERTH — A traditional Vietnamese saying that goes Vạn Sự Khởi Đầu Nan, which means 'every great thing starts difficult at first', is perhaps the best phrase to sum up the Việt Nam women's national football team's emotional 2-1 victory against India on Wednesday.

And it was a girl named Ngân Thị Vạn Sự who came to the rescue with an emphatic brace to secure the Golden Star Women Warriors' three points in the quest for continental achievement and World Cup qualification.

Vạn Sự opened the score for Việt Nam in the first half, before India equalised after the break. The Blue Tigresses however, failed to keep a point in their pocket as Sự rescued the women in red with an injury-time goal.

Placed in Group C with title contender Japan, as well as Chinese Taipei and India, Việt Nam must secure at least three points to be in contention for the quarter-finals. A third-place finish allows Mai Đức Chung's team a chance to select a path towards World Cup qualification but a first or a third-place finish would put them in an easier World Cup play-off bracket should they lose the quarterfinals, while a second-place finish means tougher opponents.

But to even begin to think about the World Cup playoff, the team must first get out of group stage– a task that look easier said than done.

In the qualification phase for this tournament, India beat Thailand in Chiang Mai with a shock 2-1 scoreline, which eventually took the Thais' place at the Asian Cup. The victory was no fluke, however, with India's record of conceding just one goal during qualification worrying coach Chung and his team.

And indeed with the physical advantage on their side, coach Amelia Villabobos and her team did not play like an underdog team, and at times even troubled Trần Thị Kim Thanh's goal in the first 15 minutes.

Việt Nam held on to possession, and patiently waited for their opportunity. In the 30th minute, great team play from Nguyễn Thị Bích Thuỳ, Dương Thị Vân and Vạn Sự right in front of the six-yard box ended with a wonderful first-touch strike by Sự into the far corner of the net, opening the score for Việt Nam.

After the interval, control of the match was still tightly gripped by Mai Đức Chung's girls. In the 49th minute, a chaotic play ensued inside India's penalty area and took Thái Thị Thảo three consecutive shots to find the back of the net. The goal however, was disallowed after consultation from VAR, as Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã was deemed to have handled the ball before it reached Thái Thị Thảo.

One part disappointment and one part inattention from Việt Nam helped create India's equaliser just three minutes later. No one was marking 20-year-old midfielder Sanfida Nongrum, as she went through on goal and lobbed Kim Thanh to equalise.

The shock goal made Việt Nam's plays disorganised for twenty minutes, and it took some personnel changes to reclaim control. Mai Đức Chung's team had chance after chance in the latter part of the half but zero difference was made to the scoreline.

And just as everyone at the Perth Rectangular Stadium was thinking about a draw, a heroine rose in the dying seconds. From a counter-attack, a great cross from substitute Vũ Thị Hoa found Vạn Sự unmarked inside the penalty area. The 1.52 metres tall striker controlled the ball, and fired a shot that left keeper Panthoi Chanu helpless, securing Việt Nam's three points in the third minute of added time.

"We played with 200 per cent of our strength in this match," said goalscorer Vạn Sự.

"The goal that we conceded was unfortunate, but we picked ourselves up and told each other that there is time, and we must try harder."

Sự's coach, Mai Đức Chung, attributed the victory to the fans in the stands at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.

"It is because of their encouragement that we kept on pushing after conceding the equaliser," said Chung.

With this result, Việt Nam are currently in second place of Group C, just one goal behind Japan who won 2-0 against Chinese Taipei.

Mai Đức Chung's team will face Chinese Taipei on Saturday, needing only a draw to qualify for the quarter-finals. — VNS