Football

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese women’s football team will face Japan in their final Group C match at the AFC Women's Asian Cup today in Australia.

After two matches, Japan sit top of the group with six points, after scoring 13 goals and conceding none. Their early qualification for the quarter-finals underlines their status as one of the continent’s strongest sides. 

By contrast, Việt Nam's 0-1 defeat to Chinese Taipei left them third in Group C. Nevertheless, because two third-placed teams with favourable records will also progress to the quarter-finals, Việt Nam's prospects remain encouraging as Việt Nam are among the three third-placed teams.

Head coach Mai Đức Chung said that tactical discipline will be crucial against a superior opponent like Japan. Việt Nam will prioritise a solid defence, deploy a compact, deep block and maintain disciplined spacing between lines to deny Japan room to operate. 

Quick transitions will be an important outlet: pacey players like Thanh Nhã, Bích Thùy and Vạn Sự can exploit any gaps left by Japan when they commit forward. The team’s approach will be to defend resolutely and capitalise on opponent errors. 

Should they concede first, Chung emphasised the importance of remaining committed to their game plan in order to avoid destabilising the team.

The fixture also represents a valuable assessment of Việt Nam’s level against Asia’s elite and an opportunity for the coaching staff to gauge their readiness for higher-calibre opponents should they progress to the knockout stages.

The tournament is being held from March 1 to 21 across Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast, all venues that hosted fixtures during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The top two teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the quarter-finals. — VNS