However, this goal is not easy to achieve, especially when looking at what the Iberian peninsula team showed in the match against the Netherlands.
Strengths of Portuguese girls
The Vietnamese women's team must play more adventurously if they want to score against Portugal. Photo: Duc Dong.
On July 27, the Vietnamese women's team will have the second match in Group E of the 2023 World Cup against the Portuguese women's team.
Before the World Cup started, experts said that this was the only chance for coach Mai Duc Chung and his team to gain points or at least score a goal. This hope was even more grounded when looking at the performance of the girls in red shirts against the defending champions, the United States.
In this match, the SEA Games 32 champion played tightly, blocking many attacks from the opponent and only conceding 3 goals, much better than expected. But it should also be noted that against the US, Huynh Nhu and her teammates almost played defensively, unable to launch an attack.
In addition, Portugal also showed that they are not weak opponents when playing on par with the Netherlands, the team holding the runner-up position in the World Cup. Coach Francisco Neto advocated for his players to play low, defensive counter-attacking but ready to move up and press right in the opponent's half when the opportunity arises.
The number of players in the attacks of the army in maroon shirts is also guaranteed, at least 2 - 3 players. Notably, in the Portuguese squad, there is striker Silva who possesses very good speed and personal technique, bringing many risks to the Vietnamese defense.
From the above analysis, the biggest difference in the way Portugal and Vietnam play is their attacking ability. Their strong physical foundation helps the girls from the Iberian Peninsula deploy a more flexible style of play, with a higher threat.
Portugal does not need to play too sharply, does not need to play too aggressively, but against a physically limited opponent like Vietnam, the opponent's final acceleration will be especially dangerous.
As for the Vietnamese women's team, they will certainly still choose a defensive counter-attacking style of play, but it should be noted that Huynh Nhu and her teammates often face difficulties against opponents who are capable of sweeping them away. The loss to New Zealand in the training phase or, further, the loss to the Philippines in the group stage of the 32nd SEA Games is the clearest proof.
Waiting for adventure
Commentator Ngo Quang Tung believes that the match with Portugal is still a big challenge for Vietnam: Portugal lost to the Netherlands but their game was good and from some angles it can be affirmed that they have approached the world's top level. Although Vietnam limited the number of goals conceded when facing the US, our level is still far behind the world. They will be smoother and know Vietnam's cards better, so it will be difficult for us.
“Portugal is clearly the favorite and they see the match against Vietnam as an opportunity to get 3 points, even hoping to continue. Portugal will of course play aggressively. But their level is still inferior to the US, so Vietnam has every chance to create counter-attacks. The problem is that the idea needs to be really clear and methodical,” Mr. Tung analyzed.
After the loss to the US, coach Mai Duc Chung hinted that the Vietnamese women's team would have a different way of playing when facing Portugal. It seems that this veteran coach has calculated a specific roadmap.
In addition, Mr. Tung emphasized that the plus point of the Vietnamese women's team is the excitement after doing a difficult task of only losing to the US by 3 goals. "The players are confident, so we have the right to hope. We should give our best, play with the most determination to achieve the goal of scoring goals, and further, getting points against Portugal."
Meanwhile, coach Hoang Van Phuc shared that fans' expectations for the upcoming match are understandable, but the Vietnamese women's team must have reasonable tactics.
Mr. Phuc said that to score, coach Mai Duc Chung and his players need to play more adventurously.
“We cannot score against the opponent when defending half of the home field. The defense must push higher, compete, and press from the midfield, even from the opponent’s half. That way, the chance of finding a goal will be brighter. But the key is that Vietnamese players must withstand pressure and increase their ability to recover the ball because when the team is pushed high, the space behind is also exposed more,” said Mr. Phuc.
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