The Vietnamese team lost the match, but the excitement and pride that coach Mai Duc Chung and his team created for the fans was no less than when they won the SEA Games final. Vietnamese fans at home stayed up until after 1am to cheer on the "diamond girls" who received a priceless gift.
Germany did not use their strongest squad. The duo of top 10 nominees for FIFA The Best, Alexandra Popp and Lena Oberdorf, were not registered to play. The entire star-studded Bayern Munich - the Bundesliga champions (both men and women) were not used. Champions League runner-up Wolfsburg also contributed only 2 starting players.
The Vietnamese team played very well against the German team.
However, the performance of the Vietnamese team did not lose its meaning. The moment Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha scored against the German team was commented by Kicker as "more than deserved". Who did the 21-year-old girl leave behind? They are Melanie Leupolz - FA Super League champion (equivalent to the Premier League for women) and Marina Hegering - a one-time champion and two-time runner-up of the Champions League.
"It's a pity that Vu Thi Hoa and Duong Thi Van missed out," coach Mai Duc Chung said after the match. In a match that they knew they would lose before even starting, the Vietnamese team had the right to mention the word "regret". That's an amazing story.
Vietnamese fans did not care about the defeat at all. They just told each other how well the players played against the world's second-class opponent.
As Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung pushed the ball past goalkeeper Merle Frohms and into the side of the net, the television feed showed a close-up of the unhappy faces of the German players on the sidelines. Coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg jumped out of her seat.
Thanh Nha and teammates confidently head towards the World Cup.
The Vietnamese team did not just endure the match and clear the ball. Coach Mai Duc Chung's players entered the match with a football mindset. They were on the field - and also with the mindset of heading to the 2023 World Cup - not to be "blue soldiers" for the opponent to practice.
When the Vietnamese team lost 0-7 to France more than a year ago, many people thought of the prospect of coach Mai Duc Chung and his team "carrying a basket to hold the ball" when they go to the 2023 World Cup. Vietnamese fans probably haven't forgotten the image of Thai players crying when they lost 0-13 to the US in the world tournament 4 years ago.
The Vietnamese team could lose 1-2, or more. That doesn’t matter. Against the world’s top opponents, defeat is normal, even with a 10-goal difference. However, coach Mai Duc Chung and his team have shown that they can bring joy to fans in a defeat, letting the lost goals be forgotten.
The important thing is that the matches against France, Germany (even though they were reserve teams) and the upcoming matches against New Zealand and Spain are valuable experiences for Thanh Nha and her teammates. The Vietnamese players at least know what it feels like to play against the world's top opponents. Last night's performance gives the Vietnamese team more confidence before participating in the 2023 World Cup.
Minh Anh
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