Coach Mai Duc Chung: 'Losing to Japan 0-2 is a success'

Uzbekistan coach Mai Duc Chung was satisfied with the result against Japan in his final match leading the Vietnamese women's team.

Vietnam could not cause any surprise against Japan on the afternoon of November 1, but the 0-2 loss was the smallest margin when facing this opponent. Previously, Vietnam had lost to Japan by three goals or more.

"Before the match, I was afraid of a repeat of the scenario of a 0-7 defeat like at the 19th Asian Games," coach Mai Duc Chung said after the match. "Therefore, I think losing 0-2 is a success."

Coach Mai Duc Chung at the second qualifying round of the 2024 Paris Olympics in Uzbekistan. Photo: VFF — Coach Mai Duc Chung at the second qualifying round of the 2024 Paris Olympics in Uzbekistan. Photo: *VFF*

After two first-round victories over India and Uzbekistan, Japan only needed a draw against Vietnam to secure top spot in the group. Therefore, they did not field their strongest squad. However, Japan still controlled the game and scored two goals in the 40th and 53rd minutes, thanks to Risa Shimizu and Miyabi Moriya. Coach Mai Duc Chung assessed that Vietnam was still at a disadvantage against Japan in many aspects, so they had to make up for it with determination to get the result like today.

The 0-2 defeat left Vietnam with only three points after three matches, ranking third in Group C, stopping at the second round of the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers in Asia. Meanwhile, the three group winners, Australia, North Korea and Japan, and the best second-placed team, Uzbekistan, advanced to the third round. This was also regrettable as Vietnam was rated higher, but lost to Uzbekistan 0-1 in the first round.

In the final round, Uzbekistan beat India 3-0 to have six points with a goal difference of +2. In Group A, the Philippines also has six points but a goal difference of -4. Meanwhile, in Group B, South Korea tied China 1-1, so they only have five points.

The second qualifying round of the 2024 Paris Olympics is the last tournament for coach Mai Duc Chung with the Vietnamese women's football team. Mr. Chung concluded his 12-year journey leading the team with three stages, winning many impressive achievements such as the first World Cup, five SEA Games gold medals and an AFF Cup championship.

Hieu Luong

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