Vietnam women's team lost to Japan in coach Mai Duc Chung's final match

Uzbekistan The Vietnamese women's team could not have a farewell gift for coach Mai Duc Chung when they lost 0-2 to Japan in the final round of the second qualifying round for the 2024 Olympics on the afternoon of November 1.

In the last match leading the Vietnamese women's team, coach Mai Duc Chung changed many starting positions. Key players such as Kim Thanh, Thai Thao, Hoang Loan, Hai Yen were on the bench, giving way to goalkeepers Khong Thi Hang, My Anh, Van Su, Hai Linh. Japan also had many changes in the squad but still had players who had just participated in the World Cup.

Against a strong opponent, Vietnam chose to play defensively and counter-attack. Thanh Nha played the highest position to take advantage of her speed like the shot that scored against Germany in the friendly match before the World Cup. Meanwhile, Huynh Nhu retreated deep into the middle of the field to maintain the rhythm and distribute the ball. In the 17th minute, Thanh Nha accelerated on the right wing, eliminated two Japanese defenders and passed into the penalty area, but her teammates lacked the height to take advantage of the opportunity.

Huynh Nhu in a dispute in the match where Vietnam lost 0-2 to Japan in the final round of Group C of the second qualifying round of the 2024 Paris Olympics on the afternoon of November 1. Photo: VFF — Huynh Nhu in a dispute in the match where Vietnam lost 0-2 to Japan in the final round of Group C of the second qualifying round of the 2024 Paris Olympics on the afternoon of November 1. Photo: *VFF*

Japan dominated the ball control, but faced a dense Vietnamese defense led by Diem My, so they could not find a way into Khong Thi Hang's goal. On the contrary, in the counter-attack, Vietnam often attacked on the right wing, where Thanh Nha, Bich Thuy, Huynh Nhu were active. However, the final touches were often inaccurate enough to threaten the opponent's goal. In the first half, Vietnam had a slight advantage in corner kicks, with two, compared to Japan's one. Tuyet Dung almost scored a super corner kick in the 45th minute, when she kicked the ball to the far corner, making it impossible for the Japanese goalkeeper to touch the ball but missing it by a few centimeters to score.

The chance to beat Japan, before the match, was considered very difficult, but the Vietnamese women's team deserved praise for their performance in the first half. They covered and supported each other well, making it difficult for the Japanese players to deploy as they wanted. However, in the 40th minute, during a moment of distraction, Huynh Nhu lost the ball on the home field, the Japanese players closed in and coordinated beautifully for defender Risa Shimizu to tap the ball into the empty net to open the score.

In the last match of coach Mai Duc Chung, the Vietnamese players really wanted to score a goal to show their gratitude. But they seemed powerless when they were inferior in terms of physical strength, physique and ability to create opportunities. In the second half, despite the addition of new players such as Thuy Hang and Tran Thi Duyen, the team still could not create a breakthrough, even with some free kicks close to the penalty area and corner kicks.

Japan did not use all their strength, but still played leisurely. They often poured the ball into the penalty area, forcing the Vietnamese defense to fight back. In the 53rd minute, after Khong Thi Hang cleared the ball with her foot, the ball bounced around in the penalty area, the Vietnamese defenders were confused, allowing Moriya to shoot lightly into the net to increase the score to 2-0.

In the remaining minutes, Japan still created many opportunities, but could not score two more goals. However, the 2-0 score helped them win all three matches to secure a ticket to the final round as group winners.

Duc Dong

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