Mai Duc Chung: Vietnam showed their spirit

Beaten 5-0 in the first leg in Newcastle five days earlier, Vietnam looked to be headed for another heavy defeat when they went 2-0 down before the half-hour mark, but the Southeast Asians rallied after half-time, scoring a first ever goal against the Matildas via captain Huynh Nhu’s 55th minute strike from distance.

The 2-1 result was a far cry from the 8-0 defeat Vietnam suffered at the hands of Australia less than two years ago, and Duc Chung said his side’s showing was a testament to their spirit.

“After the first match we had a few days’ break, and during that break we were able to discuss with our players about Australia’s weak points and how we could change the tactics and way of play,” said the veteran head coach, now in his third stint as women’s national team boss.

“The Australian players are very good at attacking with high balls and crosses and, in fact, they scored from a cross, however, our team were able to score one goal; just as I said we aimed to do yesterday at the press conference.

“The supporters of Vietnam saw the spirit of the Vietnamese women’s national team today.”

Vietnam’s drought breaking goal, which came in their ninth senior international against Australia, came as the result an underhit backpass by central defender Alanna Kennedy, with the speedy Huynh Nhu seizing on the error before expertly beating goalkeeper Lydia Williams from 30 yards.

Duc Chung, who pointed out Australia’s high defensive line as a potential weak spot after the first leg, said he was satisfied with his side’s ability to carry out his tactics.

“Australia is very strong opponent, but every team has a weakness and if you can find the weakness you can find the opportunity and then have a chance,” he declared.

“In my opinion, the players did it very well. We played better in the second half of the match, and today the players performed well physically, and were able to maintain it for longer compared to previous matches.”

Wednesday’s fixture – which was played behind closed doors due to Covid-19 precautions – marked the end of Vietnam’s seven-game qualifying campaign, with the SEA Games gold medallists getting closer to reaching the Olympics than ever before.

A place in the Games proved a bridge too far on this occasion, but Duc Chung believes 32nd-ranked Vietnam will have benefited from going toe to toe with the world number seven Australians.

“This play-off – the first and second leg – was a great experience for the Vietnam team,” he said.

“The players will have learned a lot in terms of international football, and they can use it in the future.”