International Friendly: Vietnam Women’s National Team 1-4 Werder Bremen – Valuable Experience Gained for Vietnam
Many young players of the Vietnam women’s national team gained valuable experience after facing the seasoned stars of Werder Bremen, in a match held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vietnam–Germany diplomatic relations.
17/05/2025 09:55:06
Having just concluded the 2024/25 Bundesliga season five days earlier, Werder Bremen were quicker to find their rhythm compared to the Vietnam women’s national team. Right from the opening minutes, the German side continuously launched diverse attacks through the middle and down both flanks. It wasn’t until the 12th minute that Vietnam had their first notable chance. Following a swift counterattack, Hải Yến had a shot on goal, but it lacked power and failed to trouble goalkeeper Livia Peng.
However, in the 15th minute, Coach Mai Đức Chung’s side conceded the first goal. Captain Walkling capitalized on an error by Trần Thị Thu before beating goalkeeper Kim Thanh. The remainder of the first half saw Vietnam putting in a determined effort, but their physical disadvantage made it difficult for Hoàng Thị Loan and her teammates to win duels and maintain control against the more robust German side. Nonetheless, in the second minute of stoppage time, Vietnam had a commendable chance when Vạn Sự fired a determined shot that narrowly missed Werder Bremen’s goal.
In the 50th minute, Vietnam conceded a second goal. Although goalkeeper Kim Thanh managed to block Sophia’s initial shot, Larissa was quick to pounce on the rebound and scored. In response, Coach Mai Đức Chung made a series of substitutions. Staying true to the spirit of learning and experimentation, the 73-year-old coach gave opportunities in the second half to young talents like Nguyễn Thị Hoa, Lưu Như Quỳnh, Ngọc Minh Chuyên, and Vũ Thị Hoa. The youngsters performed quite well after coming on. In the 57th minute, following a high press and an excellent pass from a teammate, Hải Yến found herself facing an empty net. Unfortunately, her close-range finish went over the bar. But Vietnam didn’t have to wait long for a breakthrough. In the 64th minute, Ngọc Minh Chuyên narrowed the gap to 1-2. The 2004-born striker made a powerful sprint and delivered a precise angled shot, bringing joy to the team.
After that goal, the Vietnam women’s team gained momentum. However, the efforts of Minh Chuyên and her teammates came to a halt in the 81st minute. Star striker Larissa fired a free kick from around 17 meters out, sending the ball straight into the near corner, leaving substitute goalkeeper Khổng Thị Hằng with no chance. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Vietnam’s defense couldn’t keep up with the pace of the opposition, allowing Emoke to break through and finish with a diagonal shot.
The match between the Vietnam women’s national team and Werder Bremen ended with a 4-1 victory for the visitors. Coach Mai Đức Chung and his players gained valuable lessons from facing a strong opponent from Germany.
Speaking after the match, head coach Mai Đức Chung acknowledged that the team gave their best effort. However, as the squad had only been in training for 10 days, preparation time for the intensity of a full match was still limited. The players had mainly focused on endurance training and some tactical drills, including two friendlies against Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Club and Werder Bremen.
He viewed the match as a valuable opportunity to assess the squad, especially the young talents amid the team’s rejuvenation process:
“This match was very useful, giving young players the chance to play as we’re in the process of renewing the squad. We need to let them get on the field and test their capabilities. I hope we can go to Germany in the future to face even stronger teams, which will help the squad continue to improve,” he said.
Coach Mai Đức Chung, on behalf of the team, expressed his gratitude to the fans who came to the stadium to support both teams in this very special and meaningful match.
Goals
Vietnam: Ngọc Minh Chuyên (64’)
Werder Bremen: Walkling (15’), Larissa (50’, 81’), Emoke (90’+4)
