Vietnam banking on home support

Hosts Vietnam might have drawn the short straw in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2008 draw on Friday but Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) General Secretary Dr Tran Quoc Tuan was confident they would hold their own against the big guns. 

The Vietnamese women were slotted with eight-time champions China, two-time winners DPR Korea, and ASEAN side Thailand in Group A with only the top-two teams advancing to the semi-finals. 

“We are in a very tough group,” said Dr Tran. “China and DPR Korea are the two of the best teams in Asia and have won this tournament so many times in the past.” 

“They have a good reputation and last year they reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals too.” 

“I however believe we have a chance as we played really well in the qualifiers. With home support, we will fight it out for a place in the knockout stage,” added the VFF General Secretary, referring to Vietnam’s perfect record in the qualifying games in which they defeated Chinese Taipei, Iran and Myanmar. 

The South-East Asian team finished third in their group in the last edition of the competition in Adelaide and failed to reach the last four. 

* Korea Republic will play two matches against eight-time continental champions China as both teams prepare for the 2008 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, which will be held in Vietnam from May 28 and June 8. 

Friday’s draw pooled the Koreans in a tough-looking Group B along with the 2006 tournament’s hosts and beaten finalists Australia, reigning East Asian Cup holders Japan and former Asian women’s football powerhouse Chinese Taipei, Asian champions from 1977 to 1981. 

“It’s a comparatively difficult group but our target is qualification to the semi-final so we need to prepare well for the tournament,” Korea Republic coach Ahn Ik-soo told www.the-afc.com. 

“The players are tired from the domestic campaign but they will report to the National Training Centre in Paju on Sunday before we fly to Qinhuangdao on April 23 for a week-long training camp where we play two matches with China,” added Ahn. 

The two sides last met back in February at the 2008 East Asian Women’s Cup in Chongqing where hosts China came from 2-1 down to win 3-2. 

The Chinese are the defending AFC Asian Women’s Cup champions after they defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after extra-time in the final in Adelaide ended 2-2. 

China have been placed in Group A of the 2008 competition alongside DPR Korea, the team that ended the Steel Roses’ run of seven consecutive Asian Cup wins in 2001, SEA Games gold medal winners Thailand and Vietnam. 

* Japan women’s national team coach Norio Sasaki believes a good result in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2008 will boost his side’s confidence ahead of the Beijing Olympics. 

Reacting after his side was pitted against last edition’s runners-up Australia, Korea Republic and Chinese Taipei in Group B of the May 28-June 8 event, Sasaki said: “This tournament would be a good test for us ahead of the Olympics.” 

The East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) champions played in an international tournament in Cyprus last month where they defeated the Netherlands (2-1) and Russia (3-1) before going down to Canada (3-0). 

Japan, who lost to DPR Korea 3-2 in the third-place playoff in the last edition of the competition, finished third in their group in the FIFA Women’s World Cup last year. 

“We are preparing for the Beijing Olympics and this tournament would serve as a test for us ahead of the Games. I am also looking forward to playing against Australia because it is better to compete against physically superior side than us,” he said.