Women's Asian Cup: Vietnam 0-2 Australia

Women’s Asian Cup: Vietnam 0-2 Australia

An unfortunate own goal by Vietnam captain Le Thi Thuong on 42 minutes looked to be the difference between the two sides, until Katrina Gorry’s booming strike from the edge of the penalty area doubled the Matildas lead and ended any hope of a Vietnamese come-back with a minute of regulation play remaining.

With Japan defeating Jordan 7-0 in the day’s other game played at Binh Duong Stadium, Australia advanced into the semi-finals of the Women’s Asian Cup as runners-up in Group A behind the East Asians by virtue of an inferior goal difference with both teams securing a place in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup as a result.

In their showdown with their hosts, Australia began the game with wholesale changes as coach Alen Stajcic restored virtually the entire eleven that started the opener against Japan with the notable addition of 2014 Julie Dolan Medal-winner Tameka Butt making a return from an ankle injury that had kept her out of the tournament so far.

Vietnam, meanwhile, had only midfielder Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung and defender Vu Thi Nhung on the field from those who had played in Friday’s tie with Japan.

And it was the former who had the first chance of the game for the hosts as Tuyet Dung fired narrowly over the crossbar just six minutes into the game.

The attack enthused an already partisan home crowd and Tuyet Dung pushed forward to support strikers Nguyen Thi Nguyet and Nguyen Thi Hoa to good effect.

However, Australia came close to halting the Southeast Asians momentum as Lisa De Vanna’s flicked a lobbed effort over her head that almost looped under the bar at the other-end but Le Thi Tuyet Mai stretched tall enough to tip over on 22 minutes.

Caitlin Foord has scored a superb individual effort against Japan in the Matildas opener and the powerful forward almost added another with eight minutes of the half remaining as she combined with Michelle Heyman to surge into the penalty area but she put her shot from close-range wastefully wide.

Having survived one scare, Vietnam contributed to another shortly after as an unfortunate back pass infringement lead to an indirect free kick level with the penalty spot three minutes before half-time.

And Australia made the hosts pay dearly as De Vanna laid off the dead-ball to Emily van Egmond and the midfielder’s low shot pinballed its way through the crowd of bodies on the goal-line and into the net off Thi Thuong for the opener.

Just a minute after the interval, the defending champions almost scored from another scramble in the penalty box, but this time Tuyet Mai pulled off an extraordinary reaction save to stop the ball ricocheting in from close-range following van Egmond’s in-swinging corner.

The Vietnamese custodian pulled off another fine save from van Egmond 10 minutes later before the stadium was engulfed in a deluge of heavy rain that soaked spectators and players alike.

De Vanna was next to go close as her shot from close range seemed destined for the net until Bui Thi Nhu stuck out a leg to deflect the ball wide, as the rain and Australia pressure continued to increase in intensity.

Eventually the downpour slackened and with it came Vietnam’s best chance as Australia goalkeeper Lydia Williams made a hash of a backpass and Thi Hoa was inches away from turning in for an unlikely equaliser with eight minutes of the match remaining.

But midfielder Gorry had the final say on the evening’s action as she unleashed a venomous strike from 20-yards that flew into the top corner of the net and finally beat Tuyet Mai’s second-half resistance.