SEA Games 33 Football: Vietnam Women 2-0 Myanmar Women: Squeezing through a narrow gap.

The Vietnamese women's team narrowly secured a place in the semi-finals after defeating Myanmar in their final match of Group B in the women's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games.

Coach Mai Duc Chung will make changes to lead the Vietnamese women's national team to victory.

The painful 0-1 defeat against the Philippines, with a last-minute goal conceded in the 90+4th minute on December 8th, has put the Vietnamese women's national team in a difficult situation in Group B of the women's football tournament at the 33rd SEA Games.

Prior to the final round, Huynh Nhu and her teammates were still ahead of the Philippines women's team due to a better goal difference of +6 compared to 0, despite having the same 3 points after 2 matches. In this group, the Myanmar women's team was leading with 6 points after 2 wins. They only needed a draw against the Vietnam women's team to secure a place in the semi-finals as group winners.

Will coach Mai Duc Chung make changes to help the Vietnamese women's team win against Myanmar?

Photo: Kha Hoa

Meanwhile, in the other match being played simultaneously, the Philippine women's team will decide their own fate when they face the weakest opponent in the group, Malaysia (who have lost 2 matches and conceded 10 goals). The "Filipinas" (the nickname of the Philippine women's national team) are far superior in strength, and a victory is well within their reach. They could even win by a large margin, allowing them to compare goal difference in case of a tie for a semi-final spot.

For the Vietnamese women's team, despite the difficult situation, such as having a better goal difference than Myanmar and the Philippines, specifically +6 compared to +4 and 0 respectively, Coach Mai Duc Chung's team needs to focus on a single goal: defeating the very strong Myanmar team.

If they succeed, they will secure a place in the semi-finals regardless of the result of the other match. Even with a win and a favorable goal difference, the Vietnamese women's team would still be guaranteed first place, avoiding a semi-final clash with the Thai women's team (who have already secured a place and topped Group A, while Indonesia finished second).

Based on various assessments and predictions following the loss to the Philippines, and in preparation for the crucial match against Myanmar, coach Mai Duc Chung has made several changes to the Vietnamese women's national team. Among these, boosting morale is the most urgent priority.

The meeting between the Head of the Vietnamese Sports Delegation at the 33rd SEA Games, Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh, and the entire team on December 10th significantly boosted the morale and confidence of Huynh Nhu and her teammates.

In addition, in terms of the starting lineup, coach Mai Duc Chung can rely on experienced veterans like striker Huynh Nhu from the beginning, alongside seasoned defenders like Tran Thi Thu and Tran Thi Thu Thao. This will be combined with promising young players such as Thanh Nha, Hai Linh, and Tran Thi Duyen.

This could potentially improve the Vietnamese women's team's playing style, making it more dynamic and versatile, which might help them overcome their Myanmar opponents, who play a powerful and high-pressure game.

Another factor that could give the Vietnamese women's team a big boost to overcome this difficult time is that it's time for them to show the character of a team that has participated in the World Cup.

Similarly, the spirit of the SEA Games champions is almost absolute, having won the last 4 consecutive tournaments (a total of 8 SEA Games women's football titles, the most in history; Thailand's women's football team has only won 5 times).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bong-da-sea-games-33-nu-viet-nam-0-0-nu-myanmar-don-het-suc-cho-tran-then-chot-185251211112412199.htm