Vietnam women's team uses softness to overcome hardness, has the secret to defeating Australia

Australia destroyed East Timor 9-0 to finish second in Group B and send defending champions the Philippines home early, but the Vietnamese women's team knew exactly what to do to beat their opponents.

Vietnam women's team confidently aims to reach the final

Photo: Minh Tu

Vietnam women's team confident to meet Australia

The Vietnamese women's team has entered the semi-finals of the 2025 Southeast Asian Women's Football Championship (AFF Cup 2025) as the top team in Group A with 3 wins. Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team will meet Australia, the second team in Group B, who defeated the defending champion Philippines and eliminated this opponent.

After the surprising 1-2 loss to Myanmar in the opening match, the Australian team (actually U.23 Australia) had 2 victories against the Philippines (1-0) and East Timor (9-0), gradually showing their strength.

It seems that after adapting to the weather conditions in Hai Phong City, the girls from the land of kangaroos have found their rhythm and are playing better. Although East Timor is weak, the rain of goals will help the Australian women's players to be more confident going into the semi-finals.

Smart approach

Tran Thi Duyen is playing very well on the left wing.

Photo: Minh Tu

However, former player - 2008 Vietnam Women's Golden Ball Do Thi Ngoc Cham said that the Vietnamese women's team respects, but there is no need to be too afraid of this young opponent.

She commented: "The Australian team has good physique and a powerful playing style. Their physical condition and ball sense are also gradually improving as they have adapted to the weather conditions in Hai Phong City. They will be formidable opponents.

This is a strong team both literally and figuratively, with form and confidence on the rise. However, the Australian U.23 players still have a gap with the Australian women's team, which is among the top in the world . It is easy to see that they are tall but slow to turn around.

I think that if we have a wise approach, using softness and hardness at the right time, taking advantage of experience, flexibility, speed, and ingenuity to overcome the physical strengths of the opponent, the Vietnamese women's team will be able to win."

Watch the MSIG Serenity Cup™ 2025 AFF Women's Football Championship live and in full onFPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-lay-nhu-che-cuong-co-bi-quyet-danh-bai-uc-185250814172119016.htm