Vietnam women's team loses to China, coach Mai Duc Chung reveals the truth.

Coach Mai Duc Chung explained the reason why the Vietnamese women's national team had not yet assembled a cohesive playing style in the friendly match they lost 0-2 to China, which took place on the evening of February 10th in Shenzhen.

Coach Mai Duc Chung: The match against the Chinese women's team was very valuable.

Following the friendly match against the Chinese women's national team (on the evening of February 10th) in Shenzhen, coach Mai Duc Chung highly appreciated the professional significance of the series of practice matches, and affirmed that this is an important preparation step for the Vietnamese women's national team ahead of the 2026 Asian Cup.

"We had two matches against the Chinese women's team. These were very good practice sessions," coach Mai Duc Chung shared after the Vietnamese women's team's 0-2 defeat.

Evaluating the match, the head coach of the Vietnamese women's national team frankly acknowledged areas for improvement. According to Coach Mai Duc Chung, the reason for the loss stemmed from a lack of cohesion, due to insufficient matches to hone the team's skills.

Coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed that the Vietnamese women's national team has learned a lesson.

PHOTO: VFF

"We lost 0-2, but the team's spirit was very good. Through this match, the coaching staff will learn from the experience to improve and refine the lineup. We didn't play well in the first half, possibly because the team had only had two training matches against Uzbekistan beforehand, so the level of preparation wasn't high. When facing a strong opponent like China, we realized many issues that need adjustment," Coach Mai Duc Chung analyzed.

Coach Mai Duc Chung particularly emphasized the fighting spirit of the players: "I am satisfied with the fighting spirit of the whole team. Despite limitations in physical fitness, stature, and strength compared to the opponent, the players showed resilience and effort. We lost, but I am still pleased with the efforts of my players."

The strength of the Chinese women's national team

The veteran coach also showed respect for the opponent: "The Chinese women's team is one of the top teams in Asia, on par with Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Therefore, losing 0-2 to such an opponent, I can appreciate the spirit and effort of the entire team."

The Chinese women's national team is top-tier, with a well-rounded squad of players excelling in both physical attributes and technical skills.

The Vietnamese women's team (in blue jerseys) needs to improve their playing style.

PHOTO: VFF

In 2025, coach Ante Milicic's team won against Taiwan (4-0, 4-1), Uzbekistan (5-0), Thailand (5-1), drew with Japan (0-0) and South Korea (2-2). China also drew with Canada (1-1), the team that won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Despite losing to England, the USA, and Mexico, the experience gained from competing against strong teams significantly improved the Chinese women's national team. China's advantage over most Asian football nations is the opportunity to play consistently and in friendly matches against superior opponents, allowing for faster progress.

"The Vietnamese women's team will learn a lot from the friendly matches against China," coach Mai Duc Chung affirmed. At the 2022 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese women's team lost 1-3 to China in the quarterfinals, with Tuyet Dung scoring the opening goal, but then Vietnam unfortunately missed a penalty.

The Vietnamese women's national team will play China in another friendly match before returning home on February 7th to continue their preparations for the 2026 Asian Cup.

The Vietnamese women's national team is in Group C of the 2026 Asian Cup along with Japan, India, and Taiwan. The tournament will take place from March 1st to 21st in three cities: Sydney, Perth, and Gold Coast. The top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the quarterfinals.

The Vietnamese women's team played in the group stage in Perth, successively against India (4.3), Taiwan (7.3) and Japan (10.3) at Perth Rectangular Stadium.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-thua-trung-quoc-hlv-mai-duc-chung-tiet-lo-su-that-18526021022215552.htm