Coach Mai Duc Chung and the Vietnamese team prepare carefully before the match with the Japanese women's team.

Coach Mai Duc Chung said that he and his players have prepared carefully for the match against Japan in the second qualifying round of the 2024 Olympics. This is likely to be his last match as head coach of the Vietnamese women's team.

Coach Mai Duc Chung takes a photo with his players on the training ground before the match against Japan. (Source: VFF)

At 5:00 p.m. today (November 1), the Vietnamese women's team will enter the final match of Group C, the second qualifying round for the 2024 Olympics, against Japan. This could be the last match that coach Mai Duc Chung will lead the Vietnamese women's team because his contract with the VFF will expire at the end of the year. The Hanoi coach said that the whole team has prepared carefully and will strive to achieve the best results.

Coach Mai Duc Chung said: "Everyone knows how strong Japan is. They just had an impressive World Cup and ASIAD. Therefore, this will be a difficult match for the Vietnamese women's team.

However, we will do our best. Football still has surprises. We will try to get the best result within our ability."

Before the training session on the afternoon of October 31, Coach Mai Duc Chung spent a lot of time reminding his players about the points to note in the match against Japan. He and his colleagues reviewed the squad, ensuring that all players were in good health and physical condition.

In the second match, the Vietnamese women's team won 3-1 against the Indian women's team. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan lost 0-2 to Japan. Currently, Japan leads Group C with 6 points (+9 goal difference).

Vietnam ranked second with the same 3 points as Uzbekistan but with a better goal difference (Vietnam +1, Uzbekistan -1). However, the chances of coach Mai Duc Chung and his team advancing are very slim as they have to face Japan, while Uzbekistan faces India.

According to the current situation, the Vietnamese women's team can still decide their ticket to the next round if they beat Japan by two goals or more. If they beat Japan by one goal, the Vietnamese women's team will need to hope that Uzbekistan does not beat India to win the group.

This is an unimaginable scenario because Japan is at a completely superior level. At the 19th Asian Games, the team from the land of the rising sun, despite only using the second team, easily defeated the Vietnamese women's team with a score of 7-0.

The Vietnamese women's team still has hope of advancing to the next round as the second-placed team with the best record. If they draw with Japan, coach Mai Duc Chung's team will take second place in the group when Uzbekistan cannot beat India.

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