Australian coach: 'I don't want to talk about any individual in the Vietnam women's team, because...'

Coach Joseph Palatsides of the Australian women's team is confident of a good result in the match against the Vietnamese women's team in the semi-finals of the AFF Cup 2025.

Australian coach highly appreciates Vietnam women's team

"We prepare for this match like any other match. We are very excited about the match and everything around it. We know we will be facing one of the strongest teams in the tournament, led by a good coach," Australian women's team coach Joseph Palatsides shared at a press conference held at noon on August 15, ahead of the 2025 AFF Cup semi-finals.

At 8pm tomorrow (August 16), the Australian women's team will face host Vietnam at Lach Tray Stadium in the AFF Cup semi-finals.

Australian women's team coach Palatsides

PHOTO: MINH TU

Despite losing to Myanmar in their opening match, the Australian women's team regained their position by beating the Philippines (1-0) and Timor Leste (9-0) to finish second in Group B. Bringing a young force to the AFF Cup, coach Palatsides expects the players to learn and improve gradually with each match. The Australian players have all been tested in the A-League (Australia's national women's football championship) for at least the past 2 years. This is a highly competitive playground that has honed many famous stars, including Sam Kerr, an Australian football legend who played for Chelsea Women's Club.

"It will be a very difficult match, but we are excited about the opportunity for the players and the whole team," coach Palatsides revealed.

When asked who is the most dangerous player on the Vietnamese women's team, the Australian coach affirmed that he did not want to talk about any individual because "they are all equally dangerous". "We respect this opponent very much and will prepare carefully for tomorrow's match", coach Palatsides assessed.

The Australian women's team is ready

In the opening match of Group B, the Australian women's team lost 1-2 to Myanmar due to a lucky long-range shot from the opponent and a mistake from the goalkeeper.

The hot weather in Hai Phong also made it difficult for the Kangaroo team to adapt, having to move from a cold place (it was winter in Australia) to a tropical country. However, coach Palatsides' students caught up in time to return to the winning track.

Both teams are determined to win tickets to the final.

PHOTO: MINH TU

"The first match was very difficult for us, because the whole team had not fully gathered before the tournament and had to travel far. Maybe we did not prepare the players well enough. It's not because Myanmar is weak, in fact they are a strong team and played well, but we were not ready," coach Palatsides affirmed.

"After that match, the tactical information we gave the players was absorbed and implemented very well. More important than the tactics was their will and desire to win. After the match against the Philippines, the team became more confident and played better with each match."

"We knew the semi-final of the 2025 AFF Cup would be difficult, but the spirit is to learn from mistakes and move forward. After the first match, the whole team made adjustments, regained confidence and achieved better results," said Isabel Gomez, a player for the Australian women's team.

The last time the Vietnamese women's team competed against Australia was in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifiers, which took place in early 2020. Huynh Nhu and her teammates lost 0-5 away, then lost 1-2 in the rematch at Cam Pha Stadium ( Quang Ninh ).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-uc-toi-khong-muon-noi-den-ca-nhan-nao-cua-doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-vi-185250815131719808.htm