What is the appropriate goal for the Vietnamese women's team at ASIAD 19?

After the 2023 World Cup, the Vietnamese women's team has refocused to aim for the next important goal called ASIAD 19. Compared to the World Cup, which is an out-of-reach playground, and the SEA Games, where coach Mai Duc Chung's students have won many titles, ASIAD is a tournament within reach, still ensuring high competition, but not as fierce as the World Cup.

The Vietnamese women's team reached the semi-finals of the 17th Asian Games (2014), then the quarter-finals of the 18th Asian Games (2018). Although the above results are in a downward trend, they reflect a fact: the Vietnamese women's team has not yet reached the level that can maintain stable results in the Asian arena. At the Asian Games, the biggest championship candidates are still Korea, China and Japan.

The Vietnamese women’s team is in the near-final group, along with Thailand, Myanmar, Taiwan and the Philippines. This year’s tournament will be unpredictable as Asian women’s football welcomes the return of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, one of the most formidable women’s teams in the tournament.

List of Vietnam women's team

However, the Vietnamese women's team still has its own advantages. Coach Mai Duc Chung has a team of players who have grown significantly with the experience gained at the World Cup. Over the past year, Huynh Nhu and her teammates have faced five of the world's top teams, including the US, Germany, Spain, France and the Netherlands, not to mention the very strong New Zealand and Portugal.

Coach Mai Duc Chung emphasized that the losses before and during the World Cup have shown the limitations of the Vietnamese women's team that no matter how good the players' spirit is, they cannot overcome. However, being exposed to top-level football in all three aspects: skill, speed and intensity has helped coach Mai Duc Chung and the players "break out" many things, helping the whole team no longer worry when facing teams at a higher level.

ASIAD 19 will be a playground to test the value of the lessons that the Vietnamese women's team has learned at the World Cup. After the final match against the Netherlands, midfielder Duong Thi Van emphasized that the whole team will play better. So how much better is "better"? The matches at ASIAD 19 will answer the question - can the progress of the Vietnamese women's team be maintained or not.

Vietnam women's team will introduce a new look after the 2023 World Cup

Because remember that not every team gets stronger after the experience at the World Cup. The Thai women's team went downhill after 2 consecutive World Cups (2015, 2019), or the New Zealand women's team has participated in 6 World Cups, played 15 matches but only won 1 match, never passed the group stage. Gaining experience is one thing, how to turn that experience into motivation to progress is a difficult problem for coach Mai Duc Chung and his team. Because as the 74-year-old strategist said, the Vietnamese women's team has matured, and the opponents have not stood still. The rapid progress of the Philippine women's team is proof.

At ASIAD 19, the Vietnamese women's team will be in the same group as Japan, Nepal and Bangladesh. The goal of passing the group stage is within reach of Huynh Nhu and her teammates. However, to advance to the semi-finals like ASIAD 17, Coach Mai Duc Chung's students will have to overcome strong opponents in the quarter-finals, most likely one of the top teams such as China, South Korea or "easier" than the Philippines. To ensure results, the Vietnamese women's team needs a thorough preparation process. That is why the whole team gathered today (August 10) and had more than 1 month of concentrated training.

In addition to the achievement goal (which is most suitable to be present in the quarter-finals and compete well against strong teams), the Vietnamese women's team also has the goal of rejuvenation. Veterans like Thuy Trang and Thuy Nga are not present, instead there are promising young faces like Nguyen Thi Hoa, Lan Anh, and the "strange but familiar" face Tran Thi Duyen of Ha Nam Club.

Vietnam women's team is in a generational transition

With 11 out of 25 players at the U.23 level, the Vietnamese women's team will lay the foundation for the youth team right in this tournament. The coaching staff of the women's team will prioritize the pillars to play against Japan, while in the matches against Nepal or Bangladesh, the youth team will have a place.

The Vietnamese women's team is in a generational transition and needs to boldly trust young players. The 19th Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympic qualifiers are opportunities for the "young shoots" to rise up and gradually replace the role of their seniors.

The group stage matches of the 19th ASIAD of the Vietnamese women's team will take place from September 25 to September 30.

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