The 'heroes' of the Vietnamese women's national team talk about the victory: A wonderful gift for coach Mai Duc Chung.

The Vietnamese women's team displayed a range of emotions after their resounding victory against Myanmar, securing top spot in their group and advancing to the semi-finals, opening up a great opportunity to defend their SEA Games 33 gold medal. The team spoke about coach Mai Duc Chung.

A gift for the dedicated teacher Mai Duc Chung to ease his worries.

It's no coincidence that all the Vietnamese women's national team players affectionately call Coach Mai Duc Chung by terms like "uncle" or "father," and always show him love and respect. From the older, more experienced players to the younger ones, whenever they speak of this respected coach, they all affirm his dedication, responsibility, and thoughtfulness towards everyone.

Bich Thuy, the petite girl, gave a speech dedicating a gift to coach Mai Duc Chung.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

He always worried about everyone's meals and sleep, meticulously attending to every piece of equipment on the field, carefully planning every exercise, and closely monitoring each player. He was especially anxious before each match, thinking thoroughly not only about the starting lineup, selecting players, discussing with assistants, and weighing the pros and cons, but also about calculating the appropriate playing style and tactics. From the beginning until now, in all three qualifying matches, Coach Mai Duc Chung stood for the entire 90 minutes of each game, pacing back and forth in front of the technical area with a constantly tense and worried expression on his face.

Coach Mai Duc Chung stood throughout the match, giving continuous instructions.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Midfielder Bich Thuy, overwhelmed with emotion, said: "This victory is a gift from the whole team to our coach. Seeing Coach Chung always working so hard and worrying, especially when the match was in a do-or-die situation, we felt even more tired, reflecting the tension of someone in charge. Therefore, this precious victory has relieved the worries in his heart."

Tran Thi Thu (from the left) and her teammates express their joy by pointing to the national flag on their chests after scoring a goal.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Meanwhile, center-back Tran Thi Thu enthusiastically stated: "Coach Chung always gave me detailed instructions when I was about to play my first official match at this SEA Games. Although I couldn't help but feel nervous before the 'do or die' match, he encouraged me and my teammates by telling us that there was nothing to worry about. The opposing fans were numerous, and their cheers were also support for both sides. That only helped us feel more energized and confident to fight. We all consider the victory against Myanmar the greatest gift we can give our coach."

Defender Tran Thi Thu (4, far right) makes her first official start.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha made many Vietnamese people in the stadium burst into laughter with a situation at the end of the match. Near the end of injury time, instead of dribbling the ball and attacking straight down the right flank of Myanmar to create a scoring opportunity, she unexpectedly dribbled the ball around the outside and passed it near the corner flag. Everyone understood it was a way to waste time until the referee blew the final whistle. But it was truly a hilarious moment, like "rubbing salt" into the wounds of the Myanmar fans.

Thanh Nhã dribbles at speed down the left flank.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Midfielder number 19 confidently stated: "When entering the match, I felt a little pressure seeing the huge crowd of fans. But Coach Chung had instructed me to remain calm, handle each play carefully, and always stay focused. So after just a few touches of the ball, I no longer felt anxious and played confidently according to the exercises the coach had given. We showed determination, no fear, playing pressing and constantly closing down opponents with a good attitude from the start. Because there was only one way to win, the whole team had to play with the spirit of warriors. Our best efforts were rewarded as a token of gratitude to Coach Chung for trusting us and giving us this responsibility."

Thanh Nhã shared her joy with her fans.

PHOTO: KHA HOA

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-nguoi-hung-doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-noi-ve-chien-thang-mon-qua-tuyet-voi-tang-hlv-mai-duc-chung-185251212090732669.htm