Ready for the journey to defend the "throne"

Ready for the journey to protect the — The Vietnamese women's team must be well prepared to face the challenges at the 33rd SEA Games.

Do good preparation

This time, coach Mai Duc Chung called up 26 players, but there was no name from Ho Chi Minh City Club because they were focusing on competing in the 2025/26 Asian Women's Club Championship in mid-November. Veteran midfielder Tuyet Dung officially started coaching locally and did not participate this time. Three players Thai Thi Thao, Duong Thi Van and Ngan Thi Van Su are currently practicing separately to recover from injuries, waiting for the day to return.

Notably, a number of young faces were called up to the national team for the first time to replace the absent veterans. Among them, Thanh Hieu and Tran Nhat Lan are two names that the coaching staff highly appreciates for their potential and promise to soon integrate into the team's general playing style.

Coach Mai Duc Chung said: “We hope that the young players and the ladies will practice their best to strive to be on the list to participate in the upcoming SEA Games. In the context that the veteran players are getting older and always want to give up their positions to talented young players, the coaching staff hopes that the young players will progress quickly to catch up with the team, and at the same time always create conditions for them to strive.”

According to the plan, from November 20, the women's team will go to Japan for training and is expected to play 3 friendly matches with "blue team" clubs with qualifications suitable to the professional ideas of the Coaching Board, supported by the arrangement of the Japan Football Federation. After the training session, the team will return to Ho Chi Minh City to get used to weather conditions similar to Thailand, before moving to participate in the 33rd SEA Games.

Coach Mai Duc Chung added: “The Vietnamese women’s team has had many opportunities to compete with strong opponents such as France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and recently the Australian women’s youth team at the Southeast Asian tournament. Although their physique and physical strength are still limited, the Vietnamese players have a resilient fighting spirit and endurance. During this period, the coaching staff will increase physical and tactical exercises to improve their ability to compete in close quarters.”

The draw for the women's football group at the 33rd SEA Games has put the Vietnamese women's team - the defending champion - in a difficult position. Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team are in the "group of death" with Myanmar, Malaysia and the Philippines. According to experts, this is a difficult group with the participation of 3 teams capable of competing for the gold medal: Vietnam, Myanmar and the Philippines. In particular, Myanmar is always a difficult team for any opponent, while the Philippines, with its force of naturalized players, has made great progress in recent times, and they are also rising strongly after participating in the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Compared to the other groups, Vietnam’s group is clearly much more difficult. That requires coach Mai Duc Chung and his team to not only have courage and experience but also have a reasonable strategy to avoid stumbling right from the group stage. A small mistake can also make the journey to defend the SEA Games gold medal full of difficulties.

Focus all your energy on the goal

Coach Mai Duc Chung said that the goal of the Vietnamese women's team at the upcoming SEA Games is still to win the highest position: "We all know that other countries also invest a lot in their teams, such as naturalizing a lot of players, causing difficulties for us. Vietnamese people are short and weak, but in return, we have a quick, agile spirit and will. The leadership of the Vietnam Football Federation continues to create many conditions for the national women's team to compete and train abroad, to compete with stronger opponents so that we can learn and gain experience."

The Vietnamese women’s team is still a candidate for the championship after an impressive series of achievements with 8 SEA Games gold medals, including the last 4 consecutive ones. However, defending the “title” this time is not easy. After many years of continuous competition in major tournaments, the team is in a generational transition period. Some key players have passed their peak, while the young faces need more time to accumulate experience.

The good news is that under the guidance of coach Mai Duc Chung - who understands Southeast Asian women's football better than anyone else, the Vietnamese women's team has maintained its spirit of solidarity and desire to contribute. Young players such as Van Su, Thanh Nha, Tuyet Ngan, Vu Thi Hoa and My Anh are gradually maturing, ready to take on greater responsibilities in the team's jersey. Vietnamese women's football has repeatedly proven its ability to overcome difficulties. Despite physical disadvantages or competition conditions, coach Mai Duc Chung's students have always shown a resilient, disciplined and effective fighting spirit. It is this ability that has helped them overcome Thailand twice at the 2025 Southeast Asian tournament to win a bronze medal or recently qualified for the 2026 Asian Cup.

Falling into the “group of death” is a challenge, but also an opportunity for the Vietnamese women’s team to assert their class. Each match at the 33rd SEA Games will be a real test of adaptability, mettle and depth of force. If they can overcome this thorny group stage, the Vietnamese girls will have more confidence and great motivation to move straight towards the goal of defending the gold medal.

More than ever, Vietnamese fans are waiting for a SEA Games in which the women's team not only demonstrates the champion's spirit, but also shows the new vitality of the next generation. With the spirit of fighting for the country's flag, coach Mai Duc Chung's team can completely overcome the challenge to once again continue the glorious journey of Vietnamese women's football at the top of Southeast Asia.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/san-sang-cho-hanh-trinh-bao-ve-ngoi-hau-176670.html