The pressure is mounting on the goalkeeper.

Remember, at the 2019 World Cup, the US women's team defeated the Thai women's team 13-0, setting a record for the biggest margin of victory in the women's World Cup. After conceding 3 goals in the first half, goalkeeper Sukanya Charoenying seemed to be having a nightmare in the second half, having to pick the ball out of the net 10 times. In the second match of the 2019 World Cup, goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing was brought on by coach Neungrutai, but she also conceded 5 goals. In the final group stage match, although the Thai women's team only lost 0-2 to Chile, Waraporn Boonsing made a mistake leading to the first goal, awkwardly kicking the ball into her own net after a shot from midfielder Yanara Aedo.

On the field, a striker missing a golden opportunity to score is more easily accepted than a goalkeeper's mistake of fumbling the ball or letting it slip through their legs... Only by standing in goal do you understand how hard a goalkeeper works, even in amateur football. When two teams are evenly matched and the opponent has many good strikers, the goalkeeper is nothing more than a "shooting target." After such matches, due to working at full capacity, goalkeepers need a lot of time to recover their physical fitness. It's not without reason that during the training camp in Germany, Coach Mai Duc Chung placed great emphasis on improving the physical fitness of his players, including the goalkeepers.

Goalkeeper Kim Thanh was praised and honored by the Asian Football Confederation at the 2022 Asian Cup. Photo: AFC

Following the unprecedented defeat at the 2019 World Cup against the US women's team, goalkeeper Sukanya Charoenying, born in 1987, retired from the national team due to psychological trauma. She shared with Thailand's leading sports newspaper, Siam Sport, that: "Every time I go to sleep, I'm haunted by the loss against the US women's team. Even when I go out, I'm terrified when someone stands near me and talks about it. I always feel like they realize the goalkeeper conceded 13 goals in a single World Cup match."

Help students avoid psychological trauma.

Coach Mai Duc Chung is very worried about the Vietnamese women's national team's training camp in Germany at the 2023 World Cup, fearing a heavy defeat could psychologically traumatize them. Sharing her thoughts on the training situation in Germany, goalkeeper coach Nguyen Thi Kim Hong said: “The team's four goalkeepers are training with great enthusiasm. In the first friendly match against Eintracht Frankfurt, which Vietnam won 2-1, goalkeeper Kim Thanh played well. Both Kim Thanh (the team's number one goalkeeper) and the second-choice goalkeeper, Khong Thi Hang, are in good form. Hopefully, these two goalkeepers will continue to compete with each other and try their best to showcase their abilities.”

The goalkeepers of the Vietnamese women's national team are actively training physically with the rest of the team, combined with individual exercises focusing on defending against high balls, honing their situational awareness, and making appropriate interventions. Coach Mai Duc Chung said: “The World Cup is a major competition. The important thing is that the goalkeeper and defenders must have a strong connection; the goalkeeper must be able to command the defense and coordinate closely with teammates to limit dangerous attacks from the opponent. Kim Thanh has good reflexes and makes timely interventions, which reassures the coaching staff and her teammates. The coaching staff also has discussions with the players about how they should react when the team concedes goals or unfortunately loses by many goals at the World Cup, thus avoiding a collapse in morale and fighting spirit.”

There's more good news for the Vietnamese women's national team as the International Football Federation (FIFA) has sent Dr. Ellena Tuner, an expert in fitness and nutrition for female players, to Germany to accompany the team (from June 13 to 17). This is special support from FIFA for teams that have qualified for the 2023 World Cup. Dr. Ellena Tuner had a conversation and exchanged ideas with Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team about mitigating the effects of jet lag, the importance of nutrition, and specific health issues for women. Based on the expert's materials, captain Huynh Nhu and her teammates were provided with knowledge on adjusting sleep patterns, and foods suitable for different activities, stages of competition, training, and rest. On behalf of the entire team, head coach Mai Duc Chung expressed his gratitude to Dr. Ellena Tuner for her valuable insights: “This is the first time the Vietnamese women's national team has participated in the World Cup, so there are still many new things. The support and guidance of fitness and nutrition expert Ellena Tuner will be very helpful for the players.”

THANH NAM