Vietnam women's team lost 0-2 to New Zealand in a friendly match before the 2023 World Cup

The Vietnamese women's team suffered a 0-2 defeat to the host team New Zealand. Coach Mai Duc Chung and his team need to improve many issues before the second friendly match against Spain on July 14.

Vietnam women's team under great pressure from opponent New Zealand. Photo: New Zealand Football Federation

Full time. The Vietnamese women's team lost to New Zealand with a score of 0-2. Minute 90+2: It was very difficult for the Vietnamese women's team to score an honorary goal. Declining physical strength and New Zealand's tight defense made it difficult for the players to approach the opponent's goal. Minute 85: Huynh Nhu, Thanh Nha and Duong Thi Van were the most stable players in the Vietnamese women's team after more than 85 minutes of play. Minute 78: Huynh Nhu and her teammates played better in the second half with some clear opportunities. However, the disadvantage in physical strength and physique put the players at a disadvantage in one-on-one disputes and ball chasing. Minute 70: The Vietnamese team continued to make changes, Tuyet Dung and Thuy Hang came on to replace Bich Thuy and Hai Yen. Minute 68: There were continuous stormy situations in front of the Vietnamese women's team's goal, but the defense was still doing its job well in the past time. Minute 63: Dangerous! From a quick free kick, Hasset rushed down to finish immediately but Kim Thanh reacted in time. Minute 59: The Vietnamese team coordinated more in the past few minutes. In which, the ball was mostly circulated in Huynh Nhu's position. On the other side, New Zealand has not had any dangerous situations since the beginning of the second half. Minute 50: The Vietnamese women's team won the ball after a high-pressing effort. Huynh Nhu fired a shot from outside the penalty area but the ball was inaccurate. 13:33: The second half began. The Vietnamese women's team made two substitutions, when Luong Thi Thu Thuong and Tran Thu Thao left the field to make way for two young players Ngan Thi Van Su and Tran Thi Hai Linh. The first half ended. The Vietnamese women's team was led by New Zealand with a score of 0-2. Minute 44: Goal! New Zealand raised the score to 2-0. From Rilley's precise cross, striker Hand finished close into an empty goal, doubling the gap for the home team. Minute 35: Thanh Nha quickly escaped down the left wing, passing the New Zealand defender. However, her shot could not get past the defender of center back Stott. Minute 30: More than half of the match has passed, the Vietnamese women's team still has not had any shots. The team mainly retreated to defend as New Zealand continuously pressed Kim Thanh's goal. Minute 17: Goal! New Zealand opened the score. From a corner kick by a teammate, defender Bott decided to shoot from a distance, defeating goalkeeper Kim Thanh. Before that, Thu Thao was the one who missed the ball. Minute 12: Hassett had a diagonal shot after a corner kick by a teammate, but fortunately for the Vietnamese women's team, the ball went wide of the post. After that, goalkeeper Kim Thanh once again successfully blocked a long-range shot from a player on the New Zealand side. Minute 7: New Zealand's player wearing number 16 escaped down the left wing and fired a dangerous shot, but goalkeeper Kim Thanh was able to block it right before the goal line. In this situation, Thu Thuong and Diem My did not follow the opponent closely and created space in front of the goal. Minute 5: In the first minutes, the Vietnamese women's team played confidently against New Zealand. The defense was still standing firm against the opponent's attacks. 12:30: The match began. The Vietnamese women's team kicked off first. Pre-match information After more than 5 days of getting used to the weather conditions, time zone and field, the Vietnamese women's team will have a friendly match with the New Zealand women's team at Mclean Stadium (Napier, New Zealand). This is an opportunity for coach Mai Duc Chung to continue reviewing personnel before choosing the best squad and perfecting tactics for the 2023 Women's World Cup. In recent days, the Vietnamese women's team has continued to train at high intensity to meet the requirements of competing in cold weather and competing with tall opponents, requiring good physical strength and endurance.

Vietnam women's team prepares carefully for friendly match with host New Zealand. Photo: VFF

“The weather here is very different from Hanoi , lower than 30 degrees. However, if the warm-up is good and the players can warm up, I think there is no problem with their current fitness. Of course, players who often compete will need to practice more to improve their fitness, meeting the requirements of the match. I hope that in terms of warm-up, you will have more time to avoid injuries,” fitness coach Cedric assessed. Meanwhile, in terms of expertise, coach Mai Duc Chung shared: "We are in Napier for 5 days to compete with the home team. This is a good test. The two friendly matches will be a good opportunity for us to get used to the playing style of the teams, thereby gradually overcoming our difficulties."

The New Zealand women's team is rated higher than Vietnam in every aspect. Photo: Daniela Porcell

The opponent of the Vietnamese women's team is the New Zealand women's team, which is highly rated when ranked 22nd on the FIFA rankings (11 places higher than Vietnam). At the 2023 World Cup, coach Jitka Klimkova surprised everyone by calling up 9 players to the World Cup for the first time. In addition, the New Zealand women's team has 15 players playing abroad. Some prominent names include Anna Leat (currently playing for Aston Villa), Ria Percival (Tottenham Hotspur)... In which, Ria Percival is considered the most important player in the midfield of the New Zealand women's team. Notably, the players playing in Australia are considered the main frame of the home team. In general, this team has a superior physique and physical strength compared to the Vietnamese women's team. However, in the history of competition, the New Zealand women's team has never passed the World Cup group stage, nor has it won in 15 matches in the world arena. So, although being rated lower than the home team, it is not without opportunity for coach Mai Duc Chung and his students to demonstrate their abilities in the upcoming match. Lineup: Vietnam women's team: Goalkeeper Kim Thanh, Diem My, Tran Thi Thu, Luong Thi Thu Thuong, Thu Thao, Duong Thi Van, Hoang Thi Loan, Thanh Nha, Bich Thuy, Hai Yen, Huynh Nhu.