Suzhou, 9 Sep 2026 – Vietnam’s women’s national team suffered a 3-0 defeat to hosts China in their final friendly in Suzhou on September 9, completing an important phase of preparations for the 2026 Asian Games.
Facing a Chinese side ranked 16th in the world, 21 places above 37th-ranked Vietnam, Hoang Van Phuc’s team used the match as a valuable opportunity to test their tactics and squad against high-quality opposition before heading into ASIAD 2026.
China took control from the opening whistle and immediately applied pressure to Vietnam’s defence. However, the visitors maintained a compact shape and defended with discipline, preventing the hosts from finding a breakthrough throughout the first half.
Vietnam also created several promising moments on the counterattack. One of their best opportunities came in the 39th minute when Thanh Nha found herself in a dangerous position following a well-worked corner routine but was unable to convert.
China stepped up the intensity after the break and finally broke Vietnam’s resistance in the 48th minute. The hosts struck again 10 minutes later to establish a 2-0 advantage. Despite falling behind, Hoang Van Phuc continued making substitutions as he looked to experiment with different combinations and give more players valuable minutes ahead of the Asian Games. China added their third goal in the 79th minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Vietnam appeared to have pulled one back five minutes from time when they found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside, leaving China with a 3-0 victory. Despite the defeat, Hoang Van Phuc was encouraged by Vietnam’s performance during the opening 45 minutes, particularly the team’s defensive organization.
“China are superior in terms of physique, fitness, speed and technique, but we were still able to play proactively and create opportunities on the counterattack,” the Vietnam head coach said.
“In the first half, I was satisfied with our defensive organization. The players moved quite well as a unit, and we also created one or two situations that could have resulted in goals.”
Coach Hoang Van Phuc also viewed the friendly as an important test of his squad and tactical options. A number of players were introduced during the second half, giving the coaching staff further opportunities to assess the depth of the team. The coach was particularly encouraged by the younger players, who showed confidence and largely followed the tactical instructions despite facing strong opposition. Among them was Luu Hoang Van, a player promoted from the U20 setup, who impressed with her confidence, physical condition and speed while playing alongside the senior internationals. Vietnam will now focus on the final details of their ASIAD preparations, with defending set pieces and improving transitions from defence to attack among the key areas identified for further work.
“We still have five days to prepare for our opening match against Chinese Taipei on September 14,” Hoang Van Phuc said. “Matches like this are very useful and help the players reach the right condition for the Asian Games.”
Vietnam will begin their ASIAD 2026 women’s football campaign against Chinese Taipei on September 14.
VSN/RPT
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