Vietnam women’s national team head coach Hoang Van Phuc praised his players for achieving their target of reaching the ASIAD 2026 quarter-finals following a 0-0 draw against Thailand in their final Group E match. Vietnam will now face China for a place in the semi-finals.
Speaking after the match, Hoang Van Phuc revealed that Vietnam knew exactly what was required before taking the field against their Southeast Asian rivals. An earlier 0-0 draw between Myanmar and Bangladesh meant Vietnam needed at least one point to secure qualification, although the coaching staff prepared the team with the intention of going for victory rather than simply protecting a draw.
“Before the match against Thailand, we already knew that Myanmar and Bangladesh had drawn 0-0. Therefore, we needed at least one point to advance. However, we prepared for this match not with the mindset of playing for one point, but to win,” Hoang Van Phuc said. “Thailand changed their formation compared with their previous two matches. They played with three centre-backs and pushed both wing-backs forward, while at times they strengthened the midfield with five players. Because of that, we did not control the midfield well in the first half.”
Vietnam improved after tactical adjustments during the interval and played with greater initiative in the second half, pressing Thailand higher up the pitch and creating several opportunities to break the deadlock. Hoang Van Phuc felt his team could even have taken all three points had they been more clinical in front of goal.
“In the second half, Vietnam played better and we pressed Thailand high up the pitch. We created two or three goalscoring opportunities, particularly through Bich Thuy and Vu Thi Hoa. If we had taken those chances, we could have scored. But in any case, we are satisfied with one point because the team have qualified for the quarter-finals,” he said.
Despite successfully progressing from the group stage, Vietnam scored only once in their three matches, and Hoang Van Phuc acknowledged that the team’s attacking efficiency remains an area requiring improvement. However, he pointed out that Vietnam had created clear opportunities in their matches against opponents other than Japan, whose level he considered significantly higher.
“Apart from Japan, where there was a big difference in level, Vietnam created some clear goalscoring opportunities, particularly against Chinese Taipei,” the coach explained. “The match against Thailand was different because one point was enough for us to reach the quarter-finals. If we had been more aggressive in pushing our defensive block higher, we might have scored, but we could not afford to take that risk. Perhaps in the next match, against a strong opponent, Vietnam will improve and score.”
Vietnam will face China in the quarter-finals, an opponent Hoang Van Phuc’s side already encountered during their pre-ASIAD training camp. The coach acknowledged China’s superior level and suggested Vietnam are likely to adopt a counter-attacking approach when the two teams meet again.
“We already played China during our training camp before the tournament. Their level is higher than Vietnam’s. For now, the team need to focus on physical recovery, and then the coaching staff will develop an appropriate tactical plan. We will most likely choose to play on the counter-attack,” Hoang Van Phuc said.
The quarter-final between China and Vietnam will kick off at 1 p.m. Vietnam time on September 25. The other three quarter-finals will see North Korea face Chinese Taipei at 1 p.m., while South Korea take on Uzbekistan and Japan meet the Philippines, with both of those matches scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
VSN/RPT
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