UK newspaper hails impressive achievements of Vietnamese women’s team

In the article, Evans said that after having played only their first match as a team as recently as 1997, qualification for this year’s version of the World Cup should be seen as a landmark moment for women’s football in Vietnam.

“They have established themselves as a dominant force in Southeast Asian football in the first two decades of the 2000’s, and were only denied a place at the 2015 World Cup by a playoff defeat to perennial rivals Thailand,” Evans wrote.

According to the British journalist, Vietnam’s moment finally came after they beat both Thailand and Chinese Taipei in 2022 during the qualification phase. He noted that this was followed by calls to make the domestic women’s league professional as football fans in the country hope that participation in the World Cup can become a regular occurrence.

Dan Evans stressed that the Vietnamese women’s team travel to compete at the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in good form, having won the Southeast Asian Games in May.

However, he added that a daunting group stage draw will see their first experience World Cup see them take on both the Netherlands and four-time world champions the United States.

With regard to head coach Mai Duc Chung, Evans said that Vietnam could hardly have the benefit of an experienced leader who can guide the national women’s team at this year’s World Cup.

“Chung has been in charge for six of the eight gold medals that the side have won at the Southeast Asian Games over the past two decades,” the journalist highlighted.

The UK journalist also praised Vietnam’s key player Huynh Nhu, who is currently the only female Vietnamese to play her club football abroad and represents the team’s focal point as both captain and record goal scorer.

“Having represented Portuguese side Vilaverdense since 2022, the striker will be hoping to add to her remarkable international scoring record of 67 strikes in 72 appearances at the World Cup,” he concluded.

As scheduled, the upcoming World Cup finals will see the Vietnamese team face defending champions the US on July 22, Portugal on July 27, and the Netherlands, the runners-up of the previous tournament, on August 1.

All of these matches will take place in New Zealand.

Before that, the team will also play two important friendly matches against Spain and New Zealand on July 10 and July 14, respectively.