The desire to return to the Southeast Asian throne of the Vietnamese women's team

The Vietnamese women's team is in the process of transferring forces and changing its playing style to serve the goal of conquering the AFF Cup 2025 title.

THE ROAD TO THE THRONE IS STILL DIFFICULT

The Vietnamese women's team is the most successful team in Southeast Asian women's football in the past 6 years, winning the 30th, 31st, 32nd SEA Games, the 2019 AFF Cup, placing fifth in the 2022 Asian Cup and winning a ticket to the 2023 World Cup. This achievement is thanks to more than 2 decades of building the women's football movement, training people and a persistent playing style, helping the Vietnamese women's team stand firmly on its own two feet.

Vietnam women's team determined to conquer the peak of AFF Cup 2025

Photo: VFF

However, the most recent AFF Cup (2022) was a "scratch" on the perfect journey of the past half decade of the Vietnamese women's team. Entering the tournament as defending champions and easily topping the group stage, Huynh Nhu and her teammates unexpectedly lost 0-4 to the Philippines in the semi-finals, then lost 3-4 to Myanmar in the third-place match. After the tournament, coach Mai Duc Chung admitted that he had seen the limits of some players. To make the transition, the Vietnamese women's team needs two resources, including young players and overseas Vietnamese, both of which we lack.

Regarding the overseas Vietnamese force, the Vietnamese women's team is in a state: those who have nationality are not good enough (Nguyen Hoang Nam Mi was eliminated because she did not meet the requirements), and those who are good enough (like Chelsea Le) do not have nationality. Coach Mai Duc Chung still has to rely on domestic players, with young personnel (under 23 years old) in each gathering usually no more than 5 names.

In the June training session to prepare for the 2026 Asian Cup, the coaching staff removed three young players, including Nam Mi (2005), Luu Thi Nhu Quynh (2004) and Ho Thi Thanh Thao (2004). This time, it was Le Thi Bao Tram's (2004) turn to be called up, but in the context that the Vietnamese women's team is not lacking in talented and experienced central defenders, Bao Tram is unlikely to stay. The central defender of the Vietnam Coal - Minerals team stayed behind to practice her passing skills to launch attacks. She wanted to stay, but understood that the competition in the women's team had "swallowed" many young talents, and if she did not try hard enough, no one would have a place by default.

The Vietnamese women's team will conquer the AFF Cup 2025 with a squad that has very few new points. Still the core force participating in the 2023 World Cup, coach Mai Duc Chung's students are practicing diligently to find a way to resist the naturalized army of the Philippines, Indonesia, the strong stars of Australia, or the young and ambitious factors of Thailand, Myanmar at the Southeast Asian playground taking place in August at Lach Tray Stadium ( Hai Phong ).

C CAREFULLY PREPARED, the women's team is highly determined

After a week of training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center ( Hanoi ), the Vietnamese women's team has moved on to the gathering phase in Quang Ninh, with two highlights: training on the sand to improve endurance and stamina, and training tactics. This is also the phase where coach Mai Duc Chung pushes the players into a fierce training routine. Some players shared that the Vietnamese women's team is trained physically with a variety of off-ball exercises.

"Coach Chung has analyzed for the whole team about potential opponents in the upcoming tournament, including the Philippines and Australia. The Vietnamese women's team must practice physical strength and impact really well to be able to face players with superior height," said player Tran Thi Hai Linh.

With continuous training from June until now, combined with overseas training, friendly matches and official matches (Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers), the Vietnamese women's team is at the ideal peak of form and fitness. The lessons of failure at the AFF Cup 2022 and ASIAD 2023 (both due to players being exhausted from having to compete in major tournaments continuously) have helped the coaching staff make more accurate calculations, helping players adjust to adapt. For example, after the Asian women's qualifiers, the coaching staff told the players to maintain physical training on site and should only rest for 2-3 days, so when they returned to the team, they had adapted to the new intensity.

Not only are they the most well-prepared of all the teams participating in the tournament (only Vietnam has a long training camp), Huynh Nhu and her teammates also have home field advantage, saving travel time and are enthusiastically supported by the audience. Although the force has not changed, but with the desire to "renew" and the spirit of conquering Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese women's team is capable of bringing matches that satisfy the fans.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khat-vong-tro-lai-ngo-hau-dong-nam-a-cua-doi-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-185250722232721656.htm