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Vietnam's women's national football team in their training session on July 24 |
Both the Vietnamese and Portuguese women's national teams suffered losses in their opening matches. As a result, their upcoming match on July 27 holds significant importance to their ambition to make a remarkable impression in their first-ever participation on the world stage.
Maximum concentrated effort
As for the Vietnamese women's team, their goal might be less ambitious, such as aiming for a draw or simply attempting to score the first goal in this arena. Given the performance of both teams in the first round, there is a reasonable basis to believe in the potential of the Vietnamese women's team.
Coach Mai Duc Chung had the entire team watch the complete match between the Portuguese women's team and the Netherlands to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
"They are a strong and intense opponent. To face them, the whole team must put in even more effort to defend well. This will allow our attacking lines to feel confident in deploying the ball and creating goal-scoring opportunities. Despite being newcomers, reaching the final stages of the Women's World Cup shows that every team is formidable. The most crucial aspect is to believe in ourselves and play with determination," defender Chuong Thi Kieu shared her assessment of the Portuguese women's team.
Chuong Thi Kieu's remarks indicate that Vietnamese female football players are poised for a positive outcome in the match against Portugal. In contrast to the match against the US, which was played in the afternoon, the Portugal match will be held in the evening with cooler temperatures. Nevertheless, Chuong Thi Kieu emphasizes that this factor is not overly significant since the team has had a few weeks to adapt to the weather conditions beforehand. At present, the players are concentrating on enhancing their physical fitness and getting ready for the next match.
Portugal remains determined
Despite feeling regretful about the 0-1 loss to the current runners-up, the Netherlands, forward Jessica Silva from the Portuguese national team maintains her determination to achieve victories against Vietnam and the US, cherishing the hope of advancing in Group E. Silva emphasized that the 0-1 defeat was not the result they desired. The World Cup 2023 is far from over. Hence, they must give their all, maximize their strength, and win the next two matches to secure a ticket to the next stage.
According to the PortuGOAL website, the Portuguese women's team has revealed a fatal weakness, particularly in their defense during set-piece situations. "Portugal women have historically had trouble defending set pieces, and their fragility in this area was exposed again as the tall Van der Gragt rose highest to head in direct from a corner," the website stated. The website also cautions that Portugal might face consequences if they continue to play without focus in the match against the Vietnamese women's team on July 27, despite being considered superior in all aspects.
Portuguese Coach Francisco Neto stated that even if they did not score in the first match, and if they want to be confident in the final match against the US, they must win against the Vietnamese team. He mentioned that they would approach the match with the right mentality and find different solutions, acknowledging that it would not be an easy game. Neto also remarked that Portugal has a competitive team; if they maintain their performance, they will go to the last day. He emphasized that whether they advance or get eliminated depends solely on themselves.
According to the schedule, the Vietnamese women's team will conduct its training at Fred Taylor Park (Auckland) until the end of July 25. After that, it will travel to Hamilton on the morning of July 26. Once in Hamilton, the team will hold one official training session at Porritt Park in the afternoon of the same day.
