Narrow defeat to Australia, Viet Nam women’s team to compete for bronze medal

Despite great efforts, the Viet Nam women’s national football team suffered a 1-2 defeat to Australia in the semi-finals of the 2025 ASEAN Women’s Football Championship. This result forced coach Mai Duc Chung and his players to stop short of the final and prepare for the third-place play-off against Thailand.

Viet Nam’s only goal is scored by Bich Thuy in the 88th minute. (Photo: VFF)

Right from the opening whistle on home ground, the Viet Nam women’s team were put under intense pressure by Australian players. After only six minutes, goalkeeper Kim Thanh’s net was breached when Keane rose high to head the ball precisely, giving the Australian team a 1-0 lead.

The early goal stunned Viet Nam. Although they tried to push up the tempo to find an equaliser, Australia’s diverse playing style and superior physicality created great difficulty. By the 17th minute, McKenna unleashed a fierce long-range strike from outside the box, the curling ball leaving the home defence helpless, doubling the lead to 2-0.

Trailing by two goals, captain Huynh Nhu and her teammates launched aggressive attacks, yet their weakness in finishing once again showed. Huynh Nhu missed at least two clear chances, while Viet Nam’s lines struggled to combine under Australia’s physical pressure. By the end of the first half, despite several dangerous opportunities, the goal to shorten the score still did not come.

In the second half, coach Mai Duc Chung brought on Hai Linh to replace Thai Thi Thao to inject more creativity into midfield.

However, Australia’s solid defensive system made the hosts’ attacking efforts largely ineffective. As time passed, impatience grew, with several of Viet Nam’s attempts ending in squandered shots.

Not until the 88th minute were the efforts of coach Mai Duc Chung’s side rewarded. Bich Thuy made an impressive solo run before finishing decisively to shorten the score to 1-2. Yet, the remaining time was not enough for Viet Nam to overturn the result.

With a 1-2 defeat, the Viet Nam women’s national team had to watch Australia advance to the final, while the hosts will face Thailand in the match for the bronze medal.

NDO