In the first match, coach Hoang Van Phuc's team unfortunately lost to Loan (China) with a score of 1-2. Meanwhile, the home team of the Games started with a resounding 8-0 victory over Thailand and is showing the strength of the leading candidate for the gold medal.
The gap between the two teams is shown through head-to-head history. Since 2006, the Vietnamese women's team has met Japan 10 times but has not achieved favorable results.
Most recently, Vietnam lost 0-4 to this opponent in the group stage of the 2026 Asian Cup in March. Meanwhile, the defeat with the smallest difference was 0-2 in the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers in 2023.
Returning to ASIAD 20, in the victory over Thailand, Japan continued to show strength when scoring 4 goals in each half. Notably, Nakashima and Takarada both scored hat-tricks, showing the ability to exploit space and finish of the Japanese team's attack.
For coach Hoang Van Phuc and his team, the immediate requirement is to maintain the distance between the lines and limit gaps in front of the penalty area. The match against Taiwan (China) showed that Vietnam only improved the game after being led by 2 goals.
Against an opponent with better ball control and pressure ability, letting Japan create an early advantage will make the defensive problem difficult.
The match against Japan will be a test of patience and maximum concentration for the Vietnamese women's team. We will choose a defensive option but not passive, always looking for opportunities to change to the fastest state.
At the same time, we also have to calculate the reasonable allocation of forces to best prepare for the final match against Thailand," coach Hoang Van Phuc shared before the match.
Besides organizing defense, the ability to switch states is also a plan for the Vietnamese women's team to create opportunities. After winning the ball, the first passes need to be accurate so that the formation escapes pressure instead of immediately resisting a new attack.
The ASIAD 20 format takes the top two teams in each group and the top two teams with the best results to the quarterfinals. Therefore, goal difference can affect the race.
After the Japan match, the Vietnamese women's team will also meet Thailand in the final round. Therefore, against the strongest opponent in the group, maintaining concentration and limiting the number of goals conceded is meaningful for Hai Yen and her teammates' next journey.
