On August 17, the Vietnamese women's team continued to train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center in preparation for ASIAD 2026. Under the guidance of head coach Hoang Van Phuc, the players are getting acquainted with the new training plan and gradually perfecting their playing style.
In the early days of concentration, the coaching staff prioritized building a physical foundation, strengthening sparring exercises and deploying tactical requirements. Defender Diem My said that the current training intensity is quite high, with many sparring exercises to help players quickly adapt.
For me personally, this is the first time I have experienced under Uncle Phuc. The exercises he gave are very fast in intensity, mainly combat exercises, and also focus on correcting tactical issues and preparing to assemble formations. The intensity of training is also quite high," Diem My shared.
According to the Vietnamese women's national team defender, coach Hoang Van Phuc is serious in his work but still creates a comfortable atmosphere for the players. When entering professional exercises, the whole team must maintain high concentration.
Regarding playing style, Diem My said that the Vietnamese women's team is being oriented towards tactical plans suitable for each opponent, including counter-attacking defense exercises.
“Uncle Phuc started training the team on formation, exercises and counter-attacking defense tactics. The whole team was also oriented on how to play to prepare when facing different opponents such as Japan, Taiwan (China) and Thailand,” Diem My said.
At ASIAD 2026, the Vietnamese women's team is in Group A with host Japan, Taiwan (China) and Thailand. This is a group that is considered not easy when Japan has a high level, while Thailand and Taiwan (China) are direct competitors with the Vietnamese women's team.
Diem My commented: "Japan is at a higher level than us. As for Thailand and Taiwan (China), I think the level is relatively equal. We once met Chinese Taipei in the finals in Australia, although we lost, looking back at the match situation, we can still compete. The whole team will try their best to compete to win a spot in the next round".
Assessing Thailand, the Vietnamese women's national team defender said that the opponent has a combination of young players and experienced faces. Therefore, the team needs to continue to prepare carefully in the remaining time.
In the context that the Vietnamese women's team is gradually transitioning generations, Diem My is also clearly aware of the role of experienced players. She said she will try to set an example and support young players in the training and competition process.
I don't feel pressured. As a senior, I will try to set an example for them to follow and teach them what they are still lacking," Diem My shared.
Besides the professional preparation process, female players also pay attention to the Vietnamese men's team playing at the ASEAN Cup. Diem My said that going directly to the stadium to witness a large number of spectators cheering for the men's team creates more motivation for female players.
When going to the field and witnessing a large number of spectators cheering for the men's team, it is also a motivation for us to try harder, how to attract so many spectators to the stadium to cheer for the women's team," Diem My expressed.
The Vietnamese women's team will continue to train in the coming days, focusing on perfecting physical strength, tactics and coordination between the lines before entering the journey at ASIAD 2026.
