Unfortunately, the Vietnamese women's team has not scored a goal at the World Cup.

"Hurry up, the team is about to start training," coach Mai Duc Chung advised. He gave VTC News reporters a 30-minute interview in his busy schedule to recall memories of the historic journey of Vietnamese women's football at the 2023 Women's World Cup. These were the last thoughts he had before focusing all his attention on the next task at ASIAD 19.

The 73-year-old coach has had less than a week off since returning from the 2023 Women's World Cup with the Vietnamese women's team. Coach Mai Duc Chung has not even had time to get back to his home time zone and has not had a full night's sleep during his few days off.

Coach Mai Duc Chung talks with VTC News

Losing at the World Cup is still a memorable memory

- The Vietnamese women's football team has made its first mark at the World Cup. More than a week after returning, what echoes of the journey in New Zealand still linger in your mind?

We arrived at the World Cup. The first match against the US team was the opening match, and there were many problems. The Vietnamese women's team had just entered the World Cup for the first time and they were facing a very strong opponent. They were the reigning world champions! The US team was the opponent that every team wanted to meet.

It is an honor, but also a challenge for the Vietnamese women's team. I don't think we have to beat the US team. We know our level. They are number one in the world, we are 32nd.

Winning against the US team was something we didn’t think about at all. We just thought about playing with all our might and having a good spirit. As for the score, to be honest, my team and I just wanted to lose less, not to think about winning. Everyone wants to win in football, but the US team was at a level too high for us, we couldn’t win.

We may have lost technically, but especially in spirit and fighting spirit, we did not lose. We did it.

Coach Mai Duc Chung recalls memorable memories at the 2023 Women's World Cup with the Vietnamese women's team.

- The 2023 Women's World Cup has many surprises. Was there a moment when you thought that if the Vietnamese women's team were in a slightly easier group, a little luckier, we could also do such special things?

I must emphasize that we are in the Southeast Asia region, a football backwater, and are still very weak. In Asia, we are not as good as many teams, so I don't think it will be the same if we are drawn in another group. At the World Cup, every group is the same, and our opponents are stronger than us.

For example, the Philippines is in the same region, but their players are better than ours. They are like European and American teams. Compared to the closest team to us, the Vietnamese women's team is still inferior in terms of skill, tactics, stature, and physical strength. I don't think that if they were in another group, the Vietnamese women's team would play better.

- Was there a time when you felt the Vietnamese women's team was very close to scoring?

To be honest, I had that feeling. There were chances in all three games that could have scored. Our level wasn't up to par, but we coordinated and passed the ball very well.

I remember in the third match, when Thanh Nha got the ball, she passed it over the heads of the Dutch midfielder and center back to Bich Thuy. Bich Thuy's first touch was very good, but her finishing was not good.

It's not that we don't have chances. We had moments like that in the match against the US team, but unfortunately we didn't score. We are not complete, not confident, there is still something missing in each athlete. If we were more confident, more complete, I think the Vietnamese women's team would have scored.

The Vietnamese women's team had some regrettable moments at the World Cup. (Photo: FIFA)

- There were times when Vietnamese fans experienced overwhelming emotions when watching the team play against Portugal. However, from a professional perspective, he said those were moments of over-excitement and led to 2 goals conceded.

Our coaching staff assessed that the opponents in the group were all strong, much higher in rank and skill than us. When playing against such teams, we had to defend and counter-attack. Our intention was to play like the Japanese team.

The Japanese team played very well and they won. We had to push forward at times, but we had to push forward as a unit and then everyone had to retreat. However, our players were so excited to score that in the first five minutes they thought it would be "easy" so they just "jumped up" to kick.

When the midfield and strikers move up, the defenders do not move up to support but stand at a distance. That is when the modern midfield leads to play, the defenders do not move up to support but stand at a distance. Because of that distance, we have space for the other team to attack, and the Portuguese team is ready. They wait for us. That is also what I am not satisfied with.

- Right before that match, the Philippine women's team created a surprise by defeating host New Zealand. Did that have the effect of both motivating and adding pressure to the Vietnamese players?

Maybe that is also a factor. I think it is both motivation and pressure. I still rate the Philippines team higher than us. But you have not thought about that. Creating confidence for each other is good, but whether you can do it or not is important. You are impatient.

Vietnam women's team 0-2 Portugal

The players have to understand the problem, but some people can do it, some can't so we are scattered. But, in the end, I think the score is okay. Losing 0-2 compared to other teams, I think it's not too bad.

Before the second half, I told the players to know where they were. We had seen the other team play, they were good and strong. We were confident, "lifted" to play but in a moment, we made a mistake. I don't blame the players, I still take responsibility for that.

The players thought they could score a goal because Portugal were weaker than the USA and the Netherlands in the group. We thought we could score a goal. I think that's a memorable story. Maybe it was a mistake, but it's a memory.

- The TV audience saw him very angry.

I was very unhappy, which is understandable after we lost by 2 goals like that. I encouraged the players to focus and know where they are. We are ranked 32nd and 11 places behind our opponents. Why are they playing like they did in the SEA Games?

If at the SEA Games, I have no problem. Except when we meet the Philippines, we have to hold back our formation. When we meet Thailand and Myanmar, the Vietnamese women's team still plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, playing fairly, because I understand that the opponent is at the same level as us, so we have to attack. But at the World Cup, the opponent is stronger than us, so we have to know how to defend firmly, and then we have a chance to advance. If we continue to play like the first half, I'm afraid we will lose again. You guys will wake up, play better in the second half and not concede a goal.

No full sleep

- The moment when the Vietnamese National Anthem was played at the World Cup was very special. Fans on television saw him tear up as if he was about to cry in the final match against the Netherlands.

Yes. We are very proud and touched.

I saw on the stands, our Vietnamese flag, the national flag fluttering in the stands and many fans waving flags shouting "Vietnam wins". On the world stage, we stand up to salute the flag. I stood on the field, representing the Vietnamese people to sing the national anthem and salute the flag, I was really moved! This is truly a great honor for every human being.

Coach Mai Duc Chung thanks fans. (Photo: VFF)

- At the SEA Games, you often had trouble sleeping. What about during the World Cup?

Whatever you do, there is pressure, especially in football, the pressure is very high. Everyone told me, including my family, that the World Cup was too high for me, so I didn’t need to think about it, just relax.

That is partly true. As head coach, I have to take care of the whole team, from organization, activities to tactics, I still have to worry completely. There were many sleepless nights, for example the night before the match with the US team.

The Thai team lost 0-13, and our team was in the same position. Everyone told me not to lose like that, I think those words were sincere, people were worried about me, so why shouldn’t I worry? We have to find a way to maintain a good team formation. We can lose, but how to lose appropriately. Those are the things I worry about and sometimes I can’t sleep.

After the last tournament I lost another three kilos and my sleep is still not very good, there are still times when I wake up, but in the end other tasks come up so I temporarily forget about the World Cup.

- Another issue that probably worries him a lot is the arrangement of players to play. The World Cup is clearly not a playground for all 23 players.

I have talked to the players who are not allowed to play. I understand and sympathize, because I am also an athlete. However, this is a national mission. I have to think about the team, I will use the best players. Through training sessions, with the eyes of a coach, I can see which players meet the requirements. There are cases, unfortunately we cannot arrange because we can only replace 5 players per match. I have to carefully calculate each position, what is the most beneficial for the common mission.

I don’t have any personal issues. Those who have been following the team for a long time know that I treat the players like my children and grandchildren. I have no problems with them. I want to say that I, the coach, should have the right to choose what is best for the team and the collective.

- How do you relieve stress during your days in New Zealand, when there is no fishing?

Anyone who notices me in the car will know that I almost never look straight ahead. I keep looking to the sides, at lakes, rivers, and places where I can fish. I want to jump down and raise my fishing rod, but I can't.

This is a national duty, so I have to get back to work. Put on my shoes, prepare my training plan and prepare my tactics.

Coach Mai Duc Chung is under a lot of pressure at the World Cup, even though this is a tournament where the Vietnamese women's team is not burdened with results.

- Coach Mai Duc Chung was the first person to lead the Vietnamese women's team more than 20 years ago, and when he reached the top at the World Cup, he was still in that position. He talked about the end, about wanting to rest. Looking back on this whole journey, what do you think?

Yes, I am very grateful to the fans and people of the whole country who have cheered me on so much. I am luckier than others because I have very good athletes, with great spirit and will to compete. I thank all the athletes from 1997 until now who have devoted themselves to the team, to Vietnamese women's football. I am lucky to work with such athletes.

I just hope that they will try their best, if they are still competing, they will continue to practice, strive to become good athletes and later on they can become good coaches to continue to contribute to Vietnamese women's football.

- What does the Vietnamese women's team need to get to the next World Cup?

I think this is not a question for any individual, not for the Vietnam Football Federation, but for the whole society to think, to join hands, to unite and be unified. To develop women's football, we need the cooperation of everyone at home and abroad. Only then can we have the next Women's World Cup.

- Thank you coach Mai Duc Chung.

The journey of the Vietnam women's team at the 2023 World Cup through numbers.

Source: https://vtc.vn/hlv-mai-duc-chung-that-tiec-tuyen-nu-viet-nam-chua-ghi-ban-o-world-cup-ar808597.html