Australia started better thanks to their superior physicality, but Vietnam managed to score the opening goal of the game, with Tuyet Dung firing a long-range strike into the goal after 17 minutes.
However, the joy of the “yellow stars” was short-lived, as Australia’s number 10 Chidiac took advantage of a fast counterattack to level the score a few minutes later.
In the 35th minute, Vietnam conceded their second goal due to a defensive mistake, which allowed forward Jade Nevin to double Australia’s lead with an attempt from the right-wing.
The last ten minutes of the first half saw the Vietnamese women’s attempt to restore parity; however, Huynh Nhu, Tuyet Dung and Hai Yen failed to find the back of the net.
Vietnam (in red) could not cause a surprise against Australia despite their concerted efforts.
After the break, Hai Yen spurned a golden chance to earn Vietnam an equaliser, as she could not beat keeper Mathyssen in a one on one.
The wasted opportunities and declining physical strength forced Mai Duc Chung’s side to concede two additional goals, scored by Cooney Cross in the 63rd minute and Chidiac 15 minutes from time.
Tuyet Dung’s last gasp penalty a few minutes before the final whistle was not enough to save Vietnam from an overall 2-4 defeat.
As the semifinal losers, Vietnam will play the third-place match against Myanmar on July 13, who suffered a narrow 3-4 loss to Mai Duc Chung’s team in the group stage. Meanwhile, Thailand and Australia will meet in the final clash later the same day.