At this year's SEA Games, five women's football teams, including hosts Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam, played a round-robin format to select the top three teams to win the event’s medal set.
Prior to the last clash of SEA Games women’s football event between Vietnam and Malaysia, Thailand, the closet competitors in the race to the championship title with Coach Mai Duc Chung’s players, beat Philippines 3-1 to top the standings with 10 points and a +9 goal difference.
The results put a huge pressure on Vietnamese players as with 7 points and a +5 goal difference, they had to win their final match with Malaysia with five or higher goal difference to become the 29th SEA Games champions.
However, it was not a mission impossible for Vietnam as the hosts lost all three previous games, scored only one goal and conceded 13.
Entering the game with great determination, Vietnamese female footballers strengthened attacks right from the first minutes. In the 7th minute, Vu Thi Nhung scored the opening goal for Vietnam.
Inspired by the opener, the red-shirts put more pressure on the hosts and only five minutes later the second goal came in thanks to Nguyen Thi Lieu’s superb finish from outside the penalty area.
Vietnam completely controlled the game and created a range of opportunities to widen the gap but it was not until the 41st minute that intense attacks brought about another goal. Nguyen Thi Muon’s shot in the penalty area sealed the third goal before Huynh Nhu net in another goal six minutes later to end the first half at 4-0 for Vietnam.
Just nine minutes in the second half, Nguyen Thi Muon again finished her double to extend the lead to 5-0 for her home team.
In the 80th minute, Nguyen Thi Lieu made it 6-0 to seal the resounding victory and also the gold medal for Vietnamese women’s football at SEA Games 29.
Also with 10 points after four matches but +9 goal difference (compared to Vietnam’s +11 goal difference), Thailand are the runners-up, followed by Myanmar in third place with 6 points.
This is the fifth time Vietnam have claimed SEA Games champions in women’s football, after the gold medals in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2009, respectively, equaling Thailand's record.
The victory by Coach Mai Duc Chung’s players somewhat comforts home fans, after the disappointing 0-3 loss hours earlier by Vietnam U22 male players to Thailand U22, thus dropping out of the tournament after the group stage.
