Mai Duc Chung: “I am pleased with the draw”

Head coach of the Vietnam women’s team, Mai Duc Chung, said he was satisfied with the 1-1 draw against Thailand, stating that the result truly reflected the complexity of the game and the real power of the two teams.

Head coach of the Vietnam women’s team, Mai Duc Chung, speaks at the press conference.
Head coach of the Vietnam women’s team, Mai Duc Chung, speaks at the press conference.

* Late equaliser denies Vietnam victory against Thailand

In their Group B opener at the 30th SEA Games on November 26, Chung’s side went ahead at the stroke of halftime thanks to Duong Thi Van’s header, but they failed to preserve their advantage until the final whistle, with Taneekarn Dangda heading home just two minutes from stoppage time to secure a precious point for Thailand.

“The draw was well-deserved for both Vietnam and Thailand. I think the two teams were lucky today. The result truly reflected the complexion of the match. Pitifully, Vietnam opened the scoring but could not defend it to the end. Anyway, I am pleased with the one point won,” Chung told reporters after the match.

Commenting on the upcoming clash against Indonesia, the Vietnamese coach said: “We will try through each match against any opponents. Indonesia have also improved a lot since we last met them in the recent AFF Championship.”

“Of course, we will make changes in our lineup for the clash. Vietnam are looking towards the full three points against Indonesia to qualify for the semifinals. It is a disadvantage as our match takes place before Thailand’s. However, the schedule has already been fixed, and there is nothing that can be changed about it,” Chung stated.

As scheduled, the Vietnam-Indonesia match will take place at the Binan Football Stadium at 3pm on November 29.