Vietnam came to the Asian finals with the goal of winning the top three positions to qualify for the 2025 Women’s Futsal World Cup. In the group stage, the team was undefeated, beating Hong Kong 5-3, the Philippines 3-0 and drawing with defending champions Iran 0-0.
However, against Japan, ranked 10th in the world, the girls in red played completely weakly, barely creating any clear opportunities throughout the match.
Japan finished second in Group C and lost to Thailand in the group stage, but are of a higher standard than Vietnam. In the friendly match between the two teams before the tournament, they won 4-1.
As soon as the game started, Japan attacked aggressively, clearly showing their superiority in size and strength. In the first 20 seconds, Vietnam had to rely on the crossbar and goalposts to avoid early goals.
In the 3rd minute, Kyoka Takahashi eliminated defender Thanh Hang and shot hard past goalkeeper Thuy Linh. The ball hit Phuong Anh’s foot and bounced into the net, opening the score for Japan.
With their flexible movement and good passing, Japan did not give Vietnam many chances to attack. In the 6th minute, Ikeuchi scored the second goal against Thuy Linh. However, Chinese referee Zhu Xin did not recognize the goal because he thought the ball had touched Ikeuchi’s hand.
There was no way back, but coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang’s students could not rise up. On the contrary, if goalkeeper Thuy Linh had not played well, or if the referee had called the ball hit Thanh Hang’s hand, Vietnam could have lost again.
In the second half, Vietnam tried to force their opponents to defend deep. However, not only did they not find an equalizer, the team also lost more. In the 24th minute, Van Anh lost the ball in the middle of the field, allowing Japan to seize the opportunity to counterattack. Ryo Egawa easily defeated goalkeeper Thuy Linh when facing her, raising the score to 2-0.
In the last 10 minutes, Vietnam switched to power-play, and Vietnam Golden Ball winner Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang was sent onto the field. However, against Japan’s tight defense, Vietnam was still completely helpless. Even having to rely on the crossbar and goalposts to keep the gap from increasing.
The 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Championship will take place from May 6 to 17 in China. The tournament will feature 12 teams, divided into three groups, competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance. The top three teams will qualify for the first-ever Women’s World Cup in the Philippines.
VN (according to VnExpress)
