What should the Vietnamese team do when facing Japan?

Against one of the top contenders for the championship, the most practical task for coach Mai Duc Chung and his players is to minimize conceded goals to preserve the chance of advancing to the quarter-finals, thereby continuing to hope for securing a spot in the Women's World Cup for the second consecutive time.

In the final match of Group C of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, the Vietnamese women's national team will face a very strong opponent, Japan, at 4:00 PM on March 10.

Japan has long established its leading position in women's football in Asia and the world. The team from the Land of the Rising Sun once won the Women's World Cup in 2011 and regularly ranks among the strongest teams in major tournaments. In this year's Women's Asian Cup, they continue to demonstrate overwhelming strength by winning all their first two matches, scoring up to 13 goals and not conceding any. With a perfect 6 points, Japan has already secured a place in the quarter-finals.

Because they have already secured advancement, coach Nils Nielsen is likely to make personnel adjustments in the match against Vietnam to conserve energy for key players before the knockout stage. However, even without deploying their strongest lineup, Japan is still rated much higher than the Southeast Asian representative. This means Huynh Nhu and her teammates will face immense pressure.

After the 0-1 loss to Taiwan, the Vietnamese women's team temporarily dropped to third place in Group C. Nevertheless, the chance to advance remains open because the two best-performing third-place teams still qualify for the quarter-finals. Currently, Vietnam leads this group with 3 points and a goal difference of 0, while Philippines and Uzbekistan have no points and very low goal differences. This means that if they do not suffer a heavy defeat against Japan, the Vietnamese team likely still retains its ticket to advance.

Coach Mai Duc Chung mentioned that some key players like Thanh Nha, Van Su, or Duong Thi Van were not at their best physical condition in the previous match, partly due to the impact of hot weather. However, the match against Japan takes place later in the local afternoon, with weather conditions forecasted to be more comfortable, helping players maintain a better physical foundation.

Against a superior opponent, the Vietnamese women's team is likely to prioritize a tight defensive style, maintaining a reasonable team formation distance to limit gaps. Additionally, fast counter-attacks involving agile players like Thanh Nha, Bich Thuy, or Van Su could become weapons for surprises.

Regardless of the outcome, the confrontation with Japan remains an important test that helps the Vietnamese women's team assess its competitiveness against top continental teams. If they maintain focus and tactical discipline, coach Mai Duc Chung and his players can fully achieve the minimum goal of advancing to the knockout stage.