SEA Games 33: Coach Mai Đức Chung confirms achieving three goals in the semifinal match

At the press conference after the 5-0 semifinal victory over Indonesia, Coach Mai Đức Chung proudly stated: "First of all, on behalf of the team, I thank the athletes and the supporters. With strong spirit and enthusiastic cheering from the fans, we played with joy. Regarding the match, we secured a win.”

According to Coach Mai Đức Chung, the team achieved three objectives: securing a win, scoring goals, and having no injuries or penalties. Although the Vietnamese team played somewhat unsteady in the first half, they accelerated in the second half, and the players followed the coaching staff’s instructions well, playing better. He added: “In this match, I rotated players by bringing in two new fullbacks, including Mỹ Anh, the left back who hadn’t started before. They tried hard but might have felt some pressure, and their attacking was not yet sharp, causing us to miss many chances. By the end of the first half, I had to substitute Thanh Nhã and Trần Thị Duyên, which improved our wing attacks.”

Regarding the opponent in the final, Coach Mai Đức Chung shared: "Both Thailand and the Philippines are strong and well-matched with us. We will study our opponents carefully, so it’s too early to say much now. This is the 11th consecutive time the Vietnam women's team has reached the final, and we will do our best to play well in the match on December 17.”

On the race for the 2025 Vietnamese Golden Ball award, Coach Mai Đức Chung commented: "It’s too soon to say who will win because the women’s team has both experienced and young players, and everyone has a chance. For example, Bích Tùy, Thanh Nhã, and Trần Thị Duyên are all promising candidates likely to contend for the upcoming Golden Ball award.”

Also at the press conference, midfielder Bích Thùy said: "I’m very happy and proud of the victory. Now we will forget this match and focus on the final. On behalf of the team, I want to thank the supporters who have stood by us throughout.” For Bích Thùy, whether facing Thailand or the Philippines in the final, the Vietnam team will give their all because both teams are equally strong.

Indonesia women’s national team head coach Akira Higashiyama remarked: "I congratulate Vietnam. You fully deserve to be in the final. Our team tried their best, but Vietnam was too strong. We couldn’t control the ball well because Vietnamese players pressed quickly. We couldn’t continue our history, but this is still a good result for Indonesian women’s football. Now we have much work ahead to perform well in the third-place match.”

After the match, the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) congratulated the Vietnam women's national team and awarded them 500 million VND for reaching the final.