Vietnam through to final round of AFC Women's Olympic qualifiers

Vietnam made it through to the final stage of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers following their convincing 2-0 victory over Thailand in the last match of the second round in Myanmar on September 22.

 

Striker Minh Nguyet (in white) nets two goals to secure Vietnam a place in the final round of the AFC Women's Olympic Qualifiers.

The disappointing 0-1 loss to Chinese Taipei in their September 14 opener deprived Vietnam of the autonomy to decide their own fate, requiring them to win all remaining matches to secure a place in the final round.

Ahead of the encounter with Thailand, Vietnam recorded impressive wins against Myanmar and Jordan. With six points in hand after three games, one point fewer than Thailand and Chinese Taipei, Vietnam needed to win the match with Thailand to secure the top spot and the sole ticket to advance.

 

Vietnam delivered a strong start to the match determined to avenge their loss to Thailand in last year’s 2015 World Cup qualifiers.

 

Under the direction of Japanese coach Takashi Norimatsu, the Vietnamese squad cruised to a 1-0 lead after 38 minutes of dominating ball possession and deploying constant attacks, thanks to a cunning shot by striker Minh Nguyet.

 

After the break, Vietnam chose a ‘solid defence and fast counterattack’ strategy, which proved effective as Minh Nguyet slammed the second goal and overall triumph for Vietnam from an 85th-minute cornerkick.

 

In another match played on the same day, Chinese Taipei surprisingly lost 1-3 to Myanmar, thereby gifting Vietnam’s coach Takashi Norimatsu and his players the only remaining ticket to play in the final round, scheduled to be held in Japan from February 29 to March 9, 2016.

 

Vietnam will have to compete against reigning Asian champions Japan, 2014 AFC Asian Cup runners-up Australia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, China and the Republic of Korea in a round-robin style tournament for the AFC’s two positions in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

 

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)