Japanese coach asserts Vietnam team will play counter-attack against Thailand

Coach Okiyama said the Vietnam women's U20 team will maintain a defensive counter-attacking approach against the Thailand women's U20 team.

The Vietnam women's U20 team could not create a surprise in their opening match, losing heavily to the championship contender China with a score of 3-0. In the second match, Coach Okiyama's squad is predicted to continue facing difficulties when encountering the host team Thailand. The Thailand women's U20 team also recently reversed the score to defeat Bangladesh in their first match with a 3-2 result, pushing the Vietnam women's U20 team to the bottom of Group A.

In the second match, the Vietnam women's U20 team will meet the Thailand women's U20 team on April 4th, a match considered crucial in the competition for the second position in Group A. Coach Okiyama stated the entire team will focus on recovering physically and continue maintaining the defensive counter-attacking style:

“First, we will recover well to ensure the players' physical condition. In the match against Thailand, we will still maintain the defensive counter-attacking style, strive to seize the ball from opponents and organize effective counter-attacks.”

According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group along with the two best-performing third-place teams will qualify for the quarter-finals. This also provides the basis for the Vietnam women's U20 team to continue aiming for the goal of competing for a ticket to advance in the 2026 AFC Women's U20 Asian Cup finals.

Sharing after the match, the Japanese coach said: “The Vietnam women's U20 team started well in the match against the China women's U20 team. They demonstrated determination and sharpness in their play. In the second half, the whole team continued striving with high fighting spirit. However, the opponent was the China women's U20 team – a team with a very strong foundation, belonging to Asia's top group. We also made some mistakes in the first two conceded goals.”

According to Coach Okiyama, the Vietnam women's U20 team proactively chose a tight defensive tactic, waiting for opportunities to counter-attack and executed it quite effectively for most of the match duration. “We set the goal of solid defense before counter-attacking. The team performed this method quite well. Despite conceding goals, they did not collapse. The players played with discipline and adhered to the planned tactics. China did not defeat Vietnam easily. They had many players suffering from cramps,” he emphasized.

Vietnam women's U20 team lost heavily to China in their Asian Cup opener

Japanese coach: 'Vietnam team played well, but China is very...'