After a dramatic 0–1 defeat to the Philippines, head coach Mai Duc Chung expressed regret but remains confident Vietnam still holds the key to advancing to the semifinals of the women’s football event at SEA Games 33.

“This was a really unfortunate loss,” Coach Chung said after the match.

“Given how the game played out, a draw would have been fairer. I’ll take responsibility for some of the situations that led to the goal, but I must say the refereeing wasn’t entirely fair.”

“There was a moment where the ball clearly touched a Philippines player’s hand, but no foul was called. Meanwhile, we were penalized very tightly, and the referee seemed more lenient toward the Philippines,” he noted.

Analyzing the opponent, Chung stated: “The Philippines doesn’t offer much beyond long balls. They have no clear build-up or combinations. They simply rely on aerial strength and power. That’s how they play - basic and unstructured. Conceding at the end like that is really frustrating.”

Regarding his team’s own performance, the veteran coach admitted to tactical lapses: “We had already discussed avoiding long balls during the tactical briefing. But on the pitch, the players often reverted to spontaneous play. One of our key mistakes was continuously crossing the ball. I kept reminding them to stick to ground passes and triangle combinations, but due to poor positioning and spacing, they were forced into long balls.”

Chung also addressed his decision to use three center-backs: “Diem My has experience playing the sweeper role, and the other two defenders are tall and strong. The setup was meant to counter aerial threats, and they actually performed well.”

“However, some substitutions were ineffective. I admit they were reactive and didn’t fully exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.”

Explaining his early substitution of Truc Huong in the 31st minute, he said: “She wasn’t playing well - she lost composure, turned over the ball frequently, and struggled in duels. In hindsight, I should’ve replaced her with a younger, more physical player, but at that moment I hesitated. I take full responsibility for this defeat.”

Despite the loss, Coach Chung believes the path to the semifinals remains open: “Our fate is still in our own hands. We just need to beat Myanmar to advance. If all three teams end up with six points, we’ll likely come out on top based on goal difference. We still have a strong chance.”

Dai Nam