Football
Việt Nam's skipper Chương Thị Kiều (No 3) jumps up for a header during Việt Nam's 5-0 win over Laos on Saturday. Việt Nam will play Timor Leste today at the Biñan Stadium in Laguna, the Philippines. Photo of VFF
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam defeated Laos 5-0 in the AFF Women's Championship on Saturday at the Biñan Stadium in Laguna in the Philippines.
Coach Mai Đức Chung said his team has performed well in the opening two matches of the AFF Cup, but they cannot drop their guards and must focus on the next match against Timor Leste today.
Midfielder Phạm Hoàng Quỳnh opened the scoring for Việt Nam near the end of the first half although the defending champions set the pace and dominated from the beginning.
Striker Huỳnh Như doubled Việt Nam’s advantage just before the half-time break, converting a header from Trần Thị Thu’s well-timed delivery.
Fellow forward Phạm Hải Yến netted twice before Như scored another goal in a rampant 15-minute second half spell to put the game out of sight.
Earlier, they beat Cambodia 3-0. The two wins put the defending champions in second place in in Group B with six points.
They sit below Myanmar who also beat Cambodia 3-0 on Saturday but have a superior goal difference to Việt Nam.
Laos are in third place with four points.
"I am pleased with the match, we won with a high score," Chung said at the post-match briefing. "At the same time, we also ensured all players are safe from injuries and bookings."
In the next game, they will play Timor Leste and Chung, again, confirmed a winning target.
"We will keep the focus on the coming matches. We want a win over Timor Leste, and then we plan for the semi-final and final.
"I will change my line-up. I want to give chances to my young players. They can sharpen their skills and learn lessons, meanwhile, my key players will have time to rest and recover for the important game."
Chung was referring to the final group match against arch-rivals Myanmar on July 13.
Việt Nam received the good news that they still world No 32 in the latest ranking by FIFA. They are sixth in the whole of Asia and first in Southeast Asia.
In Group A action, the host Philippines are in first place with maximum of nine points after three matches. Thailand are in second with seven points, followed by Australia with four. VNS
OVietnam