Women's World Cup 2026: Lessons from the Defeats of the Vietnam Women's National Team

An unplanned door often opens to the greatest stadium. When Huynh Nhu received the ball in the 65th minute against the Netherlands, the entire stadium held its breath. Her shot went just wide of the post, and that moment became symbolic of Vietnam's entire first World Cup journey. Not a goal, not a victory, but the courage to attack against one of the strongest teams in the world is what truly matters. The historical context placed the Vietnam women's national team in a group of death with the USA, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Making their World Cup debut, no one expected them to earn a point. And indeed, they lost all three matches, failed to score, and conceded 12 goals. These numbers are easy to mock, but if we only look at the scorelines, we miss the entire story behind them. From my experience following these matches, I noticed that head coach Mai Duc Chung built an organized defensive system, but the gap in physicality and speed was simply too large. Against the USA, Vietnam had only 24% possession and managed a single shot on target. Against Portugal, possession rose to 35%, and they had two shots on target. Against the Netherlands, despite being pushed back, they created three clear chances. The improvement from match to match is undeniable. More importantly, the team applied high pressing from their own half. Though they lacked the stamina to sustain it for 90 minutes, in the first half against the USA, the defensive line held firm under immense pressure. They did not sit back passively but always tried to escape pressing through short passes. This reveals a clear football philosophy, not negative defensive play. Many argue that participating in the World Cup was meaningless given such heavy defeats. But I want to offer a different perspective. Compared to Thailand at the 2026 World Cup, who lost all three matches with a combined score of 1-18, Vietnam defended significantly better. Moreover, playing against the world's best teams is a golden opportunity for players to learn and improve. The media only focuses on the losses without seeing the tactical and mental progress. I have learned to listen to what the pitch whispers when no one is filming. After the loss to the Netherlands, I saw the Vietnamese players not broken. They stood up, patted each other on the back, and sang the national anthem with full pride. That was the moment I realized that in sports, the most important match sometimes happens behind the dressing room door. They fought for their flag, for millions of fans back home, and for their own dreams. In the silent summer, every heartbeat of theirs resounds like a manifesto. The 2026 World Cup is not an end, but a stepping stone. For Vietnamese women's football to truly go far, we need to invest in youth development, upgrade the domestic league, and change how the media perceives it. Then, unplanned doors will continue to open, and we will not just participate but compete on equal footing with the continent's top teams.