Football

Midfielder Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Dung (left) prepares to shoot against East Timor on Monday during the AFF Cup in the Philippines. The defending champions will play Myanmar today. — Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's women's team know a draw against Myanmar today will be enough for them to top the group, but they are setting their sights much higher.

Coach Mai Đức Chung insists his team will play to win as they look to defend the AFF Women's Cup in Manila.

Việt Nam have the same amount of points with Myanmar in Group B, but sit above them on goal difference.

Chung said: "We are in the leading place because we have a better goal difference. Although we just need a draw against Mynamar to be the group winner, that is not our target.

"Việt Nam is determine to play our best in every match. A meet with Myanmar is also an opportunity for players to improve. We want to be top team with maximum points. Players are asked to play with all their best against Myanmar."

Chung said he has not been satisfied with his team's performance from the beginning of the tournament as all three wins were against weaker opponents.

The 72-year-old manager rotated his line-up and found that games versus Cambodia and Timor Leste were not as good as expected.

"We scored many goals but in fact players did not perform well," he added.

"It was partly because of the heavy rain which affected their technique. Overall, I have not felt pleased."

Chung and his assistants watched match between Thailand and the hosts on Tuesday as one of them will be Việt Nam's opponent in the semi-final.

On Monday, Việt Nam beat Timor Leste 6-0 to be the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.

Heavy rain delayed the match for 30 minutes, but it could not prevent Vietnamese players from tearing the Filipino goal to pieces.

Ten minutes into the game, striker Huỳnh Như took advantage of goalie Gorette da Costa's mistake to open the scoring with a close-range tap into an empty net. She then made the second goal in the 42nd minute.

Young striker Ngân Thị Vạn Sự scored a brace with a first strike in the 30th minute and before Phạm Hải Yến was successful with a penalty five minutes later.

Facing a weak Timor Leste side, coach Chung sent his young players out to sharpen their skills in the second half.

The youngsters did not disappoint, helping their strikers grab two more goals.

Sự completed her double with a straight shot in the 75th minute, and veteran Nguyễn Thùy Trang finalised the score six minutes from the end.

In an earlier match, Myanmar beat Laos 3-1 at the Binan Stadium.

Myanmar had a slow start in the face of the gallant stand of the Laotians, who had held their own until defender Panatida Photisane’s own goal in the 39th minute – giving their opponents a 1-0 edge at halftime.

Myanmar quickly went to work in pressing their advantage, with skipper Khin Marlar Tun slotting from close range in the 47th before striker July Kyaw added the third marker with a glancing header in the 64th.

Laos had a consolation goal courtesy of skipper Apathsala Chantavongxay, slipping past two defenders for a 14-yard blast in the 66th, closing out their campaign with four points from one win, one draw and two losses. — VNS