Despite their strong efforts, Việt Nam were unable to score.against Australia. — Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese U17 women’s team suffered a 0-2 loss to Australia in the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s U17 Asian Cup in Suzhou, China, on Monday, ending their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.

Việt Nam started brightly but faced clear disadvantages in height and physical strength. Despite a disciplined display, coach Okiyama Masahiko’s players struggled to break through Australia’s physically dominant defence.

After a cautious opening, Australia struck twice in quick succession. Frideriki Karaberis opened the scoring in the 29th minute before Leyla Hussein doubled the lead just two minutes later, giving Australia a comfortable 2-0 advantage before halftime.

In the second half, Việt Nam pushed forward in search of a comeback. Minh Ánh and Ngọc Ánh created several promising chances, but the Vietnamese side was unable to convert its opportunities.

As the match wore on, Việt Nam began to show signs of fatigue and could no longer maintain sustained pressure on the Australian goal. Australia slowed the tempo in the closing stages while remaining firmly in control until the final whistle.

With the win, Australia advanced to the semi-finals, where they will face Japan. Both teams also became the first Asian representatives to secure places at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. — VNS