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In its previous nine face-offs, China has never lost to Vietnam. On Sunday, as the two sides once again crossed swords at the DY Patil Stadium, China continued its winning run, defeating the opponent 3-1.
The victory not only guided the Steel Roses to the semifinals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, but also helped them qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Despite China starting as a favorite, Vietnam caught the Chinese defenders unawares in the 11th minute, with Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung firing a low drive past Zhu Yu.
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As the Chinese players looked stunned after conceding an early goal, the Vietnam players cheered out loud from the dugout, forcing the coach to calm them down.
That celebration, however, did not last long as China came back into the game slowly, with captain Wang Shuang tapping in a perfect cross from Wang Shanshan to hand her team the equalizer in the 25th minute. This was also Wang Shuang’s fifth goal of the tournament.
China eventually took control of the game, and after the half-hour mark, the side looked more dangerous and its ball possession improved.
China took the much-needed lead in the 52nd minute, courtesy a delicate control and shot on return by Wang Shanshan. Even before Vietnam could come to terms with the goal, China extended the lead in the very next minute as Tang Jiali tricked the Vietnamese defense and scored a stunner.
Vietnam did try to bounce back despite conceding a lead, but China ensured that it did not give its opponent any chance. In the fag end, Vietnam was awarded a penalty, but Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy hit it at the top of the bar.
China had dropped to 19 in the FIFA rankings after its two group wins because it had not competed for almost nine months before the tournament. But with captain Wang Shuang and the seasoned Wang Shanshan holding fort, the team ensured that there was no slip-up.
China had won the title for the last time in 2006 and had finished third in the previous two editions of the tournament. But a spirited show against Vietnam helped the team chase its dreams of adding yet another Asian Cup title to its kitty. It takes on Japan in the semifinals.
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