Vietnam, the defending champions, dominated from start to finish, leaving Malaysia struggling to advance beyond the halfway line as coach Mai Duc Chung’s players controlled possession and repeatedly pressured the opposition defence.

Pham Hai Yen netted twice in the first half, while Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy and Tran Thi Hai Linh added a goal each, giving Vietnam a 4–0 lead at the break.

Coming on as a substitute early in the second half, Thai Thi Thao scored two quick goals with first-touch finishes before completing her hat-trick with a header in the 77th minute.

Vietnam pushed for an eighth goal in the final minutes, but Malaysia tightened their defence to prevent further damage.

Speaking after the match, Thao said she was “lucky to score three goals”, stressing that “every goal came from the team’s collective effort and attacking play.”

Head coach Mai Duc Chung offered high praise for his players during the post-match press conference, while Malaysia’s head coach Joel Cornelli openly admitted that the Vietnamese team were simply too strong and clearly superior.

With the commanding win, Vietnam temporarily top Group B and will face tougher tests against Myanmar and the Philippines in the remaining group-stage fixtures.

Women’s team depart for Thailand to defend SEA Games 33 football title

VOV.VN - The Vietnam women’s national football team departed for Thailand on December 2, embarking on their SEA Games 33 journey with the goal of defending the gold medal in women’s football.