Vietnam vs Chinese Taipei: The Match With No Way Back in Asian Games Group A

I still remember that afternoon in Palembang. The scoreboard stood frozen at 0-0 for 120 minutes, and the penalty shootout ended with a moment no camera wanted to hold: the ball sailed over the crossbar, the long whistle sounded, and Vietnam's women's players sat down on the turf. Chinese Taipei won 4-3. Five years later, at the Asian Cup, we fell to the same opponent 0-1. Now, the Asian Games bring the two teams together again in the same group — where Japan has all but secured a quarterfinal spot, and the remaining ticket is a three-way fight between Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand. A knockout match disguised as 90 opening minutes — that is the true nature of this encounter.

For more than two decades sitting on the outer ring of the pitch, I have learned one thing: matches like this are not decided by form, but by memory. And the memory of Vietnam's women's football against Chinese Taipei is a wound still intact — ten meetings, five wins, two draws, three losses. That balance sounds like consolation. But set beside the two most recent defeats, it becomes a warning.

Why this match matters more than it looks

Group A of the Asian Games has only one name beyond reach: Japan. They arrive as title contenders, and their progression is nearly preordained. The group's remaining berth — the second quarterfinal ticket — is therefore only a race between three teams: Vietnam, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand. Three teams, one ticket. And the opening match between Vietnam and Chinese Taipei will shape the entire picture.

A win brings three points. It also brings the right to decide your own fate. A defeat pushes us into a position where we must beat Thailand from a passive stance, depend on goal difference, and live on the hopes of others.

Do not forget Thailand. If Vietnam win, the ticket is nearly within reach. If we draw, the group turns into a goal-difference equation, and Thailand — a side rated slightly lower — will be the beneficiary watching from the outside. Group stages at the Asian Games do not reward those who play beautifully. They reward those who know how to take points in the match that needs points.

The two teams enter this match with opposite mindsets. Chinese Taipei arrive with the memory of recent winners: they hold the last two victories over Vietnam, the 2026 shootout and the 0-1 Asian Cup win in March. Vietnam arrive with the baggage of a team that trained in China, with a 1-0 win over Jiangsu Suning and a 0-3 loss to China.

Head coach Hoang Van Phuc chose China as the place to prepare. It was a deliberate decision: to get used to the climate, the pitch, the rhythm of competition, so that when the Asian Games begin, the players are no longer unfamiliar. He speaks of "testing personnel" and "reviewing the playing style" — modest phrasing, but also a revelation: the team has not locked its formation, and that flexibility may be the key against Chinese Taipei.

Out there, on the pitch, what will decide it?

From my experience following Vietnam's women's matches across many major tournaments, I see a worrying recurring pattern. When facing opponents who sit deep and stay disciplined, we often stall in breaking them down. We control more of the ball, but do not create enough clear chances. The 0-1 loss at the Asian Cup in March is proof: we were not overwhelmed, we were figured out.

Chinese Taipei are not stronger in personnel. They are stronger in how they wait. They let the opponent hold the ball, drop back into two blocks, then punish with lightning counterattacks or set pieces. In the last two meetings, they won by exactly one goal — and both times, the goal was a psychological turning point.

The contrarian view

People often say Vietnam enter with greater pressure. I believe the opposite is true. It is Chinese Taipei who must protect their gains. They have won the last two meetings, they arrive as favorites in the eyes of public opinion, and a defeat will be seen as a step backward for them. The pressure of the underdog is far lighter than the pressure of the one carrying expectations.

Moreover, training in China helps Vietnam adapt early to competition conditions — something few teams in the region manage. This is a silent advantage, invisible on the scoreboard, but it will show in the 70th minute, when the legs grow heavy and the mind needs its sharpest clarity.

What worries me most lies in the moments. Vietnam's women's football has many times dropped matches at the very second of decision — a penalty, a high ball, a lapse. Against an opponent who lives on patience like Chinese Taipei, a single absent moment is enough to trade away everything.

Football is not read by the score, but by the heartbeat of the hearts in the stands. The Vietnamese women's players walking into this match carry more than tactics. They carry the memory of a generation that has never been repaid.

Freezing the memory

When the pitch no longer rings with shouts, that is when we hear football's sigh. The Group A match will not be decided by who is better, but by who is calmer when the match is at its most tense. Vietnam have enough quality to take the quarterfinal ticket — the head-to-head history shows it. But history does not take the field. There are only eleven people, one coach, and one ticket.

Writing about football is sitting with people, hearing them tell of the match they once were themselves. And tonight, perhaps, we sit again waiting for such a moment.

The question is no longer whether Vietnam can win. The question is whether we have learned not to fall at the very seconds when everything can break.