Steve Darby: 'Meet Portugal is Vietnam's best opportunity'

*Vietnam - Portugal: 2:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27, on MetaSports.

I have just returned from Sydney to the UK, after attending the opening ceremony of the 2023 Women's World Cup, and have noticed how the audience cheering for women's football matches is friendlier than the men's. Women's football is increasingly developing, from the professional level to the application of technology and the spread.

I led Vietnam to win the first SEA Games women's soccer gold medal in 2001. The current team is much different from my time. They are well prepared for the tournaments, receive more sponsorship money and also adapted to a higher level of sports science.

However, I was impressed with the performance as well as the results the team showed in the opening match against the US. Before the match, many people thought that the US could break the record for the heaviest win in World Cup history, whether male or female. They beat Thailand with 13 goals and did not remove it in the previous match. Losing only 0-3, Vietnam has won great respect from the football world.

Vietnamese players have technical skills not inferior to the US. The weakness of the team lies in the body, strength, preparation, experience and number of matches. On these points, the team lost very far to the US.

I am also impressed with the team in the way the squad is organized, the discipline to create a good result. Of course, goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh played most prominently in the opening match, but the whole team performed excellently. Therefore, praise should be given to coach Mai Duc Chung.

I read many comments from fans, wishing the team to play offensively. But, it's not okay to want to.

I used to lead the Laos men's team to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers against South Korea. The Korean goalkeeper that match touched the ball for the first time in the 29th minute. We couldn't have the ball to kick, let alone attack. The match takes place between amateur players and Premier League stars, such as Son Heung-min or Ki Sung-yueng. No matter how carefully we prepared the strategy, we could not follow the plan because they kept the ball, were faster and stronger than Laos.

Vietnam can draw inspiration from the Philippines' historic victory over co-host New Zealand on July 25. Even the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) can learn how to build a Philippine team, by attracting players who were born in the US or Australia but have Vietnamese blood.

A few years ago, I also recommended a young Australian player to VFF, Alexandra Bao Yen Huynh. She played in the Italian and Danish championships and was also called up to the Australian team.

FIFA allows teams to use players whose father, mother, even grandpa and grandma are of that country's blood. Vietnam should take advantage of that law to increase its power. The Philippines has a much larger American community than Vietnam. But if VFF searches carefully, they can spot many talents for the team, whether male or female.

VFF may also start cooperation with the American Football Federation. The 2023 World Cup has many scouts from American universities. Impressive players at the tournament can receive scholarships to those schools, studying and playing football. Small clubs in Europe or Australia may also send offers for outstanding Vietnamese players after this tournament. Players should accept those offers because they have nothing to lose.

Either way, the women's team deserves praise and respect, because they brought Vietnam's national anthem to the World Cup.