HOT: Vietnam's national team may have to draw to advance in the Asian Cup

The chance that Vietnam's women's national team might have to draw to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup is entirely possible if adverse outcomes appear in the last match.

The 2026 Women's Asian Cup is entering its decisive phase as the group stage is about to conclude. After Groups A and B have confirmed the advancing teams, all attention is focused on Group C, where Vietnam's women's national team still has an opportunity to earn a ticket to the quarter-finals. However, the scenario for Coach Mai Đức Chung and his team's advancement harbors many unpredictable variables.

Currently, Vietnam's women's national team ranks third in Group C with 3 points, scoring 2 goals and conceding 2 goals. In the final match on March 10 afternoon, they will face Japan – an opponent considered much stronger. If they avoid defeat, the red-shirted team is almost certain to secure a spot in the knockout stage.

However, in the case of losing to Japan, the situation will become complicated. Then, Vietnam's women's national team might have to compete for the advancing spot reserved for the best-performing third-place teams. The direct rivals involved in this race are Philippines and Uzbekistan, teams also hoping to secure a last-chance ticket to the quarter-finals.

Notably, according to domestic sports media, a rather rare scenario could occur: Vietnam's women's national team may have to draw to determine the advancing spot. Accordingly, if Coach Mai Đức Chung's squad loses to Japan 0-2 and receives no additional disciplinary cards, Vietnam's statistics will completely match those of Philippines: both with 3 points, 2 goals scored, 4 goals conceded, and 2 yellow cards.

In the event that all secondary criteria are equal, the organizers will have to conduct a draw to decide the team that earns the final last-chance ticket to the quarter-finals. This is a rare situation but entirely within the tournament regulations, making the race in Group C unpredictable until the last minute.

Before the crucial match against Japan, Coach Mai Đức Chung candidly acknowledged the challenge for his team. He shared: “We face a difficult challenge against Japan, one of the strongest teams in Asia and the world. We greatly respect them, as well as other teams in the group, but this is the final group stage match and we will give our utmost effort even when facing such a strong opponent.”

The veteran coach also emphasized tactical preparation for this important match:“Our previous match took place in the early afternoon, the weather was very hot, but the next match starts at 5 PM, so conditions will be cooler. However, facing a top team like Japan, every team must exert maximum effort. We also need to employ tactics to find the best way to earn points against Japan.”

Nevertheless, all scenarios will only truly be settled after the final round of Group C. Against a very strong opponent like Japan, the realistic goal for Vietnam's women's national team is to play focused, limit conceded goals, and maintain hope for advancement. In the context of an extremely tight race for the last-chance ticket, every goal, conceded goal, or even disciplinary card could determine the fate of Coach Mai Đức Chung and his team.