Danish coach dissatisfied despite 4-0 victory over Vietnam team

Head coach Nils Nielsen remains unsatisfied despite the Japanese women's team beating Vietnam 4-0 in the last group stage match.

After the decisive 4-0 victory over the Vietnamese women's team, Japanese head coach Nils Nielsen stated that his team still has many areas to improve despite winning all group stage matches in the 2026 Asian Cup.

In the match held at Rectangular Stadium on March 10th, the Japanese women's team quickly demonstrated superior quality. Riko Ueki opened the scoring in the first half, followed by goals from Maika Hamano, Aoba Fujino, and Koko Seike in the second half, securing a convincing 4-0 victory for the two-time champions.

This result allowed Japan to finish the group stage with a perfect record: winning all three matches, scoring a total of 17 goals, and conceding none.

Nevertheless, Coach Nils Nielsen believes his players' performance was not yet at its best, particularly in the first half. He acknowledged that the team's midfield play lacked sharpness in certain situations.

“There were some aspects we could have done better in the first half, but we improved in the second half. Some midfield passes were a bit slow, and the team hesitated at times, which limited us to scoring only one goal,” the Danish strategist shared.

According to Nielsen, the first-half opening goal played a crucial role in boosting Japan's confidence for the remainder of the match. However, he emphasized that the team has not yet reached its peak form.

“Scoring in the first half gave us more confidence, even though we weren't at 100%,” he added.

After securing top position in Group C, the Japanese women's team will travel to Sydney to prepare for the quarter-final match against the Philippines this Sunday. Ahead of this clash, Coach Nielsen expressed his desire for the players to improve defensive capabilities as well as transition situations.

“I think we need to show that we can defend well, not just attack. In the coming days, we will focus on that, while also enhancing our transition play. I hope the team can continue creating as many opportunities as we currently do when attacking,” the Japanese head coach emphasized.