Can Vietnam avoid 'doing a Thailand'? What the USWNT can expect from their opening World Cup opponents

The 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup was used to determine World Cup qualification in Asia. The tournament was hosted by India and each squad was subjected to strict coronavirus rules. The hosts themselves even had to withdraw from the competition after a spate of Covid-19 cases decimated their playing ranks.

Vietnam were placed in Pot Three for the draw and ended up in a strong group alongside 2011 World Cup winners Japan, South Korea and Myanmar. As expected, they found it tough. Japan and South Korea each helped themselves to 3-0 victories over Vietnam, with their game against Myanmar ending 2-2.

Despite earning just one point, they squeezed through to the knockout stages as the second-best third-placed team, due to Iran losing each of their group games. Vietnam met eventual winners China in the quarter-finals, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat.

However, salvation came in the form of another safety net. As a result of the World Cup being expanded to 32 teams, an additional automatic place was available via a round-robin play-off contested between each of the fallen quarter-finalists - minus Australia, who qualified automatically as hosts.

Vietnam began with a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Thailand and a second win over Taiwan meant they topped the group and progressed to their maiden World Cup. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy was the hero in the second, decisive game, dedicating her winner to her late father, who passed away in 2016.

Although they remain well behind China, Japan, South Korea and Australia, Vietnam have emerged as the leading footballing power in Southeast Asia in recent years.

They have won the women's football tournament in each of the past four SEA Games, most recently defeating Myanmar 2-0 in the 2023 final in Cambodia. Vietnam also won the 2019 AFF Women's Championship, shocking hosts and bitter foes Thailand in the final.

The fact that they have made it to the World Cup, and their long-time rivals have not, makes their maiden tournament appearance all the sweeter. The next step in their development will be looking to challenge the AFC's big four, though this is easier said than done due to the vast resource gap.

This wasn't a hard choice. Huynh Nhu is Vietnamese football's first superstar. Not only is she her country's all-time leading scorer with 67 goals in just 103 caps, Nhu is also the only player in the squad who plies her trade overseas.

In August 2022, she was snapped up by Portuguese side Lank FC Vilaverdense. Located in Braga, the team are reported to be increasing her salary to around $3,200 per month next season following an impressive maiden campaign in Europe.

The move is a source of enormous national pride back home, with coach Mia Duc Chung telling FIFA.com: "It is a great honour when a European country signs a South-east Asian player, a Vietnamese one. It’s a big achievement for Huynh Nhu and I think it's an honour for our country. She is a good example for our female players to follow and it will help Vietnam women's football to be well known and respected."

The five-time Vietnam Golden Ball winner is a set-piece wizard and chipped in with some vital goals in qualifying. If they are going to make the net bulge this summer, she is the most likely player to do it.

If anyone is going to follow Nhu abroad in the future, it's likely to be Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha. She is just 21 years old, but has already been capped by her country 28 times.

Thanh Nha has performed well during these appearances too, netting seven times already. Her most recent goal came against European giants Germany in June - and what a strike it was.

Vietnam caught their opponents sleeping, with Thanh Nha being set free in second-half stoppage time. She demonstrated tremendous speed to stay well clear of the defence and showed even better composure to pick her spot in the far corner, finishing superbly past Wolfsburg goalkeeper Merle Frohms.

The joy etched in Thanh Nha's face was wonderful to see and she'll be aiming to replicate this moment on a bigger stage this summer.

The tournament will be an emotional one for Mai Duc Chung, who has done plenty to facilitate the growth of Vietnamese football over the past 25 years. Chung was Vietnam's first-ever coach and he is now seven years into his fourth spell in charge of the team. He's also acted as interim manager for the country's men's senior and age-group teams.

As you might imagine for a team with limited quality, we should not expect Vietnam to be dominating the ball this World Cup. They do have a threat on the counter-attack, though.

Thanh Nha and Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung - who once scored direct from a corner with each foot in the same game - are both effective in transition. They will be hoping their team-mates can soak up pressure in their favoured 5-4-1 formation, before they find Nhu in the box.

Coach Mai Duc Chung has been keen to temper expectations ahead of the tournament, saying: "We don’t set high ambitions, but during this tournament we can learn a lot. It’s a chance for us to compete with very good opponents and we can learn from their experience, skills and techniques. We also have to be mentally strong. We will respect all the competitors, but we are not scared."

Vietnam should at least come into the tournament well prepared, having jetted off for a European training camp well in advance of the World Cup.

"From now on, we will prepare to be at our best physically. Vietnamese people are generally quite small, so we make up for it by working on our strength and fitness," he added. "Also, we will boost our nutrition for athletes, so that we can maintain our strength over 90 minutes. We will also, of course, think about the tactical formation, and make it suitable for each match. We can't kick the ball high and long. It's about passing and running. We have to apply [our philosophy] and handle situations quickly."

And while their chances of success are slim, the coach added that he was delighted that the squad would be representing Vietnam on the global stage.

"The Vietnamese are very enthusiastic and passionate when it comes to football," he said. "When our men's or women's teams win, people from Hanoi go on to the streets cheering! These images stimulate our spirit. When we raise our flag and sing the national anthem at the World Cup, nothing could make us happier."

Vietnam know they're massively up against it this summer. Perhaps if the draw had been kinder, they might have got some points on the board, but with games against the USWNT and Netherlands to deal with, they will be mainly focussed on making sure they aren't embarrassed.

Thailand's 13-0 defeat to the team that Vietnam open their World Cup campaign against will be playing heavily on their minds.

"We witnessed the fiasco, and it’s a lesson learned for Vietnam," Huynh Nhu told the New York Times. "Thailand suffered such a big loss, they just kind of fell backward, and their fighting spirit is no longer there. No matter what happens against the United States and other powers, we will keep fighting."

Portugal, who are also World Cup debutants, offer Vietnam the best chance of getting a result - or at least a goal - and it would be great to see the minnows get something to celebrate this summer.