Vietnam U20 women's team wins at least against Bangladesh, still hopeful to advance in Asian Cup

Vietnam U20 women's team ended their last group A fixture in the 2026 Asian Women's U20 Championship finals with a 1-0 win against Bangladesh U20 women's team, keeping quarter-final aspirations alive.

Right after the starting whistle, the Vietnamese girls quickly pushed up their formation, actively controlled the ball, and organized numerous flank attacks, with captain Lưu Hoàng Vân and Thanh Hiếu being notable highlights on the offensive front.

In the 17th minute, Vietnam U20 women's team had their first dangerous opportunity. Lưu Hoàng Vân broke through to face the Bangladesh goalkeeper after an over-the-top pass, but the referee raised the flag for offside.

Nevertheless, this served as a warning to the opponent's defense. Just one minute later, from a combination play on the right flank, Nguyễn Thị Quý quickly shot inside the penalty area, but the ball narrowly went over the crossbar.

By the 20th minute, a notable incident occurred in the match when Thùy Linh received a yellow card after a foul intended to stop the opponent, stemming from goalkeeper Lê Thị Thu's unsafe handling. Bangladesh was awarded a free kick lofted into the penalty area, but Vietnam U20 women's goalkeeper stayed focused and safely caught the ball to avert danger.

In the following minutes, Vietnam U20 women's team's pressure continued. In the 21st minute, Lưu Hoàng Vân had another shooting chance inside the box but the ball still lacked accuracy. By the 28th minute, Thanh Hiếu fired a shot from a narrow angle that shook the Bangladesh goal frame, regrettably the ball again went over the bar. Despite creating many opportunities, the first half ended 0-0, as the red-shirted attackers failed to capitalize on decisive situations.

Right at the start of the second half, Vietnam U20 women's team maintained their proactive game stance. In the 49th minute, the turning point of the match arrived. From a free kick in their own half, Hồng Minh delivered a deep ball into Bangladesh's penalty area.

The opposing goalkeeper handled clumsily, failing to hold the ball, allowing Thùy Linh to rush in and tap the ball into the empty net, opening the score 1-0 for Vietnam U20 women's team. This was also Thùy Linh's second goal in this year's tournament.

After taking the lead, the red-shirted team played more confidently and repeatedly created chances from set-piece situations. Thúy Nga and then Hoàng Vân both had opportunities to shoot but couldn't double the lead. The Vietnam U20 women's coaching staff also made personnel adjustments as A Za Lương, Quỳnh Anh, and Hồng Huế were successively introduced to increase speed and maintain pressure.

In the 85th minute, Vietnam U20 women's team nearly scored a second goal. From Thanh Hiếu's precise cross, Thùy Linh jumped high for a header but the ball narrowly missed the post, missing the chance to complete a double. Just minutes later, A Za Lương also had a favorable opportunity but slipped when shooting. During added time, Thanh Hiếu consecutively launched two dangerous shots but still lacked a bit of accuracy to convert into goals.

Although unable to add more goals, Vietnam U20 women's team preserved the 1-0 score until the end. The minimal victory helped the team finish the group stage with 3 points and third place in Group A. The Vietnamese girls must wait for results from other groups on April 8th to know if they qualify for the quarter-finals.