Bravo woman football players !
It is wonderful that the Vietnamese national women's football team overtook the final threshold to
win a set of gold medals of the 21st South East Asian (SEA) Games, for which we have been
waiting for quite a long time.
This has marked a great progress of Vietnam women's football. Starting from a team with great
potential, the team has won the regional championship. The position was confirmed by four wins in
a row with sixteen goals (with only one goal against from the penalty spot) at the 21st SEA games.
The victory is a worthy recognition of an impressive change of women's football. The players have
built up precious experience from the annual national championships so as to be able to compete
in the regional tournament.
The image of the Vietnamese women's football is a combination of each individual's skill,
undaunted competing spirit and the strength of unity. Seven goals scored by striker Luu Ngoc Mai
received great contributions from the industriousness of Kim Chi, Hien Luong and Thuy Nga and
the calmness and alertness of Mai Lan, Thanh Mai and Kim Hong.
Apart from the efforts made by all the players, the training board, led by British coach Darby, has
created a united strength that turned into the miraculous victory.
The women's football team dominated virtually all the matches by keeping closer together with
short and exact passes and crosses during the matches.
The team absolutely deserves the championship title. They took over the championship from
defending champions Thailand, which the Vietnamese national men's football team has been
dreaming of. It was the victory of talent, unity of spirit, determination and modesty that is typical of
Vietnamese womanhood.
We would like to congratulate skipper Bui Thi Hien Luong, who was the girl to open and close the
final glorious match with two spectacular goals. We would like to congratulate and thank the
whole team for bringing the set of gold medals to the fatherland and the happiness of victory to
Vietnamese fans. We believe that the country and a great majority of Vietnamese fans will meet
their glorious players with great joy.
By Vo Hoang - Nhân Dân - September 15, 2001.
Vietnam wins gold medal
The Vietnamese national women's football team trounced Thailand 4-0 in the final tonight at the
21st South East Asian (SEA) Games to bag home the first gold medal in women’s football.
Skipper Bui Thi Hien Luong (9) opened the score in the ninth minute from a cross by Phung Thi
Minh Nguyet (7). Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga made no mistake from the spot to make it a 2-0 lead in
the 30th minute.
The Vietnamese girls stamped their mark in the 49th minute when tournament top scorer Luu
Ngoc Mai netted her seventh goal from the penalty spot.
Bui Thi Hien Luong completed the miracle of the night with her second goal in the 83rd minute.
Nhân Dân - September 14, 2001.
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