Vietnam 1-2 Australia U23’s
By Kieran Yap 17/8/25
Above: Australia U23’s at half time Photo: Football
Australia’s Under 23 side has made the final of the ASEAN Championship after winning the semi final in front of a packed stadium against Vietnam.
Leticia McKenna delivered a virtuoso performance with a goal and an assist in a game that Australia were not able to dominate as easily as the last two, but looked their most organised so far.
Alana Jancevski wore the captain’s armband for the Aussie U23’s while Chloe Lincoln returned to the lineup as goalkeeper. Amy Chessari was back in midfield while Claudia Cicco joined Alana Cerne in being reinstated to the defence.
Australia has grown more visibly cohesive as a team during this tournament and that was most obvious in the opening goal. McKenna played a short corner and then delivered a curling in swinging cross from her right foot.
Aideen Keane’s run was perfectly timed across the goalkeeper’s path to nod the ball home in the seventh minute for her second of the tournament.
The goal came early enough where Vietnam would not be forced into recklessly chasing the game and were happy to let Australia enjoy the majority of possession. However, they were more adept at winning it back than Timor Leste or Myanmar. Counter attacks and set pieces still posed a threat to the Aussies and Vietnam were unlucky not to draw level from a well constructed free kick and header.
The decisive goal arrived in the 25th minute. Some great buildup play on the left resulted in Holly Furphy laying the ball off to Mckenna. The Western Australian playmaker looked up, spotted an opportunity and fired a left foot rocket from long range to give Australia a 2-0 lead.
In a tournament filled with brilliant solo goals this might have been one of the very best. It was a confident, almost instinctive long range strike and delivered with technical perfection.
Opposition sides seem to have identified that compressing Australia’s midfield has a better impact than parking the bus, but Australia are able to launch counter attacks if they one and the passing and movement opened up enough space for McKenna to shoot.
Her ability to hit a ball like that on her left foot mean that she can be virtually impossible to shut down completely and in a tight game, those qualities can make all the difference. It was a goal worthy of winning any game.
Vietnam began to attack more in the second half, but Australia’s defence stood strong. The home side’s best chance lay in long, direct attacks and the fullbacks had to be on their guard.
It took until the 88th minute for Vietnam to pull one back, and it was another quality strike.
Thị Bích Nguyễn received the ball on the right flank, flicked it over her marker and steadied before hitting the ball under a diving Lincoln to make it 2-1.
Aideen Keane almost immediately restored the two goal buffer with a surging solo run on the counter attack, but some excellent goalkeeping from Thị Kim Trần kept Vietnam’s hopes alive.
Australia were able to hold on to until the final whistle and give them a chance win this tournament for the first time since 2008.
Teams: Vietnam: Thị Kim Trần, Tran Thi Duyen, Thị Diễm Lê, Thị Chương, Thu Trần, Thị Thu Trần, Thị Bích Nguyễn, Thị Vạn Ngân, Huynh, Thái, Thị Thanh Nguyễn. Substitutes: Thị Hải Trần, Pham, Thị Nguyễn, Quách, Thương, Hoàng, Trần Thị, Tuyết Nguyễn, H. Nguyen, Duong, Thị Khổng, A. Nguyễn
Goals: Thị Bích Nguyễn 88’
Australia: Lincoln, Cicco, Tumeth, Cerne, Johnston, Chessari, Gomez, McKenna, Jancevski, Keane, Furphy. Substitutes: Franco, James, Makris, Sakalis, Woods, Grove, Tonkin, Rasmussen, Cassidy, Lemon, Chinnama.
Goals: Keane 6’ McKenna 25’
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