Portugal coach Francisco Neto made seven changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Netherlands in their Group E opener and the decision paid off as first-half goals from Encarnacao and Francisca Nazareth earned them a first ever World Cup win.
In stark contrast to their struggling display against the Netherlands, Portugal dazzled under the floodlights in Hamilton and Neto was delighted with the victory even though the scoreline did not reflect their dominance.
"This is very important and it means a lot for all the players," said the Portugal coach, who has been in charge since 2014.
"In the first half, I was not satisfied with the team," Vietnam coach Mai Duc Chung said.
"They are 11 ranks higher than us and they come from Europe so, yes, they are much better than us ...
Persons:
Jessica Silva, David Rowland HAMILTON, Telma Encarnacao, Francisco Neto, Francisca Nazareth, Neto, Encarnacao, Lucia Alves, Tran Thi Kim Thanh, Kim Thanh, Kim Thanh's, Nguyen Thi, Thuy, Patricia Morais, Mai Duc Chung, Hritika Sharma, Ken Ferris
Organizations:
Soccer Football, FIFA, REUTERS, Vietnam, Waikato, Encarnacao, Thomson
Locations:
New Zealand, Portugal, Vietnam, Waikato, Hamilton , New Zealand, David Rowland HAMILTON , New Zealand, Netherlands, U.S, Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, United States, Nazareth, Europe, Hyderabad