MATILDAS RATINGS

Lydia Williams - 7.5

She was sold short for Huynh Nhu's consolation strike, the Vietnamese skipper's perfectly executed lob virtually unstoppable for the onrushing keeper. It wasn't the first time she was placed under immense, and perhaps unfair, pressure throughout the latter stages.

Other than that, on the few occasions she was called upon, she performed well and scrambled passionately.

Steph Catley - 7

No Matilda was exceptional tonight in a game that lulled severely after Hayley Raso's goal until the final 10 minutes, so a seven rating affirms Catley's decent shift.

Her first touch was excellent, using her positioning to drift past Thi Tuoi Pham and break into dangerous positions. Her final ball, however, was often less than desirable.

Clare Polkinghorne - 6

It was a cringeworthy night for both Matildas centrehalves. Both Polkinghorne and Alanna Kennedy were caught time and again by lofted balls and quick counters and they seemed surprisingly fragile under even the slightest pressure.

Perhaps most worryingly, they were constantly caught in dangerous 2-2 battles due to fast Vietnamese breaks. Battles that they couldn't assert their dominance in.

Alanna Kennedy - 6

Read above, but it's worth adding that those back passes - it could have easily been Polks or Kennedy judging on recent performances - are becoming a real issue.

It was Kennedy's back-pass that led to Vietnam's goal and disrupted the entire squad.

Ellie Carpenter - 6.5

It wasn't Carpenter at her dynamic, demonstrable best and she was replaced relatively early by Karly Roestbakken.

Chloe Logarzo - 7.5

Penalty miss aside, Logarzo was one of Australia's strongest competitors tonight. Again, the final ball was her biggest weakness.

However her insistence on working inside, finding dangerous positions and trying difficult, heroic through balls was refreshing in an otherwise dour encounter.

Elise Kellond-Knight - 6.5

KK looked slightly shaky from the off and it appeared to work its way through the team.

Her passing was slightly off-kilter and her one-on-one challenges - usually so ferocious - were timid to say the least. A tough gig for the defensive midfielder against a deep Vietnamese line.

Emily van Egmond - 7.5

Another highlight, van Egmond was a breath of fresh air in that midfield despite her lack of game-winning impetus.

She moves so confidently around the pitch that even when her first-time flicks don't find their mark, she lifts the tempo and intimidates the opposition.

Hayley Raso - 7

Another wincing moment when Raso was tumbled viciously by Vietnamese goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Than, who had a fantastic night, summed up Raso's involvement.

She was energetic and hugely valuable breaking down the flanks and giving us width in those attacking positions, but she was a second off the pace and just couldn't make it count tonight.

Sam Kerr - 8

Even on a quiet night Kerr manages something special and that breakthrough goal on the 15th minute, no matter how many headlines it writes, will still probably go under the radar.

In a match where a plethora of off-field issues and a lack of intensity hampered the squad, Kerr's perfect volley out of nowhere summed up just how deadly she is in front of goals.

Caitlin Foord - 7

One off the post aside, a quiet night for Foord, who was also likely suffering from a hectic travelling schedule between England and Australia and Vietnam in recent times.

SUBS

Karly Roestbakken - 7

We were expecting Ante Milicic to ring in a few more changes for this one so we're a little disappointed that Roestbakken didn't get more minutes to strut her stuff, she looked up for it tonight.

Kyah Simon - 7

Same deal unfortunately.

What is refreshing is that she worked her way back into those dangerous positions once again, pulling the strings just behind the strikers. We're excited to see more of her against Canada and the USA.

Tameka Yallop - N/A

Hate to labour the point but you've got to feel for her.

She hasn't had much of a look in at the Matildas after a phenomenal end to her last Norwegian campaign and start to this W-League season with Brisbane Roar.