White’s strike secured a 1-0 victory for Phil Neville’s side, putting Japan out of contention to win the round-robin tournament, which will conclude on Wednesday.

In an evenly fought match, Manchester City’s White emerged from the bench to convert the winner with seven minutes remaining, providing a much-needed boost for an English side which has won just two of their previous nine fixtures.

Nadeshiko star Mana Iwabuchi scored a sensational volley to level the match just before half-time, but two second half goals from Spanish youngster Lucia Garcia sealed the match and ended Japan’s five-game winning streak.

Japan will look to bounce back in their second match against England on Sunday, before facing the World Number One United States in their final match on Wednesday.

In Thursday’s other match, goals from Christen Press and Carli Lloyd helped the United States to defeat England 2-0.

The on-loan Melbourne City star delivered another standout performance, causing havoc down the right flank and delivering the assist for Sam Kerr’s bullet header, which got the scoring underway in the 10th minute.

The feel-good story when Australia’s Olympic squad was announced four years ago, Carpenter – still only 19 – has established herself as one of the world’s best young players, starring for club and country as an ultra-aggressive full-back.

The Southeast Asian champions were swept aside by a 5-0 margin in the opening leg of the tie at Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday, leaving them a near-impossible task in the home leg at Cam Pha Stadium.

A Matildas return to the Olympic stage now appears a mere formality after a Sam Kerr brace and goals from Chloe Logarzo, Emily van Egmond and Clare Polkinghorne took the seventh-ranked Australians to a one-sided victory at McDonald Jones Stadium.

But while a Vietnamese recovery appears distinctly unlikely, Milicic – who has years of experience in Asian football, and whose men’s U-23 national team was defeated by Vietnam in 2018 – is aware that away trips on the continent are not always as straightforward as they seem, and urged his side to remain focused.

At no stage did Vietnam give up the fight in the 5-0 first leg defeat, but the Southeast Asian champions were outclassed by Ante Milicic’s outfit, which boasts players with years of experience at the highest levels of the women’s game.

Sam Kerr became the Matildas joint all-time second highest scorer with a goal in each half, with Chloe Logarzo, Emily van Egmond and Clare Polkinghorne also getting on the scoresheet in a comprehensive display.

Vietnam’s defeat was an improvement on the 8-0 loss they suffered in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, but the odds of the SEA Games gold medallists advancing to a first ever Olympics appear implausibly slim ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg in Quang Ninh.