The dreams of the Philippine Men’s Under 23 National Team going to the finals were crushed by the defending champions, Vietnam, as they lost in their semifinal match last night, July 25, at the ASEAN U-23 Championship Mandiri Cup.
The Golden Star Warriors Show Heart of a Champion
Having a tie score of 1 point a piece during halftime, the 2-time defending champions, Vietnam, have shown brilliant, dominant display of precision and game winning plays against the Philippines.
Despite the early deficit, Vietnam remained dangerous and equalized just before halftime through Nguyễn Đình Bắc, who followed up his initial header that hit the post and tapped in the rebound. Đình Bắc had a chance to double his tally moments later but missed the target in a one-on-one situation. After the halftime break, Vietnam maintained the pressure and nearly scored through Nguyen Công Phuong’s powerful header, only for Philippines keeper Nico Guimarães to produce a fine save.
Nguyễn Xuân Bắc scored the decisive goal in the second half, sending the two-time defending champions through after an intense encounter. The Philippines, making their first-ever semifinal appearance in the competition, grabbed the lead in the 36th minute through Javier Mariona, who struck from close range following a long throw and a knockdown in the box.
However, Guimarães could do little in the 54th minute when Xuân Bắc’s looping header from a Phi Hoàng cross found the top corner. In the final moments of stoppage time, Nguyễn Quốc Việt was charging toward the Philippines’ goal but was halted by a foul at the edge of the box from Noah Leddel, who was subsequently shown a red card.
The Philippines was unable to mount a comeback for the rest of the game.
FINAL SCORE: VIETNAM 2 – 1 PHILIPPINES
The Mandiri Player of the Match award was given to Nguyễn Xuân Bắc (#12).
Proud of the Effort but a Loss is still a Loss
Head Coach Garrath McPherson voiced out how proud he is with his group of boys as they made history for the Philippine Football but also voiced out the pain of losing and missing the chance to make it in the finals.
“These are the levels of effort that they have set at their standards. I guess we don’t expect any less than what they’ve shown. We came here with the intent to be in the football match and not sit on the ropes and wait for Vietnam to put a lot of crosses in the box. We wanted to be positive in everything we did. It’s great to take the lead but at the moment we’re hurting,” he said in a post-game interview.
“I’m proud. It is the team that I love being a part of. It’s a special team, it’s a great group of staff, and a great group of players. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside all of them,” McPherson said.
Up Next: A Chance to Bring Home A Bronze Medal
Vietnam, meanwhile, will compete for the championship on Tuesday, July 29, in hopes of winning 3 titles in a row against the winner of the semifinal clash between Indonesia and Thailand.
Despite the loss, the Philippines achieved a historic milestone by reaching the semifinals of the regional tournament for the first time. They will now take on the loser of the Indonesia-Thailand match in the third-place playoff scheduled on Monday, July 28.
