Vietnam scored all of their goals in the latter part of the second half, which meant that the Filipinas were able to hold them off for most of the game.
The nil-nil scoreline at the half was an astonishing result in itself considering the history of the two teams, in which Vietnam had often struck early en route to large-deficit wins.
But the gallant stand of the Pinays crumbled after 64 minutes, when it seemed like fatigue had set in. Head coach Let Dimzon later confirmed this.
“Because of fatigue they started losing the concentration and discipline in marking the opponent, which created the chance for Vietnam to push forward.
“That was the strong point that we worked on in the first half which is how we were able to hold them,” Dimzon revealed.
The mentor acknowledged that Vietnam is a far superior team in terms of technical and tactical ability, which led to the defensive style that the Philippines utilized for this game.
“We played defensively in the middle to stop the distribution to the strikers and force them to build-up from the middle. We were able to control their attack,” she shared.
The strategy almost worked, until Vietnam started switching players in their formation for the second half. With players starting to tire out, it seemed inevitable for defense to also yield.
“We did not anticipate the adjustment in the second half and it caused lapses on our defensive side. Knowing Vietnam who are superior in counterattack, our backline were at a disadvantage.”
Dimzon will have four days to work out the team’s issues with adjustment and fatigue, with the Philippines receiving a bye for the next matchday. The Pinays will next face Myanmar, currently sitting at the top of the table with a superior goal difference (+4). Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines have 3 points each; Hosts Malaysia has no points after two games.
As for Myanmar which the Philippines will face on August 22, Tuesday, at 4:00 P.M., Dimzon will make sure to adjust accordingly.
“We will base our play on the system of our next opponents,” Dimzon said.
Photo by MASOC
