The Philippine Men’s Under-23 National Football Team faces an early exit from the 20th Asian Games after suffering a 2-0 loss to Vietnam on Friday at the CS Asset Minato Soccer Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.
Looking to bounce back from their 5-1 defeat to Uzbekistan last Tuesday, the Philippines made a strong start against the favored ASEAN neighbors, keeping Vietnam scoreless through the first half.
However, Vietnam finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute when Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn latched onto a teammate’s long ball before calmly lobbing it over Philippines goalkeeper Nicholas Guimarães.
Substitute forward Nguyễn Lê Phát then doubled Vietnam’s advantage in the 87th minute. After his initial attempt struck the crossbar, Lê Phát reacted quickly to head the rebound into the net as the Philippine defenders could only watch the play unfold.
The victory lifted Vietnam to four points and the top spot in Group C, although its position could change after Uzbekistan and Kuwait meet later Friday evening.
The Philippines, meanwhile, is virtually eliminated from contention after failing to earn a point in its first two matches.
Both teams will wrap up the group stage on Tuesday at 1 p.m. Manila time. Vietnam will face Uzbekistan at the Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium, while the Philippines will take on Kuwait at the CS Asset Minato Soccer Stadium.
