Vietnam women’s football team suffer narrow 1-0 defeat to Philippines
VOV.VN - The Vietnam women’s football team narrowly lost 0-1 to the Philippines at SEA Games 33 in their second group-stage match at Chonburi Stadium on the evening of December 8.
The match was a decisive encounter for a spot in the semifinals. A win would have secured Vietnam a place in the top four. Facing opponents with superior height and physicality, Vietnam began cautiously, maintaining a compact formation and playing solidly in their own half.
The Philippines concentrated players through the middle, making it difficult for Vietnam to build attacks.
Vietnam consistently applied pressure, creating several dangerous opportunities, though their finishing lacked precision. In the 30th minute, Thai Thi Thao attempted a long-range shot, seeing the goalkeeper off her line, but the effort missed the target.
The Philippines exploited aerial balls thanks to their physical advantage, but Vietnam’s defence remained organized, blocking and clearing multiple crosses. In the 45th minute, Vietnam’s clearest first-half chance fell to Hai Linh, whose close-range shot was blocked by a Philippine defender.
In the second half, Vietnam stepped up the tempo and pressed high. In the 53rd minute, Van Su’s long-range strike deflected off a defender. Three minutes later, Huynh Nhu’s effort was redirected to Bich Thuy, who beat the goalkeeper but saw her narrow-angle shot blocked by the defence.
The turning point came in the 90+4th minute. From a cross into the box, Carpio rose to head, forcing a superb save from goalkeeper Kim Thanh. The ball, however, fell to Mary Louise, who converted from close range to give the Philippines the lead.
With too little time remaining, Vietnam could not respond. The match ended 1-0 in favor of the Philippines, eliminating Vietnam from early contention for a semifinal berth. After four matches, Vietnam scored 18 goals but conceded 56, showing the gap with stronger regional teams and the need for continued development.
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