Philippine newspaper comments on home team's loss to U23 Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - Many Philippine newspapers commented when the home team lost to U23 Vietnam in the semi-finals of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament.

With a brilliant comeback victory against the Philippines, Vietnam U23 team secured their place in the final.

Vietnam U23 defeated the Philippines U23 team 2-1 in the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. Their opponents opened the scoring in the 35th minute through Javier Mariona, but Dinh Bac and Xuan Bac then helped coach Kim Sang Sik's team come from behind to win.

Vietnam U23 team came from behind to win against Philippines U23 (Photo: VFF).

Witnessing their team's comeback defeat against Vietnam U23, the Philippine press expressed regret but still praised the players under coach Garrath McPherson. ABS-CBN published an article titled: "Philippine U23 eliminated by Vietnam U23 in the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship."

In the article, the author emphasizes: "The Philippines U23 team bid farewell to the Southeast Asian U23 Championship after a 1-2 defeat against the defending champions, Vietnam U23. Despite taking the lead, Garrath McPherson's team was ultimately defeated by their opponents."

The defending champions controlled the game. They increased their pace and attacked more after falling behind to the Philippines U23 team. As a result, Vietnam U23 scored two consecutive goals through Dinh Bac and Xuan Bac. The Philippines U23 team even suffered another blow when Jaime Rosquillo received a red card before the end of the match.

Despite the defeat, the U23 Philippines team still deserves praise for their historic performance. For the first time, the team reached the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. Coach Garrath McPherson is proud of what his players achieved in the tournament.

Vietnam U23 team has qualified for the final of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship for the third consecutive time (Photo: VFF).

Meanwhile, ESPN Philippines commented: “Vietnam U23 are the reigning champions of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. They are also the only team to have won all their matches in this year's tournament. However, Vietnam U23 had a very difficult match against a determined Philippines U23 team. It was that effort that helped coach Garrath McPherson's team make history.”

Vietnam U23 continued to squander too many opportunities in this match. They even suffered a setback when Javier Mariona scored the opening goal for the Philippines U23. However, Vietnam U23 quickly bounced back.

Phi Hoang continued to showcase his creative abilities with two assists that led to goals for Dinh Bac and Xuan Bac respectively. With Vietnam U23 dominating the game, it felt like a goal for Vietnam U23 was only a matter of time.

"Anyway, the Philippines U23 team has come a long way in this tournament. They can be proud when they look back. As for their level, the Philippines U23 team cannot yet be compared to the Vietnam U23 team."

The Philippine Football Federation also issued a statement of encouragement to their players: “The Philippines U23 team had a fantastic match against the defending champions, Vietnam U23. We are proud of what they achieved.”

With their victory over the Philippines U23 team, Vietnam U23 has reached the final of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship for the third consecutive time. Coach Kim Sang Sik's team will face Indonesia U23 at 8 PM on July 29th.

Watch the Mandiri Cup™ 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Football Championship live and in its entirety onFPT Play, visit http://fptplay.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-philippines-binh-luan-khi-doi-nha-thua-nguoc-u23-viet-nam-20250725224416111.htm