Naturalized Filipino player wants to face Huynh Nhu in the final

Hali Long wants to meet Huynh Nhu again and face the Vietnamese women's team in the AFF Cup final.

"I really look forward to facing Huynh Nhu again. Over the past 5-6 years, we have met many times and I always enjoy that feeling. I follow her on social media and the matches she participates in. Both Huynh Nhu and I have developed and changed over the years. If I have the chance to meet again, I hope to have a good performance against her," Hali Long expressed her desire to face Huynh Nhu in the final.

The press conference before the start of Group B, AFF Women's Cup 2025 took place on the morning of August 6 in Phu Tho . This is a group consisting of the Philippines, Timor Leste, Myanmar and Australia. The opening match will take place from August 7 at Viet Tri Stadium.

As a player who has faced the Vietnamese women's team many times, Hali Long hopes to meet her fateful opponent again in the final match. The American-born player affirmed: "The Vietnamese team has many quality players. It's not easy to choose the best one, but if I had to choose, I would choose Huynh Nhu."

The center-back continued: "I want to meet Vietnam in the final. We have won and lost to each other. Vietnam has a strong squad and passionate fans. It will be an exciting match if the two teams meet again in the final."

Evaluating the current squad, Hali Long believes that the mix of experienced players and young players is an important factor in helping the Philippine women's team build its strength for the 2026 Asian finals. "We aim to play all five matches in this tournament. In the Philippines, we are used to playing on artificial turf. This tournament uses natural turf, so the whole team has to adapt. But that is not too big, because professional players must be able to do that."

The teams in Group B are ready for the opening match.

The Philippine women's national team currently has nine players of American descent, including Hali Long. "No matter where we come from, we all give our all for the Philippines. What matters is the spirit of dedication and pride. We are not the first, nor the last, but we hope to inspire the next generation," she said.

For his part, coach Mark Torcaso affirmed that the Philippine women's team is determined to defend the championship and aim for the 2026 Asian finals with a squad consisting of many players who have participated in the World Cup.

Coach Uki Tetsuro of the Myanmar women's team emphasized that the team is preparing carefully, focusing on each match with the goal of passing the group stage. Player Khin Marlar Tun also highly appreciated the Vietnamese team and said that he is always ready to play with all his might.

On the Australian women's team side, coach Joe Palatsides revealed that the squad for this tournament is mainly U23 players to gain experience. He highly appreciated the opponents in the region and said that the big challenge is the hot weather in Vietnam.

For Timor Leste, coach Simon Elissetche shared that some players have not been able to travel to Vietnam due to visa issues, but hopes the whole team will be fully present before the opening day. Player Dolores Costa said the team is physically and mentally ready for the tournament.

Source: https://znews.vn/phillippines-native-player-want-to-doi-dau-huynh-nhu-o-chung-ket-post1574620.html