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 national team in the AFF Cup final.

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

A press conference was held on the morning of August 6th in Phu Tho ahead of the start of Group B of the 2025 AFF Women's Cup. This group includes the Philippines, Timor Leste, Myanmar, and Australia. The opening matches will take place from August 7th at Viet Tri Stadium.

Having faced the Vietnamese women's national team many times, Hali Long hopes to meet his long-time rival 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, but if I had to choose, I would choose Huynh Nhu."

The central defender continued: "I want to meet Vietnam in the final. We've won and lost against each other before. Vietnam has a strong team and passionate fans. It would be an exciting match if the two teams met again in the final."

Assessing the current squad, Hali Long believes that the mix of experienced players and young talents is a crucial factor in helping the Philippine women's national team build a strong team for the 2026 Asian Championship 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 grass, so the whole team has to adapt. But that's not too difficult, because professional players should be able to do that.”

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

The current Philippine women's national team includes nine players of American descent, among them Hali Long. She stated, "No matter where we come from, we are all dedicated to representing the Philippines. What matters is the spirit of dedication and pride. We may not be the first or the last, but we hope to inspire future generations."

For his part, coach Mark Torcaso affirmed that the Philippine women's team is determined to defend their title and aims for the 2026 Asian Championship finals with a squad that includes many players who have previously participated in the World Cup.

Myanmar women's national team coach Uki Tetsuro emphasized that the team is thoroughly prepared, focusing on each match with the goal of advancing beyond the group stage. Player Khin Marlar Tun also praised the Vietnamese team and stated that she is always ready to give her best performance.

On the Australian women's team side, coach Joe Palatsides revealed that the squad participating in this tournament is mainly made up of U23 players to allow them to gain experience. He highly regards the regional opponents and said that the biggest challenge is the hot weather in Vietnam.

Regarding Timor Leste, coach Simon Elissetche shared that some players are still unable to travel to Vietnam due to visa issues, but hopes the entire team will be able to assemble before the opening day. Player Dolores Costa stated that the team is ready both physically and mentally for the tournament.

Source: https://znews.vn/cau-thu-nhap-tich-philippines-muon-doi-dau-huynh-nhu-o-chung-ket-post1574620.html