Philippines football boss excited when home team faces U23 Vietnam

(Dan Tri) - U23 Philippines entered the semi-finals of the U23 Southeast Asian tournament for the first time. U23 Philippines' opponent in the semi-final match will be U23 Vietnam on July 25.

The results of the matches of the U23 Southeast Asia tournament, which took place last night (July 22), brought U23 Philippines into the semi-finals to meet U23 Vietnam.

U23 Philippines (blue shirt) entered the semi-finals of the Southeast Asian tournament with the ticket for the second-placed team with the best record (Photo: PFF).

After determining the semi-final matches, President of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) John Gutierrez spoke up last night: “This is a historic moment for Philippine football. Our U23 team has officially qualified for the semi-finals.”

“The Philippines U23 team had a great journey in the group stage. This is a team that brings together the best young players in the country and abroad. They are very united, with great fighting spirit,” added PFF President John Gutierrez.

U23 Philippines entered the semi-finals as the second-placed team with the best record, while U23 Vietnam entered the semi-finals as the top team of Group B.

The Philippines' opponent in the semi-finals will be U23 Vietnam (Photo: VFF).

In theory, U23 Vietnam is rated higher than U23 Philippines. Coach Kim Sang Sik's team is the current U23 Southeast Asian champion, while U23 Philippines has just passed the group stage for the first time.

However, the head of the Philippine Football Federation is still confident in his team. Mr. John Gutierrez said: "We are very excited to reach the semi-finals of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament. The whole team will move forward, regardless of the opponent."

“I am extremely proud of my players. The players will know how to make the dream of Philippine football come true,” said Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez.

The semi-final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Philippines will take place at 4pm on July 25 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta (Indonesia). Then, on this field, the remaining semi-final match between host U23 Indonesia and U23 Thailand will take place at 8pm.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/sep-lon-bong-da-philippines-phan-khich-khi-doi-nha-doi-dau-u23-viet-nam-20250723004317241.htm