The Philippine Men’s National Team missed out on a chance to claim a maiden win in the FIFA World Cup 26/AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualifiers Round 2 after yielding to Vietnam, 0-2, before a packed crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
Nguyen Van Toan and Nguyen Dinh Bach were on the mark for the Vietnamese, scoring in each side of the half to take the full three points.
Buoyed by the 10,327-strong fans at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Azkals hoped to spring a surprise early on as OJ Porteria’s first effort went straight to Dang Van Lam in the 10th minute. Patrick Reichelt followed it up with his volleyed chance that went right of the post.
Van Toan broke the deadlock in the 16th minute with a shot from the center of the box.
Despite the deficit, the Philippines tried to find the equalizer and came close from sending the pack crowd into frenzy with chances from Santiago Rublico and substitute Bienvenido Marañon in the second half.
The missed chances proved costly as Dinh Bach scored Vietnam’s second goal right before full-time.
The Philippines look to bounce back when they face Indonesia on Tuesday 21 November 2023 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.