BANDUNG, Indonesia — The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNT) opened its campaign in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup — Elite Division with a narrow 1-0 defeat regional powerhouse Vietnam at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium on Saturday, in a performance that saw the Philippines control large stretches of play against the reigning two-time AFF champion.
PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez pointed to fluid offensive buildups and accurate passing as evidence of the team’s growth.
“This is a far cry from how we’ve approached matches against Vietnam in the past,” Gutierrez said. “We were often the side sitting back and defending. Tonight, we were the ones dictating tempo and creating the chances.”
“We were the more dominant side in creating chances in the final third tonight,” Gutierrez continued. “That’s not something we can say lightly against a team like Vietnam.”
Vietnam broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Nguyen Dinh Bac converted a quick buildup play, capitalizing after PMNFT defender Amani Aguinaldo was drawn to Minh Hoang Williams, who supplied the cutback assist.
The goal came against the run of play in an opening period where the Philippines created the more dangerous chances.
Andre Leipold forced an early save in the 6th minute off a Randy Schneider pass, Bjorn Kristensen headed narrowly wide in the 12th minute, and Schneider’s 23rd-minute strike rattled the crossbar. Manny Ott also had a shot blocked by the Vietnamese defense in the 20th minute.
Midfielder Randy Schneider (#11) was splendid in keeping possession for the Philippines, sending many balls in the final third.
The Philippines continued to press after the break. Kristensen and Nguyen traded shots in the 54th and 58th minutes, while Bui Hoang Viet Anh blocked another Schneider effort in the 62nd minute.
Aguinaldo narrowly missed a header off a Schneider corner in the 63rd minute, and center back Jesper Nyholm made a crucial stop on a Vietnamese transition attack in the 64th minute.
Nyholm was shown a red card in the 74th minute for a foul on Ngo Dang Khoa during a 1v1 counterattacking run, but the decision was overturned on VAR review three minutes later, keeping PMNFT at full strength.
The Philippines appeared to have equalized in the 82nd minute through Kenji Nishioka, set up by Sandro Reyes, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR check in the 85th minute.
Nyholm again denied Vietnam in the 87th minute, blocking a Bui shot after Falkesgaard spilled a corner kick.
Paul Tabinas (#3) returns to the national team, providing better control and defense on the wings.
In stoppage time, Sebastian Rasmussen’s header off a Gang Kristensen assist was saved by goalkeeper Patrik Giang Le, and PMNFT’s final set-piece opportunity from midfield was waived off when the referee blew the final whistle.
Gutierrez noted that the shift in approach has not gone unnoticed within the football community.
“The entire Philippine football community has seen this improvement, and they have been vocal about it,” he said. “That kind of recognition tells us we are moving in the right direction.”
He added that PFF sees the performance as a signal of what is possible for the team moving forward.
“If we continue playing this way — taking the game to our opponents instead of waiting for them — I believe we are in a much better position to compete for an ASEAN title,” Gutierrez said.
PMNT next faces Pakistan, who fell 4-0 to Thailand on Tuesday, September 29, at the same venue.
