M ANILA – Philippines’ historic run in the 2025 ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup came to a painful end after suffering a 2-1 loss to tournament favorite Vietnam at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.
With a finals berth at stake, the Philippine Men’s Under-23 National Team took an early lead through midfielder Javier Mariona, who calmly finished from close range in the 35th minute to put coach Garrath McPherson’s side ahead.
Vietnam, however, responded quickly. Nguyen Dinh Bac leveled the score in the 41st minute, capitalizing on a rebound after his initial shot struck the post.
Vietnam seized full control in the second half. In the 54th minute, Nguyen Xuan Bac broke the deadlock with a well-placed header past Philippines goalkeeper Nicholas Guimarães to make it 2-1.
Things went from bad to worse for the young Azkals in added time when Noah Leddel was shown a red card in the 95th minute, ending the match with the Philippines down to 10 men.
The loss ended the Philippines’ hopes of reaching the championship match, but the team still has a chance to finish on a high note as it competes for the bronze medal against Thailand on Monday.
Vietnam, on the other hand, advances to the final set for Tuesday against host Indonesia./PN
