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View all search resultsVietnam comeback defeats Philippines
Despite wasting many goal opportunities, Vietnam bounced back to claim a 3-1 victory over the Philippines in the opening Group B match of the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday
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D
espite wasting many goal opportunities, Vietnam bounced back to claim a 3-1 victory over the Philippines in the opening Group B match of the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday.
“We are happy to start the tournament with a win, despite it being a very tiring match. It is unbelievable that we could bounce back. This is a good start for us,” Vietnam head coach Falko Gerd Gotz said during the post-match press conference on Thursday.
“Yes, we made some mistakes, but the first game of the tournament is not always easy. Today I can accept mistakes but in next games I promise they won’t happen again,” said Gotz.
From kickoff, Vietnam dominated possession but constantly failed to finish their goal-scoring chances.
In the 20th minute, Vietnam almost scored with a solo run from Nguyen Van Quyet, but he was dispossessed near the penalty box. Five minutes later, his teammate Le Van Thang Viet came close to getting his team off the mark but was unable to connect with a pass from Dinh Thanh Trung. Pham Than Luong’s corner kick almost broke the deadlock but the shot was too weak and was quickly collected by Filipino goalie Roland Richard Muller.
First match: The Philipines’ Manuel Ott (right) challenges Vietnam’s Ngo Hoang Thinh for the ball during their Group B opening qualifi er match for the 26th SEA Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday. JP/R. Berto Wedhatama
The Philippines couldn’t get going in the early stages amid a bombardment from the 2009 Laos SEA Games runner-up, Vietnam.
However, things changed in the 37th minute, when Filipino player Manuel “Manny” Ott converted a through pass from Jose Elmer Porteria from the left side of the Vietnamese defense. Ott’s strike sent the Philippines in at half time with a one goal lead.
Upon the restart, Vietnam doubled their efforts.
Le Hong Thien, on for Dinh Thanh Trung, almost scored with a header from a Vietnamese free kick, but his effort hit the post.
Vietnamese team captain Pham Than Luong also looked dangerous, threatening the Filipino side throughout the entire second half, but had little to show for his efforts.
It took a mistake from Filipino captain Matthew James Hartmann on 59 minutes to provide Vietnam with the boost it required. Hartmann’s error gifted the Vietnamese an equalizer and soon after Le Hoang Thien had added an second to give the Vietnamese the lead.
Nguyen Van Quyet sealed his team victory with a third goal in injury time, following a chaotic situation in the Filipino goalmouth, with goalie Roland Richard Muller leaving too much space for Nguyen to score.
The Philippines head coach, Hans Michael Weiss, highlighted the fatigue of his team, with five key players flying long distances to take part in the Games: Manuel Ott, Joshua Beloya, Jeffrey Christiaens, Roland Richard Muller and Carlos Roberto Martinez de Murga.
“We had five players coming from Europe only yesterday. They have jetlag and are still very tired. We lost today, but there are still four more games to go. We still have a good chance to progress,” said Weiss, who also regretted an incident that occurred prior to kick off in relation to the national anthem of the Philippines.
Organizers failed to properly play the national anthem of the Philippines. After a minute’s delay, the anthem was played only partly and then replayed again.
“It was embarrassing because the anthem is our national pride,” said Weiss.
The second qualifying match between Laos and Myanmar was scheduled for Thursday evening.
Next up for the Philippines will be Timor Leste on Monday at 4 p.m., while the Vietnamese will take on Myanmar on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Lebak Bulus Stadium in South Jakarta.
