Van Toan and Dinh Bac scored, the Vietnamese team beat the Philippines team in the opening match of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia. After the match, coach Philippe Troussier shared with the media.
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| The situation where Van Toan scored for the Vietnam team. (Source: VNN) |
The Philippines started the match quickly against Vietnam, the home team played close and high, causing difficulties for Coach Troussier's team. However, the Philippines did not have enough strength to maintain the pressure for a long time, the Vietnamese team quickly pushed back the opponent but it was not easy to approach Etheridge's goal.
The surprise happened in the 16th minute, the opponent's header was not strong enough, creating an opportunity for Van Toan to take the ball and enter the penalty area. Tien Linh also rushed in to fight for the ball, causing Van Toan to miss the shot, however, the Philippines' defense was also disoriented and Van Toan continued to have a second chance to shoot, he put the ball into the right corner of the goal to open the score of the match.
After the goal, the Vietnamese players played proactively and also created a few opportunities to increase the score before the end of the first half, but were unsuccessful. In the first half, the Philippines did not have many difficult situations for goalkeeper Van Lam.
Tuan Hai missed the most chances for Vietnam. In the first half of the second half, the Hanoi FC striker continued to be given chances to score by his teammates but he still lacked luck.
The Philippines only really rose up in the last 15 minutes of the match. The home team created some really clear chances, causing Van Lam's goal to constantly shake. However, the Philippines players were not lucky enough to score.
In the final minute of extra time, the Vietnamese team counterattacked quickly. Dinh Bac finished from outside the penalty area, "defeating" goalkeeper Etheridge, sealing a 2-0 victory for the Vietnamese team.
A clean sheet victory against a Southeast Asian opponent helps coach Philippe Troussier and his team have a favorable start in the race for a ticket to the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.
After this match, the Vietnamese team will return to Hanoi to prepare for the match against Iraq - the opponent considered the strongest team in Group F at My Dinh National Stadium on November 21.
Appearing at the press conference after the match at Rizal Memorial Stadium, Philippines, coach Philippe Troussier said: "I appreciate today's victory, a match that was not easy for the whole team. Considering the number of opportunities throughout the match, the Vietnamese team could have found the second goal sooner.
But we failed to do that, we were under a lot of pressure, we made defensive mistakes and we allowed the Philippines to score. Anyway, I am satisfied with the players' determination, discipline on the pitch and their adherence to the tactics. Our pre-match plan was to control the ball, exploit the space and make good decisions.
This is an important victory after a long preparation process. Experiencing pressure like today's match shows the meaning of training hard every day. On November 21, at My Dinh Stadium, we have an even more important match, which is against the Iraqi team. This victory strengthens the spirit of the whole team before returning home."
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