Thái Thị Thảo (11) and teammates played a brave and convincing match against the Philippines, but referee mistakes took away a goal, a win and perhaps a fifth gold medal for Thảo and her teammates. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Anh Đức

CHONBURI — Pride, bitterness and heartbreak swept through Việt Nam as the women’s national football team were edged out on penalties by the Philippines after a gruelling match overshadowed by controversial officiating.

Việt Nam appeared to have taken the lead through Nguyễn Thị Bích Thuỳ, only for the goal to be disallowed by the assistant referee.

After 120 scoreless minutes, the semi-final went to a penalty shootout, where Philippines goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel saved the final kick from Trần Thị Thu to seal victory.

The Golden Star Women Warriors had been chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive SEA Games gold medal, having powered past Indonesia 5-0 in the semi-final. The Philippines reached the last four after eliminating hosts and favourites Thailand on penalties.

Mai Đức Chung’s side had already faced the Philippines in the group stage, losing 1-0 despite dominating possession and creating the majority of chances over 90 minutes.

After that match, Chung raised concerns about refereeing standards, citing several decisions that went against his team, including a disputed handball. He also noted that the Philippines relied heavily on long balls and physical strength rather than midfield build-up.

Those patterns re-emerged in this encounter, as the Philippines largely bypassed midfield and sent direct passes forward, seeking to exploit aerial duels and physical mismatches. Việt Nam’s defence, however, remained organised and composed, repeatedly neutralising the approach.

Việt Nam looked sharper on the counterattack. In the 10th minute, Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhã sprinted down the flank and delivered a low cross, but Ngân Thị Vạn Sự could not reach the ball despite finding space.

With each chance, belief grew among supporters in the stands and at home. Việt Nam controlled possession and played with greater composure during the opening half-hour.

The breakthrough seemed to arrive in the 28th minute. Vạn Sự beat her marker and delivered a precise cross into the penalty area, where Bích Thùy rose to head the ball into the net. The finish from the 1.53m striker looked set to be one of the goals of the Games.

As referee Rebecca Durcau moved to indicate a goal and Vietnamese players began celebrating, Laotian assistant referee Chanthavong Phutsavan raised her flag for offside, and the goal was ruled out.

Thuỳ and her teammates stood stunned, while fans watching at home felt not just shock but anger, as replays showed Thùy was onside and no foul had occurred to justify Phutsavan’s offside decision.

The situation where Bích Thuỳ's goal was falsely disallowed. Thuỳ, the only red shirt inside the penalty area, was about two metres in front of Philippines' last defender. — Photo captured from livestream

Việt Nam did not relent and the women in red piled on the pressure, with the Philippines relying only on dead-ball situations and long throws to use their physical advantage, exactly as Chung predicted.

Both teams defended strongly during the final minutes of regulation, with Việt Nam pushed onto the back foot in the latter stages as stamina issues set in. A further 30 minutes of extra time passed with no change in the score and the match had to be decided on penalties.

All 11 takers from both teams successfully converted their attempts and Trần Thị Thu was the last to step up. Thu’s shot, however, lacked power and was saved by McDaniel. The Philippines celebrated as they became the first senior Filipino team to win a SEA Games football medal.

The defeat ended Việt Nam’s SEA Games streak of four titles, but with an unprecedented eight wins from 10 finals, the Golden Star Women Warriors had little to regret and their performance made them champions in the hearts of fans.

An emotional Mai Đức Chung spoke at the post-match press conference, praising his team for their bravery despite the disappointment.

"I must say that the referees at the SEA Games women's tournament are not good," said Chung. "The Việt Nam women's national football team today lost, but we lost with our heads held high." — VNS