Việt Nam U23s celebrating Lê Phát's second goal. — Photo courtesy of the VFF

Anh Đức

NAGOYA — Việt Nam's U23 national football team earned a hard-fought but crucial victory against the Philippines in their second match at the Asian Games men's football tournament, bringing them one step closer to the quarterfinals.

Two goals from Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn and Nguyễn Lê Phát in the second half were enough to secure the Golden Star Warriors' victory.

After a disappointing 1-1 draw against Kuwait in their opening game, Việt Nam was left in a tough spot, needing a victory to widen the chances of qualification.

The Philippines is no stranger to Việt Nam, as the teams have played each other many times in ASEAN competitions. Đinh Hồng Vinh's side went all-out with an attack from the start, gaining multiple chances towards the Filipino goal, but Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ and his teammates upfront could not convert.

After losing 1-5 to Uzbekistan in their opener and also in need of a victory to avoid elimination, the Philippines made the Golden Star Warriors work in the last five minutes of the first half, taking shot after shot at Cao Văn Bình's goal.

Coach Hồng Vinh and his team changed their playstyle in the second half, switching from long balls and crosses towards the target man to tiki-taka plays with short passes. The changes created more dangerous opportunities, with the first one being Nguyễn Xuân Bắc's one-on-one against the keeper in the 57th minute after a great through ball from midfield. Bắc's shot was too tame, however.

With 15 minutes to go, Việt Nam eventually found the opener they were yearning for. Nguyễn Đức Anh's long ball from the Vietnamese half found Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn free on the left wing, who cut inside and delivered a delicate touch to lob over the keeper and open the score for Việt Nam.

Needing an equaliser, the Philippines pushed forward and left spaces behind, a weakness exposed by Việt Nam in the 87th minute. From a great counter attack play, Lê Phát fired a shot that hit both edges of the woodwork, before rebounding from his own head into the back of the net, securing Việt Nam's much-needed victory.

The result means that Việt Nam now has four points on the board before facing group leaders Uzbekistan in their final game on September 22. — VNS