U23 Vietnam beat Philippines 2-0 to boost Quarter-Final hopes at ASIAD 2026
U23 Vietnam secured a 2-0 victory over U23 Philippines in their second Group C match of the men’s football tournament at ASIAD 2026. Thanh Nhan and Le Phat scored in the second half to give Dinh Hong Vinh’s side four points from two matches and strengthen their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.
28/09/2026 10:44:03
Following their 1-1 draw with U23 Kuwait, U23 Vietnam made a proactive start and quickly took control of the game against the Philippines. Dinh Hong Vinh’s side repeatedly launched attacks from both flanks while creating a number of dangerous situations in front of the opposition goal.
In the first half, Ngoc My had the most notable opportunity when he unleashed a quick effort from just outside the penalty area in the 14th minute, but the Philippines goalkeeper reacted promptly to make the save. Just a minute later, Ngoc My again came close with a header from a corner, but the ball went over the crossbar.
U23 Vietnam continued to apply pressure. In the 26th minute, Thanh Nhan created space before setting up Minh Phuc for a shot at the near post, but the Philippines goalkeeper once again came out on top. In the 32nd minute, Phi Hoang played a through ball for Xuan Bac to break down the left before delivering a cross for Quoc Viet to head towards goal. The ball went narrowly wide of the post.
Towards the end of the first half, U23 Philippines suddenly stepped up the pace and created several dangerous shooting opportunities, forcing Vietnam’s defence to remain focused and deal with the threats. The two teams went into the break with the score still goalless.
At the start of the second half, Le Phat was introduced to replace Phi Hoang. U23 Vietnam continued to push forward but also had to deal with some dangerous counter-attacking situations from the Philippines. In the 48th minute, Cao Van Binh made an excellent save to deny a dangerous long-range effort from Sandro Reyes.
U23 Vietnam then created a series of chances. Thanh Nhan fired just wide in the 53rd minute, while Xuan Bac found himself one-on-one with the Philippines goalkeeper in the 57th minute but was unable to finish.
The breakthrough came in the 74th minute. From Nguyen Duc Anh’s long pass, Thanh Nhan raced in behind the Philippines defence. Seeing goalkeeper Guimaraes rush well off his line, the forward produced a skilful first-time finish, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper to give U23 Vietnam a 1-0 lead.
Having taken the lead, U23 Vietnam continued to control the game. In the 87th minute, Le Phat doubled the advantage after making a smart run to meet Ngoc My’s pass. His first effort struck the post, but the forward immediately followed up with a header to make it 2-0 and seal the victory for U23 Vietnam.
With three points against U23 Philippines, U23 Vietnam now have four points from two matches, following their 1-1 draw with U23 Kuwait in their opening game. The result gives Dinh Hong Vinh’s side an advantage in the race for a place in the quarter-finals.
In their final group-stage match, U23 Vietnam will face U23 Uzbekistan, who currently top Group C and are regarded as the strongest side in the group.
