On the surface, it may be a disappointment, but dig deeper, and there are seeds of hope in tonight’s game that can grow into future success. This must be the consoling thought going through Tom Saintfiet’s mind as his young Philippine charges dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Vietnam at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi Thursday night, bowing out of the race for the 2026 World Cup.
The first half was a typically cagey affair between the ASEAN neighbors, with the intensity of the midfield battles crossing the sea, it was that palpable. While the hosts had the early opportunities, the Philippines had the best chances of the first half. Debutante Zico Bailey caught the eye with a slick interception in midfield and a driving run to goal, beating netminder Filip Nguyen but hitting it just a whisper wide in the 22nd minute. The battle continued until halftime, with both sides finely poised at the break.
The second half, however, exploded in a blaze of goals and emotions that only football could evoke. It remained cagey until the 62nd minute when a scramble in the Philippine goalbox went the Tri-Stars’ way. Patrick Reichelt was able to get to the clearance first and dink past two Vietnamese defenders to net his 16th goal for the flag. The Red Stars quickly equalized, with a lifted pass from midfield finding Van Toan on the left side of the box. He pulled Neil Etheridge off his line, made an extra pass, and teed up Tien Linh for the equalizer in the 65th minute.
Both sides started chasing the game after that exchange, knowing the next goal would be crucial in the race for the third round of World Cup qualifiers. Tien Linh netted that next goal in the 76th minute, rising highest among a gaggle of blue shirts to meet a cross from Tuan Anh and nod it into the bottom corner. Vietnam eased off the gas somewhat in the last 10 minutes, trying to control the game and maintain the score, but Kevin Ingreso had other plans. The OneTaguig midfielder hit the top bins off a sideways header following a Philippine free kick in the 89th minute, making it 2-2 and setting up a nervy conclusion to the game. With 7 minutes of stoppage time signaled, it was a case of whoever blinked.
Sadly, it was the Tri-Stars who blinked. A handball in the attacking third was spun by the Red Stars into an attacking run, culminating in a rebounded winner from Tuan Hai in the 95th minute, sealing the win for the hosts and sparing their blushes after a tough game.
The Tri-Stars will look to salvage some pride on Tuesday, the 11th, against Indonesia at the legendary Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, while Vietnam has an eye on safety as they play Iraq on the same day in Basra.
Psychology graduate that’s been down the football rabbit hole since a kiddie camp in 1996. Once made a tryout for Manila Jeepney and a weekend consists of hand-wringing about Manchester United and Stallion Laguna. Can be found spouting opinions on X @FullyVaxxedJ
