Vietnam Rest of SEA

Philippines U-22 coach eyes three points against Vietnam

Suffering from a 3-0 defeat to Indonesia on Thursday, the Philippines need a win over champion contenders Vietnam to stand any chance of making the SEA Games semi-final.

The Philippines U-22 head coach Marlon Maro acknowledged that their hope of advancing to the semi-finals will be restored once they can win against Vietnam on Sunday night at Shah Alam Stadium.

“There is a slim hope that we can qualify for the semi-final. We have to face strong contenders Vietnam and Thailand in the next matches. The team must concentrate and play with the greatest effort if we want to make our hope alive,” Maro said, as quoted by Nguoi Dua Tin.

“Vietnam is a strong team with many qualified players in the squad. The match against them is obviously a final for us. We are determined to win and earn three points to raise the hope of progressing,” he added.

Following its 4-1 rout of Cambodia, Vietnam paces Group B with three wins, amassing nine points, while Filipinos have three points to stay in third place.

Both teams are having two days off before returning to the pitch on Sunday.