Late Vietnam surge ends PH U-22 dream, sends PH Men’s football team to SEA Games bronze match

For nearly a full match at the Rajamangala Stadium, the Philippine Men’s National Under-22 team stood on the edge of something special. 

Disciplined, resilient, and fearless, the Filipinos held their ground against Vietnam in the semifinals of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games — until the closing minutes unraveled their campaign.

Vietnam struck twice in stoppage time to seal a 2–0 win, breaking the hearts of a Philippine side that had defied expectations throughout the tournament.

Le Van Thuan finally broke the deadlock in the 88th minute with a decisive header, before Nguyen Thanh Nhan delivered the knockout blow in the 92nd, firing from just outside the box to extinguish any last hopes of a comeback.

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STILL A SHOT FOR A PODIUM

The Philippine Men’s National Football team is moving on to the bronze medal match after facing a 0-2 defeat from Vietnam in their Men’s Football semifinal showdown at the #SEAGames2025 Thailand!#SEAGames #TibayAtTatag #SEAGames33 #SEAGamesThailand pic.twitter.com/Bm3ikFctHP

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) December 15, 2025

The defeat brought an abrupt end to what had been a breakthrough run for the PMNT U-22 squad. Entering the semifinals with momentum, the Philippines topped Group C after back-to-back statement victories — a 2–0 win over Myanmar followed by a stunning 1–0 upset of defending champion Indonesia in Chiang Mai. 

Those results fueled belief that a historic gold medal match appearance was within reach.

Instead, the narrow loss shifts the Filipinos into the bronze medal playoff, where they will face Thailand. The Thais advanced after edging Malaysia, 1–0, in the other semifinal, setting up a familiar regional rivalry with a podium finish still on the line.

While the final scoreline told a harsh story, it did little to diminish the strides made by the young Philippine squad. 

From group-stage dominance to pushing one of Southeast Asia’s traditional powers to the brink, the U-22 team showed it belongs on the region’s bigger stages — even if the ultimate prize slipped away in the final moments.

Now, with one match left, the Philippines has a chance to close its SEA Games campaign with a medal — and to turn heartbreak into one last statement.

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