Vietnam will face the Philippines in the semi-final at Bung Karno Stadium at 4 p.m. on Friday, 25/7, Hanoi time. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team is considered the favorite, but they have had one less day of rest than the Philippines.

The Philippines has never participated in the Asian Games, nor progressed past the group stage of the SEA Games or the Southeast Asian U23 Championship until this tournament. Garrath McPherson's team surprised many by defeating Malaysia 2-0 in the group stage, making history by reaching the semi-finals as the second-placed team with the best record.

Central defender Pham Ly Duc celebrates the opening goal against Cambodia in the final match of Group B of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship at Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia on 22/7/2025. Photo: Hai Tu

The Philippines also narrowly lost 0-1 to Indonesia in the group stage. Therefore, Indo News predicts that Vietnam will not have an easy match. "The Philippines will certainly play with a relaxed mindset in the semi-final," the news outlet reported. "McPherson's squad is dangerous on the counter-attack, having scored both goals against Malaysia this way. The key is for Vietnam to attack while remaining cautious of counter-attacks."

The Indonesian publication also noted that Vietnam has not performed at its best since the beginning of the tournament. In their final group stage match against Cambodia, the defending champions only won 2-1 thanks to a late goal from substitute Nguyen Dinh Bac.

"Vietnam controlled the game but struggled against Cambodia's defense," Indonesian media commented. "However, the Philippines are still the underdogs against Vietnam in the upcoming match."

The other semi-final between Indonesia and Thailand will also take place at Bung Karno Stadium four hours later. Indonesian forward Jens Raven stated that it doesn't matter whether they face Thailand or Vietnam, as Indonesia's goal is to win the championship.

The 20-year-old Raven, standing at 1.89 m tall, grew up in the Netherlands. In June 2024, he became an Indonesian citizen but has not yet played for the national team. Raven currently plays for Bali United in the Indonesian league.

The Southeast Asian U23 Championship has been held four times, with Thailand (2005), Indonesia (2019), and Vietnam (2022, 2023) winning the title. This year's tournament takes place from 15/7 to 31/7 in Indonesia.

The third-place match will take place on the evening of 28/7, while the final will kick off at 8 p.m. on 29/7, both at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Hoang An (according to Indo News)