Vietnam - Philippines: 4 p.m. Friday, 25/7, on VnExpress.
The Philippines has been the surprise package of this year's tournament, finishing second in Group A to reach the semi-finals of the AFF U23 Championship for the first time. They secured a shock 2-0 victory over Malaysia in their opening match, lost narrowly 1-0 to hosts Indonesia via an own goal, and defeated Brunei 2-0.
"We are enjoying the support of the entire nation and are thrilled to be facing Vietnam in the semi-final," McPherson said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. "Before the tournament, we were not considered among the favorites. However, we have united and played better with each game. It's fantastic to be in the semi-finals. The players are patriotic and know they have huge support from back home. I am also very pleased with what we have achieved so far."
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Coach McPherson in the press conference before the AFF U23 Championship semi-final, Tuesday. Photo: Anh Khoa |
Coach McPherson in the press conference before the AFF U23 Championship semi-final, Tuesday. Photo: Anh Khoa
The Philippines prepared well for the tournament, assembling a squad with several players of mixed heritage, including goalkeeper Guimaraes (Japan), center-back Noah Leddel (Hong Kong), midfielders Jax Pena (USA), Gavin Muens (USA), John Lucero (Thailand), and forward Banatao (USA).
With these new players, McPherson has built a team that is strong defensively and dangerous on the counter-attack. "Some of our players have international experience, such as in the AFF Cup, and have contributed significantly to our journey to the semi-finals. They have good tactical awareness and impressive dribbling skills. However, I believe we have a squad where all 23 players are quality," McPherson said. "In every tournament, we are not highly rated, but we always strive to give our best. Importantly, we don't consider ourselves underdogs. We are confident and always aim for the semi-finals and the final. I think we deserve more respect."
The Australian coach also praised Vietnam for having many players with national team experience and who play in the V-League. "Besides experienced players, Vietnam is very strong in set pieces. They have scored many goals from aerial plays. Therefore, we have a plan to neutralize Vietnam's set pieces. The Philippines has good players in the air. Let's see how we neutralize that weapon of Vietnam," McPherson confidently stated.
The 2025 AFF U23 Championship is taking place from 15/7 to 31/7 in Indonesia. The group stage determined the two semi-final pairings: Vietnam - Philippines and Indonesia - Thailand. Vietnam previously defeated the Philippines 2-1 in the 2019 group stage and 1-0 in the 2023 group stage. This is Vietnam's 4th consecutive appearance in the semi-finals. They finished third in 2019 and won the championship in 2022 and 2023.
Duc Dong
