Chonburi, 8 December 2025 – Following Vietnam’s narrow defeat to the Philippines in Group B at SEA Games 33, coach Mai Duc Chung expressed disappointment with several refereeing decisions, while affirming his team still hold the chance to advance.
Vietnam suffered a frustrating 0-1 loss to the Philippines in their second Group B match of the SEA Games 33 women’s football tournament on the evening of 8 December. Speaking at the post-match press conference, coach Mai Duc Chung shared his regret over the result and voiced concerns regarding several decisions made by the refereeing team.
“Vietnam lost in a very regrettable way. Based on the flow of the match, a draw would have been a more reasonable result,” he said. “Some moments that led to the goal we conceded were my responsibility, and I accept that.”
However, the veteran coach also pointed out inconsistencies in officiating throughout the match. “There were a few situations where the referee’s calls were not fair. I’m not blaming anyone, but fairness is necessary,” he emphasized. “There was a clear handball by the opponent that was not given, while Vietnam were penalized strictly. The referee seemed more lenient toward the Philippines.”
Explaining his tactical adjustment of switching to a back-three system, coach Chung noted that the decision was made to strengthen aerial defense. “I used three centre-backs because My has experience playing deepest, while the other two are tall and strong. This setup helped us deal with their long balls effectively,” he said. “But some substitutions were not as effective as expected and felt a bit passive, so we couldn’t fully exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.”
The defeat temporarily drops Vietnam to second place in the group standings, making their final match against Myanmar decisive. Despite the setback, coach Chung remains optimistic about Vietnam’s chances of progressing.
“Just winning against Myanmar is enough for us to advance. If all three teams finish with six points, goal difference will decide, and we still have an advantage over Myanmar and the Philippines in that scenario,” he affirmed.
Vietnam will now turn their focus to the crucial final group match, where they must deliver both performance and precision to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
Hong Phuc – Thanh Tung
Leave a Reply