Philippines U23 vs Vietnam U23 Asian Games Preview
Philippines and Vietnam will be looking to jump-start their campaign in the football event at the Asian Games when they meet in their second Group C clash.
Both teams will be fired up for this one, and with neither defence convincing at the moment, goals can be expected here.
Key Stats
- Philippines U23 have scored in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Philippines U23 have conceded in four of their last eight matches in all competitions.
- Vietnam U23 have scored in seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Vietnam U23 have conceded in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Upper Hand for Vietnam
Vietnam have the upper hand in this fixture, earning four wins and playing out one draw in the last five matches against Philippines. They claimed a 2-1 victory in the Asian U23 Championship semi-final last year.
Philippines Keen to Bounce Back
Philippines made a disappointing start to their Asian Games campaign, suffering a 5-1 defeat to Uzbekistan. They were no match for the superior quality of their rivals, with Joshua Merino’s effort midway through the second half proving to be a mere consolation.
Manager Garrath McPherson will be disappointed that his team suffered a total capitulation following the second-half red card to Gavin Muens. Their task on Friday will be to set things right and get their campaign back on track.
Philippines were far too exposed at the back in their opening fixture and have conceded in four of their last eight matches in all competitions. However, they often show some attacking quality, scoring in eight of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Promising Start for Vietnam
Vietnam are coming off a 1-1 draw with Kuwait in their opening Group C fixture. They were forced to come from behind, with Ngoc My Nguyen’s effort 10 minutes from time earning them a share of the spoils.
Manager Kim Sang-sik will take the positives as they dominated possession and created multiple scoring opportunities. They will look to build on the performance, and the task on Friday will be to improve their finishing.
Vietnam may have scored just once last time out, but they are usually solid going forward, having found the net in seven of their last 10 matches in all competitions. However, defending remains an issue, with no clean sheet in eight of their last 10 fixtures in all competitions.
Team News & Predicted Line-ups
Philippines (4-1-4-1): Nicholas Guimaraes; Joshua Merino, Scott Woods, John Lucero, Christian Rontini; Sandro Reyes; Brian McManus, Michael Baldisimo, Antoine Ortega, Santiago Rublico; Andres Aldeguer.
Philippines will be without midfielder Muens, who is suspended following his red card in the opening fixture. He is likely to be replaced by McManus while Aldeguer is set to lead the line.
Vietnam (4-1-4-1): Cao Van Binh; Phi Hoang Nguyen, Duc Anh Nguyen, Pham Ly Duc, Pham Minh Phuc; Le Nguyen Hoang; Thanh Nhan Nguyen, Ngoc My Nguyen, Xuan Bac Nguyen, Quoc Viet Nguyen; Le Phat Nguyen.
Vietnam have no injuries or suspensions and could keep faith with much of the team from the opening fixture. Le Phat Nguyen should lead the line once again while Ngoc My Nguyen could earn a start after scoring off the bench.