Vietnam reach 2023 SEA Games women’s football semifinals despite Philippines defeat
Vietnam’s opponents in the semifinals will be hosts Cambodia. The Philippines took an early lead in Tuesday’s game thanks to a penalty awarded in the 11th minute after Vietnamese goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh fouled a Philippine striker in the box. Vietnam struggled to create scoring opportunities before finding an equalizer in the 41st minute, when goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel failed to catch a cross from defender Nguyen Thi My Anh and let Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy net on the rebound. The equal first-half score seemed to take the pressure off the Vietnamese players in the second half, when they played with a dominant style and produced several dangerous attacks. However, they failed to convert their scoring chances and ended up conceding an own goal in the 83rd minute as midfielder Sara Eggesvik’s cross into Vietnam’s box found Hali Long, who pressured Tran Thi Thu to head the ball into Kim Thanh’s net. Vietnamese (red) and Philippine players compete in their final Group A matc