Vietnam beats the Philippines, Indonesia wins in AFF Women’s Futsal Championship

c/o Philippine Football Federation

Vietnam officially set up its matchup against Thailand for the 2024 edition of the ASEAN Women's Futsal Championship on Tuesday night, defeating the Philippines, 6-1 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

Head coach Nguyen Dinh Hoang highlighted the need to strike first in order to neutralize an expected partisan crowd. However, it was the Philippines that was putting the pressure towards the visitors through their pressing and attack, with Samantha Hughes being tapped to protect the net.

Vietnam did get their shots in, but the Stallion Laguna FC keeper was up to the task to keep things manageable.

They would eventually break through by forcing a turnover. Tran Thi Lan Mai and K’Thua K’Thua double teamed the Philippines’ Lanie Ortillo, eventually getting the ball near the Philippines goal, with the former firing a shot from a sharp angle that got past Hughes.

The Pinay5 would manage to keep it just a one-goal deficit at the break, but Vietnam would eventually pour it on in the second half.

Le Thi Thanh Ngan would double the lead from within the penalty area.

Although Shai del Campo would provide some hope and optimism with her goal off a feed from Hazel Lustan, the visitors would have an immediate answer.

Trinh Nguyen Hang found Nguyen Phoang Anh a minute later to restore the advantage, with the latter flicking the ball past the Filipina defense.

Vietnam would add three more goals before the final whistle: Lan Mai’s second goal that was headed in off a kick in, a scoring run by Tran Thi Thu Xuan where she ran the length of the floor to take an unimpeded shot, and lastly, K’Thua K’Thua’s cut from the outside after a corner kick.

With the victory, Vietnam gets to face off against Thailand in a preview of the final later today.

The defeat means the Philippines cannot lose against Indonesia tonight, as they already own an inferior goal differential against idle Myanmar, -12 to -11. Otherwise, Myanmar will earn the right to face Indonesia for third.