Viet Nam started the December 8 match proactively. As early as the 4th minute, Van Su set up Bich Thuy for a long-range attempt, though it lacked the necessary precision.
In the 10th minute, the Philippine defence made an error when goalkeeper Davies rushed out of the penalty area but failed to clear accurately.
Bich Thuy had the chance to shoot towards the far corner, but the Philippines keeper managed to recover in time to prevent a goal.
In the 17th minute, Thai Thi Thao unleashed a left-footed strike from outside the box, forcing the Philippines goalkeeper to make a difficult save.
However, in the latter half of the first period, both sides played cautiously, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities.
Striker Huynh Nhu was brought on in the 40th minute to bolster Viet Nam’s attack, but the first half still ended goalless.
Right at the start of the second half, Viet Nam carved out a clear chance. In the 48th minute, Van Su threaded a pass for Bich Thuy, who broke through the defensive line, but her angled shot drifted narrowly wide.
In the 56th minute, Huynh Nhu struck from distance; the ball deflected off two Philippine defenders and fell to Bich Thuy. She went past the goalkeeper, but Isabella intervened just in front of the goal line.
Both coaches continued to adjust their line-ups in pursuit of the opening goal. In the 80th minute, Huynh Nhu delivered an excellent pass to Van Su, whose shot unfortunately flew over the bar.
The drama intensified in stoppage time. In the 90+1 minute, the ball struck the hand of the Philippine captain inside the penalty area, but the referee judged that the player had withdrawn her arm and declined to award Viet Nam a penalty.
Moments later, in the 90+4 minute, the Philippines launched an attack from a long pass by goalkeeper Davies.
Long Hali headed the ball into the box, where Carpio surged forward to nod it goalwards. Although goalkeeper Kim Thanh saved the initial header, Ramirez Mary Louise immediately followed up to secure a 1-0 victory.
After the second round of matches, Myanmar temporarily top the group with two straight wins.
Both the Philippines and Viet Nam have three points, but the former holds the advantage on head-to-head results. Malaysia sit at the bottom of the group with no points.
This means the final match between Viet Nam and Myanmar on December 11 will be decisive for coach Mai Duc Chung and his players in the race for a semi-final berth.
