Although highly appreciated, U23 Malaysia had a lot of difficulty implementing their playing style against a disciplined, passionate U23 Philippines team that took advantage of counter-attacking opportunities.
In the 9th minute, Bisong successfully took advantage of Rafael Mariona's cross to open the score for the U23 Philippines.
In the 40th minute, the Malaysian defense continued to leave a gap in a quick counter-attack, creating conditions for One Banatao to double the gap.
Being behind, U23 Malaysia rose strongly in the second half but could not penetrate the opponent's net once. They created many opportunities, including 2 shots hitting the crossbar by Haqimi Azim and Jax Pena.
However, the lack of luck and the excellent performance of goalkeeper Guimaraes on the Philippines' side made all of Malaysia's efforts meaningless.
This loss caused U23 Malaysia to face a big disadvantage in the race for a ticket to the semi-finals. They must win big in the next round if they do not want to face the prospect of being eliminated early.
On the contrary, U23 Philippines had an impressive opening match, creating a big surprise and is holding a big advantage in this group.
According to the tournament regulations, 10 teams are divided into 3 groups (Group A has 4 teams, Group B and C each have 3 teams).
The teams competed in a round robin to calculate points. The 3 group winners and 1 second-placed team with the best results will qualify for the semi-finals.
