The journey to the finals of the Vietnamese and Philippine women's teams at the SEA Games is a testament to their outstanding bravery and expertise.
The Philippines women's team did not start well when they lost to Myanmar. However, they had an important victory over Vietnam in the decisive match of the group stage.
As for the Vietnamese women's team, this defeat once put coach Mai Duc Chung and his team at risk of being eliminated. However, in the "early final" match against Myanmar, Thanh Nha and her teammates showed their mettle and experience to achieve favorable results, thereby reaching the final.
Each team enters the gold medal match with their own strengths. The Philippines women's team has a squad of players with superior physique, physical strength and a powerful playing style. They also proved their steady spirit when facing heavy opponents in a row, especially in the 120-minute semi-final against host Thailand.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese women's team does not have the advantage in terms of physical strength but possesses a good technical foundation and flexible tactical thinking. The small-scale coordination and ball control style of play was maintained stably throughout the tournament. Even in the loss to the Philippines in the group stage, Vietnam still dominated the game, forcing their opponents to play at their will.
The difference only comes from the ability to take advantage of opportunities, when unfortunate missed shots have made Vietnam pay the price. However, what the two teams have shown shows that the final match promises to be a brain-weighing match between strength and technique.
The 33rd SEA Games final between the Vietnamese and Philippine women's teams will take place at 7:30 p.m. on December 17.