The Philippine U23 men’s football team suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to host Vietnam last Friday in the semifinal of the ASEAN Championship at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Javier Mariona drew first blood for the Nationals after drilling a left-foot volley in the 36th minute.

However, Nguyễn Đình Bắc restored order for the Vietnamese with a tap-in goal in the 41st minute.

A Nguyễn Xuân Bắc header in the 54th minute gave Vietnam a 2-1 lead.

Despite the loss, head coach Garrath McPherson said they can still hold their heads high after going up against a powerhouse in Southeast Asia.

“Vietnam is a good team with a lot of quality, I am proud of the game our players played. I will remind them it is normal to be hurting, but we leave with our heads held high,” McPherson said.

“At this point in time we are hurting. I know that this group of players will be disappointed, they have a belief they can win every game. We took a lead, we lost a lead but again we are in this game right up until the last moments.”

The Philippines can still finish the tournament with a medal as it goes up against Thailand on Monday for the bronze medal at 8 p.m. in the same venue.