The Philippine national men’s football team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Vietnam and crashed out of the 20th Asian Games on Friday at the CS Asset Minato Soccer Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.

Coming off a 5-1 loss to Uzbekistan last Tuesday, the Nationals saw their knockout-stage hopes disappear after absorbing their second straight loss in Group C.

After a scoreless battle for most of the match, Nguyen Thanh Nhan finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute, chipping the ball over goalkeeper Nicholas Guimaraes.

The Philippines had a chance to level four minutes later, but Santi Rublico’s tap-in went wide in the 85th minute.

Vietnam then put the result beyond doubt two minutes later when Nguyen Duc Anh headed home in the 87th minute for a 2-0 advantage.

The setback left the Philippines with a minus-six goal difference, meaning even a victory over Uzbekistan on 22 September will not be enough to secure one of the top two spots in Group C.

The Nationals will instead look to salvage their campaign against Kuwait and end their Asiad stint on a high note.

The Philippines is also seeking its first Asian Games victory since its historic 1-0 upset of Japan in the 1958 edition in Tokyo.

After the Asiad, the Nationals will quickly shift their attention to the FIFA ASEAN Cup, which kicks off on 26 September in Indonesia.

The Philippines is grouped with Vietnam, Pakistan and Thailand in Group B of the regional tournament.