Without Hoang Duc and Hung Dung in the initial lineup, Vietnamese players still performed well most of the time.
Van Toan opened the scoring in the 16th minute before newcomer Dinh Bac extended Vietnam’s lead in the last minute of the game.
Coach Philippe Troussier’s men kept controlling the game and created more scoring chances but could not take advantage of them. The field surface seemed to prevent strikers from handling the ball well.
In this game, Tuan Hai missed most of the scoring chances on the Vietnamese side. In the second half, the striker of Hanoi FC continued to receive support from his teammates, but he failed to strike a goal.
Philippine players really performed well in the last 15 minutes of the game. The home team created clear opportunities, causing goalkeeper Van Lam to show off his skills. However, they could not score a single goal.
Troussier admitted after the match that the Vietnamese team were pretty lucky and that what would have happened if the hosts had earned an equalizer.
The 2-0 win over hosts Philippines helped Vietnam get their first three points in Group F, giving them hope to progress to the third qualifying round.
Group F sees Vietnam play Iraq, Indonesia and the Philippines. Group winners and second placed team will qualify for the next round.