Philippine media: 'Vietnam should accept they have lost to us three times in a row'

A post from a Philippine football fanpage declaring that Vietnam must accept defeat has stirred up the Southeast Asian online community, reigniting ongoing debates around the encounters between the two women's national teams.

On a Philippine football fanpage, a controversial post was published alongside statistics of the last three matches between the Vietnam women's national team and the Philippines women's national team, accompanied by a provocative statement: “It’s time for the Vietnamese to accept the fact that the Philippines is a worthy and competitive opponent in women's football”.

This fanpage emphasized that the Philippines has won all recent encounters and claimed that Vietnamese fans are denying the reality.

The post quickly attracted a large amount of interaction but also faced strong backlash. Many Vietnamese supporters argued that the Philippine fanpage deliberately cited results without mentioning the context of the matches, especially controversial incidents related to refereeing decisions. A Vietnamese fan commented: “No one denies the results, but how those wins came about is known throughout the region”.

The debate intensified as many recalled the women's football final at SEA Games 33, where the Vietnam women's team had a legitimate goal disallowed in the first half. This incident was later acknowledged as a refereeing error, but the final result remained unchanged. This memory made the statement from the Philippine fanpage seem more shocking than a professional debate.

Conversely, many Philippine supporters agreed with the post. A widely shared comment said: “History only records the final results, no disputes”. Others stated: “The Philippines has clearly improved and is no longer considered inferior to Vietnam”. These responses reflect growing confidence among Philippine fans in the new status of their women's team.

The debate gradually extended beyond the two countries, with fans from Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia also joining the discussion. A neutral opinion observed “Both teams are strong, but using controversial matches to mock the opponent only heightens tensions”.

In reality, recent encounters between the Vietnam and Philippines women's teams have become much more balanced and intense than before. Vietnam still holds a rich history and experience, while the Philippines has risen through naturalized players and superior fitness. This shift causes every result to be scrutinized closely and easily become a subject of dispute.

Therefore, the post from the Philippine fanpage is not merely a performance statistic but touches on lingering sensitivities among regional fans. With emotions still high, such absolute statements can easily ignite prolonged debates.