Spanish coach declares victory over Vietnam team

The head coach of the Philippines women's futsal team expressed confidence ahead of the match against Vietnam on the afternoon of February 25th.

In the opening match of Group B at the tournament 2026 Southeast Asian Futsal Championship, the Philippines women's futsal team defeated Myanmar 1-0 thanks to the only goal scored by Dionesa Tolentin in the 14th minute, securing their first full 3 points.

After the game, the head coach of the Philippines women's futsal team, Rafa Merino Rodriguez, stated: "The key factor that helped us win this match was our serious preparation and minimizing mistakes. We stayed focused throughout a very intense 40 minutes, especially during the 5 minutes after we had to regain control from Myanmar," he said.

At 1:30 PM today, February 25th, the Philippines team will compete against Vietnam's women's futsal team — which lost 0-2 to Australia in their opening match. Nevertheless, Coach Rafa Merino Rodriguez expressed respect and particular caution towards the squad led by Coach Nguyễn Đình Hoàng.

"Regarding tomorrow's match against Vietnam, I must admit they are a strong team with a lot of energy," he shared. "But I am also confident in my team. We always believe we must win. Of course, they are former SEA Games champions, but the Philippines team is very strong and undefeated. I have great faith in my team; let's give our all together!"

On the side of the Vietnam team, Coach Nguyễn Đình Hoàng said: "This defeat has made things much harder for the Vietnam women's futsal team. As I mentioned before, defending the championship is a very challenging task. Although difficult, the coaching staff trusts the athletes will perform well and achieve better results in the next two matches.” To keep hopes alive for the semifinals, the Vietnam women's futsal team must earn points in their match against the Philippines.