The 36-year-old German-born player of U23 Philippines announced that he would defeat Vietnam U23

On the afternoon of June 7, Philippines U23 had a practice session at Tam Nong Stadium (Phu Tho) to prepare for the match against U23 Vietnam at SEA Games 31. In a press interview before the training session, player Stephan Schrock said: “The match against U23 Vietnam will be the most difficult match in the tournament. U23 Vietnam had a good match yesterday, but this will be a challenge for both teams, not just U23 Philippines.”

Watching the match between U23 Vietnam won 3-0 against U23 Indonesia, the 36-year-old and German-born player appreciated the tactics of coach Park Hang-seo: “I am quite impressed with U23 Vietnam, especially especially coach Park Hang-seo’s ability to turn the situation around. U23 Vietnam has good tactics and physical strength, but we will make them go through a tough match.”

On the afternoon of May 6, U23 Philippines also had a strong 4-0 victory over U23 Timor Leste. Commenting on the team’s performance, Stephan Schrock said: “Overall, everyone performed well, played with discipline. My teammates had a great game. We are very confident about a game. Impressive performance against the home team in the next match.”

Obviously, both Bedic and Schrock – players over 23 years old of U23 Philippines, will be two factors that U23 Vietnam need to pay attention to in the confrontation on May 8. If they continue to win, coach Park Hang-seo’s teachers and students will rise to the top of Group A and open the door to the semi-finals of men’s football of the 31st SEA Games.

Attending the 31st SEA Games at the age of 36, Stephan Schrock is still considered the most notable star in the current squad of U23 Philippines. However, the midfielder born in 1986 had bad memories of his encounters with Vietnamese football. At the 2018 AFF Cup, Vietnam Tel defeated Stephan Schrock’s Philippines team in both semi-finals to advance to the final and win the championship.