The Philippine women's national football team can hold their heads high despite an unexpectedly early exit from the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

This, according to head coach Alen Stajcic after the Filipinas bowed out of medal contention on Tuesday evening. They defeated reigning gold medalist Vietnam, 2-1, at the RSN Stadium but an inferior goal difference in Group A meant that the Filipinas would not progress to the semifinals.

• SEA Games: Win over Vietnam not enough to send Filipinas to semis

"I thought it was our best performance, definitely. Saved it for the toughest opponent, and we won the game. Unfortunately our goal difference isn't good enough, so we go home," Stajcic said after the match.

Sarina Bolden converted a penalty just 13 minutes in after Isabella Flanigan was fouled inside the box to put the Filipinas ahead. But Vietnam equalized four minutes before halftime, and the Philippines squandered a host of chances in the second half to pile on the goals.

It was in the 83rd minute that skipper Hali Long finally found the back of the net, converting a header off a fine delivery from Sara Eggesvik. Yet the 2-1 win was not enough as Myanmar blasted Malaysia, 5-1, in the other match.

"We can be proud of that performance," Stajcic stressed afterward. "[We] know that we've beaten them [Vietnam] two times in a row now."

The Filipinas have historically struggled against Vietnam but they broke through in the AFF Women's Championship 2022 at home, when they scored a stunning 4-0 upset en route to the final, where they routed Thailand, 3-0, for the championship.

Stajcic was especially proud of how his team played given that Vietnam was "trying to waste time and milk clock from the first minute." Vietnam had won its first two games in the group to assure itself of a place in the semis.

• SEA Games: Myanmar pulls off late-game stunner vs Filipinas
• SEA Games: Filipinas keep medal hopes alive with slim win over Malaysia

"It shows that you know, we have the positive attitude and we wanted to win the game in the proper way, which I'm really proud of," said Stajcic.

Their failure to make the SEA Games podium should have no impact on the Filipinas' preparation for the FIFA Women's World Cup in July, Stajcic said, and they will instead build on their performance against Vietnam.

"To fight back and beat the favorites for the competition shows that we can compete at this level and play at this level," he said. "The next step of our evolution is to do it every game, and do it throughout every match. That's just the part of the journey of this team, and we're still a very, very young team."

The Filipinas won bronze in the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, beating Myanmar, 2-1, in the third-place match.

For more stories on the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, click here.

Filipinas coach Alen Stajcic discuss their performance in the 32nd SEA Games. Rhea Soco-Neis, ABS-CBN News.