By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(December 28, 2024) – Albert Capellas was only watching the Philippine men’s national football team (PMNFT) from the sideline when it competed in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia last October.
Hope was what the veteran tactician saw from the Filipino booters, touting them for swiftly adjusting to the system he would integrate once he took the coaching helm.
“When I saw the game against Tajikistan, I started to see a lot of things that are aligned with the way we want—more courage in pressing forward and trying to win the ball,” said Capellas in a media conference. “I saw a lot of players (who) could play in that way, and they loved it. And that gives me a lot of hope.”
Since then, the Philippines’ performance has been up and down. The national squad nearly missed the semifinals in the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup (AMEC) with three consecutive draws before defeating Indonesia in its last fixture in Group B.
ALSO READ: ‘A game of mistakes’: Capellas rues Philippines’ draw with Vietnam, defends Deyto
Still, Capellas never doubted his wards, and they gave him a post-Christmas gift on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila: A win born out of his football philosophy of honesty, courage, and commitment.
The PMNFT scored a massive 2-1 upset against defending back-to-back champion Thailand in the first leg of the AMEC semifinals. A Kike Linares diving header in stoppage time earned the country’s first victory over the Southeast Asian powerhouse since 1972.
It was also the first-ever win of the Philippines in nine semifinal matches in the biennial regional tournament.
Sandro Reyes, named Man of the Match, sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a brilliant strike from outside the box in the 21st minute for a one-nil lead.
The celebration, however, was short-lived after Suphanan Bureerat scored the equalizer minutes before the opening half ended.
But just when the match was winding down to another draw for the Philippines, Linares’ miracle of a goal—his first-ever for the Philippines— happened.
“We conceded some chances that we shouldn’t. But we handled it together. We never lost hope, because this team, they are fighters. They believe and they fight so much for this country,” said Capellas.
The nation made sure that the historic win was acknowledged.
Former national team players also showed their love.
While Capellas recognized the “very special” win, he reminded his squad that the goal is to advance to the finals.
“We only have done half a job,” said Capellas. “We don’t want to stop.”
The PMNFT will head to Thailand for the second leg of the semifinals on Monday. The squad needs at least a draw to move to the championship match.
(PM)
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