THE Philippines needs as many goals as possible against Malaysia, as it hopes to make good on the very slim chance at the semifinals of the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 on Saturday.
The national booters clash with Malaysia on the road at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in their last group stage assignment, and their tournament lives depend on not just the result, but also how many goals they score in their 9 p.m. match, as well as the outcome of the remaining match in Group B.
Unofficial computations indicate PMNT must win by at least six goals to reach the semifinals - definitely a gargantuan task, as they play on the road. They must then hope group leader Thailand defeats Myanmar in the other match of the night.
Meeting all the conditions will mean the Filipinos advance over Malaysia and Myanmar by virtue of the second tiebreaker: goal difference.
Of course, winning the game - let alone, scoring six goals - will be a tall task, as a victory for the Malaysians will outright push them to the semifinals.
PMNT close call
At the moment, the Philippines is in fourth-place with three points on a 1-0-2 win-draw-loss record in Group B. Thailand is in first place with nine points on 3-0-0, followed by Malaysia at second over Myanmar, both with six points on 2-0-1, but with the former ahead of the latter due to win over the other.
Bidding for at least a draw, PMNT lost to the Thais, 1-0, following a late goal on Tuesday at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium, making it a lot harder to advance to its second straight semifinal appearance.
“It's sad that the guys didn't get the reward of at least one point,” said Philippines coach Carles Cuadrat after conceding an 84th minute goal. “Because with one point, then you can go to Malaysia to repeat what happened in the last cup when it was a must-win match in Indonesia and the Philippines got that."
Cuadrat was referring to the 2024 edition where the Filipinos defeated Indonesia, 1-0, to advance to the semifinals.
This year, a win might not be enough.
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