THE PHILIPPINES begins its bid to rebuild its status as one of the top football teams in Southeast Asia when it faces Myanmar in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 on Thursday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Nationals will also be looking to catch the attention of casual Filipino sports fans in this tournament where the team formerly known as the Azkals pulled off an upset over Vietnam, 1-0, in the 2010 edition, sparking a renaissance of the sport.
Formerly known as the Tiger Cup and the Suzuki Cup, the Mitsubishi Electric Cup brings together 10 Southeast Asian countries in home-and-away matches with the Philippines in Group B along with Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Laos.
READ PMNT missing top players in 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup
The top two teams in each of the two groups advance to the semifinals. Group A has reigning champion Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor Leste.
Starting with 2010 following the Azkals’ win over Vietnam dubbed as the ‘Miracle in Hanoi’, PMNT reached the semifinals over three of the next four editions.
The Philippines, however, has missed the Final Four over the last two tournaments including in 2022 when it only had one victory to show.
Winning at home will be a significant step for the team that is essentially on a rebuild after the arrival of Albert Capellas as head coach last September.
“I am really looking forward to feel the support of the fans, and especially the support of the players, giving their best, their 100 percent to play a fantastic game and try to win,” said Capellas, who will be coaching at home for the first time after being brought to the program due to his vast experience, most notably with FC Barcelona.
“For us, of course, because we are in a developing process, and we are changing a lot of things, that will give us confidence in everything that we are working on,” Capellas added during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference.
“This is the first game of the tournament, so it’s always important,” Philippines goalkeeper Patrick Deyto said. “We want to set the tone in a positive way. Like what coach said also, we haven't had home games recently, so it's a good opportunity for us to showcase how we have developed in the last few camps.”
Like in past editions, the Philippines is also facing problems with availability as some marquee players led by Gerrit Holtmann are not suiting up because the Mitsubishi Electric Cup is being staged in a non-FIFA window.
Among the holdovers of PMNT for the Mitsubishi Electric Cup who played in the recent friendlies are defenders Amani Aguinaldo, Michael Kempter, Kiki Linares, Santi Rublico, and Paul Tabinas, midfielders Zico Bailey, Michael Baldisimo, Oskari Kekkonen, Sandro Reyes, and Scott Woods.
Gayoso, Kristensen out front
The front includes Bjorn Martin Kristensen, who scored a goal in the recent friendly against Thailand, and Jarvey Gayoso, who is currently playing in the Cambodia league for Phnom Penh Crown.
The Philippine team includes a couple of local talent which includes UAAP stars Dov Carino and Leo Maquiling.
“As you know, it's not FIFA window. That means clubs didn't release players. Then we are looking with all the players that we can select from the league (Philippines Football League), from the university.
“I give a couple of players that challenge to show their level and let's see if we can get players for the future. And now it's about them. They have talent and now we have to win if their talent can be ready for the future of the national team,” said the 57-year-old bench tactician.
After the Myanmar game, the Philippines will also go up against Laos on Sunday in Vientiane before going back home on December 18 against Vietnam at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. PMNT ends the group stage against Indonesia on December 21 at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia.
Aside from the current bid for a respectable showing in the Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the Philippine team is also building up for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers in March. PMNT is in Group A along with Tajikistan, Maldives, and Timor Leste.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
