MANILA, Philippines – A Cinderella run ended at the stroke of midnight as the Philippines pushed Thailand to its limits, only to yield a late extra-time goal to fall short in its 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup finals bid, 3-1, at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, late on Monday, December 30.
The Thai defending champions escaped with a 4-3 semifinals aggregate score to bounce back from the Filipinos’ historic 2-1 victory at their expense in the first leg last December 27.
Substitute Suphanat Mueanta nailed the game-winning goal that broke the hearts of the Filipinos, connecting a header over the Philippines’ goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad in the 115th to avert a massive upset on their home floor.
However, the home squad’s win did not come without controversy, as the Thais’ first goal from Peeradol Chamrasamee in the 37th minute stood despite replays showing the ball apparently going out of bounds just before Seksan Ratree made the assist.
Despite the contentious setup, Japanese referee Kimura Hiroyuki tallied Thailand’s opening goal without the VAR (video assistant referee) review.
The Thais regained the aggregate lead in the 53rd minute after Patrik Gustavsson snuck a goal off a counter to go up in the game, 2-0.
The Filipinos then revived their hopes late in regulation time as Bjorn Kristensen converted a right boot in the middle in the 84th minute to tie the aggregate score up and force extra time.
With newfound momentum, the Philippines mustered two golden opportunities to get ahead early in extra time, but Amani Aguinaldo’s header could not get past the Thai goalkeeper, before Jarvey Gayoso bungled the rebound attempt that could have dampened the football-loving hosts’ night.
Alongside Aguinaldo and Kristensen, Michael Kempter and Zico Bailey kept the Filipinos afloat until Suphanat ultimately put the game away to avoid a repulsing penalty shootout and book their finals ticket.
“This is another hill that we have to climb. I think the fans at home can be proud of us and look forward to the coming years of what this team can do,” said Kammeraad, who tallied five saves.
Filipinos’ heads held high
Thailand moved on to the tournament’s finals, where they will play against Vietnam, whom the Philippines forced a draw with in the group stage.
After a roller-coaster two legs against the Filipinos, the Thais will now focus on defending the ASEAN crown, which they have won a record seven times.
Meanwhile, the Filipinos were denied their first-ever ASEAN Cup finals appearance after entering the semi-finals of the premier football tournament in the region for the first time in six years.
“I think we fought back as a team, getting the 2-1 back to put us back to getting into extra time. This is unfortunate that you have to end the tournament. But it could have went both ways. They had chances. We had chances,” the 23-year-old Kammeraad said.
Kammeraad played a crucial role in the Philippines’ deep run as he filled the shoes left by an injured Patrick Deyto, who went down in the 9th minute of their breakthrough win against Indonesia that gave them the semifinal spot.
The Philippines’ shock semis appearance solidified their position as a formidable team in the region.
Now with greater expectations, the national squad will return to action in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers in March, where they will face Maldives, Timor Leste, and Tajikistan for a spot in the continental tournament. – Rappler.com