The Philippine national U-23 football team secured a crucial 2-0 victory over an undermanned Brunei on Monday evening, significantly boosting their chances of reaching the semifinals of the ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup 2025 at Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium.
Fil-American midfielder Javier Marioña and forward Harry Nunez were the heroes, each contributing a goal to the Philippines’ second win in three matches.
Marioña, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder for US League One club AV Alta FC, opened the scoring with a well-placed penalty shot. His powerful right-footed strike found the bottom left corner of the net, giving the Philippines an early advantage.
The insurance goal came in the 85th minute, courtesy of Harry Nunez. From an assist by Marioña, Nunez deftly volleyed the ball with his right foot from the left side of the six-yard box, sending it to the bottom right corner and sealing the win for the Philippines.
This impressive performance saw the Philippines finish second in Group A, trailing only group winner Indonesia, who played to a scoreless draw with Malaysia. The Filipinos will now face the winner of the highly anticipated Thailand-Myanmar encounter in Group C in a knockout match, with a coveted spot in the semifinals on the line.
