Unlike their first game in Darwin, Australia, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team started slow, really slow against Timor-Leste in their home game last Tuesday night at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Pampanga. Expected to dish out another beating against their Southeast Asian rivals, the team played listless in the first half, a far cry from their dominant start five days earlier.
The visitors even took the lead before the first half ended, which somehow sent jitters and that familiar annoying feeling of dread. A goal by Jeff Tabinas at the start of the final half somehow righted the ship. Bjorn Kristensen finally found his mark in the 70th minute for the go-ahead goal while “Phenom” Jarvey Gayoso put the game away, figuratively and literally in stoppage time as the team formerly known as the Azkals reasserted its might, a 3-1 drubbing against the Lafaek.
The back to back wins gave the Philippines the full 6 points and the lead in Group A in the ongoing qualifiers of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The team will need to win its away game in Maldives next month to further strengthen its grip of the top spot. But then again, qualifying to the tournament proper will depend eventually on our away game in Tajikistan. A draw against the host in March will be enough, given that we will win the game against Maldives, to book our ticket to the Asian Cup. With the way we played at home against Timor-Leste, earning a point against Tajikistan at their home pitch will be hard. Winning the game even more.
Which brings us to the upside of the team’s winning run against Timor-Leste. Bjorn Kristensen scored five goals in his last two outings with the national team. To say that he was on fire would be an understatement knowing how difficult it is to score a goal in a football game. To put that in a perspective, and not to mean anything else knowing how some people are so fond of screenshots that only favor their narratives, it took our Phenom 30 games to score his fourth goal for the national team. Even the great Phil Younghusband, the all-time leading scorer for the three stars and the sun, needed 108 caps to set the 52 goal standard. The next two best scorers for the country are Chieffy Caligdong (71 caps) and Kiki Reichelt (93 caps) with 16 apiece. The legendary Paulino Alcantara had 14 (11 caps) while another icon Angel Guirado scored 13 strikes in 46 fixtures with the national team.
Kristensen, James Younghusband, Ian Araneta, Mark Hartmann and Misagh Bahadoran are the only other players who have scored at least eight goals or more for the country.
But what is more remarkable is the fact that Kristensen has scored 12 goals in just 14 appearances with the national team. The KFUM-Kameratane Oslo winger is currently tied with James Younghusband (98 caps) in the all-time list. It is not surprising that Kristensen is now being compared to Phil. Some claim that he is the second coming of the elder Younghusband, others say that he is even better. To be fair, I would rather see him create his own path, his own legacy and his own legendary status sans comparison with Phil. It would not be fair for both of them. But for now, the national team would benefit a lot if Kristensen will consistently find the back of the net especially in our remaining but crucial games in the qualifiers.
Relying alone, however, on Kristensen in the last two games is dangerous and our opponents will adjust to contain him. Even if he is born to score, Kristensen will need help. The whole team will need help as well too. Let us not be complacent with the two wins, football is football where surprises are aplenty and overconfidence can be a reality check in reverse.
Perhaps a tuneup game or two before the November clash against Maldives will do good for the team. Friendlies will be a must before going up against Tajikistan in March. We are just fortunate enough that even without a tuneup game before Timor-Leste clashes, the team still managed to win both games. But against stronger opponents, we can’t just expect the team to just shop up and steamroll the opposition.
Kristensen’s scoring rampage has somehow overshadowed Gerrit Holtmann, probably one of, if not the most, highly-regarded players in the national side. But then again, Holtmann is expected to catch fire anytime soon, hoping and praying that it will happen on the win or go home game against Tajikistan.
For the meantime, good job Bjorn. You have definitely lifted the spirits of football fans in the county. Moreover, you have fanned our imagination and hope that somehow football is on the right path, at least on the football pitch.
Speaking of the right path, congratulations are in order for our young, gallant and future Filipinas as the U-17 team notched its second win in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers with a 2-0 defeat of Tajikistan the other night. Earlier, the young ladies blanked Syria, 5-0 to jumpstart their campaign.
The team will face Malaysia at 5pm today at the Pamir Stadium in Dushanbe to round up its group stage fixtures. A draw against Malaysia will be enough to send the team to the tournament proper in China next year.
Laban, Pilipinas!
Running and managing a national endeavor is not easy. If you’re just for the perks and privileges, think again. Kawawa naman si Dad.
Stay safe. Stay happy peeps!
For comments or questions, you can reach The Designated Kit Man at erel_cabatbat@yahoo.com or follow his account at Twitter: @erelcabatbat
