UPSIDE: The Philippines remains unbeaten in Group B of the ongoing AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup (AMEC) 2024.
The downside: We haven’t scored a win either following the heartbreaking draw, our third straight in the tournament, against perennial tormentor Vietnam at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last Wednesday night.
The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) took an unfamiliar lead against the visitors when newly-wed and substitute Jarvey Gayoso found the net in the 69th minute despite three defenders crowding him in the box and the goalkeeper.
The Golden Star Warriors, however, managed to score the equalizer in stoppage time after Patrick Deyto failed to clear a corner that led to Ngoc Tan Doan’s header.
The Philippines came to within 90 seconds of beating Vietnam and netting its first win in the tournament. The last time the Philippines beat Vietnam was in 2012 and since then, Vietnam proved to be a tough side to beat, especially in stoppage time where they always found a way to score a goal against us.
“No excuses, but I’m absolutely gutted right now,” Freddy Gonzales, PNMFT Manager, said after the game.
Coach Albert Capellas too expressed disappointment after the hard-fought match. “We shouldn’t have lost, but we are tired. The team was so tired, they gave whatever they could.”
The PNMFT played its third game in seven days, including an away-match in Laos.
Gonzalez also couldn’t help but rue on the missed opportunities that could have resulted in a better standing for the Philippine side in Group B.
“We should have been at the top of the group and could have rested everyone for the game in Indonesia, because only Vietnam, which still plays Myanmar, could beat us to the first spot on goal difference as they would have nine points as well with a win against Myanmar,” he explained.
The equalizer negated the game-long brilliance of Deyto, who made several excellent saves that could have given Vietnam a big lead and ended our campaign in the AMEC. Deyto, who has been the subject of bashing and criticisms for days now after Michael Baldisimo’s own goal against Laos in Vientiane last December 15, was given the task of defending the posts after long years of being the backup keeper for the national team. Deyto was also blamed by not a few after Myanmar scored on a free kick in our opening game at home. But not many appreciated his efforts, despite the negativity and the hate, to keep the Philippines in contention after a series of misfortunes.
Amid the criticisms on conceding goals on set pieces, Coach Albert Capellas defended his players.
“I never will blame a player for a mistake. Never. All of them, they have my hundred percent support. A player who does not play is a player who does not commit a mistake. Football is a game of mistakes,” he said.
The upside in the game against Vietnam? There are at least two major points. First, at least we managed to get a point, the first since 2012, against the Southeast Asian powerhouse and came so close in scoring a major upset.
Second, the Philippines is still in contention of moving forward past the group stage as long as it wins its final game against Indonesia at Stadion Manahan in Kota Surukarta.
As it stands, the Philippines has three points and is in fourth place behind pacesetting Vietnam with 7 points. Indonesia and Myanmar are joint second with similar 4 points. Laos has been eliminated in the competition with just 2 points in four games. A draw between Vietnam and Myanmar and a win for us against Indonesia will see us through to the knockout stage.
Despite the travel and a day to train in Kota Surukarta, facing a well-rested Indonesian team (the hosts are on a five-day break) and tens of thousands of hostile fans, Gonzalez knows the importance of winning the match.
“We will go for it,” he emphatically said.
Another upside, Randy Schneider, who plays midfield for FC Winterthur in the Swiss Super League, is already in the country to secure documents that will enable him to play for the country soon. Gonzalez told The Designated Kit Man that Scheider, who has been in the radar of the national team since 2020, will have his passport by the time this column comes out. Schneider is among several prominent high-profile players being recruited to boost the national team in the forthcoming Asian Cup qualifiers in March next year. Other players are also expected to arrive in Manila to fast-track their documents in the next few days or weeks.
I sympathize with Deyto and Baldisimo, I could just imagine the things they are going through right now. I hope that the criticisms and hate they have endured these past few days will only motivate them to bring their best against Indonesia. They should use the negativity as fuel to overcome the odds in Kota Surukarta and extend our stay in the AMEC.
It is understandable to be disappointed, frustrated and even mad after a series of draws in games which we could have easily won. We are free to criticize and even join the hate mongers, but come tomorrow, we should rally and support our team. Real fans don’t abandon the team that is still and much in the fight. Only bandwagoners do.
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
