ASEAN Championship: Loss against Myanmar a 'learning experience' for PH men's football team

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team fell to Myanmar, 4-1, to open its campaign in the ASEAN Championship — a far cry from its recent head-to-head meetings, where the Philippines usually got the better of its opponent.

Prior to Tuesday’s match, the Philippines drubbed Myanmar, 5-1, in the Tri-Nation Tournament, drew the Burmese side, 1-1, in the 2024 edition of the ASEAN Championship, and earned a 3-2 victory in the 2021 edition of the regional meet.

The last time Myanmar beat the Philippines was during the Peace Cup in 2014, when it won, 3-2.

For head coach Carles Cuadrat, however, the ASEAN Championship campaign opener was a learning experience.

“Of course, we're very disappointed with the result. We never like losing at home,” Cuadrat said.

“But this was an important learning experience for our young players and the new generation representing the country. The lessons from this match will be valuable for their future.”

Veteran forward Jarvey Gayoso echoed Cuadrat’s sentiment.

“It's hard to accept. I think, for the entire team, that we didn't play to the standards we wanted and expected,” Gayoso said.

“It's a test of character. We have a lot of young guys who don't have experiences like this. We improved in the last campaign, and I think this will be a good lesson for everybody. We just have to take it on the chin and pick ourselves up.”

Pitch, prep issues

As gloomy as the mood was after the loss, it also did not help that it rained at the venue an hour before the match, making the pitch wet despite efforts to remove the rainwater minutes before kickoff.

“Yes. It was more difficult to play comfortably, and we had to adjust. They just adjusted a lot better, I guess,” Gayoso said.

However, beyond the wet pitch, the team also had a short preparation period, starting camp less than a week before the tournament.

The squad was announced on July 20, and photos from the first training sessions were published on July 26, just two days before the opener.

As it turned out, Cuadrat said some players were only released by their respective clubs at the last minute.

“We have been coordinating with the players on when they can come to join us. And the players that are on our list, we are working with around 60 players,” Cuadrat said.

“We have been talking personally with them, asking about the options, and some of them were trying to convince their clubs to let them come.”

“It's a question of the calendar. We cannot do anything about the calendar, and a lot of times it's a negotiation where, at the last moment, the club allows the player to come. But it's the way it is.”

Cuadrat said that because of that dilemma, they looked to players from the U23 and U20 squads, as well as others from the Philippines Football League.

“Unfortunately, we couldn't repeat the competitive team that played one month ago against Myanmar. We only have four players in the lineup from that match, while Myanmar have seven players. So, of course, we know that we are in a different situation. And we knew that it would be a completely different game,” he said.

“I think that without the heavy rain, it would have been more our kind of game, you know. But again, we have to be positive.”

For Cuadrat, with three more games remaining in the group stage, the team can still turn things around.

“Now, if we go and win in Laos, we are going to have more points. We are going to have three points. So this is the message: be competitive, [and] keep learning.”

The Philippines will next play Laos on Saturday before flying back home to face Thailand at the New Clark City Stadium on August 4.

—JMB, GMA News