Azkals bow out of medal contention after stinging defeat to Timor Leste
Published May 4, 2023 03:57 pm
The Philippine Azkals suffered a heartbreaking 3-0 defeat at the hands of Timor Leste, ultimately ending the country’s podium hopes in the men’s football event in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Thursday, May 4.
A 15-minute setback courtesy of Mouzinho Barreto De Lima came as a shocker, tilting the Filipinos off-balance and never recovered the rest of the way as Timor Leste cut the string of futilities against the Azkals which it last defeated in the 2011 edition of the regional meet. Bad even turned to worse when the Azkals seemingly collapsed completely when they went one man down at the 27th minute with Dennis Chung getting a red card. Timor Leste quickly took advantage of the situation and went on to pounce the hapless Azkals as Luis Figo Ribeiro avoided an offside and doubled the lead before Elias Mesquita fired the nail on the coffin in the extra time. It was a disappointing match for the Philippines as it absorbed a stinging defeat at the hands of the team which they handily beat, 4-0, during last year’s edition in Vietnam. The loss sent Azkals to the bottom spot of Group A with only a point to show after a 1-1 draw against host Cambodia and a 4-0 defeat against pace-setting Indonesia. The Azkals hope for a graceful exit to the tournament when it faces up against Myanmar on May 10.
*The Philippine Azkals suffer a stinging defeat against Timor Leste. (PFF Photo)
*A 15-minute setback courtesy of Mouzinho Barreto De Lima came as a shocker, tilting the Filipinos off-balance and never recovered the rest of the way as Timor Leste cut the string of futilities against the Azkals which it last defeated in the 2011 edition of the regional meet. Bad even turned to worse when the Azkals seemingly collapsed completely when they went one man down at the 27th minute with Dennis Chung getting a red card. Timor Leste quickly took advantage of the situation and went on to pounce the hapless Azkals as Luis Figo Ribeiro avoided an offside and doubled the lead before Elias Mesquita fired the nail on the coffin in the extra time. It was a disappointing match for the Philippines as it absorbed a stinging defeat at the hands of the team which they handily beat, 4-0, during last year’s edition in Vietnam. The loss sent Azkals to the bottom spot of Group A with only a point to show after a 1-1 draw against host Cambodia and a 4-0 defeat against pace-setting Indonesia. The Azkals hope for a graceful exit to the tournament when it faces up against Myanmar on May 10.