The Philippine men’s football team shoots for the stars as it aims for a repeat performance against powerhouse Thailand in the second leg of their ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup semifinals on Monday, Dec. 30, at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
PH booters seek finals berth in ASEAN Cup
At a glance
The Philippine men’s football team shoots for the stars as it aims for a repeat performance against powerhouse Thailand in the second leg of their ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup semifinals on Monday, Dec. 30, at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
Match is at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. Philippine time) with the Nationals seeking to sustain their momentum following a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Thais last Friday, Dec. 27.
In that home game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, Kike Linares delivered a last-gasp header in stoppage time to steer the PH booters to their first-ever victory against the Thais in 52 years or since the 1972 Jakarta Anniversary Tournament.
There was enough celebration for that monumental win, but the job is not yet done as far as goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad was concerned.
“The job is not yet done, but we hope to get it done in Bangkok,” said Kammeraad moments after their first leg win.
“Obviously coming in here, we knew it was gonna be a tough battle. But I think now we showed that this group is something special. Something we can build on for the long term,” he added.
Playing against Thailand has been obviously tougher, and is expected to be tougher since they are playing in the Thai’s home turf.
“It’s gonna be obviously different. I expect the stadium will be full-packed. That’s why we need our supporters when we play at home. You see what kind of boost it gives us as a team and I’m sure it will not be easy for us in Bangkok on Monday,” Kammeraad said.
The PH booters needed at least a draw to advance to the final round, while the Thais needed to win by at least two goals.
A victory would set up the Nationals a historic championship date with the winner between Vietnam and Singapore.
The Vietnamese blanked Singapore, 2-0, in their other first leg collision at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore, and both teams are playing the second leg at the Viet Tri Stadium at press time.