The Philippine Men’s National Football Team are in the semifinals of the ASEAN championship for the first time since 2018, set to challenge two-time defending champion Thailand.
The Philippine Men’s National Football Team barged into the semifinals of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, formerly the AFF Suzuki Cup, with a 1-0 smash-and-grab win against Indonesia in a hostile Stadion Manahan in Surakarta last December 21.
Christmas certainly came ahead of schedule for the Filipino booters, who now have a home date with Thailand on December 27 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium for the first part of a two-leg series.
The achievement marks the return of the Philippines to the semifinals of the ASEAN championship for the first time since 2018.
In a true “new era” moment, this will also be the first time the Philippines made it to the semifinal stage without a member of the famed 2010 “Miracle of Hanoi” team in the squad list.
But that doesn’t mean that the 2010 group led by the Younghusband brothers, Neil Etheridge, Rob Gier, and Aly Borromeo don’t have their fingerprints all over this recent achievement.
In fact, I would argue that key components of this 2024 squad are in place due to that famous exploit in Vietnam some 14 years ago.
That victory spurred the growth of football in the country and saw increased investment in the sport.
Which in turn gave the opportunity for the likes of then DLSU standout Patrick Deyto, UP and FEU defender Amani Aguinaldo, former UAAP Juniors MVP Pocholo Bugas, and Ateneo striker Jarvey Gayoso the avenue to pursue football beyond our shores.
Though born and raised in the Philippines, breakout star Sandro Reyes likewise built his football foundations in Spain and Germany.
During tough times in the pandemic, he found a home back home in Kaya FC and the Azkals Development Team which helped keep him busy before finding a new club in Germany.
In many ways, the 2024 squad’s members are a late Christmas gift from the iconic 2010 group.
It goes to show that success is never built overnight and the seeds of good work take time to grow.
“Right now it’s very emotional for us, I got no words,” team captain Amani Aguinaldo said after the win over Indonesia.
“To make history again, to go to the semifinals it means so much,” he added. “It means so much to me, to the team, to the fans back home.”
“I know that we have been struggling a lot in the last few years, and I am just very grateful for the people who never stopped supporting us. For the fans who believed in us.”
The next challenge at hand is to do what the 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2018 Philippine teams failed to do – which is actually qualify for the Final of the ASEAN tilt.
Standing in their way is Thailand, who have a good record against the Philippines dating all the way back to the 70s. In fact, despite the resurgence of Philippine football in 2010, the Pinoys have yet to register a win against Thailand since 1972.
This also isn’t the first time the Philippines will play Thailand at this stage in the competition.
In the 2014 semifinals, the Philippines and Thailand battled to a scoreless draw at the Rizal Memorial in the first leg. The return leg in Thailand proved to be one sided in favor of the hosts, who won the tie at 3-0.
Fast forward to 2024 and Thailand are looking like favorites to win the entire Mitsubishi Electric Cup once again, stacking the odds against the spirited Filipino team.
The Thais have been dominant in this year’s tournament, starting with a staggering 10-0 win against Timor Leste to open their campaign before sweeping the group stage with 18 goals scored and only four conceded.
History is going against the Philippines and objectively speaking, the Thais are the on-paper favorite to advance to the Final.
But as Christmas already came early for Filipino football fans, the hope is that by the time the second leg wraps up on December 30, the fireworks will be not for New Year’s just yet, but for a triumphant Pinoy breakthrough instead.