Optimistic of the future, Philippine men's national football team head coach Albert Capellas expressed belief in the squad’s ability to bounce back after their ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup semis exit.
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine men’s national football team head coach Albert Capellas beamed with pride after his team’s gallant stand in the two-leg semifinals of the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup on Monday night, absorbing a tough 4-3 loss against Thailand.
Despite being the younger and more inexperienced team, Capellas’ players were able to go toe-to-toe against the defending champions, and a powerhouse nation at that in ASEAN football.
Armed with nothing but budding talent and pride, the Philippines dragged Thailand into the deep water, after extending the game into extra time--only conceding the series-and game-winning goal at the final minutes of the second half of extra time.
[RELATED: Thais deal Philippines heartbreak with last-gasp winner in Mitsubishi Electric Cup semifinals]
Being able to do that with all things considered, such as the newness of Capellas’ program in the Philippines, meant that the team was able to exceed expectations, and gave an idea of what else is to come for the future.
“We just arrived at this level. For a lot of years, we couldn’t play this kind of games, to fight until the last second against Thailand, against Indonesia, and Vietnam. It’s the first time that we are there for some years. That means this is our first experience. We have to learn to play these games, to be more mature, learn from experience. To put more pressure on the ball, move the ball quicker,” said Capellas.
“This is something that Thailand has been doing for a lot of years. They have much more experience. They know what it means. For us, for this generation of players, this is the first time. I only can promise that we will learn from this and we will come back stronger. That is the big difference. We just arrived, and Thailand has much more experience.” he added.
The Spaniard isn’t treating it as an excuse on their exit but rather as a matter of fact and made sure to underscore the potential of the team moving forward.
Understanding the situation and what context they entered battle in against their more seasoned opponents, the 57-year-old believes that the program is taking a step in the right direction, and will only be a matter of time before the fruits of their labor show.
[RELATED: ‘Nothing serious’: PMNFT coach Albert Capellas involved in word war after Mitsubishi Electric Cup loss to Thailand]
“We are learning what it means to play these games. It’s new for us, it’s new for them. That means now we know that we can do it, and now they will get more experience,” he said.
“Also, we will come with players that couldn’t join this tournament. Unfortunately, we couldn’t come with the strongest squad. That means, I think in the future, I really think we have a bright future for the national team in the Philippines for the next years,” he added.
Up next for the PMNFT will be the Asian Cup Qualifiers slated in March. The Philippines has reached the AFC Asian Cup only once before back in 2019.