Team Philippines produced contrasting results in football with the men’s U-22 team on the winning side and the women’s squad falling short on Friday in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand.
The Filipino footballers took down Myanmar, 2-0, in their Group C battle at 700th Anniversary Stadium in Chiang Mai to begin their quest for a breakthrough medal finish, with Alex Monis producing the opener while benefiting from an own goal after the break.
It was a heartbreaking result, however, for the Filipinas as they fell to the same country, 2-1, in Group B at IPS Stadium in Chonburi after conceding May Htet Lu’s winner in the 89th minute.
With the win, the men’s team fortified its chances of reaching the semifinals either as group winner or the best among the three second placers, but will have to produce a massive result against Indonesia on Monday to qualify.
There are three teams in each of the three groups after the tournament was redrawn due to Cambodia’s withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the Filipinas are now in a desperate situation of needing to beat Vietnam on Monday and Malaysia on Dec. 11 in hopes of qualifying for the semis. The top two teams in Group B will advance to the semis.
The Filipinas fell behind four minutes after kickoff on a goal from Myanmar talisman Win Theingi Lun, but they were able to draw level in the 69th courtesy of Mallie Ramirez.
Saturday, meanwhile, will see men’s polo facing Thailand in the 2-4 goals event in Samut Prakan while men’s baseball launches its quest to defend the title it won during the last staging of the sport in 2019 against Indonesia in Pathum Thani.