MYANMAR spoiled the Philippines’ planned opening-night celebration in the Asean Football Championship-Hyundai Cup, handing the home side a 4-1 defeat on Tuesday night at New Clark City Stadium.

Than Paing scored twice to lead the Myanmar attack against a youthful Philippine squad that struggled to keep pace with a more experienced opponent in wet conditions in the Group B match in Capas, Tarlac.

The result came in a group stage where every point matters, and Myanmar’s response to its opening loss gave it an early boost in the standings while leaving the Philippines with little margin for error in the matches ahead.

Philippine coach Carles Cuadrat, who is using a team with an average age of 25 and only two players older than 30, described the match as a “learning match” after heavy rain before kickoff slowed the field.

“Myanmar had more experienced players who managed the situation better. They understood how the water would slow the ball and adapted their game accordingly,” he said of the Burmese, who earned their first win after losing their opening match to Malaysia, 2-1. “These conditions are part of football, and we have to learn how to remain competitive in such circumstances.”

The result was a disappointing one for the Philippine side, which had beaten Myanmar 5-1 the last time the teams met in the PFF Tri-Nations Tournament at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

It was also the Filipinos’ first defeat in nine matches over the past two years, ending a run of wins and draws that began after a 3-1 loss to Thailand in the second leg of the previous edition’s semifinals in December 2024.

The Philippines will try to recover on Saturday when it faces Laos away in Vientiane. Laos is 0-2. — Olmin Leyba