フィリピン、Asean-Hyundai Cupカパス大会でタイに敗れ、準決勝進出に厳しい道
重要ポイント
- •フィリピンはニュー・クラーク・シティ・スタジアムでワリス・チュールトンに84分の決勝ヘディングを決められ、タイに1-0で敗れた。
- •この結果、フィリピンはグループBで1勝2敗の勝ち点3にとどまった。
- •マレーシアとミャンマーはそれぞれ勝ち点6、タイは3勝で勝ち点9と首位に立つ。
- •フィリピンは最終戦のマレーシア戦で5点差以上の勝利が必要で、タイブレークでの優位性を高めなければならない。
- •さらに、ミャンマーがタイに敗れることも必要で、予選争いで勝ち点を並べる必要がある。
THE Philippine men’s football team is in a difficult position in the race for the Asean Championship-Hyundai Cup semifinals after falling to Thailand, 1-0, on Tuesday night in Capas, Tarlac.
The Pinoy booters were unable to prevent Waris Choolthong’s winning 84th-minute header at New Clark City Stadium, leaving the Philippines on three points from one win and two losses heading into its final Group B match against Malaysia. The result also tightened an already crowded qualifying race, with only the top teams in the group moving on and tiebreakers likely to matter.
With Malaysia and Myanmar both already on six points, and Thailand leading the group with nine points from three wins, the Philippines would need to beat Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday by five goals to improve its chances of advancing in the event of a tiebreaker.
They would also need Myanmar to lose to Thailand in order to pull level with the Burmese on six points.
“We have to understand the situation. Our objective (against Thailand) was to secure at least one point (draw), which would have taken us to seven and left qualification in our hands against Malaysia. The situation is now more difficult,” coach Carles Cuadrat said.
“During the previous tournament, the Philippines qualified with six points, but that may not be sufficient this time because of goal difference,” added the Spaniard, whose side has a goal difference of minus 1 after two matches, compared with Malaysia’s plus 3 and Myanmar’s plus 7.
— Olmin Leyba
