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Mon 10 February 2025

Philippines knocks out Indonesia, makes ASEAN championship semis return

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by Kevin Estrada

 

Mission accomplished.

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) held on to grit and faith to return to the semifinal of the ASEAN Championship, silencing Surakarta with a 1-0 upset over ten-man Indonesia to wrap up the Group Stages on December 21, 2024.

With a Krakatoa-like battle to play for, the fearless Filipinos battled through thick and thin to stun the home side at the Manahan Stadium, securing their maiden win in the tournament when it mattered the most.

It was not just the first victory over the Garuda on their own patch, but it took them a decade for another triumph against Indonesia in tournament history, and also got their exact payback from two years ago.

Manager Albert Capellas tinkered with the backline, as Scott Woods got the nod to start over Kike Linares as the lone change from the Vietnam game.

However, the visitors suffered a huge setback on goal with Patrick Deyto only spent four minutes on the pitch before being replaced by Quincy Kammeraad after the former got clattered by Rayhan Hannan on a rash challenge which apparently went unpunished.

That proved to be the harbinger of things to come as the physicality of the match is reciprocated by the crowd’s hostility towards the Filipinos, especially it came at the place that played the last Indonesia-Philippines tiff on Indonesian soil, a 2-0 win by the hosts way back in 2013.

But this time, the visitors came prepared, they were defending like their lives were on the line, and a win here will ensure them of a home semifinal past Christmas.

Oxford United winger Marselino Ferdinan provided Indonesia’s best chance in the 38th minute, only for Kammeraad to tip it away gently to his left post and out of harm’s reach.

Disaster then struck the hosts four minutes, with their captain Muhammad Ferrari saw red after being caught elbowing Philippines skipper Amani Aguinaldo while on a tussle waiting on Pratama Arhan’s throw-in.

The manpower advantage joled the visitors since then, especially looking to make their chances count, which they did at the stroke of the hour.

Hannan got his comeuppance from his earlier backhanded assault on Deyto by handling Paul Tabinas’ cross inside the box in the 57th minute..

And after a long VAR check to confirm his crime, Bjorn Martin Kristensen snagged his second goal of the tournament, smacking the penalty right down the middle past Cahya Supriadi.

That strike snuffed out the energy in Solo, where in frustration and the grim reality seep into the minds of Shin Tae-Yong’s outfit, who would not imagine the fact that they could only come up with a point in their homestand as time ticked on.

Despite Jarvey Gayoso and Uriel Dalapo muffing their chances to put the match to bed, Kammeraad’s stellar shot-stopping on his senior debut ensured the historic result that sent shockwaves throughout Southeast Asia, as the One Taguig custodian sealed it with a grab on the long-ranged effort by Ronaldo Kwateh on the final kick of the match.

INDONESIA: Supriadi (GK), Arel, Marselino Ferdinan (Arkhan Kaka 79’), Fikri, Struick (Hokky Caraka 52’ (Darwis 90+5’)), Arhan, Ferrari (C), Asnawi Mangkualam, Hannan (Eonaldo Kwateh 90+4’), Achmad Maulanan (Victor Dethan 79’), Syarif

PHILIPPINES: Deyto (GK) (Kammeraad 9’), Ugelvik, Tabinas, Woods (Rontini 70’), Reyes, Kristensen (Gayoso 69’), Aguinaldo (C), Alex Monis, Zico Bailey, Kempter, Mariona (Dalapo 46’ (Reichelt 90+4’)

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