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Tag: 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup

  • Philippines rallies from halftime deficit, routs Laos for first ASEAN Hyundai Cup win 

    Philippines rallies from halftime deficit, routs Laos for first ASEAN Hyundai Cup win 

    The Philippine Men’s National Football Team showed the character its campaign desperately needed, erasing an early setback with a dominant second-half performance to defeat Laos, 4-1, in the 2026 ASEAN Championship Hyundai Cup on Saturday in Vientiane.


    Still searching for its first points after a 4-1 defeat to Myanmar in the tournament opener, the Philippines refused to let another match slip away. 

     

    Instead, the national team responded with four unanswered goals after halftime to revive their hopes of reaching the semifinals for the second straight edition.

     

    Laos struck first through Damoth Thongkhamsavath, who gave the hosts the advantage and put the Philippines under immediate pressure.

     

    Rather than panic, the visitors gradually took control of possession and began to dictate the tempo. 

    Their persistence finally paid off when John Lucero found the equalizer before Cole Mrowka’s dangerous effort was deflected off Laos defender Viengxay Sydavong in the 52nd minute to give the Philippines its first lead of the match.

     

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    Jarvey Gayoso extended the advantage from the penalty spot in the 60th minute, calmly converting his chance before team captain Daisuke Sato put the result beyond doubt with a header in the 88th minute, completing an emphatic 4-1 comeback victory.

     

    Head coach Carles Cuadrat credited his players for refusing to let the difficult start define the match.

     

    “Until we scored the second goal, it looked like everything was against us in this tournament. But what I’m happy about was that we changed our fortunes in the second half and it’s a good reward for the squad,” Cuadrat said.

     

    The victory handed the Philippines its first three points of the competition and lifted the team to fourth place in Group B, keeping its semifinal aspirations alive with two group-stage matches remaining.

     

    The timing of the win could not have been more important as the Nationals now prepare for arguably their biggest test of the tournament. 

     

    They will host Group B leader Thailand on Tuesday, August 4, at the New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac. Thailand enters the match with a maximum six points after opening the tournament with victories over Laos and Malaysia, including a 2-0 triumph against the Malaysians.

     

    The meeting also rekindles one of Southeast Asia’s emerging football rivalries. The Philippines reached the ASEAN Championship semifinals in the previous edition and famously earned its first-ever semifinal victory over Thailand before narrowly falling 4-3 on aggregate after extra time.

     

    Under Cuadrat, the national team is aiming to build on that breakthrough and make another deep run in the regional tournament.

     

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  • Young Philippine squad begins new chapter against Myanmar in ASEAN Hyundai Cup opener 

    Young Philippine squad begins new chapter against Myanmar in ASEAN Hyundai Cup opener 

    A new era begins for the Philippine men’s national football team on Tuesday, and it will do so with one of its youngest squads in recent memory.

     

    The Philippines opens its 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup campaign against Myanmar at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac, hoping a fresh generation can rise to the occasion despite the absence of many of the country’s biggest stars.

     

    Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

     

    Rather than relying on established overseas standouts, head coach Carlos Cuadrat will hand the spotlight to a youthful group eager to prove it belongs on the regional stage. The shift was forced largely by circumstance, as the tournament falls outside the FIFA international calendar, leaving clubs under no obligation to release Filipino players based abroad.

     

    That means the Philippines will be without several key figures who carried the team in recent campaigns, including Bundesliga campaigners Gerrit Holtmann and Raphael Obermair, as well as Norway-based striker Bjorn Kristensen, who finished as the country’s leading scorer with three goals in the previous ASEAN tournament.

     

    The depleted roster comes only months after the Philippines narrowly missed a place in the AFC Asian Cup. The Nationals finished level on points with Tajikistan in the final round of qualifying but lost the qualification race through goal difference by the slimmest of margins.

     

    Despite the setback, Cuadrat sees this tournament as an opportunity to accelerate the development of the country’s next wave of talent.

     

    Leading that group is Sandro Reyes, one of the brightest young stars in Philippine football after scoring twice during the previous ASEAN campaign.

     

    “We now have only two players over the age of 30, while the rest of the squad is very young,” Cuadrat said during Monday’s pre-match press conference.

     

    “It will be a good test for us. The players have trained very well and understand the ideas we want to implement on the pitch. We hope to produce a good performance.”

     

    The absence of many overseas-based Filipinos also drew criticism from former national team player Patrick Reichelt, who questioned why clubs released local players for other national teams while preventing several Filipino standouts from joining the squad.

     

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    “Other than basically every other country participating in the upcoming AFF, PMNFT, the majority of our player pool is based outside our local league making a quick or timely announcement of a squad impossible as we are dealing with many difficulties with the clubs to get our players released in a non-FIFA window, more so a time where every team is going through their preseason for the upcoming year,” Reichelt wrote.

     

    “We appreciate the cooperation of a few but also are absolutely disappointed in dealing with most of the clubs releasing their local talent to their respective national teams but blocking Filipino players from participating. Don’t get me wrong we respect the timing being unfortunate for clubs but the inconsistency in their decisions in regard of their local players compared to our players is very very wrong.”

     

    While the lineup may look different, the Philippines enters the match with confidence after defeating Myanmar, 5-1, in a friendly during the Tri-Nations Tournament last June at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

     

    Cuadrat, however, believes that result offers little advantage heading into Tuesday’s encounter.

    “We will field an even younger team than the one that played in the Tri-Nations Tournament,” Cuadrat said.

     

    Myanmar, meanwhile, arrives determined to bounce back after surrendering a 2-1 defeat to Malaysia in its tournament opener despite taking an early lead through Myat Kaung Khant in the 10th minute.

     

    For the Philippines, the opener represents more than just three points. It marks the beginning of a new cycle, where the country’s next generation has the opportunity to show it can carry the national team into another deep ASEAN Hyundai Cup run after last reaching the semifinals in the previous edition.

     

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  • PH Men’s football team banks on fresh faces as key stars miss ASEAN Hyundai Cup 

    PH Men’s football team banks on fresh faces as key stars miss ASEAN Hyundai Cup 

    The Philippine men’s national football team will head into the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup with a different look, as a wave of young talent has been tasked to fill the void left by several established stars unavailable for the regional tournament.

     

    With the final roster now confirmed, head coach Carles Cuadrat is set to lead a squad blending experienced internationals and emerging prospects in hopes of replicating—or even surpassing—the Philippines’ semifinal finish in the 2024 edition.

     

    Instead of relying on some of the Azkals’ biggest names, the Philippines will lean on players eager to make their mark on the international stage.

     

    Among those expected to carry the fight are Sandro Reyes, Javier Mariona, Santi Rublico, Andrei Leipold, Jarvey Gayoso, and Cole Mrowka, all of whom remain available despite the roster challenges.

    However, the squad will be without several key figures, including Bjorn Kristensen, Sebastian Rasmussen, Kevin Ray Mendoza, Paul Tabinas, Jefferson Tabinas, and Randy Schneider.

     

    Their absence is largely due to the tournament falling outside the FIFA international match calendar, giving clubs the discretion to withhold players from national team duty despite releasing others representing different countries.

     

    The situation drew a strong reaction from Philippine team manager Patrick Reichelt, who questioned the inconsistency shown by several clubs.

     

    “We appreciate the cooperation of a few but also are absolutely disappointed in dealing w/most of the clubs releasing their local talent to their respective national teams but blocking Filipino players from participating,” said Reichelt on his X account.

     

    “Don’t get me wrong we respect the timing being unfortunate for clubs but the inconsistency in their decisions in regard of their local players compared to our players is very very wrong!” he added.

     

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    The circumstances have opened the door for a new generation of players to represent the country.

     

    Overseas-based youngsters Rocket Ritarita, Aarran Long, Noah Leddel, and John Lucero earned spots in the squad, while Philippine Football League standouts Enrico Mangaoang, Martini Rey, Jaime Rosquillo, Gavin Muens, Andres Aldeguer, and Kenji Nishioka also received the opportunity to wear the national colors.

     

    Their inclusion signals Cuadrat’s willingness to expand the player pool while giving valuable international exposure to rising talents.

     

    Providing balance to the youthful squad are experienced campaigners Quincy Kammeraad, Adrian Ugelvik, Scott Woods, Cholo Bugas, Oskari Kekkonen, and Christian Rontini, along with veterans Patrick Deyto and Daisuke Sato, who bring years of international experience and leadership into the tournament.

     

    The Philippines opens its Group B campaign on July 28 against Myanmar at New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

     

    The Nationals then travel to Vientiane to face Laos on August 1, return home for a crucial showdown against regional powerhouse Thailand on August 4, before closing the group stage against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on August 8.

     

    Despite missing several cornerstone players, the Philippines hopes its mix of youth and experience can once again produce a deep run in Southeast Asia’s premier football competition.

     

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  • Philippines draws familiar foes as ASEAN Hyundai Cup sets stage for Thailand rematch

    Philippines draws familiar foes as ASEAN Hyundai Cup sets stage for Thailand rematch

    The road to the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 is already lined with history for the Philippine Men’s National Team.

     

    Following Thursday’s draw ceremony in Jakarta, the Philippines found itself grouped with regional heavyweights Thailand, along with Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos in Group B of Southeast Asia’s premier men’s football tournament set for July 24 to August 26.

     

    While every group match carries weight, one fixture instantly stood out — another showdown with Thailand, a rivalry that took on new meaning just a year ago.

     

    The two sides crossed paths in the semifinals of the previous edition, then known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, producing one of the most memorable moments in Philippine football in recent memory. 

     

    Playing at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on December 27, 2024, the Filipinos stunned the War Elephants with a 2-1 victory in the first leg, sealed by a dramatic late goal from Kike Linares — a win widely regarded as the country’s first over Thailand in 52 years.

     

    Thailand, however, reminded everyone of its pedigree in the return leg. Backed by a packed Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, the Thais regrouped and pulled off a 3-1 win to take the series on aggregate, 4-3, ultimately marching on to the final.

     

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    That unfinished business now carries into the group stage of the newly rebranded ASEAN Hyundai Cup, giving the Philippines an early chance to test how far it has come since that breakthrough moment.

     

    Beyond Thailand, Group B presents no easy paths. Malaysia brings its usual physicality and tournament experience, while Myanmar and Laos offer dangerous opportunities for ambush if overlooked. For the Filipinos, consistency across the group will be just as crucial as the marquee clash.

     

    On the other side of the draw, Group A features defending champion Vietnam alongside Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, and the winner of the playoff between Brunei and Timor-Leste.

     

    As the countdown to kickoff begins, the draw has ensured one thing: the Philippines won’t have to wait long to measure itself against the region’s best — and to see whether last year’s breakthrough against Thailand was a turning point, or just the beginning. 

     

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