Heartstopper: The Philippines’ Enrique Linares (in blue) scoring the winner against Thailand in stoppage time of their AFF Cup semi-final first leg match on Friday. — AFP
PETALING JAYA: The Philippines football team defied huge odds to stun mighty Thailand 2-1 in their AFF Cup semi-final clash at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Friday.
What was seen as a mismatch earlier - with the Azkals ranked 150th in the world and the War Elephants at 97th - did not stop the hosts from hitting the favourites for a six.
It was the first time the Philippines have beaten Thailand in 52 years. The last time the minnows won was at the 1972 Jakarta Anniversary Tournament.
Winger Sandro Reyes drew first blood for the Filipinos in the 21st minute, but the Thais fought back with midfielder Suphanan Bureerat equalising in the 45th minute.
But just when the game looked headed for a draw, centreback Enrique Linares, fondly known as Kike, stepped up in stoppage time (95th minute) to score the winner and send the home crowd into rapture.
The Philippines now hope to hold on to their slender lead in the second leg at the Rajamangala Stadium on Monday.
Their Spanish coach Albert Capellas was over the moon.
“We never lost hope, because this team, they are fighters. They fight so much for this country,” he said.
“But there’s still one more game to go and we’ve only done half the job. Still, this is very special for everybody, for the country and for the fans. We hope we can get a good result in the second leg and reach the final.’’
Meanwhile, Reyes said their tough outing in the group stage gave them the impetus to take the fight to the Thais.
“We went through hell to survive the group stage, and we were highly motivated to go further after that,” said the 21-year-old, who plays for FC Gutersloh in Germany.
“Against Thailand, we suffered a lot again. They put us under so much pressure to the point where we couldn’t keep the ball. We were also very tired but we did not give up and found a way to win in the dying seconds.
“To beat Thailand shows how far we’ve come and I now think we have a good chance of reaching the final. We’re prepared to give our all again in the second leg of the semi-final.’’
If the Philippines pull through on Monday, it will be the perfect present for the nation celebrating Rizal Day – a public holiday that commemorates their national hero Jose Rizal.
