THE Philippines battled Tajikistan tooth-and-nail to a scoreless draw before losing 3-4 in a penalty shootout in their riveting battle for third place at the close of the Merdeka Cup at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia late Sunday night.
With interim coach Norman Fegidero calling the plays, the Filipinos, ranked No. 147 in the FIFA world rankings, more than held their own against the Tajiks, who are 44 spots up in the world standings and were quarterfinalists in the last Asian Cup.
The national had their scoring chances, including one in the 30th minute when Bjorn Kristensen’s shot was slightly off the mark while Sandro Reyes had a scorching volley later that was saved by Tajik goalie Gaforov Safarmad.
Safarmad emerged as the hero for the opposing squad, inducing Jefferson Tabinas and Jarvey Gayoso to miss their penalty shots against the lone miss by midfielder Umarbaev Parvidzhon.
“I’m very proud of the team. We played really well. We played with a lot of possession, and I think we dominated the game and also had the most chances. So I think we deserved to win, but that’s football sometimes,” said national goalkeeper Kevin Mendoza.
“Most important is that our playing style worked, and the boys were fighting in there, and that we stuck together for 90 minutes.”
Young midfielder Uriel Dalapo, 20, came off the bench in the 72nd minute and then gave his reaction on his debut as an international player.
“We deserved the win, honestly. I think we were the better team there even though they were much higher ranked than us. All I can say is the Philippines will go up in the near future,” he said, beaming.
Veteran striker Patrick Reichelt said the outcome of the match showed the immense potential of the squad moving forward.
“It feels like a success even though we lost in the penalties. There’s a lot of improvement in the way we press and the way we played,” Reichelt said.
“There’s a lot of positives to take from this game and to bring to future camps,” he said “It’s a clean sheet. It’s a 0-0. Now we have to get more clinical in front of goal and I think we’ll be more successful,” he added.
The Filipinos will have another tune-up series in the King’s Cup scheduled Oct. 7 to 15 in Bangkok, Thailand.
