PH booters turn focus on key duel vs Indonesia

The air seemed to have been sucked out of Rizal Memorial Stadium the moment the Philippines’ hope of a rare win over Vietnam was denied near the death with a late equalizer on Wednesday evening.

“I feel very sad for the players because they deserve more points after these three games,” a somber coach Albert Capellas said as the Filipino side settled for another 1-1 tie in the Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

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Victory, which would have been the first against the regional powerhouse since 2012, seemed within reach after newlywed Jarvey Gayoso scored a spectacular goal in the 68th minute and the Philippines made stop after stop.

But Vietnam, showing why it is considered as one of the contenders in the competition, found a way to break the hosts’ defensive stand, with Doan Ngoc Tan capitalizing on an open goal off a set piece to head home the equalizer in extra time.

“I think we played very well, we played very hard, but it’s unlucky that we didn’t get the win,” lamented goalkeeper Patrick Deyto, who in that corner kick tried to make a leaping grab at the ball, but to no avail.

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Capellas refused to blame anyone for the miscue, but it was another night of missed opportunities for the Philippines, which after three consecutive draws has produced three points out of a possible nine.

Semis still in sight

Even if it fell short of getting a deserved three points, the Philippines can still punch its way into the semifinals with a win on the road against Indonesia on Saturday coupled with a Myanmar draw or loss to Vietnam.

Vietnam secured a semifinal berth with the tie, going seven points to stay on top of Group B while Indonesia and Myanmar, a 3-2 winner over eliminated Laos in Wednesday’s other game, have four points apiece.

“I know how much the players wanted this win,” Capellas said. “It was a very good game, but we could have handled it [better] and [a win] could not be possible. It’s also a learning process on how to close the game and put three points in the pocket.”

Team Philippines left hours after the match for a red-eye Thursday flight for Jakarta, but had to endure a long layover before boarding another plane bound for Surakarta where the decisive match will take place.

“We are so positive,” said Gayoso. “We told ourselves that technically the most important match is against Indonesia. Our focus now is how we can recover [in time for the match].”

Had the lead stayed till the end, the spotlight would have shown brightly on Gayoso’s goal, which came after he missed Sunday’s away draw in Laos as he tied the knot with Dani Gutierrez.

Gayoso was called upon by Capellas in the 66th to replace Bjorn Kristensen up front, and he responded by blasting a left-footed shot against two defenders, turning Rizal Memorial into a madhouse.

“I just want to cap off the amazing week, the perfect week that I’ve had,” the son of former PBA player Jayvee Gayoso and grandson of basketball and football great Ed Ocampo said. “We still fell short, but in the end, it’s still perfect.”