The Philippine Men’s National Football Team completed a comeback victory in their final home match of the year against Timor-Leste, 3-1, in Group A of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers last night, October 14, at the New Clark Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.
Center back Jefferson Tabinas equalized off a corner kick in the 46th minute, before Bjørn Kristensen and Jarvey Gayoso scored a goal at the 70’ and 90+1’ mark, respectively, sealing the victory over their Southeast Asian rivals.
Timorese resistance
Following a 4-1 victory over the same opponents last Thursday, the Philippines started by pressing high and created multiple opportunities that rattled the opposition. However, the away side eventually regained their composure and began to play through and around the Philippines’ defensive efforts, with multiple chances testing the defenders of the home team.
The encounter quickly became a physical duel between the two teams, with fouls and turnovers coming at a rapid pace. With the game in a 50-50 state, it was Timor-Leste who established control of proceedings around the 25th-minute mark. As a result, the Philippines’ shape dropped deeper into their own half, resulting in multiple misdirected attacks and passes. Timor-Leste also caused multiple issues for the Philippines by directing most of their attacks down the flanks, due to the narrow structure of the home team.
Timor-Leste’s control of the matchup was rewarded right before the halftime whistle, as Joao Rangel found a pocket of space in a dangerous position from the left side. The number nine then unleashed a powerful curling effort a minute before the halftime whistle, flying into the top corner to make it 1-0 in favor of Timor-Leste.
Reasserting dominance
Faced with a one-goal deficit to begin the second half, the Filipinos amplified their intensity as they continued to pressure the Timor-Leste backline to force a set-piece from the corner. The ball would find Tabinas, who tapped it in for a goal, as the match drew level at 1-all. Then, the tone of the match shifted with just a minute removed from the opening whistle. With momentum now on the home team’s side, the Filipinos followed this up with another opportunity at the 51′ mark, but Schneider’s shot went wide.
Timor-Leste, looking to restore their lead, struggled to break through the revitalized Filipinos as they attempted to reset, playing it back to their backline. The white shirts were forced to make a crucial error as Kristensen intercepted a pass, finding Holtmann for a shot from distance. This would be saved by Timor-Leste goalkeeper Junildo Pereira as the match remained at a deadlock.
The Philippines maintained their aggressiveness as Gerrit Holtmann and Sandro Reyes’ build-up plays led to opportunities in Timor-Leste’s box. The blue shirts continued to create chances; however, the Timorese defenders met them in time to quell the opportunities. At the 69’ mark, Schneider found himself in a dangerous position, getting rewarded with a corner.
The Filipinos’ increased aggression finally paid off as Reyes connected once again with Holtmann from the opposite flank, finding Jesper Nyhlom to assist Kristensen with a strike that put the blue shirts ahead, 2-1. Eager to close out the match with 10,034 fans in attendance, the Filipinos suffocated Timor-Leste with their press, cutting off passing lanes to create counterattacking opportunities.
At the 83rd minute, Kristensen latched onto a through-ball off a counterattack and broke past the keeper, but a last-ditch tackle arrived just in time to deny the chance. With the final whistle approaching, Timor-Leste grew increasingly desperate, sending long balls that were calmly dealt by the Philippine defense.
With five minutes added, the Filipinos capitalized on extra time as Gayoso pounced on a failed clearance in the 90+1’ mark to extend the lead to three, 3-1. The home side went on to seal a convincing victory, sending their supporters into a celebration.
After the match, Kristensen expressed how proud he was of the team for overturning the one-goal deficit from the first half, “We struggled a lot in the first half, we couldn’t figure out how to press, but we stayed strong.” He later gave props to Timor-Leste, pointing out their qualities. “[They have] a good system. [It was] hard to break their press, and they are very good with the ball,” the forward shared.
The Philippines look to cement their position atop Group A as they meet Maldives in their penultimate match on November 18, at the Maldives National Football Stadium.
