The Philippine Men’s National Football Team (PMNFT) put on a show once more with a 5-1 thrashing over Myanmar, displaying an indomitable attacking performance last night, June 9, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Striker Sebastian Rasmussen spearheaded the hosts with a brace, scoring at the 80’ and 90’ marks, respectively, to be hailed as Man of the Match.
Tour de force
Looking to close out their Tri-Nation Friendlies campaign, the Philippines came out swinging, starting the game strong to light up the Rizal Memorial Stadium crowd. Despite gaining control on the offensive end, Team Captain Daisuke Sato’s efforts in scoring a leadoff goal was thwarted with the ball hitting the cross bar at the two-minute mark. Even so, the Philippines—with midfielder Sandro Reyes at the helm—continued to keep Myanmar at bay while exhibiting impressive ball movement keeping the visiting team on their feet.
As back-and-forth battles with the ball took place, the white shirts continued their struggle in converting despite their dominance in ball possession. Sato attempted a mighty long pass toward Jarvey Gayoso but could not finish at the height of the fifth minute. Moving onward as the Filipinos looked for a chance to counterattack, Jeff Tabinas initiated an interception to regain momentum for the team back in their favor. Following another battle for control, just as the red shirts were about to turn the tide of the match, Noah Leddel sparked a clearance to bail the white shirts out of a jam.
After a long road of numerous scuffles, fouls, and interceptions in the field, the Philippines made their move, blitzing the field all at once. At the 45th minute mark with one minute in additional time, Tabinas took the chance to lead the surge with a connection from Cole Mrowka to finally break the deadlock, 1-0, before bowing out of the first half.
Emphatic finale
Carrying a one-goal cushion heading into the second half, the Philippines maintained their aggression as they applied pressure to disrupt the red shirts’ rhythm. The Filipinos continued to play from the back with their high line setup which allowed them to break through the Myanmar defense and create multiple chances. Despite their pressing, the visitors found some opportunities through long balls and crosses but to no avail.
In the 54th minute, the Philippines’ build-up play was finally rewarded. Mrowka and Paul Tabinas’ one-two action created space for P. Tabinas to find the back of the net for his maiden international goal, 2-0, delighting the home crowd once again. With momentum firmly in their grasp, the white shirts enjoyed the bulk of possession throughout the half.
The Philippine high line allowed the home side to dictate the tempo of the match but made them vulnerable to transition plays. Myanmar took advantage of the gap with consecutive shots off the counterattack that were saved by goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard, prompting the Philippines to respond by sending in fresh legs to subdue the building momentum. This would work in the PMNFT’s favor as their superior ball progression resurfaced to pierce through the opposition’s box, resulting in a goal by substitute striker Rasmussen to widen the gap to three, 3-0, at the 80’ mark
In spite of the massive deficit, the visiting side responded immediately by showcasing their own link-up play as Win Naing Tung netted Myanmar’s lone goal of the match, 3-1. The Southeast Asian side attempted to capitalize by threatening the Philippine defense, generating several shots on target in an attempt to claw their way back into the clash.
With the hosts intent on electrifying the 4,662 fans in attendance, the Philippines sustained its dominance as they struck twice more in the closing stages. Pocholo Bugas would facilitate both goals, setting up Andre Leiopold in the 89th minute before finding Rasmussen to complete his brace at the 90-minute mark. The Filipinos cruised to a 5-1 victory, capping their two-game slate with back-to-back dominant displays ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Championship.
The match saw the Tabinas brothers score the first two goals with the Dinamo Zagreb right back netting his first in the international level. Following the match, older brother Jefferson expressed his pride on the special achievement with their family watching from the stands, “I’m always happy as a big brother… I’m always proud of him and you know his quality.”
With both sides set to meet again in the ASEAN Championships, J. Tabinas asserted that the squad will look to replicate the performance and carry the same intensity. Bugas reaffirmed this resolve, expressing optimism in the campaign, “I’m very confident na we will reach the final stages of the [cup]. As you can see, we have good results.”
Capping the two-game slate with a brace, Man of the Match Rasmussen savored the moment as he reflected on the standout performance. “It’s a very special feeling. For me, the best feeling. I scored goals for the Philippines a while [back], but now I scored two goals,” he celebrated.
The Philippine Men’s National Football Team will look to build on their strong form as they turn their attention on the 2026 ASEAN Championships, where they will face Myanmar once again to open their campaign on July 28.