'The second leg will be a real battle'

Philippines defeat Thailand after a 52-year wait.

Playing at home at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Philippines started enthusiastically, surprisingly pushing forward in attack. In the 21st minute, star player Sandro Reyes scored a spectacular goal, giving the Philippines a 1-0 lead over Thailand. Although Thailand equalized 1-1 at the end of the first half and the Philippines dominated for most of the second half, in the 90+5th minute, center-back Kike Linares seized the opportunity to seal an emotional 2-1 victory for the Philippines.

After more than 52 years, the Philippines finally defeated Thailand in an official match (in June 1972, the Philippines beat Thailand 1-0). Therefore, this victory greatly boosted the confidence of the Philippine team. Coach Albert Capellas (from Spain) was excited: “I am extremely proud of this result. At the same time, I am also happy that so many fans came to the stadium to support the team. I am very happy for the players because they did not give up.”

The 57-year-old coach continued his analysis: “Philippines had an impressive first half against a strong opponent like Thailand, and I am proud of the team's performance. In the second half, the Philippines faced more difficulties as the opponent created many dangerous opportunities. However, we fought to the end, always maintaining a spirit of unity to seek victory. No one gave up, and the players showed strong belief, fighting their hardest for their country's colors. I believe this dramatic victory is a well-deserved reward for the whole team.”

Coach Albert Capellas is proud of the Philippines team's victory.

The second leg is the real "battle".

Following their surprising first-leg victory, the Philippines team is expected to face significant challenges when they visit Thailand's Rajamangala Stadium for the second leg (December 30th). Coach Albert Capellas believes this will be the real "battle" for the Philippines, and he and his players must give more than 100% of their effort.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the team members and staff. Their contributions have been indispensable to this success, and I truly appreciate them all. The 2-1 victory in the first leg is just the beginning. In three days, the second leg between the two teams will be the real battle. The Philippines must be strong and strive to improve further if they want to think about the final,” Coach Albert Capellas concluded.

Coach Albert Capellas is being cautious because he and his players still have the second leg ahead of them.

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giup-philippines-danh-bai-doi-thai-lan-sau-52-nam-hlv-albert-capellas-tran-luat-ve-se-la-tran-chien-that-su-185241228005322596.htm