Gayoso, Leipold Spark Philippines to Dominant 5-1 Win Over Guam in Tri-Nations Debut

Jarvey Gayoso and Andre Leipold starred as the Philippine Men’s National Football Team kicked off its PFF Tri-Nations Friendlies campaign with a convincing 5-1 victory over Guam on Wednesday at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila before a crowd of 2,243.

Returning to the Philippine Sports Commission-managed venue for the first time since their 2-1 triumph over Thailand in the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup on December 27, 2024, the squad formerly known as the Azkals delivered an impressive performance against the Matao.

Gayoso netted the Philippines’ second goal in the 18th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound after Guam goalkeeper Josiah Jones parried his initial header. The strike marked the Ateneo de Manila University product’s fifth goal in 29 appearances for the national team.

The forward later turned playmaker, setting up Leipold for his first international goal in the 63rd minute. Leipold capped off his memorable night by scoring again in stoppage time, firing home his second goal to seal the emphatic result.

Before Gayoso and Leipold took center stage, Filipino-American midfielder Cole Mrowka made an immediate impact in his international debut, opening the scoring just six minutes into the match.

The Philippines controlled much of the first half and carried a comfortable advantage into the break. Santi Rublico added a third goal in the 44th minute, calmly finishing past Jones to further widen the gap.

Guam managed to pull one back in the 61st minute when Levi Berg capitalized on a miscue by Philippine goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad to prevent a shutout.

Both teams will continue their Tri-Nations campaigns against Myanmar at Rizal Memorial Stadium. Guam faces Myanmar on Saturday, while the Philippines takes on the visitors on Tuesday, with both matches scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.