Philippines suffers late heartbreak against Thailand, faces daunting ASEAN Cup task

The Philippine Men's National Football Team suffered a painful 1-0 defeat to seven-time champion Thailand on Tuesday, leaving its hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup hanging by a thread.

Playing before 2,786 fans at New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac, the Filipinos matched the tournament favorites for much of the contest before conceding the decisive goal in the closing minutes.

Right-back Waris Choolthong broke the deadlock in the 84th minute, heading home the winner to preserve Thailand's unbeaten record in Group B and move the War Elephants closer to a semifinal berth.

Thailand nearly doubled its lead late, but goalkeeper Patrick Deyto produced several key saves to keep the Philippines within striking distance. The hosts, however, failed to create a clear scoring opportunity in the final minutes as the visitors secured all three points.

Despite the defeat, the Philippines delivered a disciplined performance and threatened on several occasions. Gavin Muens and Javier Mariona both tested the Thai defense in the opening half but were unable to produce a breakthrough.

Thailand improved to a perfect 9 points after winning its first three matches of the tournament.

The Philippines dropped to fourth place in Group B with three points from one win and two losses.

Myanmar and Malaysia occupy second and third, respectively, with six points each. Myanmar owns the tiebreak advantage due to its superior goal difference of plus-7, compared to Malaysia's plus-3.

Earlier in the day, Myanmar strengthened its semifinal bid with a commanding 7-2 victory over Laos.

The group stage concludes Saturday, with the Philippines traveling to Kuala Lumpur to face Malaysia at KLFA Stadium, while Thailand hosts Myanmar at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

To keep its semifinal hopes alive, the Philippines must defeat Malaysia by at least five goals while also hoping Thailand beats Myanmar—a combination of results that would send the Filipinos into the knockout stage for the second straight edition.