The Philippines bounced back with a 4-1 win over Laos in the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 to tally its first win after a disappointing loss at home to Myanmar.
The Filipinos entered the match eager to recover from a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Myanmar at New Clark City Stadium in Capas, Tarlac, where they dominated possession but only had two shots on target compared to Myanmar’s eight.
The Philippines once again controlled possession but found itself trailing early when when Damoth Thongkhamsavath’s long-range strike slipped through a fumbling Quincy Kammeraad in the seventh minute.
The Filipinos thought they had equalized midway through the first half through Kenji Nishioka, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review. Despite creating opportunities, Philippines was unable to find the breakthrough before halftime, allowing the hosts to believe an upset was within reach.
Cuadrat admitted his players once again had to battle adversity.
“Once again, it felt as though circumstances were working against us,” Cuadrat said after the match. “I am happy because we managed to change the course of the game. Until we scored our second goal, it seemed as though everything was going against us.”
“It was similar to our opening match. We created chances to score more goals, including an effort from Cole Mrowka that struck the crossbar, but we could not take advantage of them.”
John Lucero equalized just two minutes into the second half before Mrowka’s cross forced an own goal from Laos defender Viengxay Sydavong in the 52nd minute. Jarvey Gayoso extended the lead from the penalty spot eight minutes later, while Daisuke Sato sealed the victory with a header in the 88th minute.
The hosts were forced to play with 10 men after defender Phetdavanh Somsanid was sent off in the 14th minute, but Cuadrat emphasized that the biggest difference was his team’s mental response rather than the numerical advantage.
“The players had to overcome several difficult mental moments during both our opening match and today’s game,” the Spanish coach said. “I am not referring to refereeing decisions. I am talking about our own mistakes and unexpected situations that placed us in a difficult position mentally.”
Cuadrat credited his halftime team talk for helping the players regain their composure and execute the necessary adjustments.
“I am pleased that the players were able to reverse the situation following our discussion at half-time,” he said. “They understood what we needed to do differently during the second half, and we scored very quickly after the restart.”
“Of course, Laos being reduced to ten players worked in our favour. We had more space, while their players began to tire. I thought we produced a second-half performance that allowed us to secure the three points. Most importantly, I am happy that we changed our fortunes.”
“Until this match, we had been very unfortunate during several important moments.”
The victory revived the Philippines’ hopes of reaching the semifinals and sets up a crucial Group B showdown against leaders Thailand on Tuesday in Tarlac.
Cuadrat described the win over Laos as a welcome boost that could provide the confidence and momentum his side needs before facing one of Southeast Asia’s traditional football powers.
The two teams last met in the semifinals of the 2024 ASEAN Championship, when the Philippines ended a 52-year winless streak against Thailand with a 2-1 first-leg victory. Thailand, however, recovered in the return leg to complete a 4-3 aggregate comeback and advance to the final.