Bjørn Kristensen proved he had ice in his veins as he converted the decisive penalty that led the Philippine Men’s National Football Team to a dramatic 1-0 victory over Indonesia on Saturday at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta.
The win secured the Philippines a spot in the semifinals of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024.
This result, coupled with Vietnam’s dominant 5-0 triumph over Myanmar, allowed the Philippines to advance to the final four of the tournament for the first time since the 2018 edition, where they were coached by Sven-Göran Eriksson and Scott Cooper.
As the runner-up in Group B, Albert Capellas’ squad will face Group A winners Thailand in a two-legged semifinal.
The first leg will be held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Friday, with the second leg set for December 30 at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
“I got no words,” said an emotional Philippines captain Amani Aguinaldo after the game. “I’m just so happy to be a part of this team, to be part of the squad that went through so much difficulties in the past, and now to make history again and go to the semifinals means so much.
“It means so much to me, to the team, (and) to the fans back home.“
The crucial moment of the match came in the 63rd minute when the Philippines earned a penalty following a VAR review of a foul on Yrick Gallantes.
Kristensen stepped up to calmly convert the spot-kick, marking his second goal of the tournament and giving the Philippines the edge they needed.
The match was not without its challenges, though. Early in the first half, starting goalkeeper Patrick Deyto was injured in a collision with an Indonesian player and had to be replaced by Quincy Kammeraad.
Despite the setback, Kammeraad delivered a solid performance, making key saves to preserve the lead.
Indonesia’s woes deepened in the 42nd minute when their captain, Muhammad Ferrari, was sent off for a foul on Aguinaldo.
The red card tilted the momentum in favor of the Philippines heading into the second half.
The victory also marked a significant milestone for the Philippines, as it was their first win over Indonesia since a 4-0 triumph in the 2014 ASEAN Championship, back when the team was known as the Azkals.
Vietnam topped Group B with 10 points and will face Singapore in the other semifinal match-up.
The Philippines, meanwhile, leapfrogged both Indonesia and Myanmar to claim second place in the group with six points.
Indonesia and Myanmar finished with four points each.
“I know that we’ve been struggling a lot the last few years, and I’m just very grateful for the people who never stopped supporting us, for the fans who believed in us, (and) for our families back home,” added Aguinaldo.
“The boys deserved it. The staff, everyone worked so hard. It’s just amazing. I hope we keep the momentum and go as far as we could.”
Indonesia XI: Supriadi (GK), Ferrari (C), Priyatna, Ferdinan, Fikri, Struick, Rifai, Bahar, Hannan, Pamungkas, Syarif.
Philippines XI: Deyto (GK), Aguinaldo (C), Ugelvik, Tabinas, Woods, Reyes, Kristensen, Monis, Bailey, Kempter, Mariona.
