Philippine Men’s National Football Team midfielder Sandro Reyes emphasized that the sudden departure of former head coach Albert Capellas did not derail the squad’s focus during their 2-2 draw against Tajikistan in the third round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers last Tuesday at the New Clark City Stadium.
Reyes, who played the entire match as a starter, said that under interim mentor Carles Cuadrat, it was “business as usual” for the squad in terms of tactical execution. Although the draw left them hoping for more, he believes the result keeps them on the right path toward qualifying for Asia’s most prestigious football tournament.
“Just a lot of continuity,” said the former Azkals Development Team midfielder. “We just had a one-week camp and coach Carles obviously worked with coach Albert and he was obviously here in the last camp so not changing more and not changing much in the gameplan.
“We just stuck with the Maldives game plan, the Mitsubishi game plan — that’s how we know how to play football. Maybe today we were not so fluid with the ball but again it’s not easy. It’s not as easy always but we found a way to fight and we fought really hard. We feel that the draw is not enough but we’re still top of the table.”
The high-stakes match, held in front of 10,854 passionate fans, was made even more electric as the home crowd erupted when Bjørn Kristensen headed in the opening goal in the 28th minute. However, lapses on defense allowed Tajikistan to take control, scoring twice to lead 2-1 at the break.
Still, Kristensen came to the rescue late in the match, netting the equalizer and salvaging a valuable point for the Philippines. For Reyes, the result was a testament to the team’s resilience.
“It’s really not easy because you’re tired,” said the 22-year-old standout. “You’re losing so mentally it’s not the easiest. There’s a lot of pressure. There’s a lot on the line for this game. The biggest prize in reach for us is the Asian Cup. When we went 2-1 down, we really felt the pressure but we came back really strong.
“I think if we scored the second goal a little bit earlier, then I think we’d give ourselves chances to win the game. But I think down 2-1 at the 60th minute, I think you’d take the 2-2 draw and you’ll take top of the table.”
Looking ahead, the Philippine team will continue its qualification campaign with upcoming matches against Timor Leste and Maldives before facing Tajikistan again on the final matchday. Whether Cuadrat will stay at the helm remains uncertain, but Reyes and his teammates remain focused.
Given the challenges faced both before and during the match, Reyes believes that securing a draw is still a positive takeaway — one that could prove vital as the campaign progresses. The road to Saudi Arabia, host of the 2027 Asian Cup, remains open, and the players are determined to learn and improve from each outing.
“Tajikistan is a very experienced and seasoned team,” Reyes noted. “They’ve been to the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup. They’ve played very big games like these. You have to also give a lot of respect to them. They never panicked when the game got tough for them while we were leading. They were very calm.
“When they got the lead, they knew that we were under pressure and that they could take advantage of that. They didn’t mind just defending at all. That’s the game they wanted. It was a physical game. It’s just finding the fine line between where we can be hard on ourselves to improve but also (accept) a good point and (being at) the top of the table still.”
