Whatever happens in the next few days – or even at the end of his tenure as the head coach of the Philippine Men’s National Football Team – Albert Capellas will forever be remembered as the man who guided the country to its first victory over Thailand in 52 years.
Fresh off a historic 2-1 win against the War Elephants in the first leg of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 last Friday at the iconic Rizal Memorial Stadium, the Spanish tactician was quick to deflect any praise.
Instead, Capellas emphasized that the players deserved all the credit.
For him, the team’s resilience and decisiveness in crucial moments made the difference, and the breaks went their way because they fought relentlessly until the final whistle.
(C) Pam Puri
“I always say, in the last minute, there is always one chance for every team,” said Capellas. “Today, it was for our side. Sometimes, it’s for the opposite side. This is something that happens.
“This is why it’s important to arrive at the end of the game with two goals in front because there are always chances. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the game. There is always one chance for every team. That is what my experience says.”
The game started on a high note for the home side when Sandro Reyes unleashed a brilliant left-footed strike from outside the box midway through the first half.
However, Thailand equalized just before halftime.
Picking up where they left off, the War Elephants dominated much of the second half, creating several opportunities, including one that hit the crossbar.
Despite their pressure, they failed to find the back of the net.
Then came the decisive moment: Kike Linares headed home the winning goal in stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations across the stadium.
However, even with the euphoric victory, Capellas remained fixated on the areas that needed improvement before the second leg this Monday at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
(C) Pam Puri
“The first half, I was very happy – except for the goal we conceded, but that’s football. Accidents happen, and I support my players for the decisions they made. They took the risk. Sometimes it works out fantastically, sometimes it doesn’t. That was one of the problems in the first half. We deserved to be leading, not drawing,” said the former Borussia Dortmund assistant.
“In the second half, we didn’t start well, especially in the first 15 to 20 minutes. We suffered a lot. Of course, they had to push and try to score. They were better than us. We had problems, especially on the left side with the long balls. We didn’t apply enough pressure on the ball, and we didn’t drop back early enough. That caused us to suffer a bit too much. But now, we’ll work on this, try to learn, and aim to solve these issues for the second leg.”
Heading into the second leg with a one-goal advantage, Capellas was firm in his approach: the Philippines will not simply sit back and defend.
He stressed the importance of sticking to the team’s principles – principles that have brought the country to the verge of its first-ever finals appearance in the regional tournament.
Regardless of the outcome on Monday, Filipino football fans can rest assured that the national team will go for the win, aiming to carry momentum into the final stage.
“I never go for a draw,” said the former Denmark Under-21 coach.
“We go for a win, and then let’s see if we can win, if we can draw, or whatever result happens. I never play for a draw. Philippines, we are winners.”
