At just 21 years old, it’s easy to forget that the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 marked midfielder Sandro Reyes’ third appearance with the Philippine Men’s National Football Team in Southeast Asia’s biggest football competition.
In his first two outings, the former Azkals Development Team standout played a supporting role — a benchwarmer in the 2021 edition and later a key rotation member in 2022.
This year, however, Reyes stepped into the spotlight. He played nearly the entire tournament, delivering pivotal moments such as a late equalizer against Laos and a memorable opening goal against Thailand.
That goal set the stage for the Philippines’ historic victory against the defending champions — their first win over Thailand in 52 years.
Despite falling short of a dream final after a narrow 4-3 aggregate loss to Thailand in the semifinals last Monday, Reyes reflected with pride on how he and his teammates fought valiantly in front of over 31,000 fans at the intimidating Rajamangala Stadium.
“Just really proud of the team,” he shared.
“We were dead. We were very much dead, and we somehow found the balls, found the courage, found the heart to come back and push this Thai team to the absolute limits.”
(C) Pam Puri
What makes the Philippines’ semifinal run even more remarkable was the adversity they faced before the tournament began.
Spanish coach Albert Capellas officially took over the team only in September, following the abrupt departure of Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet.
With just three matches to implement his system, Capellas had limited time to prepare the squad.
Adding to the challenges, several key players were unavailable. Wingers Gerrit Holtmann and Dylan Demuynck, along with defender Jefferson Tabinas, missed the tournament entirely because it did not fall within FIFA calendar dates.
Midfielder Santi Rublico managed only one appearance, playing in the first leg against Thailand before being sidelined by illness for the second leg.
For Reyes, these hurdles made the team’s campaign even more rewarding, despite the bittersweet ending.
“We’re very far from full strength,” he admitted. “We know, obviously, they’re also not at their full strength. But when you look at it, on paper, they’re miles ahead of us.
“The fact that we forced them all the way back to the ropes in the end and almost won the game — I’m very proud of the team.”
As a homegrown player, the Makati-born Reyes holds a special place in the hearts of Filipino football fans.
Throughout the AMEC 2024 campaign, his talent and tenacity shone brightly.
Despite being in the early stages of his career, he has already worn the captain’s armband, underscoring his growing leadership role within the squad.
With a young and promising core under Capellas’ guidance, the future looks bright for the Philippine team.
Reyes, along with rising stars such as striker Bjørn Kristensen and goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad, is poised to lead the program into a new era of success.
“I think we can take everything from this tournament: the good and the bad,” Reyes said. “And why not? Of course, we can dream big now. It’s only gonna go up from here. It looks like we’re gonna get the support that we deserve after performing well in this tournament.
“I think Indonesia has done the blueprint, and I think that’s the way to go, so we will dream.”
