The Philippines concluded its 2024 Men’s Floorball World Championships Group G campaign with a disheartening defeat at the hands of regional rivals Thailand, 3-8, on Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Still, both teams advanced to the semifinals as they finished in the top two of the group.
The result left the Nationals with a 2-1 win-loss record, securing second place in the group and setting them up to face Australia in the semis match on Thursday at 4 p.m.
A goal after a timeout from Ludvig Hemmingberg Porral with three minutes left in the game brought some hope to the Filipino team, but eventual points from Oscar Snell and an empty-netter from skipper Pawat Thaidit sealed the victory for the visitors.
“I guess it all boiled down to efficiency. We know that Thailand is lethal on the counterattacks, especially when we are not 100 percent focused. And I think that is a key lesson for us to take into the next game,” admitted the 23-year-old Porral.
It was a rough start for the Philippines as they conceded a goal from Anucha Wong-art off a misplayed ball in the 12th minute.
Melvin Alm Mendoza leveled the game with another converted penalty shot, but the Thais quickly restored the lead they eventually held onto.
Simon Johansson scored off a defensive lapse a little more than a minute after Mendoza’s goal, and from there, the Thais intensified their play to secure the win.
“We should carry on with our fighting spirit. Even though we felt slow in the beginning, in the second half and towards the end of the game, we found positives that we can take into the next match,” said Porral, a standout from Vaksala SK IBK.
