All things must come to an end.
For 52 long years, the Philippines struggled to defeat Thailand in international men’s football matches.
That drought finally ended when Kike Linares scored a dramatic stoppage-time header, sealing a historic 2-1 victory in the first leg of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 semifinals.
The atmosphere inside the Rizal Memorial Stadium was electric, with the cheers of the 7,116 fans drowning out South Korean referee Kim Dae-yong’s final whistle.
As soon as it was blown, the Philippine national team and their supporters erupted in celebration, marking the end of a painful era of futility against the War Elephants.
Linares – who started in central defense alongside Adrian Ugelvik due to Amani Aguinaldo’s suspension – expressed his gratitude after the hard-fought match.
(C) Pam Puri
“We know Amani is an important player for us,” said the Filipino-Spanish defender.
“He’s the captain. He has (a lot of) experience here. We followed the plan of the coach, and lucky for us, we won the game.”
The 25-year-old, who made his international debut in the 2022 FAS Tri-Nations Series, has since accumulated 11 caps for the Philippines.
Despite his solid contributions in previous matches, this was the first time he found the back of the net – and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial moment in his international career.
The decisive goal came against the run of play.
Thailand had dominated much of the second half and squandered several opportunities to take the lead.
Then, in the dying moments, Zico Bailey delivered a well-placed free kick to the back post, where Paul Tabinas headed it across the box.
Linares was perfectly positioned to finish the move, sending the ball into the net and the crowd into a frenzy.
“Paul (Tabinas) gave the assist for me,” said the 6-foot-2 center-back. “I threw myself with everything, and I touched the ball. Luckily for the team, it went inside.”
(C) Pam Puri
As his teammate Sandro Reyes emerged in the mixed zone carrying a loudspeaker playing Gala Rizzatto’s iconic “Freed From Desire”, Linares kept his emotions in check despite the euphoric atmosphere.
Though he was the match-winner, Linares reflected on his performance with humility, noting that his individual play wasn’t perfect.
Still, his goal gave the Philippines a vital edge heading into the second leg this Monday at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.
“So proud of the team, but I’m not so happy for myself because of my personal situation,” he admitted.
“It was my first goal for the national team, so I’m happy. Let’s see what happens in the second game.”
