The Philippine national men’s football team is playing competitively at the start of coach Carles Cuadrat’s watch.
Cuadrat felt this after his squad drew with Tajikistan, 2-all, on Tuesday evening in their third qualifying round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup at the New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac.
“We know we’re going to play against a very competitive team,” said Cuadrat, now that the Filipino booters prepare for their next match on Oct. 9, an away-game against Timor Leste in Dili.
Cuadrat, who recently took over from resigned coach Albert Capellas, noted that members of the team have transitioned well under him.
And that’s because a lot of them have played together for a long time.
“They’ve played together for a long time. They reached the quarterfinals of the last AFC Asian Cup with the same core, so their chemistry and understanding of the system are strong,” added Cuadrat.
The Philippine side, which got its goals from Bjorn Kristensen, is still playing under the same setup Capellas has placed in the team.
And their effort on Tuesday, allowed Team Philippines to keep its momentum, some four months before the team’s next game in Dili.
“We’re also continuing with the same philosophy and structure. We believe we can be competitive and get a good result,” said Cuadrat.
With the draw, the Philippines has solidified its head-to-head battle with Tajikistan of their 4-1-2 win-draw-loss-record.
