TARLAC, Philippines -- Philippines coach Carles Cuadrat refused to hide behind excuses after his side opened their 2026 ASEAN Championship campaign with a disappointing 4-1 home defeat to Myanmar on Tuesday night at New Clark City Stadium.
But the Spanish coach believes the result exposed challenges that extend beyond a single loss.
Despite enjoying 62% possession, Philippines struggled to translate its control into meaningful chances -- managing just two shots on target compared to Myanmar's eight. The visitors punished defensive lapses and adapted better to the rain-soaked conditions to hand the hosts a heavy opening defeat.
Kyaw Min Oo gave Myanmar the lead in the seventh minute before Than Paing doubled the advantage in the 28th. Jarvey Gayoso pulled one back for the Philippines in the 68th minute to give the hosts a glimmer of hope, but Myanmar responded through Win Naing Tun in the 81st before Than Paing completed his brace two minutes later to seal the convincing victory.
For Cuadrat, the match ultimately became a lesson for the squad, which now faces an uphill climb in its bid to reach the knockout stages.
"It was a learning match for most of our kids," Cuadrat said. "Myanmar have more players with experience that can manage that kind of game. They understood what the match needed better than our players."
Philippines attempted to dictate possession but torrential rain before kickoff left sections of the pitch waterlogged, making it difficult to execute the passing style Cuadrat wanted.
"It wasn't possible to execute our gameplan because of the pitch conditions," identified Cuadrat. "We have to learn to be competitive under those circumstances because we have a good midfield and we have players who can really put opponents in trouble."
Cuadrat pointed to several first-half sequences in which his side repeatedly tried to play through standing water instead of adapting, resulting in costly turnovers.
"We were losing a lot of balls because we didn't understand that we had to play differently," Cuadrat said. "We had to lift the ball and avoid it getting stopped by the water."
Still, Cuadrat insisted the scoreline should not overshadow the commitment shown by his young squad.
"We're very angry with the result. We don't like to lose at home," he added. "But this new generation can learn a lot from this game."
Beyond the result, however, Cuadrat believes Philippines continues to face a more significant challenge: assembling its strongest squad.
Because the ASEAN Championship falls outside the FIFA international window, Philippines were unable to field what they consider their best available team -- as several overseas clubs declined to release key players for the tournament.
"We're working with around 16 players and talking personally with them, trying to convince their clubs," Cuadrat said. "Sometimes, at the last moment, clubs allow players to come. But it's a question of the calendar."
Cuadrat also questioned what he viewed as inconsistent treatment from clubs around the region, noting that some were willing to release players for Thailand but not for Philippines.
"It's quite strange that some clubs allowed the Thailand players to play for their national team, but they did not allow the Filipino players to come with us," he said.
While Thailand also entered the tournament without several marquee names, including captain Chanathip Songkrasin of BG Pathum United, Buriram United veteran Theerathon Bunmathan and goalkeeper Patiwat Khammai, their squad still featured players released by Thai League clubs.
Cuadrat argued the Philippines did not receive the same level of cooperation, leaving his side without much of its core.
Among the notable absentees were captain Manny Ott, who recently completed an offseason move to Terengganu after playing for Rayong in Thailand, defenders Amani Aguinaldo and brothers Jefferson and Paul Tabinas, as well as goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza. Michael Kempter and Andre Leipold were named in the squad but were not among the team delegation last night.
As a result, the coaching staff has turned to Philippines Football League players and members of the youth national teams, hoping that valuable tournament minutes will accelerate their development in the national team setup.
"We know the players from the youth national teams, and we're also testing players from the Philippines Football League because it's easier for the clubs to release them," Cuadrat said. "That kind of game is going to teach a lot to many of our guys."
Rather than viewing the defeat as a fatal blow to Philippines' campaign, Cuadrat urged his players to focus on the opportunities that remain. With three group matches still to play, he believes qualification is far from out of reach.
"It's only the first game and there are still nine points to play for," Cuadrat said. "In the last ASEAN Championship, Philippines only had two points after two matches.
"If we win [the next game] in Laos, we'll already have three, and the message is clear: to be competitive and to keep on learning. "
