By: GIL MORIONES
MANILA -- The Under-23 Philippine National Football Team shockingly overpowered the young Malaysians, snatching their first three points on the opening day of the ASEAN U23 Mandiri Cup, Tuesday night at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Otu "Bisong" Banatao, an 18-year-old forward from Old Dominion University in the United States, recorded two goals in this biennial tournament.
His first goal came in the 9th minute when Nicholas Guimarães found the speedy Javier Mariona making a run toward the Malaysian goal. Mariona fed the ball to Banatao, who calmly tapped it in to give the Philippines an early lead.
Banatao struck again in the 41st minute, doubling the lead after Uriel Dalapo spotted him on the left flank. Banatao finished easily to make it 2–0 for the Under-23 Philippine squad.
Malaysia's aggressiveness in the second half was effectively neutralized by the Philippines' disciplined defense, reflected in their 18 fouls—five of which resulted in yellow cards.
Guimarães anchored the Philippine defense, making four crucial saves against the Malaysian attack.
The young Harimau Malaya struggled to find answers, managing two late attempts in injury time—one going wide and the other hitting the crossbar.
The Philippines' next assignment is against tournament host and 2019 champion Indonesia, this coming Friday.
