By: Gil Moriones
TAGUIG -- The Philippine Men's National Football Team sent a resounding statement ahead of the 2026 Hyundai Cup, dismantling Myanmar 5-1 on Tuesday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium to conclude the Tri-Nation Friendlies in dominant fashion.
The emphatic victory served as a direct preview of the upcoming Group B clash between the two sides in the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup.
Furthermore, the match marked goalkeeper Michael Falkesgaard's first cap since his last international appearance on June 7, 2019.
Myanmar nearly breached the home side's defense in the 38th minute, seemingly scoring off a simple tap-in, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The match remained scoreless until first-half stoppage time when Andrei Leipold, fresh off his two-goal performance against Guam, found Jeff Tabinas. Tabinas buried the chance in the 46th minute to hand the Philippines a 1-0 lead just before the break.
The Philippines doubled their advantage in the 54th minute after Paul Tabinas utilized his pace to beat the keeper and slot home. Courtesy of a brilliant pass from Cole Mrowka, the strike followed his brother's opening goal and marked the first international conversion for the Dinamo Zagreb defender since his national team debut in 2022.
Seb Rasmussen seemingly put the match out of reach in the 80th minute, firing the ball into the roof of the net from the left flank after being spotted by Scott Woods.
The strike extended the Philippines' lead to 3-0 and marked the fifth international goal of Rasmussen's career.
However, Myanmar found a consolation goal just a minute later. In the 81st minute, Win Naing Tun capitalized on a defensive lapse to easily tap the ball into the goalmouth, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The hosts quickly restored order in the 88th minute when Pocholo Bugas found Leipold on the left, allowing the forward to easily slot it home and push the advantage back to three goals.
Just as the stadium announcer indicated added time at the end of the 90th minute, Bugas turned provider once more, picking out an unmarked Rasmussen to seal the masterclass at 5-1 for the Philippines.
The Philippines will next take the pitch on July 28 for their official 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup opener, where they will face Myanmar once again.
