Five takeaways from Tito Jay: Hope at last after slender defeat against Malaysia

Photo credits: Football Association of Malaysia

With just a few days to prep the squad and lay out the tactics, Philippine Men's National Football Team Head Coach Norman Fegidero had injected a different but welcoming sights of football which could be something the fans can cling to if he stays at the top of the pecking order.

Despite losing 2-1 against Southeast Asian rivals Malaysia in their encounter at the 2024 Merdeka Cup, the Philippines have shown what the future looks like with a homegrown coach at the helm, with almost every pass clicking, and producing massive goal opportunities. Here's what we can take away from that defeat and what the fans could expect in the future of the PMNFT.

The passing game is crisp and with clear intentions

The Philippines has been well-known for its long-ball gaming in the years past and with new players coming into the fold, the system looked similar before Fegidero's appointment.

With four games under the tutelage of Tom Saintfiet, the Philippines have lost all of them while scoring two goals in the process. However, when Fegidero heeded the call, there seemed to be variations in the squad's movement, particularly in how they passed the ball around.

In the build-up leading to Jefferson Tabinas' opener in the 27th minute, the boys in blue found themselves in a quick counterattack following an interception from Dylan Demuynck who freed up NT debutant Martin Kristensen who then sprinted towards the goal but a scramble inside the box saw him missing the opportunity.

However, Demuynck was alert to it and got the ball over to Justin Baas who then slid the ball through to Tabinas who unleashed a powerful strike that got a deflection from Feroz Baharudin which was converted to a goal.

It might not have been evident at first, but the ball movement was simple with only one intention, to threaten the goal mouth. After scoring the opener, one thing we've noticed is that they were calmer with the ball and were able to string a couple more passes to get it away from the opposition.

In the 30th minute, the Philippines were able to produce another goalscoring opportunity coming from the left side with Demuynck starting the offensive. Kristensen almost made his way to the goal again but was covered by a couple of Malaysian defenders.

These are just telling signs that the tactics were given well enough to the players who were following the orders to the letter. There may have been a couple of mistakes here and there but those things were inevitable.

If the Philippines can continue to show this kind of football moving forward, chances are we can be up for a promising future given that we already have the tools we need in the likes of Demuynck, Kristensen, Baas, and all the other new generations of NT regulars.

Robbed of the win, but spirits are still on a high

Over the last couple of months, there hasn't been much positivity in terms of what the fans can expect from the Philippines because of the successive defeats and questionable tactics but the loss against Malaysia was a bit different.

We were enjoying how the ball is moving whenever we have possession and we can feel that there's a chance that we could've won that match on merit. However, the football gods have a funny way of bringing a good man back down to earth.

In the 11th minute, Patrick Reichelt was brought down inside the box in, what looked like a stomp on the foot by Baharudin. Even the commentator in the broadcast believed there was some contact but the referee waived the play on to the dismay of Reichelt.

Another penalty shout was called off, this time, in the dying embers of the match when Sandro Reyes was hounded down by Safawi Rasid inside the box which made everyone livid, coaching staff included.

Yes, it was a tournament hosted and organized by Malaysia, and yes, these things are somewhat expected. But, with the way it turned out, even fans from ASEAN neighbors cried foul on how officiating went during that match.

Despite all these, the Philippines can still hold their heads up high after showing that they can match with stronger oppositions despite having a very short period of prep time.

The Tabinas brothers work wonders for the squad

Positioned on either side of the defense, Jefferson and Paul Tabinas were a force to be reckoned with after putting up quite a performance against Malaysia. Not only did they prevent most of the goalscoring opportunities from the opposition, but they were also a threat on the counter.

Jefferson opened the scoring for the Philippines in the 27th minute and has been a constant threat on the counter as the game went by. Paul, on the other hand, was also something else. From stout defending to sudden bursts on the counter, he provided most of the goods from that right side.

Paul also showed a little bit of an attitude following Arif Aiman Hanapi's antics of pestering the 22-year-old wingback making him a sudden target of the crowd at the Bukit Jalil Stadium.

Having these twins in our arsenal could be something we can build on given that we also have pace merchants in Demuynck and Kristensen. Their quick counterattacks could provide some spaces for our strikers or, they could even take matters into their own feet.

Where have you been Sandro?

Photo credits: Philippine Men's National Football Team

Having made 26 appearances and scoring a goal in the Regionaliga Bayern with Greuther Furth II, Sandro Reyes has been steadily bulking himself up in preparation for another call of the nation.

When called upon by the motherland, Reyes never hesitates and gives 101% for the country and last night's display was no different. Coming on as a substitute in the 56th minute to replace Kiki, Reyes immediately provided quite an impact in the attacks of the Philippines.

He's had a couple of shots to his name as well and almost got a penalty in the last five minutes of the match. More importantly, the former FC Barcelona academy student provided several incisive passes to his teammates and also took on the defenders with his flashy dribbling skills.

There were still some shades of the impatient Reyes after getting a yellow card from excessive complaining following that no-penalty call on him, it's a character that we're willing to attach ourselves to in many years to come. It goes to show how Reyes is willing to fight for the country backed by his footballing skills and tremendous football IQ.

Coach Norman Fegidero might be that missing piece of the puzzle

Photo credits: Philippine Men's National Football Team

For many years, the Philippines have been acquiring the services of foreign coaches with a hefty amount of experience in their resume but we have been forgetting that we have some coaches in the country that could match their talents.

Norman Fegidero's appointment as the interim head coach of the NT didn't come as a surprise as he was assistant to Saintfiet during his stay in the Philippines but we can also say that it was of merit as well that he got the job.

Having coached the senior men's national team back in 2008 during the country's campaign in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, Fegidero already made a name for himself back then with a couple of victories against Bhutan and Brunei but just missed out on the qualification on goal difference after a draw against Tajikistan.

Since then, he's been guiding the U-23 side of the Philippines and has been silently making a name for himself. Now, with the PMNFT needing some guidance following the departure of Saintfiet, Fegidero is back with the seniors and has made quite an impression in his first game back.

Employing a 4-2-3-1 formation against Malaysia may have seemed a default approach to the opposition but the variations were something we can admire. In defense, they looked to have shaped themselves up to a 4-4-2 and played a high line to prevent Malaysia from passing the ball around and catching the defense off-guard.

In attack, they're looking to be more on a 4-3-3 with Demunyck running down the wings to open up the space for Kristensen while Reichelt lurked on the far post.

Simple variations it may seem but it's a move that many foreign coaches employ given the ever-changing scenarios in the match. The substitutions were on-point as well for Fegidero with the infusion of three key players near the hour mark in the likes of Reyes, Jarvey Gayoso, and Christian Rontini.

Though putting on Matthew Baldisimo yielded a penalty five minutes since his introduction, the Philippines were quick to recover thanks to some adjustments made on the fly.

With a couple of aces remaining on the bench, Fegidero opted to bring in Jeremiah Borlongan and Scott Woods to prime themselves up for a comeback in the dying minutes of the match.

Borlongan's introduction to the international stage has been brought upon by a homegrown coach for homegrown talent and produced what could've been a late equalizer for the Philippines. His cross was almost met by Gayoso's header but the 27-year-old striker from Phnom Penh Crown just missed it by millimeters.

Despite all these, Fegidero may have just been the missing piece of the puzzle that we are all looking for as he understood how the Philippines should be playing and turned the squad around despite the short notice.

When asked about the odds of the Philippines turning out as a better side in the 2024 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup, Fegidero said, "We still have enough time to prepare, and hopefully, everybody will be available when it comes to the AFF."

With one game left in the 2024 Merdeka Tournament, the Philippines will be facing a familiar opposition in Tajikistan, a side so familiar that every Filipino football can still recall the glorious day when the Philippines won 2-1 to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

A win here could open up the opportunity for Fegidero to remain as the coach until the end of the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup campaign and a chance for him to do what he wasn't able to accomplish back in 2008.