The semifinal ambitions of the Philippine men’s football team in the Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup may depend on what result it can produce on Sunday against host Laos.

A win in the 6:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. Philippine time) match in Vientiane will definitely give the Filipino side renewed hope of getting past the group stage for the first time since 2018, but anything outside of a full three points may dim their chances going into two crack matches in Group B.

Beat Vietnam

“We can’t afford to draw these kinds of games,” director for senior national teams Freddy Gonzalez said after the Philippines salvaged a 1-1 tie against Myanmar three nights prior at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

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Team Philippines had hoped to come away with a victory over its Burmese counterparts, but had to settle for a stalemate after conceding an opener in the first half and Bjorn Kristensen scoring an equalizer with less than 20 minutes left before stoppage.

“We wanted to play Vietnam with six points at hand,” said Gonzalez, meaning that the goal was for the Philippines to win both games against Myanmar and Laos, which are considered as the inferior sides in the group—or, as Gonzalez called them, the “lighter games.”

But Laos is coming off a 3-3 draw against Indonesia on the road, and that may serve as an ominous sign for the Philippines.

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“Now we can’t do anything about it. We have to go to Laos, get the three points, come back home and beat Vietnam,” added Gonzalez.

Another tie won’t mean elimination for the Philippines but securing a top two finish in Group B may be an uphill climb.

The country will face Vietnam on Wednesday at Rizal Memorial before wrapping up the group stage three days later in Surakarta opposite an Indonesian side that opted not to field its top squad for the prestigious competition.

Vietnam plays host to Indonesia in Sunday’s other game in Hanoi. INQ