SURAKARTA – The Philippines managed to keep Indonesia scoreless for 65 minutes, but the young Garuda found their rhythm late, scoring three goals in the final 25 minutes to secure a victory in the second Group A match of the 2024 ASEAN Under-16 Boys Championship on Monday evening.
The breakthrough came when Evandra Florasta netted the opening goal in the 65th minute.
Florasta capitalized on a rebound after Peter Mirasol blocked a strike from Daniel Alfrido.
The momentum shifted further in Indonesia’s favor as Mochamad Mierza scored twice. His first goal came off a counterattack in the 71st minute, and he sealed the game with a rebound goal in the 90+2nd minute.
The Philippine side had their chances in the first half, with shots from Jimm Leowell Fabila and Michael James Manit, but both attempts were off target.
Despite the loss, the Philippines has shown defensive resilience, conceding the fewest goals in their first two games since 2017 in the regional tournament.
They aim to bounce back and replicate their 2022 victory against Singapore in their next match today, June 27, at 8:30 PM Philippine time.
