MANILA, Philippines — Myanmar rained on the Philippines’ planned opening-gig party in the Asean Football Championship-Hyundai Cup, handing the home side a numbing 1-4 loss Tuesday night at the New Clark City Stadium.
Than Paing fired a brace to lead the Burmese onslaught against a youth-laden Philippine squad that struggled to keep up with a more seasoned opponent amid the wet conditions in the Group B fixture.
Philippine coach Carles Cuadrat, who is fielding a crew with an average age of 25 and featuring only two players above 30, called it a “learning match” as he lamented that his wards took too long to adapt following heavy rain before kick-off.
“Myanmar had more experienced players who managed the situation better. They understood how the water would slow the ball and adapted their game accordingly,” he said of the Burmese.