BRACE-scoring Bjorn Kristensen saved the day as the Philippines forced Tajikistan to a 2-2 draw in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday in front of a 10,854-strong crowd in Capas, Tarlac.
Mr. Kristensen fired the equalizer in the 78th minute as the hosts salvaged the point after trailing, 1-2, for a good portion of the highly-physical match at the New Clark City Stadium to keep their hold of the Group A lead at four points.
The Filipinos, who opened the Qualifiers with a 4-1 rout of Maldives in the same venue last March, are ahead of the fellow four-pointer Tajikistan on goal difference, 3 against 1.
It was a roller-coaster ride for the Pinoy booters, who actually opened scoring in the 28th minute as Mr. Kristensen headed it home after Gerrit Holtmann’s free kick bounced off the crossbar.
But the Tajiks showed the stuff that made them quarter finalists in the last Asian Cup and turned the game around.
Just two minutes after Mr. Kristensen’s first strike, Mabatshoev Shervoni tied it up with a low shot from outside the box that slipped past Philippine goalkeeper Kevin Ray Mendoza.
In the 42nd minute, the visitors earned a penalty after Jesper Nyholm fouled Ehson Panshanbe inside the box and Parvivdzhon Umarbaev took care of business to score the go-ahead.
The Filipinos then launched waves of attacks in the second half and their persistence was rewarded with Mr. Kristensen latching on to the looseball off a long punt forward by Mr. Mendoza to knot it up.
“We tried our best and the players made a big effort,” said Spaniard Carles Cuadrat, who had his coaching debut for the Philippines a few weeks after the departure of his former boss, Albert Capellas.
“We put all the forwards that we have on the bench to try to get the result but in the end, the small details didn’t allow us to get the three points. But still, we got one point and we will try to keep going with the team’s target of qualifying for the next Asian Cup,” he said.
The Philippines will next face Timor Leste on the road in a still to be determined venue on Oct. 9. The Timorese are on three points on the strength of their 1-0 win over Maldives in Darwin. — Olmin Leyba
