MANILA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines men's Olympic football team suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat against Myanmar in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games football tournament group stage here on Wednesday.
Aung Kaung Mann put Myanmar on the board first with a fantastic finish in the 16th minute from Myat Kaung Khant's assist, before 19-year-old Filipino Justin Baas equalized in the 45th minute by unleashing a volley from inside the penalty area.
The hosts, led by senior national team captain Stephan Schrock, once again found themselves coming within inches of finding the net in the second half, but couldn't convert their chances, while the visitors took the lead again through Win Naing Tun in the 79th minute.
The Philippines kept pressing and had one more chance at the death from Schrock's free-kick, but his attempt went straight into the arms of the Myanmar goalkeeper.
"We played excellent in the second half. We had many chances and kept the ball," said the hosts' coach Goran Milojevic, who is also the head coach of the Philippines senior men's national football team.
"Myanmar used one counter-attack and scored. It's not nice to lose that way but we must look forward to the next match," he added.
After the heartbreaking loss, the hosts now sit fourth in Group A with one draw and one defeat.
In the group's other game on Wednesday, Cambodia hammered Timor-Leste 5-0. Malaysia, who did not play today, are the other team in Group A.
Group B is composed of Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, Vietnam and three-time defending champion Thailand.
After every team has played every other team in their respective group, the top two teams in each group will progress to the tournament's semifinal stage, with rules permitting all 11 competing teams to field two players older than 22.
