Azkals bow out after blowout loss

The Philippines absorbed a sound beating from Thailand, 0-3, that ended its hopes of reaching the semifinals of the AFF Under-22 Championship at National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Two goals in the first half and another strike in the second  were enough for the Thais to dispatch the Filipinos and grab their second victory in the eight-nation tournament.

With Vietnam thumping Timor Leste, 4-0, in the other Group A match, both the Thais and the Vietnamese have already secured progression to the next round regardless of the result of their showdown on Thursday.

The Azkals’ best chance came at the hour mark when Mark Winhoffer, who plays for Yale University in the United States, struck the crossbar with a free kick.

“Thailand gave us a tough game as we had expected, but we tried hard especially in the second half and I thought we came really close,” said Philippines captain Dimitri Limbo, who is part of English League One side Sunderland AFC.

The Philippines’ final assignment will be against fellow winless side Timor Leste on Thursday.