The Philippine U22 men’s football team remains in uncharted territory at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, with a historic podium finish still within reach despite a painful semifinal setback.

After seeing its gold-medal bid end in a 0-2 loss to Vietnam, the squad regrouped quickly, setting its sights on the bronze-medal match as a chance to rewrite national football history.

The bronze-medal match is set for Thursday at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, with kickoff scheduled at 3:30 p.m. local time, or 4:30 p.m. in Manila.

Resilience after heartbreak

Head coach Garrath McPherson expressed confidence that his players will respond positively after the emotional semifinal defeat, pointing to their commitment and pride in representing the country.

McPherson said the team’s shared values and strong bonds have fueled his belief that the players will rise to the occasion and finish the campaign with a medal.

A chance to surpass history

This marks only the second time since 1991 that the Philippines has remained in contention on the final day of the men’s football tournament at the SEA Games.

The previous best finish came 34 years ago with a fourth-place result, and the current squad has a chance to surpass that mark regardless of the outcome.

At minimum, the team is assured of improving on its eighth-place finish in the previous edition of the Games held in Cambodia.