It is very difficult for us to understand what happened. But that’s football

They came up big, but they still lost the war.

What happened to the Philippine men’s football team was nothing but a tragic and forgettable experience after it bombed out of the competition despite posting a commanding 6-1 win over Timor-Leste in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games late Wednesday at the Biñan Football Stadium.

The difference between winning and fading into oblivion was razor-thin.

Despite an identical 2-1-1 standing in Group A, the Cambodians still edged the Azkals for the last semifinal spot due to their with a superior +6 quotient as compared to the +5 quotient of the home team.

Azkals captain Stephan Schrock couldn’t put into words how they feel.

“It is very difficult for us to understand what happened. But that’s football,” said Schrock, who served as one of the two over-aged players of the Azkals.

The Filipino-German striker said it was both frustrating and disheartening.

“It was tough for us to go on after 6-1, but still lost a slot in the semifinals. All the boys were down,” he said.

The Azkals came in with sky-high expectations.

They kicked off their campaign flat by saving a 1-1 draw against Cambodia with Dennis Chung’s 95th minute equalizer.

Their hopes for medal finish further dimmed when Myanmar handed them their first lost via 2-1 decision.

Azkals proved their composure as they stood their ground and pulled a 1-0 upset against the 2017 runners-up Malaysia, their first win over the Malaysians since the 1991 SEA Games in Manila.

With that, hopes were high for the Azkals to advance.

But head coach Goran Milejovic sees no reason to be sad, as he saw his team took all the bullets and wounds of defeat.

“I told them, they have already done what they can do and they’re heroes for me,” the Serbian mentor said.

“We just have small things to fix for the big future and next time I’m sure we’ll be more lucky.”

Schrock said the pain from their defeat would soon fade away, but the lessons they learned and the experience they gained would be etched in the hearts of his young teammates for the rest of their lives.

“We can be very happy for the next generation of the Azkals, just give them time and opportunity,” he said.