A 2-2 draw with Tajikistan late Tuesday in the AFC Asian Qualifiers on home soil has convinced Philippine national men’s football team head coach Carlos Cuadrat that they are on the right track.

Performing at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, the Filipinos managed to hold their foes to a standoff.

Cuadrat said he was proud of the players’ effort despite almost all of them not being in total game shape after their stints in their respective clubs.

It was a physical match between both sides as 15 yellow cards, eight for the Nationals and seven for the Crowns, were handed out.

“They didn’t allow us to get the three points, but still, we have one and we will try to win the competition and keep going,” said Cuadrat, who replaced former head coach Albert Capellas recently.

“They did their best to get the result. Before the game, we knew that it was going to be a difficult game. But I think the players put a lot of heart into the game. They did a good job.”

The Philippines and Tajikistan both sport identical 1-1-0 win-draw-loss records in Group A.

To take the lone Asian Cup slot in the group, the Nationals now need to win their remaining games to avoid any complications.