The national men’s football team boosted its semifinal drive following a stunning 4-1 comeback victory over Laos in the ASEAN Championship last Saturday at the National Stadium in the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

National coach Carles Cuadrat said Laos being reduced to 10 men after Phetdavanh Somsanid was shown a red card in the 14th minute gave them the advantage they needed to claim their first win in the group stage following a crushing 1-4 setback to Myanmar last Tuesday.

With the victory, the Philippines now sits in fourth spot of Group B with one win and one loss for a goal difference of zero.

“I am pleased that the players were able to reverse the situation following our discussion at half-time. They understood what we needed to do differently during the second half, and we scored very quickly after the restart,” said Cuadrat, whose team quickly took advantage of Laos’ depleted roster.

“Of course, Laos being reduced to 10 players worked in our favor. We had more space, while their players began to tire. I thought we produced a second-half performance that allowed us to secure the three points.”

The Philippines found the back of the net four times in the second half, with Javier Lucero scoring the equalizer in the 47th minute, Viengxay Sydavong conceding an own goal in the 52nd minute, Jarvey Gayoso converting a penalty in the 60th minute, and Daisuke Sato adding a header in the 88th minute.

For Cuadrat, the victory also gave the team momentum heading into its home match against Thailand on Tuesday at the New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac.

“Most importantly, I am happy that we changed our fortunes. Until this match, we had been very unfortunate during several important moments,” the Spanish mentor said.

“The victory is a good reward for the squad, and we must now focus on our next match, which is only three days away.”

The Philippines needs to win its last two Group B matches to secure a spot in the semifinals.

But it will be easier said than done, as Thailand is coming off a 2-0 victory over Malaysia at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok last Saturday.

The Nationals will also have to face Malaysia on 8 August at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium, where they will have to find a way to stop Paulo Josue, who has scored three goals in the tournament.

“Despite those challenges, we assembled the strongest squad available, and we are incredibly proud of every player who answered the call to represent the country,” Philippine Football Federation president John Gutierrez said.

“We believe in the team, and we support them 100 percent — win or lose. They have our full confidence because we know the commitment, sacrifice, and pride they bring every time they play for our country.”