The Philippine men’s football team is turning its ASEAN Championship heartbreak into fuel as it braces for a tough campaign in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president John Gutierrez said the failure to reach the semifinals of the ASEAN Championship will give the young Nationals the hunger and motivation to make their presence felt in the quadrennial continental meet.

The Philippines finished with a 1-0-3 win-draw-loss record in the group stage, falling short of advancing despite fielding a squad largely composed of players expected to carry the country’s Asian Games bid.

“Well, the U23, essentially, their preparation was the Hyundai Cup because that's what we're going to send. As you can see, the players there are all young,” Gutierrez said.

“But again, this is the strong team that we brought to the SEA Games. It was just a bad break, but that team was the first-ever U23 team to make it to the semifinals.”

Several players, including Santi Rublico, Gani Muens and John Lucero, were part of both the Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN Championship squads, giving the Nationals a level of familiarity Gutierrez believes could prove crucial in Nagoya.