BANGKOK --- Just three months ago, there was a ray of light over the Philippines campaign in the Asean Football Championships.

With a top-notch striker and a powerful defender at the helm, the Filipinos, backed by the Negrense crowd, produced a swashbuckling three-game winning streak in the qualifying stage at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

But the once promising bid has turned into a nightmare here.

The signs came as early as Dec. 26 when top scorer Phil Younghusband decided not to suit up for the national team after skillfully scoring six goals in qualifying.

The misfortunes continued Friday when the national booters lost to Malaysia, 4-0, in their first Group A match, where captain Aly Borromeo suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the tournament.

Last night, it was the Thais' turn to whip the Filipinos, 4-0, but coach Aris Caslib has something to build upon, after his team's impressive play early in the second half before a huge crowd at the Suphachalasai Stadium. The loss sent the Filipino booters out of contention in the eight-nation event.

EARLY CHANCES

The Filipinos had gone into the match hoping to get maximum points to capitalize on the draw between Myanmar and Malaysia but it was the hosts who signaled their intent early on with Suchao Nutnum barely missing from just outside the box after Datsakorn Thonglao's intelligent through ball on six minutes.

Two minutes later, the Filipinos went close to taking the lead when James Younghusband was brought down from 30 yards out. But Anton del Rosario, who scored from a similar distance in a 4-1 win over Brunei in the qualifiers in Bacolod, was unable to reproduce his form and his shot just sailed inches high of the Thai goal.

After a period of sustained pressure that saw Phil Greatwich getting robbed of the ball at a very dangerous area, the Thais finally got their noses in front on the 15th minute with a close-range strike from Sirayoot Chikamdee, who latched on a great ball from Sutee Sumsokit.

The pattern of Thai dominance continued thereafter and in the 19th minute, they almost doubled the advantage against the run of play as Pipat Thonkanya's cross was parried by Michael Casas, before Emelio Caligdong shot straight into the hands of Kosin Hathairattanakul a minute later. But Thailand was not to be denied from making it 2-0 in the 21st minute. Another brilliant through ball from Datsakorn found an on-rushing Pipat, who easily beat Casas with a half-volley from 12-yards.

The goal appeared to have taken the fight out of the Filipinos and another Thai foray three minutes later saw Sumsokit's shot spilled by Casas, who recovered the ball just in time infront of a bunch of Thai players.

CHIMKADEE DOUBLE

It was 3-0 in the 27th minute with Phonkanya and Chimkadee linking up well. Phonkanya provided the cross with Chikamde heading the ball from close range and a clumsy challenge by Caligdong on Sukha merited a penalty on 37 minutes.

Chikamdee, however, was to be denied of a hat-trick after his spot kick hit the wrong side of the post, sparing the Filipinos from further humiliation.

GREATWICH'S FLAIR

Six minutes into second half, Chris Greatwich tested Kosin with a low-drive from 15 yards after a smart dummy with Alvin Valeroso, who replaced the ineffective Dan Padernal in the starting 11. Greatwich almost averted a shutout when Valeroso was fouled from 20 yards, but the newly-appointed skipper rifled his curling shot just wide. Greatwich was becoming a handful for the Thai defense and he came close from pulling a goal back in the 61st minute with a header off Anton del Rosario's cross but Kosin was up to the task once again.

TEAM MENTALITY

A period of lackluster defending took the momentum away from the Filipinos and the Thais sealed the rout five minutes from time through substitute Natthapong Samana, who scored on the rebound.

"We lost track of our game plan after the first goal. We were actually on equal footing with the Thais in the first 15 minutes of the match," national coach Aris Caslib said. "But the mentality of the team is really not at par with the Thais and in the final 10 minutes, they simply overpowered us". *CPT

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