MANILA — The Philippine Men’s National Football Team delivered an explosive offensive display to launch its 2026 PFF Tri-Nations Friendlies campaign, dismantling Guam, 5-1, on Wednesday night at Rizal Memorial Stadium and sending an early warning to tournament rival Myanmar.
Powered by a brace from Andre Leipold and a goal-and-assist performance from Jarvey Gayoso, the Filipinos overwhelmed Guam from the opening whistle before 2,243 spectators, showcasing the attacking depth and cohesion of the national side.
The Philippines seized control early as debutant midfielder Cole Mrowka made an immediate impact, scoring in the sixth minute to give the hosts a quick 1-0 lead.
Gayoso doubled the advantage in the 18th minute after pouncing on a rebound from an initial save by Guam goalkeeper Josiah Jones. The goal was the fifth international strike for the former Ateneo standout.
The Filipinos continued to dominate possession and dictate the tempo throughout the first half. Defender Santi Rublico added another goal in the 44th minute, putting the home side firmly in command with a 3-0 lead heading into the halftime break.
Guam briefly threatened to gain momentum in the second half when Levi Berg capitalized on an error by Philippine goalkeeper Quincy Kammeraad in the 61st minute to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Any hopes of a Guam comeback were quickly dashed.
Just two minutes later, Gayoso delivered a well-timed setup for Leipold, who scored his first goal in national team colors in the 63rd minute to restore the Philippines’ three-goal cushion.
Leipold completed his brace in stoppage time, capping a dominant performance by the Filipino attack and sealing the emphatic 5-1 victory.
The win gives the Philippines an ideal start in the three-nation tournament and builds momentum ahead of its highly anticipated showdown against Myanmar on Tuesday at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Guam, meanwhile, will seek to bounce back when it takes on Myanmar in its next assignment./PN
