Filipinas eliminated from ASEAN Serenity Cup title race

The Filipinas were officially dethroned as ASEAN MSIG Serenity Cup champions after a 1-1 draw with Myanmar on Wednesday night, August 13, ending their bid to reach the semifinals.

The defending champions needed a two-goal win to reach the semifinals, but the draw ended their campaign and officially dethroned them. 

Myanmar topped Group B with seven points (two wins and a draw) and will face Thailand, the Group A runner-up, in the semifinals.

Australia U23 also advanced after a dominant 9-0 win over Timor-Leste, finishing second in Group B with six points—including a 1-0 victory against the Philippines last Sunday. 

The Young Matildas will meet Group A leader Vietnam as a new ASEAN champion will be crowned this year.

Myanmar’s Win Theingi Tun opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 33rd minute, after drawing a foul from Filipinas goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel. 

Nina Mathelus gave the Philippines hope with a second-half equalizer, but the Filipinas couldn’t break through again. 

They had opened the tournament with a commanding 7-0 win over Timor-Leste, only to falter with a narrow 1-0 loss to Australia in their second match.

This marks the first time since 2018 that the Filipinas failed to reach the semifinals of the regional tournament.

Torcaso fielded a squad with seven new faces, but key players like Sarina Bolden (injury), Angie Beard, Jaclyn Sawicki, and Sara Eggesvik were unavailable due to club duties. The tournament fell outside the FIFA international window, meaning clubs were not obligated to release players.

Joining Myanmar and Australia in the semifinals are Thailand and host Vietnam. A new ASEAN champion will be crowned this year.