Phil Younghusband Tops 3 scorer just behind Nessi and Huntelaar

Phil Younghusband Tops 3 scorer just behind Nessi and Huntelaar. 

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) website listed Younghusband as 3rd on the list of top goal scorers of 2012, behind two-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi and FC Schalke 04 striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of the Netherlands.

During the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup Phil scored two goals against 2008 champion India in a 2–0 win, making it the first win by the Philippines against India ever. Younghusband scored again in a match against former champions Tajikistan that ended 2-1 to the Philippines, enabling the country to reach the semi-finals for the first time. The Philippines were matched against 2010 runners-up Turkmenistan in the semi-finals.

Younghusband opened the scoring early on, but Turkmenistan eventually struck back twice, winning the match 2-1. Because of this, the Philippines were relegated to a battle for third place against Palestine. The match eventually ended in a 4-3 win for them with two goals from Phil Younghusband. He eventually won the golden boot award after scoring 6 goals in the whole tournament. The third place finish marked the best achievement for the Philippines since the years of the Far Eastern Games.