ROY MOORE, GMA News
The Philippine Azkals jumped eight places based on the latest FIFA world rankings released on Wednesday.
The Azkals, behind a 4-0 win over Nepal in a friendly last week and their surprising second-place finish in the 2011 Long Teng Cup, climbed from 166th to 158th in the world.
The Azkals showed great improvement as they went unbeaten in the 2011 Long Teng Cup and ended their season with a pair of friendly matches—a 2-0 loss to Singapore and a victory against Nepal, which dropped nine places to 144th.
FIFA rankings take into account the previous four years of international football; taking 20 percent of a side’s points in 2008, 30 from 2009, 50 from 2010 and 100 in 2011 to calculate its total score to compare against other nations.
Based on the above formula, the Philippines now have 127 points as the Azkals jump past teams such as Mongolia, whom they have beaten 3-2 on aggregate to qualify for the Challenge Cup Qualifying Group Stage; Palestine, whom they held to a scoreless draw in that stage; as well as nations such as India, the Maldives and Nicaragua.
The Michael Weiss-mentored squad also placed 29th in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), just behind two-time Long Teng Cup champion Hong Kong, a team that they held to a 3-3 draw in the 2011 tournament.
The Azkals are also the most improved footballing nation in the world based on the latest football ELO ratings, FIFA ranking’s competitor.
Spain retains its number one spot in the world winning all eight of their Euro 2012 qualifying games to qualify for the main tournament next year.
As the reigning Euro Cup and World Cup champions they continue to dominate other countries through their possession play and famed tiki-taka brand of football, which uses quick, short passes to break down the defensive line with movement and pace.
The Philippines have been adopting some aspects of this style in recent games, showing good movement off the ball and shorter passes in contrast with their previous long-ball strategy and defensive “parking the bus" style.
The Netherlands and Germany occupy second and third place while Uruguay and Brazil completing the top five. Unsurprisingly, the top 10 nations are still all from either South America or Europe.
Greece, surprisingly after suffering from severe economic problems, has made the top 10 this time at eighth in the world. It seems that this archipelago still continues to punch above its weight in the football world, something the Philippines will hope to rival in the future.
Bermuda was the top gainer climbing 57 spots from 187th to 132nd. Cyprus, Moldova and Bolivia share the less honorable prize for the worst movers as all three nations dropped 34 four places down the rankings.
It is rare for teams to climb or drop so many places and so the Azkals are hoping to be consistent going into next year’s Challenge Cup and Suzuki Cup. With a good showing throughout they can be expected to keep climbing the rankings and begin to earn a place as not only one of South East Asia’s elite but rivaling the Asian powerhouses.
This year may be over for the Senior team but the Azkals Under-23 team will be in action in the SEA Games, from November 3.
The Philippines is drawn in Group B alongside Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, Timor Leste and Myanmar.
Confident of being able to compete well, their stiffest tests will come against Vietnam and Myanmar.
If the Philippines can repeat their heroics last year, however, when they beat Vietnam 1-0 in the 2010 Suzuki Cup and even improve on their 1-1 draw with Myanmar, who hosted the Challenge Cup’s group stages, the team has a great shot at winning a medal.
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