Nerisa Almo - Philippine Entertainment Portal
The Philippine Azkals may have lost their chance to compete in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but they will continue representing the country in the international football scene.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) was able to talk to some of the members of the national football team during the store opening of Health and Beyond at the Rockwell Powerplant Mall in Makati City last Friday, July 29.
Defender Anton del Rosario said that while the result of their second match against Kuwait Al-Azraq was disappointing, he acknowledged that "Kuwait is a great team. They are more than 50 places above us and have more experience. They've all been playing for a long time and they're all playing professionally."
He would also like to think of their defeat as an inspiration for the team to improve.
Anton told PEP, "Football just started here in the country. So, I mean, we gotta take baby steps, you know. Things just don't happen overnight.
"So, you know, that's what we're working on. We're working towards being like a Kuwait team or being better than the Kuwait team."
Another defender Rob Gier agreed, "I really think there's a lot of things to improve on. But we're taking steps towards the right direction now."
Midfielder Simon Greatwich, on the other hand, thinks this is just one of the challenges for the team.
He said, "I guess we can't dwell on it and we have to pick up for the next game.
"We know it's tough to bring it back, but we know that we could definitely still do it."
Fellow midfielder Nate Burkey also wanted to stress that despite what happened last Thursday, there were still a lot of things about the team their supporters could be proud of.
He said: "It's still a disappointment. It's a lost and, you know, we're out of the World Cup qualifying game. But, you know, we have to keep our head high because it's our biggest accomplishment."
Defender Jason Sabio, who came to the store opening to support his teammates, also said, "We fought hard. Kuwait's on the good side. But, you know, we have much, much improved from seven or eight months ago.
"I think we've grown more than what we've expected.
"It's a learning experience. Now we know what we need to work on and, you know, what we should improve on to get ready for the upcoming tournament."
The members of PHL Azkals are set to go on vacation for a month before they resume training. The team will prepare for the annual Long Teng Cup in Taiwan in late September.
ON THE CONTROVERSY. Meanwhile, PEP also took the chance to ask three of the four members of PHL Azkals whose names were dragged in a recent controversy.
It will be recalled that Anton, Simon, Jason, and goalkeeper Neil Etheridge were linked in an alleged gang rape case. The supposed victim was female model Amanda Coling, who claimed her career has been affected by the issue.
After the Azkals' disappointing match against Kuwait, some believe the issue could have affected the performance of the team.
However, Anton does not think so. He told PEP, "I mean, we're all professionals, we're all focused on the game, that's all that matters.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Azkals give fans a beautiful game
By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - However stronger and competitive they have become the past six months, the mission of posting a king-size upset over 10-time Gulf Kuwait last night might have been too much of a “miracle” to ask for the Azkals.
“Less than a year ago, we were playing Hong Kong’s Under-23 squad and we lost 4-2. I think from that time up to now, we have faced a lot of countries and we saw the growth of the team, how the team has been strengthened by a new system and new players,” said Azkals team manager Dan Palami.
“I think it was too much of a miracle, I supposed, that we’re asking. But it’s a miracle all the same because we dished off a good performance and we posed problems to a strong nation like Kuwait,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malacañang lauded yesterday the bravery of the Azkals, confident that while the country’s football team lost to Kuwait, they would be able to “bounce back” in the future.
“We congratulate them on the heart and the bravery that our team showed. They really showed the world that we have the capability to excel in this field. And we know that this will not be the end for them,” deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
“This may be the end of the campaign for this year but certainly, we know and we are confident that our team will bounce back,” she added. “Let’s just continue to throw our support to our athletes, not just with the Azkals, but all of our Filipino athletes who have been working very hard to win and give pride and honor to our country.”
The Azkals (162nd in the world) came close to pulling one over the No. 95 Al Azraq when they seized a 1-0 lead halfway through the second match of their 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
But the highly regarded Kuwaitis, playing one-man down, bullied their way around in the final 45 minutes to prick the Filipinos’ bubble, 2-1. Counting their 3-0 triumph in the first leg, Al Azraq won the series on aggregate, 5-1, for a third-round berth.
“I think we were more compact today, except when you play a team like Kuwait that’s really world-class, you really get to pay for your mistakes. On the few occasions that we had those mistakes, they took advantage of it and scored a goal, whereas when we had the opportunity, we missed those chances,” Palami said.
After this campaign, the Azkals still have new grounds to break in future tournaments, including the AFC Challenge Cup in 2012 and the next World Cup qualifiers in 2015.
“2018 World Cup – that has also been goal, to be able to get into that final round. Slowly, we have to get there, slowly we have to rebuild the team, but it will take a while,” Palami said.
“You can see the difference (in Kuwait match). I mean, if you combine all the caps of Aly (Borromeo) and the rest of our players, it won’t be enough compared to one Kuwait player who has more than 100 caps. But we’ll get there, slowly but for as long as the steps are taken towards the right direction,” he added.
Even coach Michael Weiss sees a bright prospect for his developing side.
“We’ll go better places. In a few years maybe we’ll beat Kuwait,” he said before he called it a night.
Notes: The scene was surreal that Palami and his brave band came too close to tears when they did their walk-through around the Rizal Stadium oval Thursday night. “Marami sa amin ang naiiyak (Most of us were teary-eyed). Maybe people might have thought this was because we lost but no, it was mixed emotion. Despite the setback, fans continued to show their love for the team. This is what I love about football, for as long as the fans see you’re giving it all you have, fighting and hoping to make a difference until the last whistle, they’ll be behind you,” Palami said.
MANILA, Philippines - However stronger and competitive they have become the past six months, the mission of posting a king-size upset over 10-time Gulf Kuwait last night might have been too much of a “miracle” to ask for the Azkals.
“Less than a year ago, we were playing Hong Kong’s Under-23 squad and we lost 4-2. I think from that time up to now, we have faced a lot of countries and we saw the growth of the team, how the team has been strengthened by a new system and new players,” said Azkals team manager Dan Palami.
“I think it was too much of a miracle, I supposed, that we’re asking. But it’s a miracle all the same because we dished off a good performance and we posed problems to a strong nation like Kuwait,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malacañang lauded yesterday the bravery of the Azkals, confident that while the country’s football team lost to Kuwait, they would be able to “bounce back” in the future.
“We congratulate them on the heart and the bravery that our team showed. They really showed the world that we have the capability to excel in this field. And we know that this will not be the end for them,” deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
“This may be the end of the campaign for this year but certainly, we know and we are confident that our team will bounce back,” she added. “Let’s just continue to throw our support to our athletes, not just with the Azkals, but all of our Filipino athletes who have been working very hard to win and give pride and honor to our country.”
The Azkals (162nd in the world) came close to pulling one over the No. 95 Al Azraq when they seized a 1-0 lead halfway through the second match of their 2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
But the highly regarded Kuwaitis, playing one-man down, bullied their way around in the final 45 minutes to prick the Filipinos’ bubble, 2-1. Counting their 3-0 triumph in the first leg, Al Azraq won the series on aggregate, 5-1, for a third-round berth.
“I think we were more compact today, except when you play a team like Kuwait that’s really world-class, you really get to pay for your mistakes. On the few occasions that we had those mistakes, they took advantage of it and scored a goal, whereas when we had the opportunity, we missed those chances,” Palami said.
After this campaign, the Azkals still have new grounds to break in future tournaments, including the AFC Challenge Cup in 2012 and the next World Cup qualifiers in 2015.
“2018 World Cup – that has also been goal, to be able to get into that final round. Slowly, we have to get there, slowly we have to rebuild the team, but it will take a while,” Palami said.
“You can see the difference (in Kuwait match). I mean, if you combine all the caps of Aly (Borromeo) and the rest of our players, it won’t be enough compared to one Kuwait player who has more than 100 caps. But we’ll get there, slowly but for as long as the steps are taken towards the right direction,” he added.
Even coach Michael Weiss sees a bright prospect for his developing side.
“We’ll go better places. In a few years maybe we’ll beat Kuwait,” he said before he called it a night.
Notes: The scene was surreal that Palami and his brave band came too close to tears when they did their walk-through around the Rizal Stadium oval Thursday night. “Marami sa amin ang naiiyak (Most of us were teary-eyed). Maybe people might have thought this was because we lost but no, it was mixed emotion. Despite the setback, fans continued to show their love for the team. This is what I love about football, for as long as the fans see you’re giving it all you have, fighting and hoping to make a difference until the last whistle, they’ll be behind you,” Palami said.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Janeo: Azkals need long-term preparation
By Jerome S. Galunan Jr. - Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper
THE 2-1 setback suffered by the Philippine Men’s Football National Team-Azkals last Thursday night and the 3-nil upset on an away game last Saturday in the hands of the much stronger Kuwait-Al Azraq squad only justified that the nationals are less prepared in the bid for the 2014 World Cup.
For a team with players playing together in less than a year, expectation should not be that high, compared to a squad that has bonded for several years. This was clearly seen during the match between the Azkals and Azraq.
The lack of familiarization among the Azkals has caused the squad’s numerous unsuccessful run during the match.
These were the observations of PFF-Suzuki U23 National Cup champion Negros-Ceres Team assistant coach Ramon Janeo.
He said that the Azkals lacked communication during the match.
“Hindi nila masyado kilala ang isa’t isa. Ito marahil ay dahil sa maiksing panahon sa pagbuo ng team,” Janeo theorized.
“So dapat ang gawin ng Philippine Football Federation is to plan a long term team preparation. Hindi ‘yong isang buwan na lang ang game o tournament, doon pa lang tayo mag-start sa pagbuo ng team,” Janeo stressed.
But Janeo commended the efforts of the Azkals during the Thursday match. “With regard to the team’s performance, ok naman kahit natalo because they played hard together,” he said.
On the other hand, Azkals media officer Rick Olivares disclosed that national team head coach Michael Weiss admitted during the post-game press conference that they have given Kuwait lots of space to score. Likewise, they were also concerned with Kuwait’s speed all series long.
Olivares further shared Weiss’ notes that if Phil Younghusband scored early and if Angel Guirado nailed that header, that would have been a very big boost. But they were unable to finish properly.
However, if Weiss was sparing in his praise, Kuwait was more effusive, Olivares said.
He reiterated that Kuwati forward Hamad Al-Enezi said that if the Azkals keep what they are doing, the Filipinos will be an Asian power in two or maybe four years. He said that the Azkals have the skills and the players and only need to keep them together.
The media officer also added that Kuwait coach Goran Tefugdzic admitted that it was a challenge playing the Philippines, adding, that the nationals gave them trouble in both Legs but their experience brought them to victory.
As of the moment, the focus of the national team will be the Under-23 squad which will compete in the Southeast Asian Games this coming November in Indonesia and the next phase of the AFC Challenge Cup.
THE 2-1 setback suffered by the Philippine Men’s Football National Team-Azkals last Thursday night and the 3-nil upset on an away game last Saturday in the hands of the much stronger Kuwait-Al Azraq squad only justified that the nationals are less prepared in the bid for the 2014 World Cup.
For a team with players playing together in less than a year, expectation should not be that high, compared to a squad that has bonded for several years. This was clearly seen during the match between the Azkals and Azraq.
The lack of familiarization among the Azkals has caused the squad’s numerous unsuccessful run during the match.
These were the observations of PFF-Suzuki U23 National Cup champion Negros-Ceres Team assistant coach Ramon Janeo.
He said that the Azkals lacked communication during the match.
“Hindi nila masyado kilala ang isa’t isa. Ito marahil ay dahil sa maiksing panahon sa pagbuo ng team,” Janeo theorized.
“So dapat ang gawin ng Philippine Football Federation is to plan a long term team preparation. Hindi ‘yong isang buwan na lang ang game o tournament, doon pa lang tayo mag-start sa pagbuo ng team,” Janeo stressed.
But Janeo commended the efforts of the Azkals during the Thursday match. “With regard to the team’s performance, ok naman kahit natalo because they played hard together,” he said.
On the other hand, Azkals media officer Rick Olivares disclosed that national team head coach Michael Weiss admitted during the post-game press conference that they have given Kuwait lots of space to score. Likewise, they were also concerned with Kuwait’s speed all series long.
Olivares further shared Weiss’ notes that if Phil Younghusband scored early and if Angel Guirado nailed that header, that would have been a very big boost. But they were unable to finish properly.
However, if Weiss was sparing in his praise, Kuwait was more effusive, Olivares said.
He reiterated that Kuwati forward Hamad Al-Enezi said that if the Azkals keep what they are doing, the Filipinos will be an Asian power in two or maybe four years. He said that the Azkals have the skills and the players and only need to keep them together.
The media officer also added that Kuwait coach Goran Tefugdzic admitted that it was a challenge playing the Philippines, adding, that the nationals gave them trouble in both Legs but their experience brought them to victory.
As of the moment, the focus of the national team will be the Under-23 squad which will compete in the Southeast Asian Games this coming November in Indonesia and the next phase of the AFC Challenge Cup.
Azkals' Weiss blasts critics
by Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine football team coach Hans Michael Weiss can only shake his head at critics who are disappointed with his coaching style.
Weiss, who appeared with Azkals team manager Dan Palami on ANC’s The Rundown on Friday, said he’s already heard an earful about the way he handled the team during its games against Kuwait.
“To be honest, I can’t hear that question anymore,” he replied when asked about his refusal to substitute players during the Kuwait match.
Weiss said that as a coach, he knows what his players are capable of.
“We have the players together for a long, long time, so I know exactly the level of the player, I know exactly when to make substitutions and when not,” he said.
Weiss said that what pains him about the critics’ comments is that they didn’t really know what’s going on during their preparations against Kuwait.
“[The boys underwent] 6 months of very intensive, travelling, all these things for the boys very demanding mentally, physically... the people who make these comments, they don't know what's going on in the training,” said the football coach.
“In the end, if really, things will turn out to be wrong, this is the man who makes the decisions (he refers to Palami). Maybe he can put these experts in,” said Weiss.
MANILA, Philippines – Philippine football team coach Hans Michael Weiss can only shake his head at critics who are disappointed with his coaching style.
Weiss, who appeared with Azkals team manager Dan Palami on ANC’s The Rundown on Friday, said he’s already heard an earful about the way he handled the team during its games against Kuwait.
“To be honest, I can’t hear that question anymore,” he replied when asked about his refusal to substitute players during the Kuwait match.
Weiss said that as a coach, he knows what his players are capable of.
“We have the players together for a long, long time, so I know exactly the level of the player, I know exactly when to make substitutions and when not,” he said.
Weiss said that what pains him about the critics’ comments is that they didn’t really know what’s going on during their preparations against Kuwait.
“[The boys underwent] 6 months of very intensive, travelling, all these things for the boys very demanding mentally, physically... the people who make these comments, they don't know what's going on in the training,” said the football coach.
“In the end, if really, things will turn out to be wrong, this is the man who makes the decisions (he refers to Palami). Maybe he can put these experts in,” said Weiss.
Five reasons to be proud you’re an Azkals fan
Text and photos by MAV C. GONZALES - OMG, GMA News
By this time, you would have already read countless tweets and articles and Facebook status updates on the Azkals’ 1-5 loss to Kuwait. This article is not meant to chronicle their last World Cup qualifier. Since the team needed five more goals to have won this series, here’s five reasons to be proud – or at least amused – that you are an Azkals supporter.
Soaked and stuck in traffic? No problem.
Regardless of long ticket lines, jam-packed parking lots, non-stop rains and bumper-to-bumper traffic, thousands of fans still came out to support the Philippine team.
The game was supposed to kick off at 7pm. But as early as 5pm, fastfood chains all around Rizal Stadium were already filled with Azkal fans. And these aren’t usual fans. They were all wearing Azkal shirts; some even went as far as painting their faces and wearing wigs (yes, it didn’t matter if the paint dripped off their faces because of the rain).
With fellow supporters as die-hard as these, who wouldn’t be inspired to cheer along despite the weather?
Celebrities
This is the “maybe not proud, but maybe amusing" part – the celebrities who showed up in the historic football game.
While we expected the presence of Angel Locsin (the first to be named to the unofficial “WAGS" list by the fans), a handful of other celebrities came out to support the Philippine team.
Angel came with fellow actress Dimples Romana. Gab Valenciano and Andrew Wolff among others also watched the Azkals.
Celebrity couple Valerie Concepcion and Dondon Hontiveros, although both present in the grandstand, didn’t arrive nor did they leave at the same time.
But perhaps the biggest celebrity out there that night was Mister Philippine Showbiz himself, Piolo Pascual. He was very low-key the entire match, maybe because he wanted to be the spectator rather than the spectacle during those two hours.
Coach Weiss and the players get fired up
It’s normal in any sporting event that players, coaches and sometimes fans lose their tempers. But when you have Rob Gier pushing an opponent over a foul contention, then that shows how much the Azkals wanted to win this game.
Even the ever meek James Younghusband was going at the referee for not making calls against Kuwait. Yellow cards were slapped on both Stephan Schrock and Anton Del Rosario. A Kuwaiti player was even sent off with a red card after tripping Chieffy Caligdong and complaining about the call.
At various points of the match, you would also see Coach Michael Weiss shaking his head or shrugging his arms because he knew how much was at stake. Despite criticisms, Coach Weiss believes that he used his players and system in the best way possible. It just wasn’t their lucky night.
Schrocky’s goal
If there was one guy who had it good during the game, it would undoubtedly be Stephan Schrock who just came from a one-game suspension.
With two minutes added to the first half, Schrock scored a last-minute goal at the 47th mark. Receiving a pass from Caligdong, he went on to make the Azkals’ lone goal in this series.
The Fil-German did a fist bump as they finally got a much-needed offensive attack. And what did he get from that goal? Cheers from the fans and kisses from his teammates.
Never say die attitude
With the game about to start, it was a bit worrisome that the bleachers were only half-filled. Probably due to rains, viewers were still coming in after the halftime break.
While these latecomers missed about 75% of their tickets’ value when they missed Schrock’s goal, it was an exhilarating experience seeing everyone in high spirits despite the impending loss.
As the game was about to close – and the Philippines obviously bowing down to Kuwait – the crowd continued to chant “Azkals" and “Pilipinas" to their hearts’ content.
Just like what Coach Weiss said before, “We're gonna lose a few games once we go up higher level competition, but I hope the fans will still support us."
Coach, your team got just that tonight. And it was well-deserved.
Soaked and stuck in traffic? No problem.
Regardless of long ticket lines, jam-packed parking lots, non-stop rains and bumper-to-bumper traffic, thousands of fans still came out to support the Philippine team.
The game was supposed to kick off at 7pm. But as early as 5pm, fastfood chains all around Rizal Stadium were already filled with Azkal fans. And these aren’t usual fans. They were all wearing Azkal shirts; some even went as far as painting their faces and wearing wigs (yes, it didn’t matter if the paint dripped off their faces because of the rain).
With fellow supporters as die-hard as these, who wouldn’t be inspired to cheer along despite the weather?
Celebrities
This is the “maybe not proud, but maybe amusing" part – the celebrities who showed up in the historic football game.
While we expected the presence of Angel Locsin (the first to be named to the unofficial “WAGS" list by the fans), a handful of other celebrities came out to support the Philippine team.
Angel came with fellow actress Dimples Romana. Gab Valenciano and Andrew Wolff among others also watched the Azkals.
Celebrity couple Valerie Concepcion and Dondon Hontiveros, although both present in the grandstand, didn’t arrive nor did they leave at the same time.
But perhaps the biggest celebrity out there that night was Mister Philippine Showbiz himself, Piolo Pascual. He was very low-key the entire match, maybe because he wanted to be the spectator rather than the spectacle during those two hours.
Coach Weiss and the players get fired up
It’s normal in any sporting event that players, coaches and sometimes fans lose their tempers. But when you have Rob Gier pushing an opponent over a foul contention, then that shows how much the Azkals wanted to win this game.
Even the ever meek James Younghusband was going at the referee for not making calls against Kuwait. Yellow cards were slapped on both Stephan Schrock and Anton Del Rosario. A Kuwaiti player was even sent off with a red card after tripping Chieffy Caligdong and complaining about the call.
At various points of the match, you would also see Coach Michael Weiss shaking his head or shrugging his arms because he knew how much was at stake. Despite criticisms, Coach Weiss believes that he used his players and system in the best way possible. It just wasn’t their lucky night.
Schrocky’s goal
If there was one guy who had it good during the game, it would undoubtedly be Stephan Schrock who just came from a one-game suspension.
With two minutes added to the first half, Schrock scored a last-minute goal at the 47th mark. Receiving a pass from Caligdong, he went on to make the Azkals’ lone goal in this series.
The Fil-German did a fist bump as they finally got a much-needed offensive attack. And what did he get from that goal? Cheers from the fans and kisses from his teammates.
Never say die attitude
With the game about to start, it was a bit worrisome that the bleachers were only half-filled. Probably due to rains, viewers were still coming in after the halftime break.
While these latecomers missed about 75% of their tickets’ value when they missed Schrock’s goal, it was an exhilarating experience seeing everyone in high spirits despite the impending loss.
As the game was about to close – and the Philippines obviously bowing down to Kuwait – the crowd continued to chant “Azkals" and “Pilipinas" to their hearts’ content.
Just like what Coach Weiss said before, “We're gonna lose a few games once we go up higher level competition, but I hope the fans will still support us."
Coach, your team got just that tonight. And it was well-deserved.
Malacañang congratulates Azkals despite loss
By Angelo L. Gutierrez (philstar.com)
MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang today commended the Philippine Azkals despite losing to Kuwait in a heart-pounding game last night, ending their hope of entering the World Cup.
"We congratulate them on the heart and bravery that our Philippine team showed," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
Valte said that despite the loss, the Philippine Azkals should be commended for showing the world that Filipinos can also play competitively in football.
"We know that this will not be the end for them. This may be the end of their campaign this year, but we are confident that our team will bounce back," she said.
Valte urged Filipinos to continue supporting the Azkals despite the loss. She also courted support for other Filipino athletes, who have shown determination in their own fields of sports.
The Azkals were stopped by Kuwait's Al Azraq after a 90-minute encounter for the 2014 Fifa world Cup Asian Qualifiers Second Round at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last night.
The Azkals broke the first score of the game, but the Kuwaitis bounced back and stole a 2-1 win from the Filipinos.
Together with the 3-0 verdict they posted in Kuwait last Saturday, Al Azraq won the two-game series on goal aggregate, 5-1, to earn a berth in the third round and dash the Azkals’ World Cup hopes at least for now.
MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang today commended the Philippine Azkals despite losing to Kuwait in a heart-pounding game last night, ending their hope of entering the World Cup.
"We congratulate them on the heart and bravery that our Philippine team showed," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing in Malacañang.
Valte said that despite the loss, the Philippine Azkals should be commended for showing the world that Filipinos can also play competitively in football.
"We know that this will not be the end for them. This may be the end of their campaign this year, but we are confident that our team will bounce back," she said.
Valte urged Filipinos to continue supporting the Azkals despite the loss. She also courted support for other Filipino athletes, who have shown determination in their own fields of sports.
The Azkals were stopped by Kuwait's Al Azraq after a 90-minute encounter for the 2014 Fifa world Cup Asian Qualifiers Second Round at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last night.
The Azkals broke the first score of the game, but the Kuwaitis bounced back and stole a 2-1 win from the Filipinos.
Together with the 3-0 verdict they posted in Kuwait last Saturday, Al Azraq won the two-game series on goal aggregate, 5-1, to earn a berth in the third round and dash the Azkals’ World Cup hopes at least for now.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Valiant Azkals bow out of World Cup qualifiers
by Jojo Malig, abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals' World Cup qualifying campaign ended after losing to a 10-man Kuwaiti squad, 1-2 (1-5 on aggregate), in the second leg of their tie at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Thursday night.
The Kuwaitis, who were enjoying a 3-goal lead from the first leg, went on the attack right at the opening whistle as they funneled passes to the left wing.
The Azkals, after being pinned back for several minutes, launched counterattacks with Phil Younghusband at the receiving end of long balls.
Kuwait had 2 golden opportunities to increase their aggregate lead over the Philippines.
Two Kuwati strikes hit the upright, while another forced a flying save from Neil Etheridge.
The second-leg deadlock was broken by a stunning long-range screamer from Azkals midfielder Stephan Schrock.
The Filipino German, who missed the first leg because of suspension, connected on a thunderbolt from 30 yards that found its way past the outstreched arms of the Kuwaiti goalkeeper.
Kuwait were reduced to 10 men after Fahad Al Ebrahim was given his second yellow card for a bookable offense.
However, they quickly recovered through a long-range goal by Yousef Nasser in the 61st minute.
A breakaway run by Waleed Ali in the 83rd minute resulted in an own goal by Rob Gier.
It silenced the Azkals, who failed to capitalize on having an extra man.
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals' World Cup qualifying campaign ended after losing to a 10-man Kuwaiti squad, 1-2 (1-5 on aggregate), in the second leg of their tie at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Thursday night.
The Kuwaitis, who were enjoying a 3-goal lead from the first leg, went on the attack right at the opening whistle as they funneled passes to the left wing.
The Azkals, after being pinned back for several minutes, launched counterattacks with Phil Younghusband at the receiving end of long balls.
Kuwait had 2 golden opportunities to increase their aggregate lead over the Philippines.
Two Kuwati strikes hit the upright, while another forced a flying save from Neil Etheridge.
The second-leg deadlock was broken by a stunning long-range screamer from Azkals midfielder Stephan Schrock.
The Filipino German, who missed the first leg because of suspension, connected on a thunderbolt from 30 yards that found its way past the outstreched arms of the Kuwaiti goalkeeper.
Kuwait were reduced to 10 men after Fahad Al Ebrahim was given his second yellow card for a bookable offense.
However, they quickly recovered through a long-range goal by Yousef Nasser in the 61st minute.
A breakaway run by Waleed Ali in the 83rd minute resulted in an own goal by Rob Gier.
It silenced the Azkals, who failed to capitalize on having an extra man.
Road to World Cup ends: Azkals bow to Kuwaitis at home
By Dino Maragay (philstar.com)
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals failed to sustain the momentum of scoring the first goal as they yielded to a composed Kuwait squad, 1-2, to end their journey to the 2014 World Cup in tonight’s Asian qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Football Coliseum.
Stephan Schrock hit one home near the end of the first half to spark what was supposed to be the rallying point for the Filipinos, who trail the Kuwaitis on aggregate, 0-3, entering tonight’s second round match.
As it turned out, Schrock’s goal was the lone bright moment for the Azkals, who allowed the visitors to score two goals in the second half – the second one a result of a defensive scramble.
The Filipino booters end their series with the Gulf powerhouse losing on an 1-5 aggregate score.
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals failed to sustain the momentum of scoring the first goal as they yielded to a composed Kuwait squad, 1-2, to end their journey to the 2014 World Cup in tonight’s Asian qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Football Coliseum.
Stephan Schrock hit one home near the end of the first half to spark what was supposed to be the rallying point for the Filipinos, who trail the Kuwaitis on aggregate, 0-3, entering tonight’s second round match.
As it turned out, Schrock’s goal was the lone bright moment for the Azkals, who allowed the visitors to score two goals in the second half – the second one a result of a defensive scramble.
The Filipino booters end their series with the Gulf powerhouse losing on an 1-5 aggregate score.
Home › Sports › Azkals fans start filling up Rizal Stadium
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Football fans are starting to fill up the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila as they prepare to cheer for the Philippine Azkals when the Filipino footballers play against Kuwait Al-Azraq on Thursday night.
"Patuloy ang pagdagsa ng mga tao sa Rizal Memorial stadium at dumarating din yung mga iba't ibang grupo ng kabataan na may kanya-kanyang mga gimik para ipakita ang kanilang tulong suporta sa Philippine Football team Azkals,” reported dzMM’s Henry Atuelan.
Atuelan said most of the Azkals die hard fans arriving at the stadium were wearing white shirt and face paint.
Some fans even brought Philippine flags which will be waved when the game kicks off at 7 p.m.
Members of the Azkals support group, Kaholeros, also brought along drums which will be used in cheering the Philippine football team.
Organizers are expecting thousands of Filipinos to occupy the historic stadium, where the Azkals defeated the Sri Lanka Brave Reds early this month.
Almost 13,000 fans crammed Rizal Memorial Stadium during that game that saw the Azkals beating Sri Lanka, 4-0.
Heavy traffic
DzMM’s Dexter Ganibe, meanwhile, reported that vehicular traffic around the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is getting heavy.
He said the Manila Police District (MPD) Traffic Division is urging Azkals fans not to take the P. Ocampo and Adriatico Streets because of traffic congestion.
“Sinabi ni Chief Inspector Reynaldo Nava, hepe ng traffic division, na may paradahan sa Harrison Plaza at kapag napuno na ito ay sa bisinidad na ng Cultural Center of the Philippines na maaring i-park yung kanilang sasakyan at maglakad na lamang patungo dito sa Rizal Memorial Stadium,” said Ganibe.
Traffic flow in F.B. Harrison St. and Roxas Boulevard service road is now being affected by the congestion around the sports complex.
MANILA, Philippines – Football fans are starting to fill up the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila as they prepare to cheer for the Philippine Azkals when the Filipino footballers play against Kuwait Al-Azraq on Thursday night.
"Patuloy ang pagdagsa ng mga tao sa Rizal Memorial stadium at dumarating din yung mga iba't ibang grupo ng kabataan na may kanya-kanyang mga gimik para ipakita ang kanilang tulong suporta sa Philippine Football team Azkals,” reported dzMM’s Henry Atuelan.
Atuelan said most of the Azkals die hard fans arriving at the stadium were wearing white shirt and face paint.
Some fans even brought Philippine flags which will be waved when the game kicks off at 7 p.m.
Members of the Azkals support group, Kaholeros, also brought along drums which will be used in cheering the Philippine football team.
Organizers are expecting thousands of Filipinos to occupy the historic stadium, where the Azkals defeated the Sri Lanka Brave Reds early this month.
Almost 13,000 fans crammed Rizal Memorial Stadium during that game that saw the Azkals beating Sri Lanka, 4-0.
Heavy traffic
DzMM’s Dexter Ganibe, meanwhile, reported that vehicular traffic around the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex is getting heavy.
He said the Manila Police District (MPD) Traffic Division is urging Azkals fans not to take the P. Ocampo and Adriatico Streets because of traffic congestion.
“Sinabi ni Chief Inspector Reynaldo Nava, hepe ng traffic division, na may paradahan sa Harrison Plaza at kapag napuno na ito ay sa bisinidad na ng Cultural Center of the Philippines na maaring i-park yung kanilang sasakyan at maglakad na lamang patungo dito sa Rizal Memorial Stadium,” said Ganibe.
Traffic flow in F.B. Harrison St. and Roxas Boulevard service road is now being affected by the congestion around the sports complex.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Can the Azkals beat Kuwait with a 4-4-2?
by Jojo Malig, abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines - With a mountain to climb, the Philippine Azkals will take to the Rizal Memoral Stadium pitch on Thursday knowing that they must score goals -- lots of them -- if they hope to beat Kuwait on aggregate and advance to the next round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Azkals coach Michael Weiss used a counterattacking 4-5-1 formation in the first leg of the tie, hoping to snatch at least a draw in the fixture.
The crossbar denied lone striker Phil Younghusband and attacking midfielder Angel Guirado from scoring away goals for the Philippines.
After end-to-end action in the first half, the Azkals lost steam in the second half and a 3-0 scoreline flattered the Kuwaitis, who struggled to pick the lock of the Philippines' defense for much of the game.
Lessons learned
The first match offered valuable lessons for the Azkals that must be put into good use Thursday.
Kuwait seems to have also used a 4-5-1, or at least a variation of it, in the opening leg.
Bader Al-Mutwa, who had been identified as their most dangerous outfield player, was primarily used as a decoy to create space for his teammates.
Most of Kuwait's attacks sprung from long balls to the flanks, which they overloaded with men.
The long balls were launched from the center by deep-lying midfielders, who were given room to operate and were not closed down.
Kuwait's pacy wingers, who were at the receiving end of the long balls, often did not track back to defend, as the Philippines' fullbacks remained in their own side of the pitch and did not push forward.
Kuwait's first goal came from a header off a cross from the right flank into the box. The Philippines missed the presence of suspended skipper and central defender Aly Borromeo in that play.
Like Borromeo, diminutive midfield general Stephan Schrock missed the opening leg due to suspension from 2 yellow cards.
Without Schrock pulling the strings through defense-splitting passes and runs into the box, the Azkals' central midfield was in a confused state in Kuwait.
Kuwait's third goal, which added gloss to their win, was also a result of Azkals defenders failing to close down Fahad Al Ebrahim, who had all the time in the world to pull the trigger from long range.
The Azkals defenders, with perhaps fatigue and effects of the Gulf heat setting in, sat too deep in that play.
The Azkals' back 4 sitting too deep was also partly to blame for Kuwait's second goal, which came from one of many goalmouth scrambles that ensued in front of Neil Etheridge.
If fatigue played an important role in the Philippines' loss, it can be traced to the decision of the Azkals' German gaffer not send fresh legs into the match well until the scoreline was already settled in the dying minutes of the game.
While his counterpart, Goran Tufegdzic, made key substitutions to sustain and even raise their momentum in the second half, Weiss decided to allow some players who had already been suffering muscle cramps to remain on the pitch.
Back to a 4-4-2
Weiss has announced that he will revert back to an orthodox 4-4-2 formation in the return leg.
The formation uses 2 strikers, 4 midfielders, and 4 defenders.
Phil Younghusband and Guirado are expected to partner in attack, while Chieffy Caligdong and James Younghusband will be on the midfield's left and right flanks.
The 2 central midfield pivots will be Schrock and either Manuel Ott or Jason de Jong. Meanwhile, defenders Borromeo, Rob Gier, Anton del Rosario, and Ray Anthony Jónsson are expected to hold the fort as the Azkals' back 4.
The formation did wonders for the Philippines in the 4-0 mauling of Sri Lanka, but is untested against higher-ranked opponents like Kuwait.
The onus is on the Azkals to score goals against Kuwait, and a 4-4-2 formation with 2 strikers up front will give them more attacking options and opportunities.
It will be a welcome sight for Phil Younghusband, who was going up against 2 or more defenders by his lonesome during the Kuwait watch.
However, the 2 Azkals strikers on their own won't be able to take on Kuwait's 4 defenders. Support must come both from the midfield and the fullbacks.
The 4-4-2 will provide a better link-up between the forwards and the midfielders on the wing who may choose to cut inside and join the attack like what Caligdong often does when he scores for the Philippines.
If Caligdong plays narrow again and James Younghusband sprays passes deep from right midfield, as he often does, Weiss should use Del Rosario and Jonsson to exploit the spaces left behind by their teammates on the flanks.
The fullbacks should provide width and bomb forward instead of waiting for Kuwait's attacks to come. Having the 2 fullbacks pushing forward will overload Kuwait's flanks and pin back its wingers, who will be forced to defend.
Any gap created by one of the fullbacks bombing forward should be filled in any one of the 2 central midfielders, who can drop deep to support the defense. Schrock, De Jong, or Ott can act as insurance policies if the Azkals lose possession and one of the fullbacks is too far forward to quickly return back to defend.
In the modern game, fullbacks attacking the flanks and providing width are essential for teams in overwhelming a stubborn defense and even changing the outcome of matches.
Football aficionados can remember the impact that Barcelona rightback Juliano Belleti made against Arsenal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final, Tottenham Hotspur leftback Gareth Bale against Inter Milan over 2 legs in 2010, and Manchester United leftback Patrice Evra against everyone the Red Devils face.
A clean sheet against Kuwait?
Aside from scoring at least 4 goals in the return leg, the Azkals also face the daunting task of preventing their opponents from scoring.
In the first leg, much attention was given to Al-Mutwa. If the Philippines wants to keep a clean sheet, similar attention should also be given to the Kuwaiti's teammates who link up with him in attacks.
Creating scoring opportunities for his teammates, instead being an out-and-out goalscorer, is Al-Mutwa's style of play.
Thus, putting 2 men to cover him everytime he gets the ball would play to Kuwait's advantage, as he can simply pass it to a teammate running the channels.
Kuwait also loves to counterattack using long balls, as shown in the first leg.
The Philippines tried to defend against the counter by sitting deep, which resulted in disaster for the visiting XI.
Instead of defending deep against counterattacks, the Azkals's back 4 may push their defensive line higher and use the offside trap to shut down Kuwait's long balls.
The offside trap and a higher defensive line are also effective if accompanied by a high press, with Kuwait's players being closed down as soon as they recieve the ball instead of allowing them to carry and pass it with leisure.
Kuwait's defenders and midfielders being closed down while they are still on their side of their pitch may result either in errors and misplaced passes, which could translate to scoring opportunities for the Azkals even against the run of play.
Denying Kuwait's central midfielders possession of the ball also throws a monkey wrench into their attacks. They will be forced to rush passing the ball to their defenders or clearing the ball for an Azkals throw-in, instead of making crossfield passes to forwards and wingers with accuracy.
Playing for possession
Compared to a 4-5-1, a 4-4-2 formation is designed for teams to retain the ball to create scoring opportunities instead of relying too much on counterattacks.
Although it has weaknesses, such as the midfield sometimes overwhelmed by opposing players, it is a balanced formation that provides great flexibility.
The Azkals can attack from the left through Chieffy, if James Younghusband finds a gridlock on the right wing and- vice-versa. If both flanks are blocked, a Schrock through-ball or a dribble through the middle may open Kuwait's defense.
A 4-4-2 may quickly switch to either a bold 4-2-4 or even a 2-4-4, from defense to offense, depending on opportunities during the match.
However, key to an effective use of the formation is possession of the ball. It is not effective if Kuwait will be allowed to hold the ball and control the tempo for most of the match.
One can't score a goal if one does not have the ball.
Using a 4-4-2 formation and with millions of their supporters watching at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and on television, the Azkals can pull off a bigger shock than the miracle in Vietnam last year.
However, the right strategy must be accompanied by the right tactics, and execution must follow theory. Form follows function, architect Louis Sullivan once said.
MANILA, Philippines - With a mountain to climb, the Philippine Azkals will take to the Rizal Memoral Stadium pitch on Thursday knowing that they must score goals -- lots of them -- if they hope to beat Kuwait on aggregate and advance to the next round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Azkals coach Michael Weiss used a counterattacking 4-5-1 formation in the first leg of the tie, hoping to snatch at least a draw in the fixture.
The crossbar denied lone striker Phil Younghusband and attacking midfielder Angel Guirado from scoring away goals for the Philippines.
After end-to-end action in the first half, the Azkals lost steam in the second half and a 3-0 scoreline flattered the Kuwaitis, who struggled to pick the lock of the Philippines' defense for much of the game.
Lessons learned
The first match offered valuable lessons for the Azkals that must be put into good use Thursday.
Kuwait seems to have also used a 4-5-1, or at least a variation of it, in the opening leg.
Bader Al-Mutwa, who had been identified as their most dangerous outfield player, was primarily used as a decoy to create space for his teammates.
Most of Kuwait's attacks sprung from long balls to the flanks, which they overloaded with men.
The long balls were launched from the center by deep-lying midfielders, who were given room to operate and were not closed down.
Kuwait's pacy wingers, who were at the receiving end of the long balls, often did not track back to defend, as the Philippines' fullbacks remained in their own side of the pitch and did not push forward.
Kuwait's first goal came from a header off a cross from the right flank into the box. The Philippines missed the presence of suspended skipper and central defender Aly Borromeo in that play.
Like Borromeo, diminutive midfield general Stephan Schrock missed the opening leg due to suspension from 2 yellow cards.
Without Schrock pulling the strings through defense-splitting passes and runs into the box, the Azkals' central midfield was in a confused state in Kuwait.
Kuwait's third goal, which added gloss to their win, was also a result of Azkals defenders failing to close down Fahad Al Ebrahim, who had all the time in the world to pull the trigger from long range.
The Azkals defenders, with perhaps fatigue and effects of the Gulf heat setting in, sat too deep in that play.
The Azkals' back 4 sitting too deep was also partly to blame for Kuwait's second goal, which came from one of many goalmouth scrambles that ensued in front of Neil Etheridge.
If fatigue played an important role in the Philippines' loss, it can be traced to the decision of the Azkals' German gaffer not send fresh legs into the match well until the scoreline was already settled in the dying minutes of the game.
While his counterpart, Goran Tufegdzic, made key substitutions to sustain and even raise their momentum in the second half, Weiss decided to allow some players who had already been suffering muscle cramps to remain on the pitch.
Back to a 4-4-2
Weiss has announced that he will revert back to an orthodox 4-4-2 formation in the return leg.
The formation uses 2 strikers, 4 midfielders, and 4 defenders.
Phil Younghusband and Guirado are expected to partner in attack, while Chieffy Caligdong and James Younghusband will be on the midfield's left and right flanks.
The 2 central midfield pivots will be Schrock and either Manuel Ott or Jason de Jong. Meanwhile, defenders Borromeo, Rob Gier, Anton del Rosario, and Ray Anthony Jónsson are expected to hold the fort as the Azkals' back 4.
The formation did wonders for the Philippines in the 4-0 mauling of Sri Lanka, but is untested against higher-ranked opponents like Kuwait.
The onus is on the Azkals to score goals against Kuwait, and a 4-4-2 formation with 2 strikers up front will give them more attacking options and opportunities.
It will be a welcome sight for Phil Younghusband, who was going up against 2 or more defenders by his lonesome during the Kuwait watch.
However, the 2 Azkals strikers on their own won't be able to take on Kuwait's 4 defenders. Support must come both from the midfield and the fullbacks.
The 4-4-2 will provide a better link-up between the forwards and the midfielders on the wing who may choose to cut inside and join the attack like what Caligdong often does when he scores for the Philippines.
If Caligdong plays narrow again and James Younghusband sprays passes deep from right midfield, as he often does, Weiss should use Del Rosario and Jonsson to exploit the spaces left behind by their teammates on the flanks.
The fullbacks should provide width and bomb forward instead of waiting for Kuwait's attacks to come. Having the 2 fullbacks pushing forward will overload Kuwait's flanks and pin back its wingers, who will be forced to defend.
Any gap created by one of the fullbacks bombing forward should be filled in any one of the 2 central midfielders, who can drop deep to support the defense. Schrock, De Jong, or Ott can act as insurance policies if the Azkals lose possession and one of the fullbacks is too far forward to quickly return back to defend.
In the modern game, fullbacks attacking the flanks and providing width are essential for teams in overwhelming a stubborn defense and even changing the outcome of matches.
Football aficionados can remember the impact that Barcelona rightback Juliano Belleti made against Arsenal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final, Tottenham Hotspur leftback Gareth Bale against Inter Milan over 2 legs in 2010, and Manchester United leftback Patrice Evra against everyone the Red Devils face.
A clean sheet against Kuwait?
Aside from scoring at least 4 goals in the return leg, the Azkals also face the daunting task of preventing their opponents from scoring.
In the first leg, much attention was given to Al-Mutwa. If the Philippines wants to keep a clean sheet, similar attention should also be given to the Kuwaiti's teammates who link up with him in attacks.
Creating scoring opportunities for his teammates, instead being an out-and-out goalscorer, is Al-Mutwa's style of play.
Thus, putting 2 men to cover him everytime he gets the ball would play to Kuwait's advantage, as he can simply pass it to a teammate running the channels.
Kuwait also loves to counterattack using long balls, as shown in the first leg.
The Philippines tried to defend against the counter by sitting deep, which resulted in disaster for the visiting XI.
Instead of defending deep against counterattacks, the Azkals's back 4 may push their defensive line higher and use the offside trap to shut down Kuwait's long balls.
The offside trap and a higher defensive line are also effective if accompanied by a high press, with Kuwait's players being closed down as soon as they recieve the ball instead of allowing them to carry and pass it with leisure.
Kuwait's defenders and midfielders being closed down while they are still on their side of their pitch may result either in errors and misplaced passes, which could translate to scoring opportunities for the Azkals even against the run of play.
Denying Kuwait's central midfielders possession of the ball also throws a monkey wrench into their attacks. They will be forced to rush passing the ball to their defenders or clearing the ball for an Azkals throw-in, instead of making crossfield passes to forwards and wingers with accuracy.
Playing for possession
Compared to a 4-5-1, a 4-4-2 formation is designed for teams to retain the ball to create scoring opportunities instead of relying too much on counterattacks.
Although it has weaknesses, such as the midfield sometimes overwhelmed by opposing players, it is a balanced formation that provides great flexibility.
The Azkals can attack from the left through Chieffy, if James Younghusband finds a gridlock on the right wing and- vice-versa. If both flanks are blocked, a Schrock through-ball or a dribble through the middle may open Kuwait's defense.
A 4-4-2 may quickly switch to either a bold 4-2-4 or even a 2-4-4, from defense to offense, depending on opportunities during the match.
However, key to an effective use of the formation is possession of the ball. It is not effective if Kuwait will be allowed to hold the ball and control the tempo for most of the match.
One can't score a goal if one does not have the ball.
Using a 4-4-2 formation and with millions of their supporters watching at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and on television, the Azkals can pull off a bigger shock than the miracle in Vietnam last year.
However, the right strategy must be accompanied by the right tactics, and execution must follow theory. Form follows function, architect Louis Sullivan once said.
Azkals to change tactics at home to upset Kuwait
By ROY MOORE - GMA News
In Thursday night's match against Kuwait, the odds are stacked against the Philippine team, ranked 67 places lower than their opponent in the FIFA World Rankings. The Azkals lost in the first leg of the qualifiers in Kuwait, 3-0.
The three-goal deficit is a mountain to climb, and as the scores of both games are added together to determine the winner on aggregate, to win by the same 3-0 score-line would take the tie into extra time. Should the scores remain the same after 30 minutes of extra time, penalties will decide who continues to the next round.
Winning by four goals, however, would see the Philippines go through to the next round. A win by two goals or less, a draw or a loss to Kuwait would mean Kuwait will qualify for the third round of AFC World Cup Qualification.
Palami hopeful
While it's a tall order for the Philippines to qualify, manager Dan Palami refuses to give up hope, noting that the team has come a long way in a short time.
“We will look to press the game and beat Kuwait. Even if we don’t win by four goals, it would mean we would get the points to climb higher in the FIFA rankings," said Palami.
Keeping things in perspective, any win on Thursday would still be a big upset for a nation ranked 31st in Asia. A victory would represent a huge advance for Philippine football and would send a strong signal to the region, bearing in mind that no team in Southeast Asia is ranked above Kuwait.
With their possession-based passing style, Kuwait will look to counter the high defensive line of the Azkals and play through balls to split the defense.
Borromeo and Schrock back on defense
The Azkals will be boosted by the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock who were both suspended from the first leg. With Rob Gier and Borromeo reunited in the center of the defense, the team can push forward to pressure Kuwait - a dangerous tactic given Kuwait’s ability to counter-attack, but a necessary risk given the deficit from the first leg.
Expected to play the same formation to press a lot higher, the team will look to channel the play through James Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong on the wings who will both be given much more license to attack- a problem in the first leg, as the wingers needed to defend more to limit Kuwait’s chances at home. In front of their home crowd, the Azkals can now press high and pressure Kuwait.
Stephan Schrock also has the ability to pull the strings in the midfield. Though normally a right-sided defender for German Club SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2nd Bundesliga, Germany’s second highest league, he has the ability to be a play-maker, creating chances for both Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband who occupy the attacking positions. Evidenced in his last outing for the Azkals- a man-of-the-match performance against Sri Lanka- Stephan Schrock is the man to watch for this game.
Team transformation
A 3-0 loss against a team like Kuwait was once already considered a moral victory.
With the infusion of talented foreign players with Filipino blood, coupled with greater financial support, the Philippine team has been transformed.
The Azkals could have even taken the lead against Kuwait, with either Phil Younghusband’s one-on-one opportunity, which Kuwaiti goalkeeper al-Khaldi saved brilliantly, or Angel Guirado’s thunderous header which rattled the crossbar from the resulting corner.
Kuwait's 20-year-old Yousef Nasser stole the ball in front of the Azkals’ defense to score in the 17th minute. Phil Younghusband came close to equalizing fifteen minutes later when his shot looked destined for the top corner of the goal, until al-Khaldi got just enough on the ball to tip it onto the crossbar. After two great saves and a stroke of bad luck, the Philippines were three times just inches away from scoring a precious away goal.
Formation
The team is expected to line up with a 4-2-3-1 formation, playing plenty of passes through the middle and to the wings and avoiding the long-ball style which characterizes the domestic league of the Philippines, the UFL.
Having worked extensively on a more fluid system, the team will look to press high up the pitch and the defensive line will look to catch the Kuwaiti players offside rather than lie back and try to tackle and steal the ball to counter-attack. As such, here is the predicted lineup:
Goalkeeper: Etheridge
Center back: Borromeo/Gier
Right back: Del Rosario
Left back: Jonsson
Center midfield: Schrock/Ott
Left midfield: Caligdong
Right midfield: J. Younghusband
Second striker: Guirado
Center forward/ striker: P. Younghusband
12th man: the Kaholeros
The team at home will be boosted not just by players returning from suspension but thousands in the home crowd, including the Azkals' own fanatical cheering squad, the Kaholeros. It's said that the recently converted to a cause are among the most enthusiastic devotees. So it is with the Philippines' football fever.
In Thursday night's match against Kuwait, the odds are stacked against the Philippine team, ranked 67 places lower than their opponent in the FIFA World Rankings. The Azkals lost in the first leg of the qualifiers in Kuwait, 3-0.
The three-goal deficit is a mountain to climb, and as the scores of both games are added together to determine the winner on aggregate, to win by the same 3-0 score-line would take the tie into extra time. Should the scores remain the same after 30 minutes of extra time, penalties will decide who continues to the next round.
Winning by four goals, however, would see the Philippines go through to the next round. A win by two goals or less, a draw or a loss to Kuwait would mean Kuwait will qualify for the third round of AFC World Cup Qualification.
Palami hopeful
While it's a tall order for the Philippines to qualify, manager Dan Palami refuses to give up hope, noting that the team has come a long way in a short time.
“We will look to press the game and beat Kuwait. Even if we don’t win by four goals, it would mean we would get the points to climb higher in the FIFA rankings," said Palami.
Keeping things in perspective, any win on Thursday would still be a big upset for a nation ranked 31st in Asia. A victory would represent a huge advance for Philippine football and would send a strong signal to the region, bearing in mind that no team in Southeast Asia is ranked above Kuwait.
With their possession-based passing style, Kuwait will look to counter the high defensive line of the Azkals and play through balls to split the defense.
Borromeo and Schrock back on defense
The Azkals will be boosted by the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock who were both suspended from the first leg. With Rob Gier and Borromeo reunited in the center of the defense, the team can push forward to pressure Kuwait - a dangerous tactic given Kuwait’s ability to counter-attack, but a necessary risk given the deficit from the first leg.
Expected to play the same formation to press a lot higher, the team will look to channel the play through James Younghusband and Chieffy Caligdong on the wings who will both be given much more license to attack- a problem in the first leg, as the wingers needed to defend more to limit Kuwait’s chances at home. In front of their home crowd, the Azkals can now press high and pressure Kuwait.
Stephan Schrock also has the ability to pull the strings in the midfield. Though normally a right-sided defender for German Club SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2nd Bundesliga, Germany’s second highest league, he has the ability to be a play-maker, creating chances for both Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband who occupy the attacking positions. Evidenced in his last outing for the Azkals- a man-of-the-match performance against Sri Lanka- Stephan Schrock is the man to watch for this game.
Team transformation
A 3-0 loss against a team like Kuwait was once already considered a moral victory.
With the infusion of talented foreign players with Filipino blood, coupled with greater financial support, the Philippine team has been transformed.
The Azkals could have even taken the lead against Kuwait, with either Phil Younghusband’s one-on-one opportunity, which Kuwaiti goalkeeper al-Khaldi saved brilliantly, or Angel Guirado’s thunderous header which rattled the crossbar from the resulting corner.
Kuwait's 20-year-old Yousef Nasser stole the ball in front of the Azkals’ defense to score in the 17th minute. Phil Younghusband came close to equalizing fifteen minutes later when his shot looked destined for the top corner of the goal, until al-Khaldi got just enough on the ball to tip it onto the crossbar. After two great saves and a stroke of bad luck, the Philippines were three times just inches away from scoring a precious away goal.
Formation
The team is expected to line up with a 4-2-3-1 formation, playing plenty of passes through the middle and to the wings and avoiding the long-ball style which characterizes the domestic league of the Philippines, the UFL.
Having worked extensively on a more fluid system, the team will look to press high up the pitch and the defensive line will look to catch the Kuwaiti players offside rather than lie back and try to tackle and steal the ball to counter-attack. As such, here is the predicted lineup:
Goalkeeper: Etheridge
Center back: Borromeo/Gier
Right back: Del Rosario
Left back: Jonsson
Center midfield: Schrock/Ott
Left midfield: Caligdong
Right midfield: J. Younghusband
Second striker: Guirado
Center forward/ striker: P. Younghusband
12th man: the Kaholeros
The team at home will be boosted not just by players returning from suspension but thousands in the home crowd, including the Azkals' own fanatical cheering squad, the Kaholeros. It's said that the recently converted to a cause are among the most enthusiastic devotees. So it is with the Philippines' football fever.
Faith continues to fuel Azkals’ campaign
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA—The Philippine Azkals have been candid enough to admit that, although they have made big strides over the past few months, they still have a long way to go if they want to compete against the best in Asia.
The team may lack the resources and the talent compared to the finest teams in the continent, but there’s never been a shortage in belief within the team.
The Azkals have even launched the “We Believe” campaign to drum up support for the team.
Stephan Schrock, the influential midfielder who plays in the second division in Germany, had to take a respite from his club duties to join the Azkals for the second leg in Manila tonight despite the Filipinos’ facing a 0-3 deficit against the heavily-favored Kuwait team.
“I would have never come here if I didn’t believe that we can do it,” said Schrock, who picked up two yellow cards against Sri Lanka that forced him out of the first leg in Kuwait last Saturday.
Schrock related how his club, Gruether Fuerth, kept asking why he wanted to return to Manila for the second leg when it seemed that Kuwait all but wrapped up the tie.
“In football, anything can happen,” said Schrock, pointing out his club’s recent result against a team from Frankfurt when they lost 2-3 after taking a 2-0 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
There are lots of reasons why football is called the “Beautiful Game.”
A moment of magic or a second of mediocrity can alter results. A loss of concentration even for a second could lead to a goal. The crossbar can separate the good from the great and to some extent, it was the case in the first leg at the Mohammed Al-Hammad Stadium in Kuwait where both Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband got denied a goal each by the bar.
Brutal football
“The three goals we gave up in Kuwait shows how brutal football can be,” said Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss.
Homegrown talents like Chieffy Caligdong, Roel Gener and Ian Araneta, who endured the pain of absorbing heavy losses to Asian powerhouses in the past, believe the tie is not lost yet.
“We know it’s difficult, but now is not the time to lose faith in ourselves and in our team,” said Caligdong, who skippered the team in the first leg of the tie in the absence of Aly Borromeo.
Gener and Araneta said the Azkals always relish the underdog label.
“That’s the beauty of the team when we are done, we never lose hope,” said Araneta.
The Azkals’ late goals have been the best proof of their never-say-die spirit. Down 0-1 against Timor Leste in the 2004 Tiger Cup, the Azkals drew firepower from Chieffy Caligdong in the final minutes to hammer out a dramatic 2-1 win, their first victory in the Tiger Cup. Last year in the Long Teng Cup, Araneta banged in a 92nd minute equalizer against Chinese-Taipei. The Azkals fought back from two goals down to tie Laos and equalized against Singapore right at the death in the Suzuki Cup.
Raised standards
But with the sport gaining ground in the Philippines, the standards have also been raised for the Azkals.
Weiss said the set up should improve for a team which has no established national league and has almost always been relying on players plying their trade abroad who only join the team a few days before tournaments.
Weiss said the team still has a lot of potential and given another year, would have had a better chance of getting past Kuwait.
“Everyone must remember that we are not a super team yet,” Weiss said, putting the Azkals’ success in perspective. “We know people have the right to criticize, but we ask for understanding that we have a long way to go.”
The German coach still longs for the day when he could have all of the talented Filipino players based in Europe and the best homegrown talents in a camp and just hone them into one cohesive unit.
For now though the Azkals will have to summon the belief that has taken them so far the past few months.
“If we leave everything on the field for the flag, then who knows what could happen,” said defender Rob Gier.
MANILA—The Philippine Azkals have been candid enough to admit that, although they have made big strides over the past few months, they still have a long way to go if they want to compete against the best in Asia.
The team may lack the resources and the talent compared to the finest teams in the continent, but there’s never been a shortage in belief within the team.
The Azkals have even launched the “We Believe” campaign to drum up support for the team.
Stephan Schrock, the influential midfielder who plays in the second division in Germany, had to take a respite from his club duties to join the Azkals for the second leg in Manila tonight despite the Filipinos’ facing a 0-3 deficit against the heavily-favored Kuwait team.
“I would have never come here if I didn’t believe that we can do it,” said Schrock, who picked up two yellow cards against Sri Lanka that forced him out of the first leg in Kuwait last Saturday.
Schrock related how his club, Gruether Fuerth, kept asking why he wanted to return to Manila for the second leg when it seemed that Kuwait all but wrapped up the tie.
“In football, anything can happen,” said Schrock, pointing out his club’s recent result against a team from Frankfurt when they lost 2-3 after taking a 2-0 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
There are lots of reasons why football is called the “Beautiful Game.”
A moment of magic or a second of mediocrity can alter results. A loss of concentration even for a second could lead to a goal. The crossbar can separate the good from the great and to some extent, it was the case in the first leg at the Mohammed Al-Hammad Stadium in Kuwait where both Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband got denied a goal each by the bar.
Brutal football
“The three goals we gave up in Kuwait shows how brutal football can be,” said Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss.
Homegrown talents like Chieffy Caligdong, Roel Gener and Ian Araneta, who endured the pain of absorbing heavy losses to Asian powerhouses in the past, believe the tie is not lost yet.
“We know it’s difficult, but now is not the time to lose faith in ourselves and in our team,” said Caligdong, who skippered the team in the first leg of the tie in the absence of Aly Borromeo.
Gener and Araneta said the Azkals always relish the underdog label.
“That’s the beauty of the team when we are done, we never lose hope,” said Araneta.
The Azkals’ late goals have been the best proof of their never-say-die spirit. Down 0-1 against Timor Leste in the 2004 Tiger Cup, the Azkals drew firepower from Chieffy Caligdong in the final minutes to hammer out a dramatic 2-1 win, their first victory in the Tiger Cup. Last year in the Long Teng Cup, Araneta banged in a 92nd minute equalizer against Chinese-Taipei. The Azkals fought back from two goals down to tie Laos and equalized against Singapore right at the death in the Suzuki Cup.
Raised standards
But with the sport gaining ground in the Philippines, the standards have also been raised for the Azkals.
Weiss said the set up should improve for a team which has no established national league and has almost always been relying on players plying their trade abroad who only join the team a few days before tournaments.
Weiss said the team still has a lot of potential and given another year, would have had a better chance of getting past Kuwait.
“Everyone must remember that we are not a super team yet,” Weiss said, putting the Azkals’ success in perspective. “We know people have the right to criticize, but we ask for understanding that we have a long way to go.”
The German coach still longs for the day when he could have all of the talented Filipino players based in Europe and the best homegrown talents in a camp and just hone them into one cohesive unit.
For now though the Azkals will have to summon the belief that has taken them so far the past few months.
“If we leave everything on the field for the flag, then who knows what could happen,” said defender Rob Gier.
PHL drops to 162 in FIFA rankings on eve of Azkals match against Kuwait
By Earl Victor Rosero with Renee Fopalan - GMA News
On the eve of the toughest match of the men's national football team, the Philippines saw its FIFA World Ranking slip three rungs to 162 from 159 based on the tally released on Wednesday.
The latest tally included the result of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ) match where the Philippines suffered a 3-0 defeat to Kuwait, which climbed seven notches to 95th from 102nd in the ranking. The highest ranking Kuwait ever reached was 24th in 1998.
A comparison of the rankings of Kuwait and the Philippines over the past six months showed the Al-Azraq on a slightly rising path while the Azkals slightly lost ground, while picking up 12 FIFA points.
The Philippines' current rank is also partly the result of gains other countries made in recent tournaments. Bahamas moved up 45 places to 152. Maldives, with a population of only about 300,000 is at 160. Mongolia rose 16 places to 163 and Aruba advanced 32 spots to 168.
Kuwait respects Azkals
Rick Olivares, media officer of the WCQ local organizing committee, who was in Kuwait to witness that away match at the Qadsia Club Stadium, said some fans of the Al-Azraq expected a much worse outcome, like a 10-0 win, against the Philippine team.
Goran Tefugdzic, coach of the Kuwait side, said at the pre-match news conference Wednesday at the Rizal stadium, that coming from Sunday's match he now has "respect for the Filipino team."
The Serbian coach had acknowledged back in Kuwait that the Philippine Azkals exploited gaps in the formation of the Al-Azraq in the early part of the Round 2 WCQ match.
Olivares added some of the respect Kuwaitis have for the Azkals is partly the result of the strong support Filipino expatriates showed at the Qadsia Stadium. He said that "conservatively" 65 percent of the some 26,000 people who packed the venue were Filipinos.
Olivares recalled the goosebumps he felt when those thousands of Filipinos sung the Philippine national anthem in unison.
Reality bites
Azkals coach Michael Weiss acknowledged that they were "punished" for some lapses against the more experienced Al-Azraq, but he promised that Thursday's second duel with Kuwait will be different with the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock.
Weiss expects Borromeo to give stability to the backline and Schrock to create opportunities with his "pro-active" offense. Schrock is a second division Bundesliga midfielder in Germany while Borromeo is a veteran member of the national team.
The German coach had glowing praise for Neil Etheridge although the ball went past him and into the goal three times. Weiss recalled Kuwait's "unusual" second goal and admitted that the Azkals were "tired" by the time the Al-Azraq dealt the third blow.
Weiss again appealed for understanding and said he is open to criticism, which he got a lot of during and after the away match in Kuwait.
He got some of it in the form of a question about whether he will consider sending in substitutes so fresh legs can match up against the Al-Azraq. Weiss said it will depend on how Thursday's match develops.
Weiss explained that it will take years for the Philippine team to reach the level Kuwait is at now. He assured that the Azkals' morale is high and "they get along very well."
Weiss has said whatever the outcome Thursday, the Azkals will prepare for more international matches in the months ahead.
The Azkals have never made it this far in a World Cup cycle while Kuwait has played in the main draw of the FIFA World Cup, qualifying in the 1982 edition in Spain.
The Azkals won their eight home games since 2006 while Kuwait has won its last eight matches.
Rain falls on Rizal stadium
"The main storm will be at kick-off," Azkals captain Aly Borromeo said alluding to the intensity the team intends to bring onto the pitch against Kuwait.
"I did take some notes," Borromeo said, referring to his having to sit at the grandstand to observe the away match because he had to serve the one-game suspension he got from Round 1 of the WCQ.
Borromeo said the perspective he got will certainly influence how he will play Thursday night.
The stormy weather that has battered Metro Manila has been one of the top-of-mind concerns of the competing teams, their fans and the media who will cover the Round 2 WCQ match.
Olivares said that the referee coordinator and the match commissioner will decide on the condition of the pitch. "If the match will be abandoned, it will be played the next day."
The Al-Azraq's coach discounted the weather factor. He said his team is familiar with downpours. "We have two to three months of rain in Kuwait," said Tefugdzic.
No more tickets, raincoat advisory
Olivares said no more tickets will be available because they are all sold out. Some fans said on Facebook said they will just watch the game on television.
For the lucky ones who got the coveted tickets, the WCQ local organizing committee stressed that "no umbrellas will be allowed inside" the stadium during the game.
To avoid getting drenched again, Olivares said spectators ought to bring raincoats when they troop to the Rizal stadium Thursday.
Last July 3, thousands of Azkals fans seated in the bleachers sections got soaked when passing dark clouds dumped rain during the match between national teams of the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Both umbrellas and laser pens are on the list of banned items at football matches. The complete list is on the website of the PFF ticket retailer, TicketWorld.
On the eve of the toughest match of the men's national football team, the Philippines saw its FIFA World Ranking slip three rungs to 162 from 159 based on the tally released on Wednesday.
The latest tally included the result of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ) match where the Philippines suffered a 3-0 defeat to Kuwait, which climbed seven notches to 95th from 102nd in the ranking. The highest ranking Kuwait ever reached was 24th in 1998.
A comparison of the rankings of Kuwait and the Philippines over the past six months showed the Al-Azraq on a slightly rising path while the Azkals slightly lost ground, while picking up 12 FIFA points.
The Philippines' current rank is also partly the result of gains other countries made in recent tournaments. Bahamas moved up 45 places to 152. Maldives, with a population of only about 300,000 is at 160. Mongolia rose 16 places to 163 and Aruba advanced 32 spots to 168.
Kuwait respects Azkals
Rick Olivares, media officer of the WCQ local organizing committee, who was in Kuwait to witness that away match at the Qadsia Club Stadium, said some fans of the Al-Azraq expected a much worse outcome, like a 10-0 win, against the Philippine team.
Goran Tefugdzic, coach of the Kuwait side, said at the pre-match news conference Wednesday at the Rizal stadium, that coming from Sunday's match he now has "respect for the Filipino team."
The Serbian coach had acknowledged back in Kuwait that the Philippine Azkals exploited gaps in the formation of the Al-Azraq in the early part of the Round 2 WCQ match.
Olivares added some of the respect Kuwaitis have for the Azkals is partly the result of the strong support Filipino expatriates showed at the Qadsia Stadium. He said that "conservatively" 65 percent of the some 26,000 people who packed the venue were Filipinos.
Olivares recalled the goosebumps he felt when those thousands of Filipinos sung the Philippine national anthem in unison.
Reality bites
Azkals coach Michael Weiss acknowledged that they were "punished" for some lapses against the more experienced Al-Azraq, but he promised that Thursday's second duel with Kuwait will be different with the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock.
Weiss expects Borromeo to give stability to the backline and Schrock to create opportunities with his "pro-active" offense. Schrock is a second division Bundesliga midfielder in Germany while Borromeo is a veteran member of the national team.
The German coach had glowing praise for Neil Etheridge although the ball went past him and into the goal three times. Weiss recalled Kuwait's "unusual" second goal and admitted that the Azkals were "tired" by the time the Al-Azraq dealt the third blow.
Weiss again appealed for understanding and said he is open to criticism, which he got a lot of during and after the away match in Kuwait.
He got some of it in the form of a question about whether he will consider sending in substitutes so fresh legs can match up against the Al-Azraq. Weiss said it will depend on how Thursday's match develops.
Weiss explained that it will take years for the Philippine team to reach the level Kuwait is at now. He assured that the Azkals' morale is high and "they get along very well."
Weiss has said whatever the outcome Thursday, the Azkals will prepare for more international matches in the months ahead.
The Azkals have never made it this far in a World Cup cycle while Kuwait has played in the main draw of the FIFA World Cup, qualifying in the 1982 edition in Spain.
The Azkals won their eight home games since 2006 while Kuwait has won its last eight matches.
Rain falls on Rizal stadium
"The main storm will be at kick-off," Azkals captain Aly Borromeo said alluding to the intensity the team intends to bring onto the pitch against Kuwait.
"I did take some notes," Borromeo said, referring to his having to sit at the grandstand to observe the away match because he had to serve the one-game suspension he got from Round 1 of the WCQ.
Borromeo said the perspective he got will certainly influence how he will play Thursday night.
The stormy weather that has battered Metro Manila has been one of the top-of-mind concerns of the competing teams, their fans and the media who will cover the Round 2 WCQ match.
Olivares said that the referee coordinator and the match commissioner will decide on the condition of the pitch. "If the match will be abandoned, it will be played the next day."
The Al-Azraq's coach discounted the weather factor. He said his team is familiar with downpours. "We have two to three months of rain in Kuwait," said Tefugdzic.
No more tickets, raincoat advisory
Olivares said no more tickets will be available because they are all sold out. Some fans said on Facebook said they will just watch the game on television.
For the lucky ones who got the coveted tickets, the WCQ local organizing committee stressed that "no umbrellas will be allowed inside" the stadium during the game.
To avoid getting drenched again, Olivares said spectators ought to bring raincoats when they troop to the Rizal stadium Thursday.
Last July 3, thousands of Azkals fans seated in the bleachers sections got soaked when passing dark clouds dumped rain during the match between national teams of the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Both umbrellas and laser pens are on the list of banned items at football matches. The complete list is on the website of the PFF ticket retailer, TicketWorld.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Azkals look to bounce back vs Kuwait
Report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals left immediately for Manila right after their game against Kuwait at the Qadsia Stadium.
The Azkals lost the 1st leg of the 2nd round World Cup qualifier, 3-0, and are looking to bounce back at home.
The players were disappointed at their inability to score a goal against Kuwait, despite having 3 golden opportunities in the 1st half.
Strikers Phil Younghusband and Anghel Guirado each had a chance to score for the Azkals.
"I'm still disappointed," Younghusband said.
Their 1st half performance was one of the best seen from the Azkals, especially against a much higher ranked Kuwaiti team.
But they had hoped to have a closer goal differential going into their home game in Manila.
"The game is not over, it's only the halftime," said goal keeper Neil Etheridge.
"I think we've taken big strides and big steps in football for the Philippines, and we need to give ourselves a pat in the back," he added.
The Azkals now face a difficult task on Thursday, as they need to win by at least 3-0 in order to have a shot at advancing to the next round.
But they are keeping their hopes up and promise to give their all in their upcoming game.
"We have to focus for 90 minutes, not only 60," Rob Gier said. "That's the thing we have to do in the next game."
The team had a lay-over in Dubai from Kuwait, and it was a 9-hour flight from Dubai to Manila.
But the Azkals are happy to be home and will have a day-off tomorrow.
On Tuesday, they resume practice and will also go back to studying the game tape.
They will also welcome back Stephan Schrock and Aly Borromeo, the 2 players who served 1-game suspensions after incurring 2 yellow cards each in the series against Sri Lanka.
Azkals Coach Michael Weiss says that having Schrock and Borromeo back on the team makes the Azkals considerably stronger.
"I think that will give us a big boost," Weiss said. "That (the suspensions) was one of the major reasons why we did not get a better result."
The Azkals also wish to extend their appreciation to all the Filipino fans who went out of their way to support the national football team.
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals left immediately for Manila right after their game against Kuwait at the Qadsia Stadium.
The Azkals lost the 1st leg of the 2nd round World Cup qualifier, 3-0, and are looking to bounce back at home.
The players were disappointed at their inability to score a goal against Kuwait, despite having 3 golden opportunities in the 1st half.
Strikers Phil Younghusband and Anghel Guirado each had a chance to score for the Azkals.
"I'm still disappointed," Younghusband said.
Their 1st half performance was one of the best seen from the Azkals, especially against a much higher ranked Kuwaiti team.
But they had hoped to have a closer goal differential going into their home game in Manila.
"The game is not over, it's only the halftime," said goal keeper Neil Etheridge.
"I think we've taken big strides and big steps in football for the Philippines, and we need to give ourselves a pat in the back," he added.
The Azkals now face a difficult task on Thursday, as they need to win by at least 3-0 in order to have a shot at advancing to the next round.
But they are keeping their hopes up and promise to give their all in their upcoming game.
"We have to focus for 90 minutes, not only 60," Rob Gier said. "That's the thing we have to do in the next game."
The team had a lay-over in Dubai from Kuwait, and it was a 9-hour flight from Dubai to Manila.
But the Azkals are happy to be home and will have a day-off tomorrow.
On Tuesday, they resume practice and will also go back to studying the game tape.
They will also welcome back Stephan Schrock and Aly Borromeo, the 2 players who served 1-game suspensions after incurring 2 yellow cards each in the series against Sri Lanka.
Azkals Coach Michael Weiss says that having Schrock and Borromeo back on the team makes the Azkals considerably stronger.
"I think that will give us a big boost," Weiss said. "That (the suspensions) was one of the major reasons why we did not get a better result."
The Azkals also wish to extend their appreciation to all the Filipino fans who went out of their way to support the national football team.
Stephan Schrock to rejoin Azkals for second leg against Kuwait
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
KUWAIT CITY—Filipino-German standout Stephan Schrock will return to Manila to give the Philippine Azkals more midfield bite in their second round World Cup Qualifying clash against powerhouse Kuwait.
Azkals manager Dan Palami confirmed that Schrock, who was suspended for the first leg, will be arriving tomorrow, two days before the return match against the Kuwaitis at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
“He will be a big boost to the team,” Palami said of Schrock, who was a key figure in the first-round win over Sri Lanka.
Schrock’s presence is vital for the Azkals, who may continue to miss the services of midfielders Paul Mulders (injury) and Jerry Lucena (club commitments).
Aly Borromeo is also expected to return after serving his suspension. He was seen taking notes during the first game against Kuwait from the grandstand.
Palami agreed with coach Michael Weiss that the 0-3 deficit may be too big to overcome on aggregate. But the two Azkals officials remain hopeful of an upset.
“We have a tough job in Manila because of that 0-3 deficit,” said Palami. “If only we could have a complete lineup for Manila.”
“Anything is still possible if we get an early goal and with the crowd behind us,” said Weiss.
KUWAIT CITY—Filipino-German standout Stephan Schrock will return to Manila to give the Philippine Azkals more midfield bite in their second round World Cup Qualifying clash against powerhouse Kuwait.
Azkals manager Dan Palami confirmed that Schrock, who was suspended for the first leg, will be arriving tomorrow, two days before the return match against the Kuwaitis at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
“He will be a big boost to the team,” Palami said of Schrock, who was a key figure in the first-round win over Sri Lanka.
Schrock’s presence is vital for the Azkals, who may continue to miss the services of midfielders Paul Mulders (injury) and Jerry Lucena (club commitments).
Aly Borromeo is also expected to return after serving his suspension. He was seen taking notes during the first game against Kuwait from the grandstand.
Palami agreed with coach Michael Weiss that the 0-3 deficit may be too big to overcome on aggregate. But the two Azkals officials remain hopeful of an upset.
“We have a tough job in Manila because of that 0-3 deficit,” said Palami. “If only we could have a complete lineup for Manila.”
“Anything is still possible if we get an early goal and with the crowd behind us,” said Weiss.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Asian World Cup qualifier result
Agence France-Presse
HONG KONG—First-leg results from round two of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup on Saturday:
In Kunming
China 7 (Yang Xu 45+2, 54, 73, Chen Tao 52, 88, Hao Junmin 81, 90+1-pen) Laos 2 (Soukaphone Vongchiengkham 5, Visay Phaphouvanin 31)
In Buriram
Thailand 1 (Kaewprom Jakkaphan 18) Palestine 0
In Singapore
Singapore 5 (Aleksander Duric 8, 81, Qiu Li 22, Mustafic Fahrudin 44, Shi Jiayi 45+1) Malaysia 3 (Mohd Safee Bin Mond Sali 1, 71, Abdul Hadi Bin Yahaya 70)
In Beirut
Lebanon 4 (Hassan Maatouk 16, Mahmoud El Ali 27, Ali Al Saadi 55, Tarek El Ali 64) Bangladesh 0
In Ashkhabad
Turkmenistan 1 (Krendelev Vyaceslav 12) Indonesia 1 (Muhammad Ilham 30)
In Tashkent
Uzbekistan 4 (Geynrikh Alexander 28, Bikmaev Marat 48, Djeparov Server 55, Bakaev Ulugbek 90+2) Kyrgyzstan 0
In Arbil
Iraq 2 (Hawar Mulla Mohammed 9, Azam Abdul Kharra 63) Yemen 0
In Tehran
Iran 4 (Karim Ansari Fard 4, Mohammad Reza Khalatbari Limaki 62, Ali Karimi 67, Saeid Daghighi Masouleh 87) Maldives 0
In Amman
Syria 2 (George Mourad 45+1, Raja Rafe 77) Tajikistan 1 (Saidov Kamil 47)
In Amman
Jordan 9 (Hasan Abdel Mahmoud 10, 74, 82, 90+3, Amer Deeb 23, 57, Ahmad Hayel 32, 68, Abdullah Deeb 45+1) Nepal 0
In Kuwait City
Kuwait 3 (Yousef Al Sulaiman 16, Mesaed Al Enezi 68, Fahad Al Ebrahim 84) Philippines 0
In Muscat
Oman 2 (Amad Ali 22, Ismail Al Ajmi 79) Myanmar 0
In Doha
Qatar 3 (Mohamed Kasoula 6, Meshel Mubarak 51, Yousef Ahmad Ali 68) Vietnam 0
In Al Ain
United Arab Emirates 3 (Ismail Hamdan 21-pen, Mohamed Al Shehhi 29-pen, Ismail Al Hammadi 82) India 0
HONG KONG—First-leg results from round two of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup on Saturday:
In Kunming
China 7 (Yang Xu 45+2, 54, 73, Chen Tao 52, 88, Hao Junmin 81, 90+1-pen) Laos 2 (Soukaphone Vongchiengkham 5, Visay Phaphouvanin 31)
In Buriram
Thailand 1 (Kaewprom Jakkaphan 18) Palestine 0
In Singapore
Singapore 5 (Aleksander Duric 8, 81, Qiu Li 22, Mustafic Fahrudin 44, Shi Jiayi 45+1) Malaysia 3 (Mohd Safee Bin Mond Sali 1, 71, Abdul Hadi Bin Yahaya 70)
In Beirut
Lebanon 4 (Hassan Maatouk 16, Mahmoud El Ali 27, Ali Al Saadi 55, Tarek El Ali 64) Bangladesh 0
In Ashkhabad
Turkmenistan 1 (Krendelev Vyaceslav 12) Indonesia 1 (Muhammad Ilham 30)
In Tashkent
Uzbekistan 4 (Geynrikh Alexander 28, Bikmaev Marat 48, Djeparov Server 55, Bakaev Ulugbek 90+2) Kyrgyzstan 0
In Arbil
Iraq 2 (Hawar Mulla Mohammed 9, Azam Abdul Kharra 63) Yemen 0
In Tehran
Iran 4 (Karim Ansari Fard 4, Mohammad Reza Khalatbari Limaki 62, Ali Karimi 67, Saeid Daghighi Masouleh 87) Maldives 0
In Amman
Syria 2 (George Mourad 45+1, Raja Rafe 77) Tajikistan 1 (Saidov Kamil 47)
In Amman
Jordan 9 (Hasan Abdel Mahmoud 10, 74, 82, 90+3, Amer Deeb 23, 57, Ahmad Hayel 32, 68, Abdullah Deeb 45+1) Nepal 0
In Kuwait City
Kuwait 3 (Yousef Al Sulaiman 16, Mesaed Al Enezi 68, Fahad Al Ebrahim 84) Philippines 0
In Muscat
Oman 2 (Amad Ali 22, Ismail Al Ajmi 79) Myanmar 0
In Doha
Qatar 3 (Mohamed Kasoula 6, Meshel Mubarak 51, Yousef Ahmad Ali 68) Vietnam 0
In Al Ain
United Arab Emirates 3 (Ismail Hamdan 21-pen, Mohamed Al Shehhi 29-pen, Ismail Al Hammadi 82) India 0
Philippine Azkals bow to Kuwait
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
HAWALLI—Unable to build on a stellar yet unlucky first half performance, the Philippine Azkals fell in a 0-3 defeat to Middle East powerhouse Kuwait in the opening leg of their second round World Cup Qualifying duel here.
The Al-Azraq backed up their pedigree with a solid attacking display to thump the hard-fighting Filipinos, who had two shots that hit the crossbar in the first 30 minutes.
The second leg is slated Thursday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila with the Azkals needing to win by four goals or more to make the third round for the first time.
“Anything is still possible in the second leg,” said Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss.
“This time it’s not over. We still have 90 minutes in Manila,” said Kuwait coach Goran Tufegdzic.
There was no doubting the Kuwaitis’ dominance on this night, though.
Yousef Naser opened the scoring, before goals from Mesad Nasa and Fahed El-Ibrahim sealed the victory for the Kuwaitis, who are now well-positioned to reach the third round following the comprehensive win.
The Azkals, who missed skipper Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock due to suspension, put up a solid, resolute stand in the first half to stifle a Kuwaiti attack, but were unlucky to concede and also not get on the scoresheet, with Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado both getting golden chances to score in the opening 30 minutes.
Looking to finish off a quick counter-attacking move, Younghusband drew a diving save from Nawaf Al Khaldi on a one-on-one, setting up the corner that nearly gave Guirado the first goal.
But the Fil-Spanish striker headed Chieffy Caligdong’s corner to the crossbar and Jason Sabio’s header was cleared off the line by Hussain Fadhel.
The chances only woke up the Kuwaitis, who within seconds, finally grabbed the lead thanks to young striker Yousef Naser.
Fahad Al-Enezi, the right winger, who had proven to be a menace on attack, beat Manny Ott and Chieffy Caligdong to cross for Yousef, who banged the header into the bottom corner past the flailing arms of Neil Etheridge.
The Al-Azraq’s possession play was still negated by some resolute defending by the Azkals and on the counter, the visitors came close again in the 30th minute.
Anton del Rosario launched a long throw from the backline to Guirado, whose lofted ball found a rushing Younghusband on the run.
Finding space to shoot, Younghusband rifled a thunderous shot from just outside the area, forcing another reflex save from Al-Khaldi and the slightest of touches allowed the ball to ricochet off the crossbar again.
The tide began to change in the second half when the Al-Azraq put more pressure on the defensive line from the left flank, leading to several corner kicks and half-chances.
The pressure paid off in the 66th minute when defender Mesad Nada poked the ball home during a scramble in the box after his header off a corner was blocked.
The Al-Azraq’s pattern of dominance continued and with five minutes remaining with the Azkals growing weary, Fahed El-Ibrahim fired a shot from 20 yards to beat Etheridge.
The score would have been a little more lopsided if not for a couple of close range stops from Etheridge, who flew in from England on the eve of the match.
HAWALLI—Unable to build on a stellar yet unlucky first half performance, the Philippine Azkals fell in a 0-3 defeat to Middle East powerhouse Kuwait in the opening leg of their second round World Cup Qualifying duel here.
The Al-Azraq backed up their pedigree with a solid attacking display to thump the hard-fighting Filipinos, who had two shots that hit the crossbar in the first 30 minutes.
The second leg is slated Thursday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila with the Azkals needing to win by four goals or more to make the third round for the first time.
“Anything is still possible in the second leg,” said Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss.
“This time it’s not over. We still have 90 minutes in Manila,” said Kuwait coach Goran Tufegdzic.
There was no doubting the Kuwaitis’ dominance on this night, though.
Yousef Naser opened the scoring, before goals from Mesad Nasa and Fahed El-Ibrahim sealed the victory for the Kuwaitis, who are now well-positioned to reach the third round following the comprehensive win.
The Azkals, who missed skipper Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock due to suspension, put up a solid, resolute stand in the first half to stifle a Kuwaiti attack, but were unlucky to concede and also not get on the scoresheet, with Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado both getting golden chances to score in the opening 30 minutes.
Looking to finish off a quick counter-attacking move, Younghusband drew a diving save from Nawaf Al Khaldi on a one-on-one, setting up the corner that nearly gave Guirado the first goal.
But the Fil-Spanish striker headed Chieffy Caligdong’s corner to the crossbar and Jason Sabio’s header was cleared off the line by Hussain Fadhel.
The chances only woke up the Kuwaitis, who within seconds, finally grabbed the lead thanks to young striker Yousef Naser.
Fahad Al-Enezi, the right winger, who had proven to be a menace on attack, beat Manny Ott and Chieffy Caligdong to cross for Yousef, who banged the header into the bottom corner past the flailing arms of Neil Etheridge.
The Al-Azraq’s possession play was still negated by some resolute defending by the Azkals and on the counter, the visitors came close again in the 30th minute.
Anton del Rosario launched a long throw from the backline to Guirado, whose lofted ball found a rushing Younghusband on the run.
Finding space to shoot, Younghusband rifled a thunderous shot from just outside the area, forcing another reflex save from Al-Khaldi and the slightest of touches allowed the ball to ricochet off the crossbar again.
The tide began to change in the second half when the Al-Azraq put more pressure on the defensive line from the left flank, leading to several corner kicks and half-chances.
The pressure paid off in the 66th minute when defender Mesad Nada poked the ball home during a scramble in the box after his header off a corner was blocked.
The Al-Azraq’s pattern of dominance continued and with five minutes remaining with the Azkals growing weary, Fahed El-Ibrahim fired a shot from 20 yards to beat Etheridge.
The score would have been a little more lopsided if not for a couple of close range stops from Etheridge, who flew in from England on the eve of the match.
Azkals rue missed chances vs Kuwait
With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals were visibly disappointed after their 3-0 loss against Kuwait in the 1st leg of their 2nd round World Cup qualifier, and they rued their missed goal opportunities against the tough Kuwaiti team.
"We actually hit the bar several times," said team manager Dan Palami.
"It's a very sad story actually, we had 3 very good chances in the 1st half," said Azkals coach Michael Weiss.
Phil Younghusband nearly scored for the Philippines in the 1st half of the game, but was denied by the Kuwaiti goal keeper.
"We came here with a goal, and we thought we had it," said defender Jason Sabio. "But we had a couple of unlucky breaks, and we found ourselves down 3-0."
"In the 2nd half, it was one wave after another, and unfortunately, (they scored) a late goal," Coach Weiss said.
Weiss said that if the Azkals had managed to avoid the late goal by the Kuwaitis, a 2-0 final score would have been "a fantastic result."
Tougher job
The Azkals now face an even bigger challenge when they go back to the Philippines for the 2nd leg of the qualifier.
"We have a tougher job back home, but it's not impossible," said Palami.
The Azkals will have to defeat Kuwait 4-0 in order to advance to the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifier.
"In Manila, we will give Kuwait a very tough fight," Weiss promised.
Weiss also welcomed the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock, who were suspended for the 1st leg after incurring 2 yellow cards in the Azkals' 1st round qualifier against Sri Lanka.
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals were visibly disappointed after their 3-0 loss against Kuwait in the 1st leg of their 2nd round World Cup qualifier, and they rued their missed goal opportunities against the tough Kuwaiti team.
"We actually hit the bar several times," said team manager Dan Palami.
"It's a very sad story actually, we had 3 very good chances in the 1st half," said Azkals coach Michael Weiss.
Phil Younghusband nearly scored for the Philippines in the 1st half of the game, but was denied by the Kuwaiti goal keeper.
"We came here with a goal, and we thought we had it," said defender Jason Sabio. "But we had a couple of unlucky breaks, and we found ourselves down 3-0."
"In the 2nd half, it was one wave after another, and unfortunately, (they scored) a late goal," Coach Weiss said.
Weiss said that if the Azkals had managed to avoid the late goal by the Kuwaitis, a 2-0 final score would have been "a fantastic result."
Tougher job
The Azkals now face an even bigger challenge when they go back to the Philippines for the 2nd leg of the qualifier.
"We have a tougher job back home, but it's not impossible," said Palami.
The Azkals will have to defeat Kuwait 4-0 in order to advance to the 3rd round of the World Cup qualifier.
"In Manila, we will give Kuwait a very tough fight," Weiss promised.
Weiss also welcomed the return of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock, who were suspended for the 1st leg after incurring 2 yellow cards in the Azkals' 1st round qualifier against Sri Lanka.
The Azkals and their counterattacking 4-5-1
By Jojo Malig, abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals will face the toughest opponents they have yet to take on so far on Saturday night.
The match, the first leg of the second round FIFA World Cup qualification tie, is seen as a crucible for the Azkals, as well as their German coach Michael Weiss.
It is an away match for the Filipinos, with Kuwait enjoying the psychological advantage of playing in front of their own countrymen and in a familiar pitch.
With his wards clearly the underdogs against the higher-ranked Kuwait, Weiss -- who had been using an old-school 4-4-2 -- did not hesitate to admit that the Azkals will focus on defense against their hosts.
Weiss has also been less than secretive about the formation that the Azkals will be deployed -- a smash-and-grab, counterattacking 4-5-1.
Midfield battle
The classic 4-5-1 formation uses 4 defenders, 5 midfielders, and a lone striker.
It is primarily used to pack the midfield and prevent the other team from executing their passing game well.
With 5 midfielders in the middle of the pitch, it will be difficult for opponents to pass through the middle, and it will force them to play wide.
Compared to the traditional 4-4-2, the 4-5-1 allows teams to have an extra man in the midfield, who can be asked to man-mark the opposing team's attacking midfielder, creative midfielder, playmaker, or the "in-the-hole" forward who links the midfield with the attack.
Do not expect Samba-type football from teams using the 4-5-1. It is a defensive formation relying on counterattacks and set pieces for the rare scoring opportunities.
Some may see boring, stop-and-go football from both teams as a result of the formation, but those using the 4-5-1 are pragmatists who value either a victory or draw more than entertaining fans.
Football fans who regularly watch the English Premier League are familiar with the formation, as it is often used by lower-ranked teams when they visit Old Trafford or the Kop.
However, even Manchester United and Liverpool are known to use the 4-5-1 (or one of its variations) when playing the UEFA Champions League in an away fixture.
Even "The Special One," Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, was known for his "defend-first" 4-5-1 formation that quickly becomes a 4-3-3 while he was manager of Champions League-winning Porto and Chelsea.
The classical 4-5-1 has several variations, including the offensive 4-4-1-1 of Arsenal with one attacking midfielder who pushes forward in the hole to link up with the striker, or Manchester United's "continental" 4-2-3-1 with 2 defensive midfielders that allowed the Red Devils in previous season to be unbeaten in away matches in Europe.
Strengths
The main strength of the 4-5-1 is defense.
It allows the back 4 -- the 4 defenders -- to cover the width of the field well, with at least one holding or defensive midfielder providing extra cover.
Having at least one extra midfielder protecting the back 4 also allows the fullbacks (the defenders on the left and right sides of the pitch) to "bomb forward" and link up with wingers on overlapping runs during attacks.
Having at least one holding midfielder will also guard against either surprise counterattacks by the opposing team or having enough men to defend if if the opposing team suddenly pushes forward in numbers.
The 2 wide midfielders or wingers in a 4-5-1 formation also provide width when the team has the ball, allowing them to either "stretch" the opposing team's defense or even pull defenders out of position and create spaces for their teammates to attack.
With 5 midfielders, the formation allows a team to control possession through quick, short passes when they have possession and clog the passing lanes and press ball carriers in defense.
It is also a flexible formation, with a team being able to quickly switch from defense to an attacking 4-3-3 or 4-2-4 formation.
It allows a team to hit on the break.
Weaknesses
The formation's main weakness is it limits a team's attacking options, which translates to fewer goal-scoring chances.
The lone striker, which is often the primary outlet for long balls during counterattacks, may find himself isolated if the midfielders "sit too deep."
He will be prone to either losing or wasting possession if 2 or more defenders gang up on him or use an offside trap.
Having too many players on the middle of the pitch may also result in overcrowding, unless the players properly know how to move without the ball and run channels well.
Having 10 men behind the ball to defend may also result in giving the majority of ball possession to the opposing team.
As previously mentioned, the 4-5-1 is not an ambassador of a free-flowing "beautiful game." A Liverpool-Chelsea clash in the Champions League in 2007, with both teams using the formation, had former Real Madrid coach and World Cup winner Jorge Valdano comparing the match to a "s&#**t hanging from a stick."
Roles to play
If Weiss does use the 4-5-1, expect Phil Younghusband to play the role of lone striker in the formation. He can use his technique and touch to hold the ball up and bring others into play.
If he catches his marker asleep or a defender playing him onside, either a through ball or a long ball to Younghusband may result in a goal for the Azkals if he goes one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
However, he will be in trouble if Kuwait decides to play physical and try to bully him out of the match, as his physique is far from a traditional big, strong, and tall frontman. To prevent Younghusband from being isolated, midfielders must work hard to link up with him, provide themselves as outlets for passes, and create spaces for him to operate.
Chieffy Caligdong will occupy the left midfielder role while James Younghusband will be on the opposite side. On defense, they can be asked to track back and slot into either side of the holding midfielders or centerbacks.
When the Azkals have the ball, they can make forward runs, giving width to the Philippines' attack and stretching Kuwait's defense. They are also potent goalscoring threats -- as Caligdong has shown -- if they make inside runs. If they decide to hug the touchline, the Azkals scoring opportunities will come from crosses from the duo.
Angel Guirado, who normally played a right midfield role in Spain, may occupy the "in-the-hole" attacking midfielder position for the Azkals against Kuwait. He can be a "false forward" who will link up the midfield with Phil Younghusband to create scoring opportunities for his teammate, or switch positions with him to confuse their markers and pull them out of position. He is expected to go forward often and act as a goalscoring threat himself.
With Stephan Schroeck suspended, the roles of central midfield metronome and holding midfielder will most likely fall in the hands of the youngster Manuel Ott and Jason de Jong. Their primary role will be to protect the back 4 by defending against midfielders who push forward or a striker who drops deep. If one of the Azkals defenders is pulled out of position, either Ott or de Jong can fill the hole to retain the back 4's shape.
They will link the defense with the 3 other midfielders when the Azkals have the ball. If Kuwait scores a goal and pulls ahead, expect either Ott or de Jong to push forward and join Guirado in the attacking midfielder role.
The fullbacks -- may they be Ray Anthony Jónsson, Jason Sabio, or someone else -- have the responsibility to both defend and attack depending on how the match pans out. They may sit back to ensure Kuwait's wingers are shut down, or go forward if the Azkals fall behind.
With skipper Aly Borromeo suspended, Anton del Rosario and Rob Gier at centerback should take a more assertive role in ensuring that the defenders do their duty well by stopping the opposition strikers, wingers, and attacking midfielders. Proper communication with Neil Etheridge is also of paramount importance if they want to leave Kuwait with a draw, a clean sheet, or a win.
While odds are stacked against the Azkals carving out a major upset against Kuwait in their opponent's home turf, the best result that they can carry to the second leg at home will be a scoring draw, such as 1-1 or 2-2. At the Rizal Memorial Stadium, it will be anyone's game.
The likes of Japan, South Korea, and Australia will await the Philippines next, if the Azkals should hurdle the Gulf kings Kuwait.
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Azkals will face the toughest opponents they have yet to take on so far on Saturday night.
The match, the first leg of the second round FIFA World Cup qualification tie, is seen as a crucible for the Azkals, as well as their German coach Michael Weiss.
It is an away match for the Filipinos, with Kuwait enjoying the psychological advantage of playing in front of their own countrymen and in a familiar pitch.
With his wards clearly the underdogs against the higher-ranked Kuwait, Weiss -- who had been using an old-school 4-4-2 -- did not hesitate to admit that the Azkals will focus on defense against their hosts.
Weiss has also been less than secretive about the formation that the Azkals will be deployed -- a smash-and-grab, counterattacking 4-5-1.
Midfield battle
The classic 4-5-1 formation uses 4 defenders, 5 midfielders, and a lone striker.
It is primarily used to pack the midfield and prevent the other team from executing their passing game well.
With 5 midfielders in the middle of the pitch, it will be difficult for opponents to pass through the middle, and it will force them to play wide.
Compared to the traditional 4-4-2, the 4-5-1 allows teams to have an extra man in the midfield, who can be asked to man-mark the opposing team's attacking midfielder, creative midfielder, playmaker, or the "in-the-hole" forward who links the midfield with the attack.
Do not expect Samba-type football from teams using the 4-5-1. It is a defensive formation relying on counterattacks and set pieces for the rare scoring opportunities.
Some may see boring, stop-and-go football from both teams as a result of the formation, but those using the 4-5-1 are pragmatists who value either a victory or draw more than entertaining fans.
Football fans who regularly watch the English Premier League are familiar with the formation, as it is often used by lower-ranked teams when they visit Old Trafford or the Kop.
However, even Manchester United and Liverpool are known to use the 4-5-1 (or one of its variations) when playing the UEFA Champions League in an away fixture.
Even "The Special One," Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, was known for his "defend-first" 4-5-1 formation that quickly becomes a 4-3-3 while he was manager of Champions League-winning Porto and Chelsea.
The classical 4-5-1 has several variations, including the offensive 4-4-1-1 of Arsenal with one attacking midfielder who pushes forward in the hole to link up with the striker, or Manchester United's "continental" 4-2-3-1 with 2 defensive midfielders that allowed the Red Devils in previous season to be unbeaten in away matches in Europe.
Strengths
The main strength of the 4-5-1 is defense.
It allows the back 4 -- the 4 defenders -- to cover the width of the field well, with at least one holding or defensive midfielder providing extra cover.
Having at least one extra midfielder protecting the back 4 also allows the fullbacks (the defenders on the left and right sides of the pitch) to "bomb forward" and link up with wingers on overlapping runs during attacks.
Having at least one holding midfielder will also guard against either surprise counterattacks by the opposing team or having enough men to defend if if the opposing team suddenly pushes forward in numbers.
The 2 wide midfielders or wingers in a 4-5-1 formation also provide width when the team has the ball, allowing them to either "stretch" the opposing team's defense or even pull defenders out of position and create spaces for their teammates to attack.
With 5 midfielders, the formation allows a team to control possession through quick, short passes when they have possession and clog the passing lanes and press ball carriers in defense.
It is also a flexible formation, with a team being able to quickly switch from defense to an attacking 4-3-3 or 4-2-4 formation.
It allows a team to hit on the break.
Weaknesses
The formation's main weakness is it limits a team's attacking options, which translates to fewer goal-scoring chances.
The lone striker, which is often the primary outlet for long balls during counterattacks, may find himself isolated if the midfielders "sit too deep."
He will be prone to either losing or wasting possession if 2 or more defenders gang up on him or use an offside trap.
Having too many players on the middle of the pitch may also result in overcrowding, unless the players properly know how to move without the ball and run channels well.
Having 10 men behind the ball to defend may also result in giving the majority of ball possession to the opposing team.
As previously mentioned, the 4-5-1 is not an ambassador of a free-flowing "beautiful game." A Liverpool-Chelsea clash in the Champions League in 2007, with both teams using the formation, had former Real Madrid coach and World Cup winner Jorge Valdano comparing the match to a "s&#**t hanging from a stick."
Roles to play
If Weiss does use the 4-5-1, expect Phil Younghusband to play the role of lone striker in the formation. He can use his technique and touch to hold the ball up and bring others into play.
If he catches his marker asleep or a defender playing him onside, either a through ball or a long ball to Younghusband may result in a goal for the Azkals if he goes one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
However, he will be in trouble if Kuwait decides to play physical and try to bully him out of the match, as his physique is far from a traditional big, strong, and tall frontman. To prevent Younghusband from being isolated, midfielders must work hard to link up with him, provide themselves as outlets for passes, and create spaces for him to operate.
Chieffy Caligdong will occupy the left midfielder role while James Younghusband will be on the opposite side. On defense, they can be asked to track back and slot into either side of the holding midfielders or centerbacks.
When the Azkals have the ball, they can make forward runs, giving width to the Philippines' attack and stretching Kuwait's defense. They are also potent goalscoring threats -- as Caligdong has shown -- if they make inside runs. If they decide to hug the touchline, the Azkals scoring opportunities will come from crosses from the duo.
Angel Guirado, who normally played a right midfield role in Spain, may occupy the "in-the-hole" attacking midfielder position for the Azkals against Kuwait. He can be a "false forward" who will link up the midfield with Phil Younghusband to create scoring opportunities for his teammate, or switch positions with him to confuse their markers and pull them out of position. He is expected to go forward often and act as a goalscoring threat himself.
With Stephan Schroeck suspended, the roles of central midfield metronome and holding midfielder will most likely fall in the hands of the youngster Manuel Ott and Jason de Jong. Their primary role will be to protect the back 4 by defending against midfielders who push forward or a striker who drops deep. If one of the Azkals defenders is pulled out of position, either Ott or de Jong can fill the hole to retain the back 4's shape.
They will link the defense with the 3 other midfielders when the Azkals have the ball. If Kuwait scores a goal and pulls ahead, expect either Ott or de Jong to push forward and join Guirado in the attacking midfielder role.
The fullbacks -- may they be Ray Anthony Jónsson, Jason Sabio, or someone else -- have the responsibility to both defend and attack depending on how the match pans out. They may sit back to ensure Kuwait's wingers are shut down, or go forward if the Azkals fall behind.
With skipper Aly Borromeo suspended, Anton del Rosario and Rob Gier at centerback should take a more assertive role in ensuring that the defenders do their duty well by stopping the opposition strikers, wingers, and attacking midfielders. Proper communication with Neil Etheridge is also of paramount importance if they want to leave Kuwait with a draw, a clean sheet, or a win.
While odds are stacked against the Azkals carving out a major upset against Kuwait in their opponent's home turf, the best result that they can carry to the second leg at home will be a scoring draw, such as 1-1 or 2-2. At the Rizal Memorial Stadium, it will be anyone's game.
The likes of Japan, South Korea, and Australia will await the Philippines next, if the Azkals should hurdle the Gulf kings Kuwait.
FIFA: Azkals Borromeo, Schrock will not play in away match vs Kuwait
EVR/RAF/OMG, GMA News
FIFA officially barred Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock from playing against Kuwait in the 2014 World Cup qualifying match this Sunday (Manila time).
The football world-governing body rendered its decision against Borromeo and Schrock despite the Asian Football Federation's (AFC) recommendation to let the Filipinos play.
Borromeo, via his Twitter account, said: "Disheartening news for me that I can't be on the pitch with the boys tomorrow.. But I trust the boys will step up and represent!"
The AFC, through its General Secretary Alex Soosay, sent a letter to FIFA Legal Affairs Director Marco Villiger dated July 18, 2011, recommending that the cautions (yellow cards) dealt to Borromeo and Schrock be cancelled. This was done by the AFC as a response to the Philippine Football Federation's (PFF) appeal based on Article 37 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code:
1. Upon its own initiative or at the request of a confederation, the Disciplinary Committee may cancel cautions that have not resulted in an expulsion so as to restore the balance among several teams that have not played the same number of matches during the first round of a competition, or in other exceptional circumstances.
2. In any case, the committee may do this only once in any competition.
3. The Disciplinary Committee’s decision is final.
The PFF hoped that the football governing bodies would let the two Filipinos play "in the spirit of fair play", given Kuwait is ranked 102nd to the Philippines' 159th.
The decision came Friday, in a letter sent by AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay to Ramon Manuel, General Secretary of the PFF. The letter states:
"Kindly be informed that we were adviced by FIFA to which we agree that Article 37 of the FDC applied only to cautions that have not resulted in an expulsion. Your request however is in regards to the following players; Alexander Borromeo and Stephan Schrock who had received two cautions in two different matches in the first round of the said Qualifiers (against Sri Lanka on 29 June 2011 and 03 July 2011 respectively). This warrants an automatic suspension for the match against Kuwait on 23 July 2011. FIFA had sent out the confirmation letter to your good Federation informing the suspension of the two above-mentioned players.
Therefore Article 37 of the FDC is not applicable in the instant case. As such the two cautions received by each of the above-mentioned players cannot be cancelled and they are suspended for the match against Kuwait on 23 July 2011."
"Unfortunately, we did not get the result we desired. Nevertheless, our team will continue to fight to win and represent the country in a way that will make us all proud to be Filipinos," said Philippine Football Federation Treasurer Bonnie Ladrido.
Borromeo's absence means Chieffy Caligdong will act as captain. Possible replacements are Ray Jonsson, Manuel Ott and Jason de Jong, according to Borromeo. --
FIFA officially barred Azkals team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock from playing against Kuwait in the 2014 World Cup qualifying match this Sunday (Manila time).
The football world-governing body rendered its decision against Borromeo and Schrock despite the Asian Football Federation's (AFC) recommendation to let the Filipinos play.
Borromeo, via his Twitter account, said: "Disheartening news for me that I can't be on the pitch with the boys tomorrow.. But I trust the boys will step up and represent!"
The AFC, through its General Secretary Alex Soosay, sent a letter to FIFA Legal Affairs Director Marco Villiger dated July 18, 2011, recommending that the cautions (yellow cards) dealt to Borromeo and Schrock be cancelled. This was done by the AFC as a response to the Philippine Football Federation's (PFF) appeal based on Article 37 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code:
1. Upon its own initiative or at the request of a confederation, the Disciplinary Committee may cancel cautions that have not resulted in an expulsion so as to restore the balance among several teams that have not played the same number of matches during the first round of a competition, or in other exceptional circumstances.
2. In any case, the committee may do this only once in any competition.
3. The Disciplinary Committee’s decision is final.
The PFF hoped that the football governing bodies would let the two Filipinos play "in the spirit of fair play", given Kuwait is ranked 102nd to the Philippines' 159th.
The decision came Friday, in a letter sent by AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay to Ramon Manuel, General Secretary of the PFF. The letter states:
"Kindly be informed that we were adviced by FIFA to which we agree that Article 37 of the FDC applied only to cautions that have not resulted in an expulsion. Your request however is in regards to the following players; Alexander Borromeo and Stephan Schrock who had received two cautions in two different matches in the first round of the said Qualifiers (against Sri Lanka on 29 June 2011 and 03 July 2011 respectively). This warrants an automatic suspension for the match against Kuwait on 23 July 2011. FIFA had sent out the confirmation letter to your good Federation informing the suspension of the two above-mentioned players.
Therefore Article 37 of the FDC is not applicable in the instant case. As such the two cautions received by each of the above-mentioned players cannot be cancelled and they are suspended for the match against Kuwait on 23 July 2011."
"Unfortunately, we did not get the result we desired. Nevertheless, our team will continue to fight to win and represent the country in a way that will make us all proud to be Filipinos," said Philippine Football Federation Treasurer Bonnie Ladrido.
Borromeo's absence means Chieffy Caligdong will act as captain. Possible replacements are Ray Jonsson, Manuel Ott and Jason de Jong, according to Borromeo. --
Azkals promise to give a good fight in Kuwait
By Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
KUWAIT - Filipinos made sure they had tickets for the big game Saturday night in Kuwait. They are paying between 1 to 3 Kuwaiti dinars or about P155 to P900 for seats.
The Qadsia Stadium is expected to be a very noisy venue for the game with about 15,000 Kuwaiti fans expected and about 4,000 Filipinos.
The Philippine Azkals are the underdogs but the team promises to go out fighting all the way.
The Azkals had one chance to practice at the stadium, one day before the game. The weather was very hot, with hardly any wind blowing. Players often came back to the sidelines to get hydrated.
Though he will miss the game due to suspension, team captain Aly Borromeo still joined the team training. Either Roel Gener or Jason Sabio will be starting in defense in place of Borromeo.
Players got limbered and slowly got into the game working on their passing, communication runs and plays.
They finished up with a strong scrimmage among themselves.
Filipino fans were allowed in the stands and thrilled to get a glimpse of the players who will be wearing the Philippine colors.
The team got a good feel of the field and are raring to go.
Goal keeper Neil Etheridge planed in from England late evening. Etheridge is happy to be back with the team and just as determined to have a good showing in the first game with Kuwait.
Etheridge will also be flying out to Manila with the team for the 2nd leg of the World Cup Qualifiers on July 28 at the Rizal Stadium.
KUWAIT - Filipinos made sure they had tickets for the big game Saturday night in Kuwait. They are paying between 1 to 3 Kuwaiti dinars or about P155 to P900 for seats.
The Qadsia Stadium is expected to be a very noisy venue for the game with about 15,000 Kuwaiti fans expected and about 4,000 Filipinos.
The Philippine Azkals are the underdogs but the team promises to go out fighting all the way.
The Azkals had one chance to practice at the stadium, one day before the game. The weather was very hot, with hardly any wind blowing. Players often came back to the sidelines to get hydrated.
Though he will miss the game due to suspension, team captain Aly Borromeo still joined the team training. Either Roel Gener or Jason Sabio will be starting in defense in place of Borromeo.
Players got limbered and slowly got into the game working on their passing, communication runs and plays.
They finished up with a strong scrimmage among themselves.
Filipino fans were allowed in the stands and thrilled to get a glimpse of the players who will be wearing the Philippine colors.
The team got a good feel of the field and are raring to go.
Goal keeper Neil Etheridge planed in from England late evening. Etheridge is happy to be back with the team and just as determined to have a good showing in the first game with Kuwait.
Etheridge will also be flying out to Manila with the team for the 2nd leg of the World Cup Qualifiers on July 28 at the Rizal Stadium.
Know your Azkals: What it took to get to know them
By MAV C. GONZALES - GMA News
Girlfriend, media impostor, sister – these are some of the things people thought I was while interviewing the Azkals. You may have enjoyed discovering the quirks and peeves of our beloved football players, but it was no easy feat to get those stories.
Between setting interviews and publishing the stories, here’s what happened as we got to know the Azkals.
Simon Greatwich
The first guy I wrote about was Simon Greatwich. The interview was held in our FTW studio at the GMA Network Center. I’ve never interviewed an English guy before but I had only a little difficulty understanding his accent. Thank god for my semi-obsession with the British monarchy.
I guess the best bits of his stories come from his experiences with the Azkals, particularly Cambodia. There were times when he’d let housekeeping in when he knew his roommate Neil Etheridge was walking around naked inside. I can only picture the face of the housekeeper.
Simon’s accent pretty much prepared me for my interview with his best bud Neil. Yes, dreamboat Neil.
Neil Etheridge and Ian Araneta
I watched leg one of the Challenge Cup against Mongolia only on TV. I had set an interview with Neil the weekend before, but I wasn’t sure if I’d actually be able to catch him once he gets to Manila. Besides, he was immediately returning to England the next day.
That Thursday, I was getting my brain fried in Political Science class when he replied that we can meet at the airport. Right after class, I rushed to NAIA. I was secretly hoping that not a lot of fans would be there so it would be easier to talk to Neil. I made friends with the PFF staff while waiting for them and found out they needed to go to President Aquino for a courtesy call. Why did they need to go to Malacañang that soon? My interview was screwed.
Good thing their team coordinator Ace Bright allowed me to hold the interview during their private team dinner at Melo’s, The Fort. Neil was still busy meeting with his sponsor so I grabbed the chance to interview Ian Araneta. Seated with us were Yanti Barsales and Chieffy Caligdong who turned out to be his uncle and cousin respectively. I must say, we got cool military men.
At around 9p.m., Neil finally arrived with Simon and Jason Sabio. He pulled up a chair for me and we begun our five-hour late interview. The whole time, cameras from different stations were going around us. I later found out that I was on the news and on a certain sports show just because I was sitting with the Azkals.
I called my table the “Brit table" simply because Neil, Simon and Rob Gier were all seated with me. The way they ordered amaretto and Jagermeister was about the closest I could get to an English pub experience. I kind of pitied the waiter though as he had to repeatedly ask their orders to understand them.
Later that night, I also met Coach Weiss whom I think is a cut different from your usual German. I thought he was cold and strict, so I was surprised when he turned out to be such a sweet guy. He was bidding Neil goodbye when he noticed me sitting beside him.
“Oh, is she your girlfriend?" he asked Neil and turned to me.
I was quick to reply no (I didn’t want to take advantage of the moment), and then Jason Sabio butted in “soon-to-be girlfriend!" We all laughed but come to think of it, that was a very cringe-worthy moment.
Jason De Jong
It was Valentine’s Day and being the single that I am, I was dateless. Around lunch time, I got a text from a very unexpected person saying that I could go to his house for our interview.
Don’t get me wrong. Jason De Jong does give off that I-don’t-care-about-you vibe so I didn’t expect him to be an easy interviewee. I went to this pad in Makati which apparently houses the foreign Azkals when they’re here in Manila, even Simon McMenemy!
Jason was very soft-spoken and that surprised me too. Well, only until I saw his left arm fully covered in tattoos. That’s the Jason I know. He had just gotten it over the weekend and he had to lotion it up every couple of hours.
After the interview, we were saying our goodbyes and I happened to ask where he’s heading to (he was packing his bag).
“Actually I was gonna ask you a favor. Can I ride with you out of the village?" he asked.
I said sure, but sort of half-panicked when I remembered how unruly the car was. I just came from school so all my papers were just scattered in the backseat. I think my parents were starstruck when he came out of the house with me. He was after all just a bit short of being a celebrity now.
We actually had a more interesting conversation in the car than in the formal interview. He was just talking about how Filipinos should play football more and how they get hurt when people say the Fil-foreigners are not Filipino.
“Our moms are Filipino so I don’t get why people say we’re not Filipino!" he said emphatically.
We agree with you Jason, we agree. And I definitely have no qualms not having a Valentine date if this is what I’ll be doing.
Aly Borromeo
When you’re captain of any sport, you’re probably the busiest. The same is true for Aly who was juggling tons of events, practices and press duties for the Azkals.
For some reason, he didn’t have a ride on the morning of their first meet-and-greet mall tour. The day before, he asked if I could pick him up at home and we’d go to SM Sta. Mesa together.
In my mind I was thinking, “Wow seryoso bang nagpapasundo siya sa ’kin?" I’m not sure if he even knew I was a girl.
I eventually said yes – I had to get that story after all. I even tweeted that “kung ganito lagi ang susunduin, I wouldn’t mind being a school bus driver."
SM Sta. Mesa is probably one of the plainest malls I’ve ever seen. They didn’t even have a single coffee shop! Aly and I were thinking where we could hold our interview. His first choice was McDonald's but realized it was too public. We ended up in a bakeshop in the mall’s far corner.
It was pretty far from the crowded areas of the mall but for some reason, one girl still recognized Aly. He wasn’t even wearing his jersey yet and was only in a plain white shirt. She just greeted Aly and left.
But after a few minutes, lo and behold: she came back with her bunch of friends to take a photo with Aly. I offered to take their photo but they insisted on including me in the shot. They were making me pose beside Aly. Oh, I already knew what they were thinking.
Fast forward to the actual meet-and-greet. When Aly and I arrived at the restaurant, there were lots of fans already lined up. The staff members of the Azkals were offering me lunch but I couldn’t stay any longer so I declined.
“Nahiya ka pa, part ka na ng team," said one of them. Aww, that really made me smile.
James and Phil Younghusband
As much as I don’t want to put them together, James and Phil are too busy to be caught apart from each other.
I set up an interview with them during their football camp for public school teachers at The Fort. I got lost going around Navy Village which is apparently almost an entire city dedicated to our army. When I got to the stadium, I was even mistaken as a random person taking photos on the field. The organizers didn’t believe I was from GMA at first because I didn’t have a media pass. The things I have to go through for the Younghusbands.
Everything paid off though when I finally got to talk to them. We even chatted about my hometown Malabon, which is also their mom’s hometown. They both remember a lot of things about it, especially the Pancit Malabon. And I must say, that British accent is really something.
Anton Del Rosario
Anton was the last among the starters I interviewed. In all honesty, I had a hard time finding new angles for the story. They’re from the same team and have the same experiences after all. I kept on hearing about being underdogs, winning over Vietnam, and the state of football in the Philippines that I think I have mastered it enough to write a dissertation.
When Anton walked inside the coffee shop with his French-Filipina girlfriend, you would honestly think you landed on an episode of The Hills (yes, that was the lead too). Since his girlfriend Laetitia was there already, I asked how long they have been together.
“Well we got together on the third. Today! This day 14 months ago!" he blurted.
I was so embarrassed because I was apparently barging in on their monthsary date. After the whole thing, I took Anton’s photo. Laetitia declined to be photographed as she wanted to keep a low profile.
“She really doesn’t want to be seen with me. I don’t know why," Anton joked before they left.
As they stepped out the coffee shop, I noticed lots of people staring at Anton. That’s when it finally hit me. These people I’ve been interviewing are not just anybody. The Azkals have become a new kind of Philippine hero and celebrity.
After meeting them though, I saw that they're not just football machines that you put on the pitch to play and send to malls to sign autographs. They have stories. They have likes and quirks. Sometimes, they just want to go about the day without being hounded by fans asking for pictures.
And even sans the good looks and popularity, I wouldn’t mind being affiliated (or mistakenly affiliated, preferably as a girlfriend) with the Azkals.
Girlfriend, media impostor, sister – these are some of the things people thought I was while interviewing the Azkals. You may have enjoyed discovering the quirks and peeves of our beloved football players, but it was no easy feat to get those stories.
Between setting interviews and publishing the stories, here’s what happened as we got to know the Azkals.
Simon Greatwich
The first guy I wrote about was Simon Greatwich. The interview was held in our FTW studio at the GMA Network Center. I’ve never interviewed an English guy before but I had only a little difficulty understanding his accent. Thank god for my semi-obsession with the British monarchy.
I guess the best bits of his stories come from his experiences with the Azkals, particularly Cambodia. There were times when he’d let housekeeping in when he knew his roommate Neil Etheridge was walking around naked inside. I can only picture the face of the housekeeper.
Simon’s accent pretty much prepared me for my interview with his best bud Neil. Yes, dreamboat Neil.
Neil Etheridge and Ian Araneta
I watched leg one of the Challenge Cup against Mongolia only on TV. I had set an interview with Neil the weekend before, but I wasn’t sure if I’d actually be able to catch him once he gets to Manila. Besides, he was immediately returning to England the next day.
That Thursday, I was getting my brain fried in Political Science class when he replied that we can meet at the airport. Right after class, I rushed to NAIA. I was secretly hoping that not a lot of fans would be there so it would be easier to talk to Neil. I made friends with the PFF staff while waiting for them and found out they needed to go to President Aquino for a courtesy call. Why did they need to go to Malacañang that soon? My interview was screwed.
Good thing their team coordinator Ace Bright allowed me to hold the interview during their private team dinner at Melo’s, The Fort. Neil was still busy meeting with his sponsor so I grabbed the chance to interview Ian Araneta. Seated with us were Yanti Barsales and Chieffy Caligdong who turned out to be his uncle and cousin respectively. I must say, we got cool military men.
At around 9p.m., Neil finally arrived with Simon and Jason Sabio. He pulled up a chair for me and we begun our five-hour late interview. The whole time, cameras from different stations were going around us. I later found out that I was on the news and on a certain sports show just because I was sitting with the Azkals.
I called my table the “Brit table" simply because Neil, Simon and Rob Gier were all seated with me. The way they ordered amaretto and Jagermeister was about the closest I could get to an English pub experience. I kind of pitied the waiter though as he had to repeatedly ask their orders to understand them.
Later that night, I also met Coach Weiss whom I think is a cut different from your usual German. I thought he was cold and strict, so I was surprised when he turned out to be such a sweet guy. He was bidding Neil goodbye when he noticed me sitting beside him.
“Oh, is she your girlfriend?" he asked Neil and turned to me.
I was quick to reply no (I didn’t want to take advantage of the moment), and then Jason Sabio butted in “soon-to-be girlfriend!" We all laughed but come to think of it, that was a very cringe-worthy moment.
Jason De Jong
It was Valentine’s Day and being the single that I am, I was dateless. Around lunch time, I got a text from a very unexpected person saying that I could go to his house for our interview.
Don’t get me wrong. Jason De Jong does give off that I-don’t-care-about-you vibe so I didn’t expect him to be an easy interviewee. I went to this pad in Makati which apparently houses the foreign Azkals when they’re here in Manila, even Simon McMenemy!
Jason was very soft-spoken and that surprised me too. Well, only until I saw his left arm fully covered in tattoos. That’s the Jason I know. He had just gotten it over the weekend and he had to lotion it up every couple of hours.
After the interview, we were saying our goodbyes and I happened to ask where he’s heading to (he was packing his bag).
“Actually I was gonna ask you a favor. Can I ride with you out of the village?" he asked.
I said sure, but sort of half-panicked when I remembered how unruly the car was. I just came from school so all my papers were just scattered in the backseat. I think my parents were starstruck when he came out of the house with me. He was after all just a bit short of being a celebrity now.
We actually had a more interesting conversation in the car than in the formal interview. He was just talking about how Filipinos should play football more and how they get hurt when people say the Fil-foreigners are not Filipino.
“Our moms are Filipino so I don’t get why people say we’re not Filipino!" he said emphatically.
We agree with you Jason, we agree. And I definitely have no qualms not having a Valentine date if this is what I’ll be doing.
Aly Borromeo
When you’re captain of any sport, you’re probably the busiest. The same is true for Aly who was juggling tons of events, practices and press duties for the Azkals.
For some reason, he didn’t have a ride on the morning of their first meet-and-greet mall tour. The day before, he asked if I could pick him up at home and we’d go to SM Sta. Mesa together.
In my mind I was thinking, “Wow seryoso bang nagpapasundo siya sa ’kin?" I’m not sure if he even knew I was a girl.
I eventually said yes – I had to get that story after all. I even tweeted that “kung ganito lagi ang susunduin, I wouldn’t mind being a school bus driver."
SM Sta. Mesa is probably one of the plainest malls I’ve ever seen. They didn’t even have a single coffee shop! Aly and I were thinking where we could hold our interview. His first choice was McDonald's but realized it was too public. We ended up in a bakeshop in the mall’s far corner.
It was pretty far from the crowded areas of the mall but for some reason, one girl still recognized Aly. He wasn’t even wearing his jersey yet and was only in a plain white shirt. She just greeted Aly and left.
But after a few minutes, lo and behold: she came back with her bunch of friends to take a photo with Aly. I offered to take their photo but they insisted on including me in the shot. They were making me pose beside Aly. Oh, I already knew what they were thinking.
Fast forward to the actual meet-and-greet. When Aly and I arrived at the restaurant, there were lots of fans already lined up. The staff members of the Azkals were offering me lunch but I couldn’t stay any longer so I declined.
“Nahiya ka pa, part ka na ng team," said one of them. Aww, that really made me smile.
James and Phil Younghusband
As much as I don’t want to put them together, James and Phil are too busy to be caught apart from each other.
I set up an interview with them during their football camp for public school teachers at The Fort. I got lost going around Navy Village which is apparently almost an entire city dedicated to our army. When I got to the stadium, I was even mistaken as a random person taking photos on the field. The organizers didn’t believe I was from GMA at first because I didn’t have a media pass. The things I have to go through for the Younghusbands.
Everything paid off though when I finally got to talk to them. We even chatted about my hometown Malabon, which is also their mom’s hometown. They both remember a lot of things about it, especially the Pancit Malabon. And I must say, that British accent is really something.
Anton Del Rosario
Anton was the last among the starters I interviewed. In all honesty, I had a hard time finding new angles for the story. They’re from the same team and have the same experiences after all. I kept on hearing about being underdogs, winning over Vietnam, and the state of football in the Philippines that I think I have mastered it enough to write a dissertation.
When Anton walked inside the coffee shop with his French-Filipina girlfriend, you would honestly think you landed on an episode of The Hills (yes, that was the lead too). Since his girlfriend Laetitia was there already, I asked how long they have been together.
“Well we got together on the third. Today! This day 14 months ago!" he blurted.
I was so embarrassed because I was apparently barging in on their monthsary date. After the whole thing, I took Anton’s photo. Laetitia declined to be photographed as she wanted to keep a low profile.
“She really doesn’t want to be seen with me. I don’t know why," Anton joked before they left.
As they stepped out the coffee shop, I noticed lots of people staring at Anton. That’s when it finally hit me. These people I’ve been interviewing are not just anybody. The Azkals have become a new kind of Philippine hero and celebrity.
After meeting them though, I saw that they're not just football machines that you put on the pitch to play and send to malls to sign autographs. They have stories. They have likes and quirks. Sometimes, they just want to go about the day without being hounded by fans asking for pictures.
And even sans the good looks and popularity, I wouldn’t mind being affiliated (or mistakenly affiliated, preferably as a girlfriend) with the Azkals.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Azkals brace for 'massive match'
By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)
KUWAIT – In two days’ time, his wards are about to face their toughest adversary amid the punishing Gulf heat but Azkals coach Michael Weiss is brimming with confidence.
“I’m quite content (with preparations) and I think the boys are now counting the hours towards the match. And that it will be a massive match, as they say in England, and it will give us an idea where we stand and if we can compete at this level. I’m quite positive,” Weiss said before their morning team meeting yesterday.
The Azkals collide with Kuwait’s Al-Azraq (The Blue) squad Saturday night (early Sunday in Manila) aware of the Everest-like obstacle they have to scale against a team that’s ranked 50 places higher in the football pecking order.
But Weiss, the optimist, feels there is good chances “if we can transfer onto the pitch the game plan we prepared for a full 90 minutes.”
“We have studied the opponent very carefully and I think the players know exactly who they’re dealing with and how we have to prevent the opponent to get into its flow of play. That would be the most crucial point – to be very aggressive and tight and not let them start their game and that is a thing that takes 90 minutes ,” he said.
“As we’ve seen before, small mistakes get punished immediately so they will not allow us to switch off our computer, as I always say, for one second. Whether it’s a set piece, an easy passing mistake or getting back into shape too early or pushing out too late, those small mistakes will be punished. But as for the preparations, I think we’re ready,” he added.
The desert heat in this part of the world, in the vicinity of 45 degrees, is, to say the least zapping, but Weiss claimed his players are adjusting well, aided by their training camp in Bahrain the previous week.
“They don’t worry about the heat because the heat is not an issue, actually. Last night, when we practiced, I found the weather even more pleasant than in Bahrain; our first match in Bahrain last Saturday was in fact, much hotter,” said Weiss, who scheduled practices at 7 p.m. to get accustomed to the Kuwaiti temp at match time.
“If the temperature here will be like that, it will be okay and since we’re playing in a big stadium where air will be air flowing, I think we’ll be fine on Saturday,” he added.
They just have to take lots of fluids, though. Team manager Dan Palami said they are consuming an average of 10 boxes of water per practice getting into the Middle East.
KUWAIT – In two days’ time, his wards are about to face their toughest adversary amid the punishing Gulf heat but Azkals coach Michael Weiss is brimming with confidence.
“I’m quite content (with preparations) and I think the boys are now counting the hours towards the match. And that it will be a massive match, as they say in England, and it will give us an idea where we stand and if we can compete at this level. I’m quite positive,” Weiss said before their morning team meeting yesterday.
The Azkals collide with Kuwait’s Al-Azraq (The Blue) squad Saturday night (early Sunday in Manila) aware of the Everest-like obstacle they have to scale against a team that’s ranked 50 places higher in the football pecking order.
But Weiss, the optimist, feels there is good chances “if we can transfer onto the pitch the game plan we prepared for a full 90 minutes.”
“We have studied the opponent very carefully and I think the players know exactly who they’re dealing with and how we have to prevent the opponent to get into its flow of play. That would be the most crucial point – to be very aggressive and tight and not let them start their game and that is a thing that takes 90 minutes ,” he said.
“As we’ve seen before, small mistakes get punished immediately so they will not allow us to switch off our computer, as I always say, for one second. Whether it’s a set piece, an easy passing mistake or getting back into shape too early or pushing out too late, those small mistakes will be punished. But as for the preparations, I think we’re ready,” he added.
The desert heat in this part of the world, in the vicinity of 45 degrees, is, to say the least zapping, but Weiss claimed his players are adjusting well, aided by their training camp in Bahrain the previous week.
“They don’t worry about the heat because the heat is not an issue, actually. Last night, when we practiced, I found the weather even more pleasant than in Bahrain; our first match in Bahrain last Saturday was in fact, much hotter,” said Weiss, who scheduled practices at 7 p.m. to get accustomed to the Kuwaiti temp at match time.
“If the temperature here will be like that, it will be okay and since we’re playing in a big stadium where air will be air flowing, I think we’ll be fine on Saturday,” he added.
They just have to take lots of fluids, though. Team manager Dan Palami said they are consuming an average of 10 boxes of water per practice getting into the Middle East.
Azkals adjusting to the heat
Peter Atencio - Manila Standard Today
THE Philippine Azkals have quickly adjusted to the oven-hot temperature in Kuwait, but will still have to be at their best against the dangerous Al-Azraq national team when they clash in the first game of their 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium in Hawali, Kuwait.,
The Al-Azraqs, also known as The Blues, recently won a four-nation championship among Middle East countries last Saturday, and are expectedly in top form when they host the Azkals.
Leading the Kuwaitis’ offense will be their ace striker Bader Al-Muttawa and tough defenders Fahd Awad and Hussein Fadhl. The Kuwaitis will be playing before an expected full-capacity home crowd of around 22,000 spectators, with perhaps a sprinkling of overseas Filipino workers cheering the visiting Azkals.
Al-Mutawa, a former Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year nominee, scored the lone goal in the 74th minute, which handed Kuwait a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the recent FUCHS International Quartet Championship final at the Amman International Stadium Saturday.
In the semifinals, Kuwait blanked Iraq, 2-0, with Awad putting Kuwait in lead in the 66th minute, and Fadhl sealing the win with just six minutes before the end of the match.
After the finals, Goran Tufegdzic, the Serbian head coach of Al-Azraqs expressed his confidence in the Kuwaitis’ ability to beat the Azkals.
“We have been training and preparing ourselves for the match,” said Tufegdzic in an interview with the Kuwait Times.
The Serbian coach described the coming showdown against the Azkals as “tough, but exciting.”
“While I definitely favor my team, I highly respect the Philippine football team as well. They are also a strong, tough contender. We have an edge over them in terms of experience, two of our players are very strong and they are ready for this,” said Tufegdzic.
Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss Weiss, meanwhile, said that the Philippine Azkals stand a good chance of defeating Kuwait after seeing the videos of Kuwait’s team matches with other countries.
“I’m quite contented and I think the boys are now counting the hours towards the match. That will be a big match, a massive match as they say in England, and it will give us an idea, where we stand, and if we can compete at this level,” wrote Weiss via email.
The Azkals will be reinforced by Fil-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who arrived yesterday, along with defenders Rob Gier and Ray Jonsson, who have already rejoined the team at their official quarters at the Movenpick Hotel.
National team manager Dan Palami wrote on twitter that they “are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will not climb to 47-degrees centigrade,” hoping that they will be able to bear the high temperature at around 45-degrees during game time.
THE Philippine Azkals have quickly adjusted to the oven-hot temperature in Kuwait, but will still have to be at their best against the dangerous Al-Azraq national team when they clash in the first game of their 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the Mohammed Al-Hamad Stadium in Hawali, Kuwait.,
The Al-Azraqs, also known as The Blues, recently won a four-nation championship among Middle East countries last Saturday, and are expectedly in top form when they host the Azkals.
Leading the Kuwaitis’ offense will be their ace striker Bader Al-Muttawa and tough defenders Fahd Awad and Hussein Fadhl. The Kuwaitis will be playing before an expected full-capacity home crowd of around 22,000 spectators, with perhaps a sprinkling of overseas Filipino workers cheering the visiting Azkals.
Al-Mutawa, a former Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year nominee, scored the lone goal in the 74th minute, which handed Kuwait a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the recent FUCHS International Quartet Championship final at the Amman International Stadium Saturday.
In the semifinals, Kuwait blanked Iraq, 2-0, with Awad putting Kuwait in lead in the 66th minute, and Fadhl sealing the win with just six minutes before the end of the match.
After the finals, Goran Tufegdzic, the Serbian head coach of Al-Azraqs expressed his confidence in the Kuwaitis’ ability to beat the Azkals.
“We have been training and preparing ourselves for the match,” said Tufegdzic in an interview with the Kuwait Times.
The Serbian coach described the coming showdown against the Azkals as “tough, but exciting.”
“While I definitely favor my team, I highly respect the Philippine football team as well. They are also a strong, tough contender. We have an edge over them in terms of experience, two of our players are very strong and they are ready for this,” said Tufegdzic.
Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss Weiss, meanwhile, said that the Philippine Azkals stand a good chance of defeating Kuwait after seeing the videos of Kuwait’s team matches with other countries.
“I’m quite contented and I think the boys are now counting the hours towards the match. That will be a big match, a massive match as they say in England, and it will give us an idea, where we stand, and if we can compete at this level,” wrote Weiss via email.
The Azkals will be reinforced by Fil-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who arrived yesterday, along with defenders Rob Gier and Ray Jonsson, who have already rejoined the team at their official quarters at the Movenpick Hotel.
National team manager Dan Palami wrote on twitter that they “are keeping their fingers crossed that the weather will not climb to 47-degrees centigrade,” hoping that they will be able to bear the high temperature at around 45-degrees during game time.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
2 suspended Azkals may get to play vs Kuwait
With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
AFC requests FIFA to rescind Azkals' suspensions
MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) – The Philippine Azkals received some good news amid their arrival in Kuwait, as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has requested FIFA to rescind the suspensions of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock.
"Pursuant to Article 37 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code governing the cancellation of caution, AFC would like to request to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to cancel the aforesaid cautions that were received by the said players," said AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay in a letter addressed to FIFA Director of Legal Affairs Marco Villiger.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Nonong Araneta said that while Borromeo and Schrock have not yet been cleared to play by FIFA, the endorsement showed that AFC is supporting PFF's request.
“At least the AFC is supporting us,” Araneta said.
Araneta explained that the PFF initially wrote AFC to ask them to allow Borromeo and Schrock to play. But AFC advised them to write to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
Upon writing to FIFA, the PFF was informed that their request will have to be endorsed by AFC.
“We wrote to AFC and they wrote an appeal to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to lift the sanction,” Araneta said. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will make the final decision.”
Azkals now in Kuwait
After 2 practice games in Bahrain, the Azkals arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday for the 1st leg of their 2nd round World Cup Qualifier.
The Azkals will play the Kuwaiti team, the Al-Azraq, on Saturday, but they arrived in the Middle East early to acclimate themselves to the intense heat.
Despite losing both tune-up games against Bahrain’s Under-23 Olympic team, the Azkals were able to prepare for their upcoming match against Kuwait.
"Gagawin namin lahat, hindi kami basta-basta magpapatalo," said Azkals co-captain Chieffy Caligdong. "Kailangan ipakita natin sa kanila na iba yung football sa Pilipinas."
The team is still not yet complete as Neil Etheridge and Ray Johnsson have yet to arrive in Kuwait. Defender Rob Gier arrived Wednesday morning.
But Paul Mulders and Jerry Lucena will also be unable to play in the 1st leg.
Team manager Dan Palami has also expressed his gratitude to the Filipino fans who have come out to support the Azkals.
"Nagpapasalamat kami sa pinakikitang suporta ng mga kababayan natin, first in Bahrain and then in Kuwait," said Palami.
AFC requests FIFA to rescind Azkals' suspensions
MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) – The Philippine Azkals received some good news amid their arrival in Kuwait, as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has requested FIFA to rescind the suspensions of team captain Aly Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock.
"Pursuant to Article 37 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code governing the cancellation of caution, AFC would like to request to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to cancel the aforesaid cautions that were received by the said players," said AFC General Secretary Alex Soosay in a letter addressed to FIFA Director of Legal Affairs Marco Villiger.
Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Nonong Araneta said that while Borromeo and Schrock have not yet been cleared to play by FIFA, the endorsement showed that AFC is supporting PFF's request.
“At least the AFC is supporting us,” Araneta said.
Araneta explained that the PFF initially wrote AFC to ask them to allow Borromeo and Schrock to play. But AFC advised them to write to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
Upon writing to FIFA, the PFF was informed that their request will have to be endorsed by AFC.
“We wrote to AFC and they wrote an appeal to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to lift the sanction,” Araneta said. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will make the final decision.”
Azkals now in Kuwait
After 2 practice games in Bahrain, the Azkals arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday for the 1st leg of their 2nd round World Cup Qualifier.
The Azkals will play the Kuwaiti team, the Al-Azraq, on Saturday, but they arrived in the Middle East early to acclimate themselves to the intense heat.
Despite losing both tune-up games against Bahrain’s Under-23 Olympic team, the Azkals were able to prepare for their upcoming match against Kuwait.
"Gagawin namin lahat, hindi kami basta-basta magpapatalo," said Azkals co-captain Chieffy Caligdong. "Kailangan ipakita natin sa kanila na iba yung football sa Pilipinas."
The team is still not yet complete as Neil Etheridge and Ray Johnsson have yet to arrive in Kuwait. Defender Rob Gier arrived Wednesday morning.
But Paul Mulders and Jerry Lucena will also be unable to play in the 1st leg.
Team manager Dan Palami has also expressed his gratitude to the Filipino fans who have come out to support the Azkals.
"Nagpapasalamat kami sa pinakikitang suporta ng mga kababayan natin, first in Bahrain and then in Kuwait," said Palami.
Azkals’ appeal endorsed by Asian body
Peter Atencio - Manila Standard Today
THE Asian Football Confederation has endorsed an appeal by the Philippine Football Federation to the world football federation or FIFA to let two suspended players of the Azkals national football team see action in the first leg of its 2014 World Cup qualifying match with the Kuwait Al-Azraq national football team.
PFF president Mariano Araneta confirmed this yesterday after receiving an endorsement letter from the AFC.
AFC general secretary Alex Soosay yesterday wrote a letter of appeal to the FIFA, the world governing body for football, requesting that the cautions received by Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock be canceled.
“Pursuant to Article 37of the FIFA Disciplinary Code governing the cancellations of cautions, the AFC would like to request the FIFA Disciplinary Committee that the cautions received by players Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock be canceled,” wrote Soosay in his letter to FIFA director for legal affairs Marco Villiger.
Article 37 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code states that “it is at the request of a confederation that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may cancel cautions that have not resulted in an expulsion in order to restore the balance among teams that have not played the same number of matches during the first round of a competition.”
Borromeo and Schrock received their yellow cards during the second leg of the Philippine-Sri Lanka showdown last July 3, but the two were not expelled from the game.
The Azkals, who have concluded their tuneup games in Bahrain with a pair of losses to its national under-23 Olympic team, are now in Kuwait City, getting ready for the first leg of their home-and-way encounter on Saturday at 7 p.m. (12:30 a.m., Sunday, Manila time).
They received a warm welcome from fans, with Fil-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer Guirado reportedly mobbed at the airport by travelers and Filipino airport workers alike.
Fil-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who missed the tuneup games in Bahrain, flew into Kuwait City yesterday with left back Rob Gier and Ray Jonsson to reinforce the Azkals.
THE Asian Football Confederation has endorsed an appeal by the Philippine Football Federation to the world football federation or FIFA to let two suspended players of the Azkals national football team see action in the first leg of its 2014 World Cup qualifying match with the Kuwait Al-Azraq national football team.
PFF president Mariano Araneta confirmed this yesterday after receiving an endorsement letter from the AFC.
AFC general secretary Alex Soosay yesterday wrote a letter of appeal to the FIFA, the world governing body for football, requesting that the cautions received by Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock be canceled.
“Pursuant to Article 37of the FIFA Disciplinary Code governing the cancellations of cautions, the AFC would like to request the FIFA Disciplinary Committee that the cautions received by players Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock be canceled,” wrote Soosay in his letter to FIFA director for legal affairs Marco Villiger.
Article 37 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code states that “it is at the request of a confederation that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may cancel cautions that have not resulted in an expulsion in order to restore the balance among teams that have not played the same number of matches during the first round of a competition.”
Borromeo and Schrock received their yellow cards during the second leg of the Philippine-Sri Lanka showdown last July 3, but the two were not expelled from the game.
The Azkals, who have concluded their tuneup games in Bahrain with a pair of losses to its national under-23 Olympic team, are now in Kuwait City, getting ready for the first leg of their home-and-way encounter on Saturday at 7 p.m. (12:30 a.m., Sunday, Manila time).
They received a warm welcome from fans, with Fil-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer Guirado reportedly mobbed at the airport by travelers and Filipino airport workers alike.
Fil-British goalkeeper Neil Etheridge, who missed the tuneup games in Bahrain, flew into Kuwait City yesterday with left back Rob Gier and Ray Jonsson to reinforce the Azkals.
Azkals upbeat: ‘Kuwait won’t leave the pitch unscathed’
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
KUWAIT CITY—The odds may be stacked against the Philippine Azkals in their second round World Cup Qualifying duel with Kuwait, but that doesn’t mean they’ll just sit back and allow “the best team in the Gulf region” to impose its will on them.
Kuwait, the reigning Gulf Cup of Nations champion, is heavily favored, but the Filipinos, in the second round of qualifying for the first time in history, vowed to put up a resolute stand in their home-and-away tie starting on Saturday at the Mohammed Al-Hammad Stadium in Hawalli.
Flying in from Manama where they lost a couple of test matches against the Bahrain Under-23 Olympic Team, the Azkals arrived in this oil-rich, bustling city Tuesday night to a warm welcome by the Filipino community here.
As soon as they stepped outdoors, though, they were given a reminder that it won’t just be Kuwait that they would have to deal with.
July is the second hottest month of the year here with temperatures during the day hovering at 45 to 50 degrees and 38 to 43 degrees during nighttime. Azkals coach Michael Weiss is hoping that his charges will immediately adjust to the sauna-like conditions.
“It looks like the consensus is they’ll win by at least four goals,” team manager Dan Palami said. “We look at this as a challenge.”
“Even if we were coming in as underdogs, we will make sure they don’t leave the pitch unscathed,” added Palami.
The Azkals’ got another reprieve also yesterday when the Asian Football Confederation endorsed their appeal to cancel the ban on Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock to the International Football Federation (Fifa).
Fifa had earlier told the Philippine Football Federation to seek the cancellation of the ban from the AFC, before acting on the appeal.
With the AFC rescinding the ban, it will now be up to Fifa to apply the rule stating that “the Fifa Disciplinary may cancel cautions that have not resulted in expulsions to restore balance among teams that have not played the same number of matches during the first round of competitions.”
Kuwait was seeded outright in the second round, while the Philippines needed to beat Sri Lanka to make the next stage.
On their first full day here, the Azkals watched a video of the match pitting Kuwait and China in this year’s Asian Cup last January with Weiss breaking down the tactics and style of their opponents.
They were scheduled to train at 7 p.m. to get accustomed to the nighttime kick off on Saturday.
“They have a good mix of young and experienced players and play patiently,” Weiss told his team. “We have to obstruct them, make the spaces really tight for them.”
Weiss is wary of the attacking quartet of winger Fahad Al-Enezi, Waleed Ali, Yousef Naser and Bader Al Mutwa, who has already scored more than 30 goals and 100 appearances for the national side.
KUWAIT CITY—The odds may be stacked against the Philippine Azkals in their second round World Cup Qualifying duel with Kuwait, but that doesn’t mean they’ll just sit back and allow “the best team in the Gulf region” to impose its will on them.
Kuwait, the reigning Gulf Cup of Nations champion, is heavily favored, but the Filipinos, in the second round of qualifying for the first time in history, vowed to put up a resolute stand in their home-and-away tie starting on Saturday at the Mohammed Al-Hammad Stadium in Hawalli.
Flying in from Manama where they lost a couple of test matches against the Bahrain Under-23 Olympic Team, the Azkals arrived in this oil-rich, bustling city Tuesday night to a warm welcome by the Filipino community here.
As soon as they stepped outdoors, though, they were given a reminder that it won’t just be Kuwait that they would have to deal with.
July is the second hottest month of the year here with temperatures during the day hovering at 45 to 50 degrees and 38 to 43 degrees during nighttime. Azkals coach Michael Weiss is hoping that his charges will immediately adjust to the sauna-like conditions.
“It looks like the consensus is they’ll win by at least four goals,” team manager Dan Palami said. “We look at this as a challenge.”
“Even if we were coming in as underdogs, we will make sure they don’t leave the pitch unscathed,” added Palami.
The Azkals’ got another reprieve also yesterday when the Asian Football Confederation endorsed their appeal to cancel the ban on Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock to the International Football Federation (Fifa).
Fifa had earlier told the Philippine Football Federation to seek the cancellation of the ban from the AFC, before acting on the appeal.
With the AFC rescinding the ban, it will now be up to Fifa to apply the rule stating that “the Fifa Disciplinary may cancel cautions that have not resulted in expulsions to restore balance among teams that have not played the same number of matches during the first round of competitions.”
Kuwait was seeded outright in the second round, while the Philippines needed to beat Sri Lanka to make the next stage.
On their first full day here, the Azkals watched a video of the match pitting Kuwait and China in this year’s Asian Cup last January with Weiss breaking down the tactics and style of their opponents.
They were scheduled to train at 7 p.m. to get accustomed to the nighttime kick off on Saturday.
“They have a good mix of young and experienced players and play patiently,” Weiss told his team. “We have to obstruct them, make the spaces really tight for them.”
Weiss is wary of the attacking quartet of winger Fahad Al-Enezi, Waleed Ali, Yousef Naser and Bader Al Mutwa, who has already scored more than 30 goals and 100 appearances for the national side.
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