Azkals likely to miss 3 key aces in semis opener

BY: Written by BONG PEDRALVEZ (MALAYA)

EVEN before returning to Manila shortly after the Philippine Azkals’ successful stint in the AFF Group A tournament in Thailand, German coach Michael Weiss was seen fretting about the availability of three overseas-based players: defenders Dennis Cagara and Jerry Lucena and striker Angel Guirado. Cagara, Guirado and Lucena had to return to their respective clubs after playing pivotal roles in the tourney where the Azkals finished second in the group behind host Thailand and advanced to their second straight semifinals against Group A topnotcher Singapore. The two sides open the home-and-away semifinal series this Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. Lucena, brilliant as a midfield maestro in the National’s pivotal 1-0 win over Vietnam, had to return to action for the the Danish Superliga club Esbjerg and was non-committal about his availability for the semis. Bouncing back from forgettable performances in the 1-2 loss to the War Elephants, Cagara and Guirado were vital cogs in the team’s back-to-back triumphs over Vietnam and Myanmar (2-0), but also had to return to German Third Division club SC Karlsruher and Indian club Salgaocar, respectively. Cagara stood as the defensive demon of a sturdy Azkal backline that closed down Vietnamese striker Le Coc Vinh and Burmese scoring midfielder Kyi Lin. The hardworking Guirado set up Chieffy Caligdong’s winning marker against Vietnam and scored in the victory over Myanmar. Guirado and striker Phil Younghusband, who scored the first goal against Myanmar, have emerged as the team’s one-two scoring punch up front. “We need to have Lucena, Cagara and Guirado back with us because they will play important roles in our match against Singapore,” Weiss said. “They were vital in our success in Thailand.” National team liaison officer Ace Bright yesterday said he talking to Guirado and Cagara last night to find out if they would be available for the semifinals against the Lions. “I will know by tonight (Monday) if they can play on Saturday,” Bright said. With defender Ray Jonsson sidelined with a torn right quadricep muscle, having Cagara back takes on an even greater importance in the face of the devastating offense of Singapore, which is keen on snapping a three-game losing streak to the Philippines and continue its own quest of entering the finals. The good news is that Fil-Spanish defender Juani Guirado and Fil-Dutch midfielder Paul Mulders returned with the squad last Saturday and will be available for Saturday’s game. “Because of his slow recovery from jet lag, Mulder decided to return to Manila with us while Juani has been with us even before we left for Thailand,” Palami said.