When the Philippine Men’s National Football Team joins the group stage of the Asian Football Confederations Challenge Cup in Myanmar from March 21-25, 2011, they know that they cannot take any opponent lightly. After a 2-0 shellacking of Mongolia in the Philippines’ home game last February 9, the Blue Wolves, as the Mongolian team is known by, bowed out of the competition but not before returning the favor with a 2-1 win.
“It was difficult playing in the cold,” said team skipper Aly Borromeo. “We all had problems sweating.”
“Ayaw namin gawin excuse yung lamig pero nahirapan kami talaga,” expounded striker Ian Araneta who has hit a scoring drought since his hat trick in last year’s Suzuki Cup qualifiers where the Philippines thrashed Timor Leste 5-0. “Malaking epekto talaga ang lamig sa akin. Ang hirap huminga at sobrang ginaw. Hindi nga ako pinapapawisan. Pero hindi naman yun excuse. Sad lang talaga ako kasi hindi tayo nanalo. Pero ganun pa man pasok pa rin sa group stage. Mas maganda pa rin sana kung nanalo.”
The Azkals advanced via 3-2 aggregate score but returned home to nurse its bruised pride and with the possibility that striker Phil Younghusband might not be fit enough for the next stage.
The nationals play host Myanmar, Bangladesh and Palestine which are ranked 161, 174, and 177 in the world football rankings by FIFA. It is by no means easy pickings for the Philippines. The national squad has only one win against Myanmar in recent memory (a 3-2 victory) and they certainly cannot afford to step onto the pitch with a massive dose of overconfidence when they play two countries in Palestine and Bangladesh that the AFC has placed in the emerging nations bracket of the competition. “Wala kami ka-alam alam about Bangladesh and Palestine,” said Philippine striker Ian Araneta who has hit a scoring drought since his hat trick in the Suzuki Cup qualifiers. “Alam lang namin very physical sila.”
The last time the Azkals made it deep into this tournament was in 2008 when the Qualification Group B was played in Iloilo City. Included in that group were Tajikistan, Bhutan, and Brunei.
The Philippines beat Brunei 1-0 with the solitary goal coming from then skipper Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong. The Azkals played to a scoreless draw with Tajikistan then went on to beat Bhutan 3-0 with goals from Chad Gould, Phil Younghusband, and an own goal by defender Pema Rinchen. Despite the 2-win and 1-draw slate, the home team failed to advance on account of the superior goals advantage by Tajikistan that finished with a +2 goal differential.
The nationals will receive their own massive dose of confidence when regular starting keeper Neil Etheridge returns to duty in the group stages following a short stint with English League One side Charlton Athletic FC after being loaned by parent club Fulham. “My loan spell even though it was short, was a good experience,” described Etheridge. “I got to meet new people and coaches! They expressed their delight with me even though I have not been given the opportunity to play. They (Charlton) would like to look further into having me for next year. Many positive things have come out of this even though I was unable to play for the club.”
Any joy over the return of Etheridge will have to be tempered as there is the possibility that Phil Younghusband might miss the match against Myanmar of not the whole stage. Araneta’s line mate injured him hamstring during a late and clumsy tackle by a Mongolian defender while out of bounds that saw the Fil-Briton limp out in favor of back up Yanti Bersales.
Further complicating matters is the unavailability of defender Rob Gier and the uncertainty that midfielder Jason de Jong who is currently playing with Indonesian club Persiba Balikpapan. The Azkals are already missing midfielder Chris Greatwich who is back in New Jersey, USA because of work. However, the elder Greatwich brother hopes to rejoin the team in time for the World Cup qualifiers slated for later this year.
The Philippines opens its group stage campaign at 3:30pm of the 21st of March when they take on Myanmar, the favorite to advance. The last time the two squads tangled it was at the Nam Dinh Stadium where they battled to a scoreless draw that catapulted the Azkals to an unprecedented semifinals appearance in the 2010 Suzuki Cup. The two will face each other at the Thuwunna Youth Training Center Stadium in Yangon. The YTC Stadium has a 32,000 seating capacity and is where international matches are held.
Two days later, the Azkals go up against dangerous Palestine also at 3:30pm at the YTC Stadium. The nationals close out their assignment when they take on Bangladesh on March 25 also at 3:30pm at the Bogyoke Aung San Stadium that is also located at Yangon. The 40,000-seater used to be the national stadium until the 1980s.
Myanmar won gold medals at the Asian Games football tournaments in 1966 and 1970. And they also qualified for the 1972 Munich Olympics football tournament but they were eliminated in the group stage. “The White Angels” as the Myanmar side is known, is led by strikers Yan Paing and Kyaw Ko Ko and captain Zaw Lin Tun.
Palestine on the other hand cannot likewise be trifled lightly. In 2006, they reached their highest FIFA ranking to date when they placed #115 in the rankings of over 200 countries.
Croat Robert Rubcic who played for the country’s first national squad following the dissolution of the Yugoslav Federation coaches Bangladesh. The task of getting the Bengal Tigers, as the team is known by, to compete is difficult since the country regards cricket as its top sport. The Bangladeshi eleven has competed on and off in international football tournaments due to the lack of skilled players and proper support.
The Azkals leave for Myanmar this coming Saturday, March 19.
Posted by Rick Olivares
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