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.
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