By Olmin Leyba - (The Philippine Star)
KATHMANDU – Either the Philippine Azkals book a storied place in the AFC Challenge Cup semifinals or, as in past national teams, be consigned to its dustbin.
The Azkals try to rewrite history as they face 2006 winners Tajikistan in a do-or-die elims match for the second semis berth in Group B at the Halchowk Stadium here.
The Azkals, the obvious underdogs in the Group B competitions that featured champions of the first three editions, stayed in the running for a historic Last 4 appearance by bundling out 2008 titlist India, 2-0, tying Tajikistan at second with three points (1-0-1). Phl XI earlier bowed to defending champion North Korea, 0-2.
“Our goal is still the same – reach the semis – and to do, that we have to beat Tajikistan,” Azkals team manager Dan Palami said on the eve of the crucial match set 3 p.m. at the Halchowk Stadium in this chilly mountain nation (5:15 p.m. in Manila).
The Azkals and the Persian Lions are disputing the second and last semis berth in Group B with the Chollima already in the Last 4 with six points (2-0-0). With the same card and goal difference, Phl and Tajikistan will have to settle the issue via a victory today, a penalty shootout set if they end up with a draw.
“It’s going be a do-or-die. Not the first time we’re in this position and I know the players can pull through with it. I know we have the talent to get to the semis and I just hope we are able to find the rhythm much earlier in the game so that we won’t be as threatened like we were last night,” Palami said, referring to the India game, where the Blue Tigers managed to threaten the defense with some good shots.
The Azkals are on a high after beating India, moving on the brink of a cherished semis slot.
“I hope the team can get confidence from this victory,” said coach Michael Weiss, adding they need to play smart against Tajiskistan. “The smart team in this matchup will succeed to next round.”
The Azkals are in the AFC Challenge Cup Final-8 for the first time ever after hurdling the qualifying playoffs and qualifying group eliminations last year. They look to rewrite history by advancing the semis of the meet, and possibly the championship itself.
“We’re confident,” said ace striker Phil Younghusband, who scored a brace in the win over India, a result the Azkals view as a confidence builder.
“It’s going to be a difficult and tough game. But we have our confidence on the team that we can get a good result and (take) another step in Phl football, a history maker. It’s a big, big deal so we’ll prepare the same we did for the other game,” he added.
Standing in their way is Tajikistan, a team ranked nine notches higher than 156th-ranked Phl. The Persian Lions’ Bosnian coach Kemal Alispahi, through an interpreter, expressed confidence they can overcome the “unsophisticated” Azkals.
“Both team have shown quite a good performance but I believe we’ll be able to beat the Philippines and achieve the result we want,” said Alispahi, only on his 20th day as coach of Tajikistan after leaving Syrian club Al-Ittihad Aleppo.
“I would say Phl team, they’ve not played sophisticated system much but the coach uses what he has actually,” he observed. “The problem which they face is mostly playing defense but in offense they have a couple of good players. Definitely, we could face a lot of problem because of offense but I hope we can manage it.”
Phl custodian Neil Etheridge, who had made a number of fantastic saves against both North Korea and India, expressed confidence on the Azkals’ defense.
“I think the whole back four played well. I was very impressed. I knew coach wants to put Juani (Guirado) in holding midfield and Rob (Gier) back in defense. Rob is a great addition, picking up and knocking, he keeps a great line. Him and (Jason) Sabio are great team because Rob can dictate and tell Sabio where to go. And Sabio’s done really well,” Etheridge said.
“I just wish to improve the midfield. At points, we got a lot better, we kept the ball a lot better. Still at times we looked for pass that wasn’t really on or a pass that’s no 100 percent (precise),” he added.
Palami said their chances look good.
“We just have to play our game but establish the rhythm much earlier on so that we’re able to convert our chances and can create opportunities for the team. Our defense has been holding very well against other teams so far, even against North Korea. It will be tested again tomorrow (today) but hopefully our offensive threat can be converted into actual goals,” he said.
Showing posts with label AFC Challenge Cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AFC Challenge Cup. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Azkals blank Indians, boost semis bid
By Olmin Leyba - (The Philippine Star)
The Philippine Azkals pounced on their best chance for a victory in the AFC Challenge Cup group stages, gaining from Phil Younghusband’s brace in a 2-0 conquest of India to boost their semis bid last night at the Dashrath Stadium.
Younghusband struck off a throw-in by Jason Sabio in the 10th minute and fired a looper off a feed from brother James in the 73rd as the Azkals (3 points on 1-0-1) forced a virtual KO match with Tajikistan (3 points, 1-0-1) for the second semis berth in Group B.
Defending champion North Korea took the first seat to the semifinals after thumping Tajikistan, 2-0, for six points on 2-0-0, over at the Halchowk Stadium in the Bagmati Zone.
“I’m very, very happy with the result although I feel we can play much, much better,” said Azkals coach Michael Weiss, who took the W on his 52nd birthday.
The Azkals will gun for a dreamed-about Last-4 berth tomorrow as they cap their eliminations campaign against 2006 titlist Tajikistan.
“We are in the same position (with Tajikistan) and it might come to a shootout. So we have to be very careful and play smart against them,” said Weiss.
“I think we’ll have slight psychological advantage because Tajikistan came off a very challenging match (in a loss to North Korea) while we’re coming off a win (over India),” he added.
Working in tandem with teammates in two crucial sequences, Younghusband scored his 19th and 20th international goal for Phl in a morale-boosting triumph over the 2008 winners but currently rebuilding Blue Tigers.
“Fantastic, cool in front of the goal. That’s how we want him to be,” said Weiss of Younghusband.
It all started when Jason Sabio set up the first goal with a monster delivery that Younghusband wasted no time finishing.
Finding the ball in his area, Younghusband gamely rolled it in past Karanjit Singh, then danced into the sidelines as cheers from over 100 Filipinos engulfed the 56-year-old stadium surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
The star striker struck and danced anew in the 73rd after finishing a sequence started by Misagh Bahadoran from the left to his brother James, who gave a backpass that Phil made good on.
Weiss said a key adjustment in putting veteran defender Rob Gier in the back and Juani Guirado and Paul Mulders at holding midfield helped the Azkals’ cause.
Notes: Azkals coach Michael Weiss was presented with a mini-cake by the team in celebration of his 52nd birthday yesterday. Asked about his birthday wish, Weiss said: “You know what I want - to win the AFC Challenge Cup.”. If only that’s something the Azkals can get from a gift shop... Left in Manila as he’s still yet to fully recover from ACL, Azkals skipper Aly Borromeo is ding rah-rah for his teammates via social media. “Game day! Leave everything on that pitch today and take it to em boys!” he twitted on the day the Azkals faced a must-win situation against India. Borromeo is working as special analyst for Studio 23’s coverage of Phl XI’s campaign. “Sucks being injured and not playing but commentating with @bhobg333 (Bob Guerrero) is the closest I can get to being with the boys!”...To this day, Lydia de Vega still enjoys legend status in India. An Indian journalist asked about de Vega’s present whereabouts, recalling her exploits in the tracks and rivalry with Indian sprint queen PT Usha in the 1980s.
The Philippine Azkals pounced on their best chance for a victory in the AFC Challenge Cup group stages, gaining from Phil Younghusband’s brace in a 2-0 conquest of India to boost their semis bid last night at the Dashrath Stadium.
Younghusband struck off a throw-in by Jason Sabio in the 10th minute and fired a looper off a feed from brother James in the 73rd as the Azkals (3 points on 1-0-1) forced a virtual KO match with Tajikistan (3 points, 1-0-1) for the second semis berth in Group B.
Defending champion North Korea took the first seat to the semifinals after thumping Tajikistan, 2-0, for six points on 2-0-0, over at the Halchowk Stadium in the Bagmati Zone.
“I’m very, very happy with the result although I feel we can play much, much better,” said Azkals coach Michael Weiss, who took the W on his 52nd birthday.
The Azkals will gun for a dreamed-about Last-4 berth tomorrow as they cap their eliminations campaign against 2006 titlist Tajikistan.
“We are in the same position (with Tajikistan) and it might come to a shootout. So we have to be very careful and play smart against them,” said Weiss.
“I think we’ll have slight psychological advantage because Tajikistan came off a very challenging match (in a loss to North Korea) while we’re coming off a win (over India),” he added.
Working in tandem with teammates in two crucial sequences, Younghusband scored his 19th and 20th international goal for Phl in a morale-boosting triumph over the 2008 winners but currently rebuilding Blue Tigers.
“Fantastic, cool in front of the goal. That’s how we want him to be,” said Weiss of Younghusband.
It all started when Jason Sabio set up the first goal with a monster delivery that Younghusband wasted no time finishing.
Finding the ball in his area, Younghusband gamely rolled it in past Karanjit Singh, then danced into the sidelines as cheers from over 100 Filipinos engulfed the 56-year-old stadium surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
The star striker struck and danced anew in the 73rd after finishing a sequence started by Misagh Bahadoran from the left to his brother James, who gave a backpass that Phil made good on.
Weiss said a key adjustment in putting veteran defender Rob Gier in the back and Juani Guirado and Paul Mulders at holding midfield helped the Azkals’ cause.
Notes: Azkals coach Michael Weiss was presented with a mini-cake by the team in celebration of his 52nd birthday yesterday. Asked about his birthday wish, Weiss said: “You know what I want - to win the AFC Challenge Cup.”. If only that’s something the Azkals can get from a gift shop... Left in Manila as he’s still yet to fully recover from ACL, Azkals skipper Aly Borromeo is ding rah-rah for his teammates via social media. “Game day! Leave everything on that pitch today and take it to em boys!” he twitted on the day the Azkals faced a must-win situation against India. Borromeo is working as special analyst for Studio 23’s coverage of Phl XI’s campaign. “Sucks being injured and not playing but commentating with @bhobg333 (Bob Guerrero) is the closest I can get to being with the boys!”...To this day, Lydia de Vega still enjoys legend status in India. An Indian journalist asked about de Vega’s present whereabouts, recalling her exploits in the tracks and rivalry with Indian sprint queen PT Usha in the 1980s.
Phil Younghusband scores two, Etheridge shines as Azkals shut out India Phil Younghusband scores two, Etheridge shines as Azkals shut out India
ROY MOORE - AMD/HS, GMA News
In Katmandu, Nepal, the Azkals overcame the distraction of a raging sexual harassment controversy involving the daughter of a former Philippine president to boot India out of the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup and advance to a do-or-die match against favored Tajikistan.
Phil Younghusband provided a poweful demonstration of the Azkals' "brother act."
The younger of the ballyhooed English-Filipino sibling duo scored on both sides of halftime in the Azkals' 2-0 win over India, Sunday at the Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu. Both goals were assisted by his Kuya James.
Now the Philippines and Tajikistan will compete for the second spot in the group to reach the semifinals. After beating India 2-0, Tajikistan lost to North Korea 2-0, the same scoreline as the Azkals. North Korea has won the group, whatever happens between them and India, while Tajikistan and the Philippines have exactly the same results against India and North Korea, crafting a do-or-die moment between the two countries on March 13.
A win for either nation would put them through while a draw would see both countries finish with four points. As they would end with the same goal difference too, the game would be decided by penalties and whoever advances will likely face the winner of Group A’s clash between Palestine and the Maldives.
The AFC Challenge Cup is known as a tournament for lower-ranked Asian national teams. Thus, traditional powerhouses Japan, South Korea, and China are not playing. The Philippines is ranked 156 by FIFA, India is at 158, and Tajikistan at 145. Defending champion North Korea is currently 111, while it's arch-enemy South Korea is at 30.
Phil's goals for the Philippines
The Philippines took control of the India match in the 10th minute with a Jason Sabio long throw being flicked on by James Younghusband to his brother Phil, who found the back of the net.
The trick was almost repeated soon after when Sabio threw in another long ball, and it fell kindly for Phil Younghusband but he blasted it this time. Usually playing on the wings for the Philippines, Chieffy Caligdong returned to the starting lineup in a more central role for the Azkals, as he fashioned the next chance.
Playing a great through ball for Phil Younghusband, the Loyola Meralco Sparks forward in the UFL raced onto the ball. Pitted against Karanjit Singh in the India goal, Younghusband shot low, the Indian goalkeeper pulled off a great save with his legs, knocking the ball wide. However, the referee didn’t see it and gave a goal kick instead of a corner.
India, meanwhile, looked a bit sluggish and couldn’t find their rhythm. Their best chance of the half came when Joaquim Abranches was found with a nice pass and he turned and shot at goal from the edge of the area. It was too close to Etheridge in goal though, and the Fulham keeper held the shot, mopping up all of India’s other chances afterwards.
In the second half, India started brighter and began passing the ball well, looking for quick attacks. Both sides though seemed to threaten most from the long throws, with Sabio and his Indian counterpart taking on a big role.
India’s best chance then fell just after the hour mark when a free-kick close to the Azkals’ area on the left wing was curled in. Joaquim Abranches glanced a header at goal but it just went wide.
Shortly afterwards the Azkals threatened with Misagh Bahadoran, who came on to protect the still-recovering Chieffy Caligdong, crossing for James Younghusband who controlled the ball but fired over from just inside the area. Minutes later, Paul Mulders went on a long surging run and ended up in India’s box from an acute angle, but he could only blast over as well.
The Azkals made the pressure count moments later when the Younghusband brothers combined again, playing a one-two which sent Phil Younghusband in on goal. Phil faced an acute angle but slotted into the top corner to double the Azkals’ lead in the 72nd minute, also becoming the joint-top tournament scorer at the same time with his brace.
Angel Guirado could have sent the Philippines further ahead when he was found on the edge of the area but his low shot was parried by the Indian goalkeeper before his next shot was deflected for a corner.
India almost pulled a goal back in the 87th minute when captain Sunil Chettri was fed a cut back from the right wing after the Indian winger beat his man. Chettri could only fire with the goal gaping though and the move summed up India’s campaign in the Challenge Cup as they limped out of the competition. The Azkals saw the game out to record their first ever win the final stage of the Challenge Cup to set up an all or nothing clash with Tajikistan.
It will be a tall order for the Philippines to draw or beat Tajikistan, a side that recently drew with North Korea 1-1 in a World Cup qualifier. The Central Asian side is eleven places above the Philippines (156) in the latest FIFA rankings at 145 in the world.
In Katmandu, Nepal, the Azkals overcame the distraction of a raging sexual harassment controversy involving the daughter of a former Philippine president to boot India out of the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup and advance to a do-or-die match against favored Tajikistan.
Phil Younghusband provided a poweful demonstration of the Azkals' "brother act."
The younger of the ballyhooed English-Filipino sibling duo scored on both sides of halftime in the Azkals' 2-0 win over India, Sunday at the Dasarath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu. Both goals were assisted by his Kuya James.
Now the Philippines and Tajikistan will compete for the second spot in the group to reach the semifinals. After beating India 2-0, Tajikistan lost to North Korea 2-0, the same scoreline as the Azkals. North Korea has won the group, whatever happens between them and India, while Tajikistan and the Philippines have exactly the same results against India and North Korea, crafting a do-or-die moment between the two countries on March 13.
A win for either nation would put them through while a draw would see both countries finish with four points. As they would end with the same goal difference too, the game would be decided by penalties and whoever advances will likely face the winner of Group A’s clash between Palestine and the Maldives.
The AFC Challenge Cup is known as a tournament for lower-ranked Asian national teams. Thus, traditional powerhouses Japan, South Korea, and China are not playing. The Philippines is ranked 156 by FIFA, India is at 158, and Tajikistan at 145. Defending champion North Korea is currently 111, while it's arch-enemy South Korea is at 30.
Phil's goals for the Philippines
The Philippines took control of the India match in the 10th minute with a Jason Sabio long throw being flicked on by James Younghusband to his brother Phil, who found the back of the net.
The trick was almost repeated soon after when Sabio threw in another long ball, and it fell kindly for Phil Younghusband but he blasted it this time. Usually playing on the wings for the Philippines, Chieffy Caligdong returned to the starting lineup in a more central role for the Azkals, as he fashioned the next chance.
Playing a great through ball for Phil Younghusband, the Loyola Meralco Sparks forward in the UFL raced onto the ball. Pitted against Karanjit Singh in the India goal, Younghusband shot low, the Indian goalkeeper pulled off a great save with his legs, knocking the ball wide. However, the referee didn’t see it and gave a goal kick instead of a corner.
India, meanwhile, looked a bit sluggish and couldn’t find their rhythm. Their best chance of the half came when Joaquim Abranches was found with a nice pass and he turned and shot at goal from the edge of the area. It was too close to Etheridge in goal though, and the Fulham keeper held the shot, mopping up all of India’s other chances afterwards.
In the second half, India started brighter and began passing the ball well, looking for quick attacks. Both sides though seemed to threaten most from the long throws, with Sabio and his Indian counterpart taking on a big role.
India’s best chance then fell just after the hour mark when a free-kick close to the Azkals’ area on the left wing was curled in. Joaquim Abranches glanced a header at goal but it just went wide.
Shortly afterwards the Azkals threatened with Misagh Bahadoran, who came on to protect the still-recovering Chieffy Caligdong, crossing for James Younghusband who controlled the ball but fired over from just inside the area. Minutes later, Paul Mulders went on a long surging run and ended up in India’s box from an acute angle, but he could only blast over as well.
The Azkals made the pressure count moments later when the Younghusband brothers combined again, playing a one-two which sent Phil Younghusband in on goal. Phil faced an acute angle but slotted into the top corner to double the Azkals’ lead in the 72nd minute, also becoming the joint-top tournament scorer at the same time with his brace.
Angel Guirado could have sent the Philippines further ahead when he was found on the edge of the area but his low shot was parried by the Indian goalkeeper before his next shot was deflected for a corner.
India almost pulled a goal back in the 87th minute when captain Sunil Chettri was fed a cut back from the right wing after the Indian winger beat his man. Chettri could only fire with the goal gaping though and the move summed up India’s campaign in the Challenge Cup as they limped out of the competition. The Azkals saw the game out to record their first ever win the final stage of the Challenge Cup to set up an all or nothing clash with Tajikistan.
It will be a tall order for the Philippines to draw or beat Tajikistan, a side that recently drew with North Korea 1-1 in a World Cup qualifier. The Central Asian side is eleven places above the Philippines (156) in the latest FIFA rankings at 145 in the world.
Full-strength Azkals still a dream
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
KATHMANDU—The Philippines still longs for the day when it will have all the best available talent in the team for a major tournament.
It didn’t happen here at the AFC Challenge Cup in this laidback city in the Himalayas. And team manager Dan Palami fears it may not happen soon.
The Azkals were scheduled to play against a tough India side last night at the Dashrath Stadium, hoping to keep their semifinal hopes alive after dropping their first assignment against North Korea, 0-2.
“Up to now, that has always been the biggest challenge,” said Palami of getting the likes of standouts Stephan Schrock, Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara released from their respective foreign clubs to don the country’s colors.
“The players are actually willing to play, but the clubs will not let them,” said Palami, who remains hopeful that the Europe-based standouts will suit up for the next major tournament, the Suzuki Cup, late this year.
Schrock, who scored a memorable goal in the 1-3 home loss against Kuwait in the World Cup Qualifier, is one of the stars of Greuther Furth in the German second division.
The team is in a good position to vie for promotion to the prestigious Bundesliga and also made the semifinals of the German Cup.
Lucena is attached with Danish club Aarhus, which told the Philippine Football Federation in early February that they will not release the midfielder for the Challenge Cup.
Cagara recently signed with FSV Frankfurt, making his debut for the German second division club last Saturday.
Striker Denis Wolf plays in the fourth division in Germany and, although he could have been available for this tournament, he wasn’t able to participate because he didn’t get his Philippine passport before the deadline.
Clubs are only inclined to release players for Fifa international dates, and the Challenge Cup does not fall in the calendar.
Neil Etheridge of Fulham and Paul Mulders of ADO Den Haag in the Dutch first division were released for the tournament, boosting the Azkals’ artillery.
“The significance (of our tournaments) is sometimes lost in the clubs,” said Palami. “But we are taking steps so that they will be able to join tournaments that are actually in the Fifa calendar.
“We just have to resort to getting on the good side of the clubs to release players.”
Because of this problem, Palami said it is important to form a strong local-based core.
“We always have to work on the assumption that they are not coming (for major tournaments),” he said.
Another option is to convince Filipino players based abroad to play in the United Football League.
Palami signed up Rob Gier and the Spanish trio of Juan Luis Guirado, Angel Guirado and Carli de Murga to his UFL club, Global FC, so it can spend more time training with the national team.
“It’s difficult to absorb the costs,” Palami said. “I talked to (UFL chair) Santi (Araneta) about distributing the (European-based) players to different clubs so it would be easier for us to gather the core together.”
KATHMANDU—The Philippines still longs for the day when it will have all the best available talent in the team for a major tournament.
It didn’t happen here at the AFC Challenge Cup in this laidback city in the Himalayas. And team manager Dan Palami fears it may not happen soon.
The Azkals were scheduled to play against a tough India side last night at the Dashrath Stadium, hoping to keep their semifinal hopes alive after dropping their first assignment against North Korea, 0-2.
“Up to now, that has always been the biggest challenge,” said Palami of getting the likes of standouts Stephan Schrock, Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara released from their respective foreign clubs to don the country’s colors.
“The players are actually willing to play, but the clubs will not let them,” said Palami, who remains hopeful that the Europe-based standouts will suit up for the next major tournament, the Suzuki Cup, late this year.
Schrock, who scored a memorable goal in the 1-3 home loss against Kuwait in the World Cup Qualifier, is one of the stars of Greuther Furth in the German second division.
The team is in a good position to vie for promotion to the prestigious Bundesliga and also made the semifinals of the German Cup.
Lucena is attached with Danish club Aarhus, which told the Philippine Football Federation in early February that they will not release the midfielder for the Challenge Cup.
Cagara recently signed with FSV Frankfurt, making his debut for the German second division club last Saturday.
Striker Denis Wolf plays in the fourth division in Germany and, although he could have been available for this tournament, he wasn’t able to participate because he didn’t get his Philippine passport before the deadline.
Clubs are only inclined to release players for Fifa international dates, and the Challenge Cup does not fall in the calendar.
Neil Etheridge of Fulham and Paul Mulders of ADO Den Haag in the Dutch first division were released for the tournament, boosting the Azkals’ artillery.
“The significance (of our tournaments) is sometimes lost in the clubs,” said Palami. “But we are taking steps so that they will be able to join tournaments that are actually in the Fifa calendar.
“We just have to resort to getting on the good side of the clubs to release players.”
Because of this problem, Palami said it is important to form a strong local-based core.
“We always have to work on the assumption that they are not coming (for major tournaments),” he said.
Another option is to convince Filipino players based abroad to play in the United Football League.
Palami signed up Rob Gier and the Spanish trio of Juan Luis Guirado, Angel Guirado and Carli de Murga to his UFL club, Global FC, so it can spend more time training with the national team.
“It’s difficult to absorb the costs,” Palami said. “I talked to (UFL chair) Santi (Araneta) about distributing the (European-based) players to different clubs so it would be easier for us to gather the core together.”
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Azkals: Challenge Cup semis may surpass Suzuki Cup feat
Roy Moore - GMA News
The 2012 Challenge Cup is possibly the hardest test for the Azkals since their upset of Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup last December 2010.
The Philippines are grouped with the three past winners of the competition: India, Tajikistan and North Korea. They are regarded as the three best teams in the entire competition, including the qualification stages. Here we take a look at how realistic expectations should be ahead of next month’s competition.
North Korea (107) and Tajikistan (140) are ranked above the Philippines (157) in FIFA rankings, while India (158) has comfortably won their last four games and may well challenge for second in the group based on form.
ELO ratings are often more realistic and given that North Korea, Tajikistan and India are ranked at 87, 142 and 146 respectively, the Philippines’ ranking at 178 in the world shows the gulf in development in the regions.
The ELO standings also offer an interesting comparison of the Philippines’ future opponents in the Challenge Cup and their past opponents in the Suzuki Cup: North Korea are 51 places above Vietnam, Singapore are one notch above Tajikistan while India are 37 places above Myanmar.
Similar circumstances
To qualify from the group stage would be a huge achievement. The Philippines are once again clear underdogs, and reaching the semifinals would equal, maybe even surpass, reaching the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup, especially as qualification was much harder.
While North Korea are clear favorites, Tajikistan also beat Myanmar in their last encounter and India is developing quickly and are coming into the tournament on the backend of a run of good form.
The Philippines are facing a big challenge and the rest of the world expects the country to finish bottom of the group. None of the teams are expecting to pick up anything against North Korea and so who qualifies for second will likely be determined by the games between Tajikistan, India and the Philippines.
Asian football landscape
The Asian Football Confederation divides nations in Asia into three classes: developed, developing and emerging. Developed nations are the best football countries in Asia. Developing nations are close behind, and then emerging nations are more like the minnows of Asian football.
It is no surprise that the top teams in Asia dominate the Asian Cup, the premier tournament in Asian football. The Philippines, for example, classified as an emerging nation, were drawn in a group Tuesday with South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Taiwan for the Under-22 version of the Asian Cup.
The Challenge Cup was therefore created to give more experience to the emerging sides, with the Philippines, Palestine and Nepal as the emerging nations that managed to qualify for the final stage of eight teams.
But qualifying alone for the Challenge Cup is already a very successful achievement for the Philippines, who are also the only team in Asia to have gone through the first and second round of qualification to reach the finals. Five non-emerging nations currently compete in the tournament and the only one not to qualify for the final stage was Myanmar, who the Philippines drew 1-1 with in their group and have recently replaced as the sixth seed in South East Asia for Suzuki Cup tournaments.
Targets
With captain Aly Borromeo missing the competition due to a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his knee, Chieffy Caligdong unsure of fully recovering in time from what is suspected to be a strained lateral ligament and many Filipinos in foreign leagues unavailable due to club commitments, the Azkals squad is slightly depleted.
Manager Dan Palami and Coach Weiss have also noted the lack of preparation time but are still optimistic about the tournament.
Palami has said “Our target is the semifinals and our dream is to become champions.” He added, however, “realistically, in the position that we are right now, we can’t dream too much.”
While reaching the semifinals may be the target, not reaching the semis wouldn’t necessarily be a failure. A failure would be losing heavily in all three matches and to be clearly outclassed. Realistically, the best the Azkals can do now then is to head on to their training camp, prepare as best as possible and fight tooth and nail in Nepal. With a bit of luck, they may be able to cause an upset in Asia.
The Azkals lost their first game of the tour in the Middle East 3-0 against the Uzbekistan Under-23s in Dubai but bounced back in Qatar Monday night, beating club team Al Ahli 3-1.
The Philippines will fly back to Dubai to face the Australia Under-23s on February 16 in preparation for the Challenge Cup starting March 8th.
The 2012 Challenge Cup is possibly the hardest test for the Azkals since their upset of Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup last December 2010.
The Philippines are grouped with the three past winners of the competition: India, Tajikistan and North Korea. They are regarded as the three best teams in the entire competition, including the qualification stages. Here we take a look at how realistic expectations should be ahead of next month’s competition.
North Korea (107) and Tajikistan (140) are ranked above the Philippines (157) in FIFA rankings, while India (158) has comfortably won their last four games and may well challenge for second in the group based on form.
ELO ratings are often more realistic and given that North Korea, Tajikistan and India are ranked at 87, 142 and 146 respectively, the Philippines’ ranking at 178 in the world shows the gulf in development in the regions.
The ELO standings also offer an interesting comparison of the Philippines’ future opponents in the Challenge Cup and their past opponents in the Suzuki Cup: North Korea are 51 places above Vietnam, Singapore are one notch above Tajikistan while India are 37 places above Myanmar.
Similar circumstances
To qualify from the group stage would be a huge achievement. The Philippines are once again clear underdogs, and reaching the semifinals would equal, maybe even surpass, reaching the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup, especially as qualification was much harder.
While North Korea are clear favorites, Tajikistan also beat Myanmar in their last encounter and India is developing quickly and are coming into the tournament on the backend of a run of good form.
The Philippines are facing a big challenge and the rest of the world expects the country to finish bottom of the group. None of the teams are expecting to pick up anything against North Korea and so who qualifies for second will likely be determined by the games between Tajikistan, India and the Philippines.
Asian football landscape
The Asian Football Confederation divides nations in Asia into three classes: developed, developing and emerging. Developed nations are the best football countries in Asia. Developing nations are close behind, and then emerging nations are more like the minnows of Asian football.
It is no surprise that the top teams in Asia dominate the Asian Cup, the premier tournament in Asian football. The Philippines, for example, classified as an emerging nation, were drawn in a group Tuesday with South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Taiwan for the Under-22 version of the Asian Cup.
The Challenge Cup was therefore created to give more experience to the emerging sides, with the Philippines, Palestine and Nepal as the emerging nations that managed to qualify for the final stage of eight teams.
But qualifying alone for the Challenge Cup is already a very successful achievement for the Philippines, who are also the only team in Asia to have gone through the first and second round of qualification to reach the finals. Five non-emerging nations currently compete in the tournament and the only one not to qualify for the final stage was Myanmar, who the Philippines drew 1-1 with in their group and have recently replaced as the sixth seed in South East Asia for Suzuki Cup tournaments.
Targets
With captain Aly Borromeo missing the competition due to a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his knee, Chieffy Caligdong unsure of fully recovering in time from what is suspected to be a strained lateral ligament and many Filipinos in foreign leagues unavailable due to club commitments, the Azkals squad is slightly depleted.
Manager Dan Palami and Coach Weiss have also noted the lack of preparation time but are still optimistic about the tournament.
Palami has said “Our target is the semifinals and our dream is to become champions.” He added, however, “realistically, in the position that we are right now, we can’t dream too much.”
While reaching the semifinals may be the target, not reaching the semis wouldn’t necessarily be a failure. A failure would be losing heavily in all three matches and to be clearly outclassed. Realistically, the best the Azkals can do now then is to head on to their training camp, prepare as best as possible and fight tooth and nail in Nepal. With a bit of luck, they may be able to cause an upset in Asia.
The Azkals lost their first game of the tour in the Middle East 3-0 against the Uzbekistan Under-23s in Dubai but bounced back in Qatar Monday night, beating club team Al Ahli 3-1.
The Philippines will fly back to Dubai to face the Australia Under-23s on February 16 in preparation for the Challenge Cup starting March 8th.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Azkals to stay the course, says Aly
By Joaquin Henson The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine national football team skipper Aly Borromeo said yesterday the Azkals won’t rest on their laurels and vowed to intensify the quest for respectability in Asia, riding on the momentum created by qualifying for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup finals and reaching the second round of the World Cup Asia eliminations for the first time in the country’s history.
Borromeo, 28, said the Azkals won’t reunite until they compete in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung on Sept. 28-Oct. 6. Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta said the team playing in Kaohsiung will be a mix of senior and under-23 players gearing for the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia in November. Meanwhile, the Azkals have gone their different ways. Borromeo, for instance, will take a two-week vacation in Australia up to the end of the month before rejoining the Kaya club which is now coached by Juan Cutillas and recently recruited Azkals Jason Sabio and Nate Burkey.
Reflecting on the second leg of the recent Kuwait series, Borromeo said the Azkals never considered playing defensively after taking a 1-0 lead at the half because they were determined to overhaul the 0-3 carryover deficit from the first encounter. There was speculation the Azkals, playing at home, would only try to preserve the 1-0 edge and content themselves with a win regardless of the aggregate tally. Cortal, a major sponsor, promised P1 Million for each goal on condition the Azkals beat Kuwait and P500,000 for each goal if the Azkals lost.
Borromeo said when Kuwait’s Fahed Al Ebrahim was ejected in the 58th minute, the Azkals felt it was time to strike harder. “We were up, 1-0, and they were down to 10 men,” recalled Borromeo. “We went on the attack. Then, they scored on a 35-yard kick, something we never expected. Neil (Etheridge) would’ve stopped a shot like that 98 percent of the time. We thought they would try to come closer to the goal and our defense was ready. But that’s where you saw their edge in experience. The ball went up and took a dip over Neil to enter the goal. We couldn’t believe it at first.”
Kuwait’s equalizer came only three minutes after Al Ebrahim’s ejection on a red card. Still, the Azkals fought on but couldn’t get a break. In the 85th minute, Waheed Jumah delivered the marginal goal on a mad scramble inside the penalty area.
“Rob (Gier) and I covered our men as they entered the strike zone,” said Borromeo. “Unfortunately, the ball struck Rob and was deflected to the flank where Kuwait suddenly got a 3-on-1 advantage, forcing Neil to rush out. They kicked the ball towards the goal with Neil out of position. Rob recovered to kick the ball but it was too late to stop it from going in.”
Borromeo said the biggest lesson the Azkals learned from the Kuwait series was the importance of composure. “We learned it doesn’t pay to rush things,” he said. “Kuwait had all options covered. They knew which flanks to attack and which flanks to defend. They saw we marked their best player No. 17 (Bader Al Mutwa) so to counter it, they used him as decoy to throw us off. We weren’t bothered by the flashy play of No. 7 (Fahad Al Enezi). We see that from a lot of good players like Ronaldo. They don’t mean to make fun of the defense. They just want to distract you, to create a situation where you’re going one way and they’re going the other. We never adjusted on the pitch, we lacked tactics. Rob and I were often left protecting the midfield so Stephan (Shrock) could be more aggressive in offense but our defense never adjusted to cover the gap. They were a superior team so we had to be more prepared than them. Still, we played better than we ever did.”
Facing superior teams will go a long way in raising the Azkals’ level of play. In Kuwait, the local league employs foreign stars who go overseas to extend their earning capacity in the twilight of their careers and homegrown players improve just by playing against them.
Borromeo welcomed the opportunity of locking horns with teams that are ranked higher than the Azkals by FIFA. That’s the reason why the PFF is inviting Nepal, ranked No. 136, to play the Azkals, ranked No. 162, in an exhibition here on Oct. 6. Nepal will host the AFC Challenge Cup finals in March and the Philippines is one of eight contenders.
Another positive development with the Azkals is how they come together to fight as a unit. “Before each match, we meet on our own and figure out what to do,” he said. “Out there on the pitch, we have no contact with our coaching staff so we just rely on each other. Coach (Michael) Weiss is a good motivator and does his job preparing us off the pitch. He keeps everyone in the loop and that’s important because many of our players come and go.”
Borromeo said he’s inspired and encouraged by the surge of interest in football. “I think the local league will get stronger,” he said. “There are foreigners applying to play. TV networks are bidding to air the matches. Football games from abroad used to be shown on TV as fillers now they’re being followed by fans. We don’t want to lose the momentum.”
Borromeo and teammate Anton del Rosario conducted tryouts for Fil-Ams in San Francisco last April. They picked four prospects out of 37 who showed up. Burkey, O. J. Porteria and James Rochlitz were among the survivors. Borromeo said the team is always on the lookout for more talents to beef up the roster. A player in the radar is 14-year-old Matthew Custodio, a prolific Fil-British striker from La Salle Greenhills.
Sports patron and businessman Jack Rodriguez said he’s convinced that the country’s top sports brand today is the Azkals. “It’s phenomenal what the Azkals have done for football in the Philippines,” said Rodriguez. “When I used to play goalkeeper for La Salle in the 1960s, I remember there were more cockroaches, mice and bumble bees in the stands than fans. I never thought I’d live to see the day when the stadium would be packed for football. The Azkals have brought passion back into the game.”
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine national football team skipper Aly Borromeo said yesterday the Azkals won’t rest on their laurels and vowed to intensify the quest for respectability in Asia, riding on the momentum created by qualifying for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup finals and reaching the second round of the World Cup Asia eliminations for the first time in the country’s history.
Borromeo, 28, said the Azkals won’t reunite until they compete in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung on Sept. 28-Oct. 6. Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Mariano Araneta said the team playing in Kaohsiung will be a mix of senior and under-23 players gearing for the Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia in November. Meanwhile, the Azkals have gone their different ways. Borromeo, for instance, will take a two-week vacation in Australia up to the end of the month before rejoining the Kaya club which is now coached by Juan Cutillas and recently recruited Azkals Jason Sabio and Nate Burkey.
Reflecting on the second leg of the recent Kuwait series, Borromeo said the Azkals never considered playing defensively after taking a 1-0 lead at the half because they were determined to overhaul the 0-3 carryover deficit from the first encounter. There was speculation the Azkals, playing at home, would only try to preserve the 1-0 edge and content themselves with a win regardless of the aggregate tally. Cortal, a major sponsor, promised P1 Million for each goal on condition the Azkals beat Kuwait and P500,000 for each goal if the Azkals lost.
Borromeo said when Kuwait’s Fahed Al Ebrahim was ejected in the 58th minute, the Azkals felt it was time to strike harder. “We were up, 1-0, and they were down to 10 men,” recalled Borromeo. “We went on the attack. Then, they scored on a 35-yard kick, something we never expected. Neil (Etheridge) would’ve stopped a shot like that 98 percent of the time. We thought they would try to come closer to the goal and our defense was ready. But that’s where you saw their edge in experience. The ball went up and took a dip over Neil to enter the goal. We couldn’t believe it at first.”
Kuwait’s equalizer came only three minutes after Al Ebrahim’s ejection on a red card. Still, the Azkals fought on but couldn’t get a break. In the 85th minute, Waheed Jumah delivered the marginal goal on a mad scramble inside the penalty area.
“Rob (Gier) and I covered our men as they entered the strike zone,” said Borromeo. “Unfortunately, the ball struck Rob and was deflected to the flank where Kuwait suddenly got a 3-on-1 advantage, forcing Neil to rush out. They kicked the ball towards the goal with Neil out of position. Rob recovered to kick the ball but it was too late to stop it from going in.”
Borromeo said the biggest lesson the Azkals learned from the Kuwait series was the importance of composure. “We learned it doesn’t pay to rush things,” he said. “Kuwait had all options covered. They knew which flanks to attack and which flanks to defend. They saw we marked their best player No. 17 (Bader Al Mutwa) so to counter it, they used him as decoy to throw us off. We weren’t bothered by the flashy play of No. 7 (Fahad Al Enezi). We see that from a lot of good players like Ronaldo. They don’t mean to make fun of the defense. They just want to distract you, to create a situation where you’re going one way and they’re going the other. We never adjusted on the pitch, we lacked tactics. Rob and I were often left protecting the midfield so Stephan (Shrock) could be more aggressive in offense but our defense never adjusted to cover the gap. They were a superior team so we had to be more prepared than them. Still, we played better than we ever did.”
Facing superior teams will go a long way in raising the Azkals’ level of play. In Kuwait, the local league employs foreign stars who go overseas to extend their earning capacity in the twilight of their careers and homegrown players improve just by playing against them.
Borromeo welcomed the opportunity of locking horns with teams that are ranked higher than the Azkals by FIFA. That’s the reason why the PFF is inviting Nepal, ranked No. 136, to play the Azkals, ranked No. 162, in an exhibition here on Oct. 6. Nepal will host the AFC Challenge Cup finals in March and the Philippines is one of eight contenders.
Another positive development with the Azkals is how they come together to fight as a unit. “Before each match, we meet on our own and figure out what to do,” he said. “Out there on the pitch, we have no contact with our coaching staff so we just rely on each other. Coach (Michael) Weiss is a good motivator and does his job preparing us off the pitch. He keeps everyone in the loop and that’s important because many of our players come and go.”
Borromeo said he’s inspired and encouraged by the surge of interest in football. “I think the local league will get stronger,” he said. “There are foreigners applying to play. TV networks are bidding to air the matches. Football games from abroad used to be shown on TV as fillers now they’re being followed by fans. We don’t want to lose the momentum.”
Borromeo and teammate Anton del Rosario conducted tryouts for Fil-Ams in San Francisco last April. They picked four prospects out of 37 who showed up. Burkey, O. J. Porteria and James Rochlitz were among the survivors. Borromeo said the team is always on the lookout for more talents to beef up the roster. A player in the radar is 14-year-old Matthew Custodio, a prolific Fil-British striker from La Salle Greenhills.
Sports patron and businessman Jack Rodriguez said he’s convinced that the country’s top sports brand today is the Azkals. “It’s phenomenal what the Azkals have done for football in the Philippines,” said Rodriguez. “When I used to play goalkeeper for La Salle in the 1960s, I remember there were more cockroaches, mice and bumble bees in the stands than fans. I never thought I’d live to see the day when the stadium would be packed for football. The Azkals have brought passion back into the game.”
Azkals take a break, visit Albay resort
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA—After a grueling year that saw them reach the second round of the World Cup qualifying, the Philippine Azkals take a much-needed break as they visit a luxury island resort in Bacacay, Albay Monday.
Misibis Bay, located in Cagraray Island, was personally handpicked by the celebrated football team.
Joining the three-day holiday are Anton del Rosario, Nate Burkey, Roel Gener, Jason Sabio, Richard Pacana, Patrick Ace Bright, Paolo Pascual, Misagh Bahadoran, Josef Malinay, Ricardo Becite and Yannick Tuason.
The Azkals return to action in the Long Teng Cup starting Sept. 28 in Taiwan. The team will be a mix of the seniors team and the Under-23 squad preparing for the Indonesia Southeast Asian Games in November.
The Azkals advanced to the AFC Challenge Cup main tournament for the first time by overcoming Mongolia in pre-qualifying, before finishing second behind Palestine in the group qualifying in Myanmar last March.
The Azkals saw their World Cup qualifying run end last July 28 when they lost to Kuwait, 1-5, on aggregate in the second round.
Still, they already made history by reaching the second round after beating Sri Lanka in their first World Cup qualifying tie in close to 10 years.
MANILA—After a grueling year that saw them reach the second round of the World Cup qualifying, the Philippine Azkals take a much-needed break as they visit a luxury island resort in Bacacay, Albay Monday.
Misibis Bay, located in Cagraray Island, was personally handpicked by the celebrated football team.
Joining the three-day holiday are Anton del Rosario, Nate Burkey, Roel Gener, Jason Sabio, Richard Pacana, Patrick Ace Bright, Paolo Pascual, Misagh Bahadoran, Josef Malinay, Ricardo Becite and Yannick Tuason.
The Azkals return to action in the Long Teng Cup starting Sept. 28 in Taiwan. The team will be a mix of the seniors team and the Under-23 squad preparing for the Indonesia Southeast Asian Games in November.
The Azkals advanced to the AFC Challenge Cup main tournament for the first time by overcoming Mongolia in pre-qualifying, before finishing second behind Palestine in the group qualifying in Myanmar last March.
The Azkals saw their World Cup qualifying run end last July 28 when they lost to Kuwait, 1-5, on aggregate in the second round.
Still, they already made history by reaching the second round after beating Sri Lanka in their first World Cup qualifying tie in close to 10 years.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Azkals prepare for 2011 Long Teng Cup
(JSG) - Sun Star Bacolod
AFTER falling out from the 2014 FIFA World Cup bid last Thursday, the Philippine Men’s Football National Team-Azkals will again be busy as they prepare for the upcoming 2011 Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei from September 28 to October 4, 2011.
This was disclosed on Saturday to Sun.Star-Bacolod by Azkals’ team coordinator Patrick Ace Bright.
Bright said that, despite the failure in its World Cup bid, the Azkals will continue to strengthen the team as it also looks forward to the South East Asian Games this November and the final round of the Challenge Cup in March next year.
Among other teams competing in this September competition are defending champion Hongkong, Macau and host-Chinese Taipei.
The Philippine team ended last year’s campaign in third position behind Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
The nationals lost to Hong Kong 4-2 while it secured a draw against Chinese Taipei 1-all and beat Macau, 5-0.
However, the team still has to confirm the availability of its ace keeper Neil Etheridge and midfielder Stephan Schrock, as both are playing abroad. Etheridge is playing for Fulham FC while Schrock plays for the SpVgg GreutherFürth Club.
AFTER falling out from the 2014 FIFA World Cup bid last Thursday, the Philippine Men’s Football National Team-Azkals will again be busy as they prepare for the upcoming 2011 Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei from September 28 to October 4, 2011.
This was disclosed on Saturday to Sun.Star-Bacolod by Azkals’ team coordinator Patrick Ace Bright.
Bright said that, despite the failure in its World Cup bid, the Azkals will continue to strengthen the team as it also looks forward to the South East Asian Games this November and the final round of the Challenge Cup in March next year.
Among other teams competing in this September competition are defending champion Hongkong, Macau and host-Chinese Taipei.
The Philippine team ended last year’s campaign in third position behind Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
The nationals lost to Hong Kong 4-2 while it secured a draw against Chinese Taipei 1-all and beat Macau, 5-0.
However, the team still has to confirm the availability of its ace keeper Neil Etheridge and midfielder Stephan Schrock, as both are playing abroad. Etheridge is playing for Fulham FC while Schrock plays for the SpVgg GreutherFürth Club.
Palami eyes four-nation Cup for Azkals
By Cheska D. Geli - Sun Star Cebu
DAN Palami is planning a series of friendly matches for the Philippine national team for its buildup for the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup.
“One of the many key elements for the team is to play as many international friendly matches as possible,” Palami told Sun.Star Cebu.
The country is looking at hosting the Formations Cup this November where they have invited Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
It will be the senior team who will be seeing action as the under-23 squad will be playing in the Southeast Asian Games during that month.
Aside from that, Palami has already gotten in touch with other international football associations, with the help of the Philippine Football Federation, for some home and away friendly matches.
“It will still depend upon the schedule of the international calendar and the availability of players,” said Palami.
Fifa sets aside certain dates in a year for international matches and clubs are required to release their players to play for their national teams.
Palami said there are some countries who have confirmed interest to play with the national squad, like those from the Middle East—where the team had their training camp—and from Southeast Asia.
Aside from scheduling friendlies, Palami said he will leave for a scouting trip in Europe to look for potential members of the senior and U23 squad, while the rest of the players are now back with their clubs.
DAN Palami is planning a series of friendly matches for the Philippine national team for its buildup for the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup.
“One of the many key elements for the team is to play as many international friendly matches as possible,” Palami told Sun.Star Cebu.
The country is looking at hosting the Formations Cup this November where they have invited Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.
It will be the senior team who will be seeing action as the under-23 squad will be playing in the Southeast Asian Games during that month.
Aside from that, Palami has already gotten in touch with other international football associations, with the help of the Philippine Football Federation, for some home and away friendly matches.
“It will still depend upon the schedule of the international calendar and the availability of players,” said Palami.
Fifa sets aside certain dates in a year for international matches and clubs are required to release their players to play for their national teams.
Palami said there are some countries who have confirmed interest to play with the national squad, like those from the Middle East—where the team had their training camp—and from Southeast Asia.
Aside from scheduling friendlies, Palami said he will leave for a scouting trip in Europe to look for potential members of the senior and U23 squad, while the rest of the players are now back with their clubs.
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.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Azkals Dream Team in the works
PHIL STAR
RANGOON – Watch out for the Azkals Dream Team.
Yes, very soon, the Azkals will come to their full potential, with the possible arrival of more recruits, including Fil-German Stefan Schrock and Fil-Danish Dennis Cagara.
The Azkals are also looking at the Toronto-born De Guzman brothers, Jonathan and Julian, to be part of the team when they vie in the World Cup qualifiers starting in June.
Angel Guirado, the Fil-Spanish hitman, assured the team of his availability, as well as Jerry Lucena, who flashed his own brilliance in three matches here over the week.
Team manager Dan Palami feels like he’s got the final pieces to the puzzle in his hand.
“For the World Cup qualifiers, I’m hoping that we will be able to form our Dream Team,” he said yesterday inside his Yangon Hotel room.
As he talked about the Dream Team, the Azkals were busy packing their things for the trip back home, fresh from their victorious stint in the AFC Challenge Cup group stage here.
With a team beaming with talent and cohesion, the Azkals drew their matches against Myanmar and Palestine before beating Bangladesh, 3-0, to make it to the 2012 Challenge Cup main tournament.
But Palami said the current team is not yet the team he had dreamed of.
“This is just 60 percent of the full potential that I have in mind,” said Palami.
From here, he said the Azkals will get a much-needed break. For a month, they can attend to their families, loved ones, their work or respective football clubs.
But while the players rest, the coaches will be as busy as before.
Palami said the local coaches will be looking out for under-23 talents to be fielded for the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia in November.
Head coach Michael Weiss, on the other hand, will be flying home to Germany soon, not to rest but to scout for other Fil-foreign talents waiting to be tapped.
Palami said Rob Gier will help Weiss in the scouting.
Team captain Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario and Simon Greatwich will leave for the United States to conduct tryouts in the East and West coasts beginning April 8.
“By March 30 we will know who our opponent will be in the World Cup qualifiers,” said Palami.
And by the time the Azkals try to do what’s never been done before, there’s hope that the Dream Team is there to compete.
Palami said dreams come true.
Azkals return home, thank Pinoy supporters
GMA NEWS
After its game against Bangladesh, the Philippine Azkals football team returned to Manila before dawn Sunday.
The team arrived at about 3:50 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 aboard a Philippine Airlines PR-723 flight, radio dzBB reported.
The Azkals — who won over Bangladesh in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifying match Friday — thanked Filipinos for their support.
It received a victory party from the Philippine Embassy in Bangladesh before returning to Manila, the report said.
On Saturday, Malacañang said it joins the Filipinos in congratulating the football team on its victory at the Bogyoke Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
In Friday’s match, Filipino-Spanish player Angel Guirado starred in the dismantling of Bangladesh.
The Philippines finished undefeated after consecutive draws with Myanmar (1-1) and fellow qualifier Palestine (0-0) — a 3-1 winner over the hosts — to enter the “Last 8" of the AFC Challenge Cup. — JE, GMA News
After its game against Bangladesh, the Philippine Azkals football team returned to Manila before dawn Sunday.
The team arrived at about 3:50 a.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 aboard a Philippine Airlines PR-723 flight, radio dzBB reported.
The Azkals — who won over Bangladesh in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup qualifying match Friday — thanked Filipinos for their support.
It received a victory party from the Philippine Embassy in Bangladesh before returning to Manila, the report said.
On Saturday, Malacañang said it joins the Filipinos in congratulating the football team on its victory at the Bogyoke Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
In Friday’s match, Filipino-Spanish player Angel Guirado starred in the dismantling of Bangladesh.
The Philippines finished undefeated after consecutive draws with Myanmar (1-1) and fellow qualifier Palestine (0-0) — a 3-1 winner over the hosts — to enter the “Last 8" of the AFC Challenge Cup. — JE, GMA News
Friday, March 25, 2011
Guirado shines as Azkals reach AFC Challenge Cup quarterfinal round
GMA NEWS
Angel Guirado starred in the Philippine Azkals' 3-0 dismantling of Bangladesh in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup on Friday at the Bogyoke Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
The Filipino-Spanish striker scored twice in the second half as the Azkals earned the much-needed three points in the group stages of the Challenge Cup.
The 26-year-old Guirado first scored in the 55th minute then added one more in the 80th minute to secure the win for the wards of coach Michael Weiss.
Ian Araneta, a veteran forward of the Philippine Air Force, opened up the scoring for the Azkals when he found the back of the net in the 41st minute as the Philippine team took a 1-0 lead at the turn.
The Philippines, which finished undefeated after consecutive draws against Myanmar (1-1) and fellow qualifier Palestine (0-0) – a 3-1 winner over the hosts – in the Last 8.
Other quarterfinalists were Group B qualifiers India and Turkmenistan, and the Maldives and Tajikistan of Group C.
Group D – which includes 2010 AFC Challenge Cup champions North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the winner of the playoff match between Cambodia and Macau – will start their final qualifying matches on April 7.
The top two teams in Group D will earn the last two spots in the Last 8 of the biennial tournament.
Tougher assignment
But reaching the next phase of the tournament for the first time means a tougher job for the Azkals, who are expected to arrive in Manila on Sunday.
“We are happy with the win. The team gave us another reason to be proud of. I thank everyone who supported the Azkals for their prayers. But this is one more step that we entered the tougher phase of the tournament," said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Marano “Nonong" Araneta.
But Araneta believes the Azkals can go further in the Challenge Cup. “We have one year to prepare and one year to further strengthen the team. We still have elimination matches to play a in a World Cup qualifier."
Araneta said the last 8 teams in the Challenge Cup will be divided into two groups, with the top two teams in each group earning spots in the AFC Challenge Cup’s championship round. - Jon Perez, TJD, GMA News
Angel Guirado starred in the Philippine Azkals' 3-0 dismantling of Bangladesh in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup on Friday at the Bogyoke Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
The Filipino-Spanish striker scored twice in the second half as the Azkals earned the much-needed three points in the group stages of the Challenge Cup.
The 26-year-old Guirado first scored in the 55th minute then added one more in the 80th minute to secure the win for the wards of coach Michael Weiss.
Ian Araneta, a veteran forward of the Philippine Air Force, opened up the scoring for the Azkals when he found the back of the net in the 41st minute as the Philippine team took a 1-0 lead at the turn.
The Philippines, which finished undefeated after consecutive draws against Myanmar (1-1) and fellow qualifier Palestine (0-0) – a 3-1 winner over the hosts – in the Last 8.
Other quarterfinalists were Group B qualifiers India and Turkmenistan, and the Maldives and Tajikistan of Group C.
Group D – which includes 2010 AFC Challenge Cup champions North Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the winner of the playoff match between Cambodia and Macau – will start their final qualifying matches on April 7.
The top two teams in Group D will earn the last two spots in the Last 8 of the biennial tournament.
Tougher assignment
But reaching the next phase of the tournament for the first time means a tougher job for the Azkals, who are expected to arrive in Manila on Sunday.
“We are happy with the win. The team gave us another reason to be proud of. I thank everyone who supported the Azkals for their prayers. But this is one more step that we entered the tougher phase of the tournament," said Philippine Football Federation (PFF) president Marano “Nonong" Araneta.
But Araneta believes the Azkals can go further in the Challenge Cup. “We have one year to prepare and one year to further strengthen the team. We still have elimination matches to play a in a World Cup qualifier."
Araneta said the last 8 teams in the Challenge Cup will be divided into two groups, with the top two teams in each group earning spots in the AFC Challenge Cup’s championship round. - Jon Perez, TJD, GMA News
A taste of sweet victory for Philippine Azkals
By Dennis Gasgonia and Barry Viloria, abs-cbnNEWs.com
MANILA, Philippines – Friday’s game was such a sweet victory for the Philippine Azkals who crashed into the 2012 Challenge Cup tournament finals by mangling the Bangladesh Bengal Tigers, 3-0.
Filipino booters traversed an arduous path toward the tournament proper, even surviving a series of earthquakes along the way.
After coming off two straight draws against Palestine and group stage host Myanmar, the Azkals were desperate for a win against Bangladesh.
The team played its cards right, surprising the Bengal Tigers with a relentless offense en route to a spectacular 3-0 victory.
Filipino-Spanish Angel Aldeguer Guirado played hero for the Azkals in that game, scoring 2 goals.
The Filipinos also received a great boost from Ian Araneta who struck the first goal during the first half.
The Azkals finished 2nd in the Group A bracket with a total of 5 points on 1 win and 2 draws, good enough for a trip to the 8-team Challenge Cup finals.
Good feeling
After their victory over Bangladesh, the Azkals expressed their gratitude to their adoring fans who closely followed their group stage games.
“Great win, good feeling, priceless!!! Thank you all for the support, couldn't have done it without you guys!” tweeted Azkals player Anton del Rosario.
“Heya all! Thank you for your support! Massive win! The team played well! Celebrations!” said goalkeeper Neil Etheridge through his Twitter page.
For Azkal Jason Sabio, it was a mission accomplished despite the criticisms coming from those who didn’t believe in them.
“Job done! AFC Challenge Cup here we come! We played amazing today. To the haters, that is how you man up! :) We are one We are Azkals! Boom,” tweeted Sabio.
“On to the final 8.. What a sweet victory! History in the books once more!! Thank you everyone for your undying support! :),” said team captain Aly Borromeo through his Twitter page.
Phil celebrates win
Azkals midfielder Phil Younghusband, who missed the group stage because of an injury, cheered his team for making history.
"Congratulations to the team for making history. They deserve this for all their hard work and even through difficult circumstances, we have shown the strength of a Filipino," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com.
Younghusband, whose brother James was a vital cog in the group stage matches, said he was initially worried with the team going through a do-or-die match.
"I was watching the updates through ANC and Twitter and I was obviously nervous before the game," he said.
However, he said that his nervousness turned into glee as the Azkals finished the match with 3 goals.
"But each time a goal was scored. I was celebrating... I am so so happy and proud of the team," he continued.
World Cup
Meanwhile, Younghusband said he is excited for the team’s upcoming games in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
The Azkals will play against a still unnamed team this coming June.
"I am looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers," he said.
MANILA, Philippines – Friday’s game was such a sweet victory for the Philippine Azkals who crashed into the 2012 Challenge Cup tournament finals by mangling the Bangladesh Bengal Tigers, 3-0.
Filipino booters traversed an arduous path toward the tournament proper, even surviving a series of earthquakes along the way.
After coming off two straight draws against Palestine and group stage host Myanmar, the Azkals were desperate for a win against Bangladesh.
The team played its cards right, surprising the Bengal Tigers with a relentless offense en route to a spectacular 3-0 victory.
Filipino-Spanish Angel Aldeguer Guirado played hero for the Azkals in that game, scoring 2 goals.
The Filipinos also received a great boost from Ian Araneta who struck the first goal during the first half.
The Azkals finished 2nd in the Group A bracket with a total of 5 points on 1 win and 2 draws, good enough for a trip to the 8-team Challenge Cup finals.
Good feeling
After their victory over Bangladesh, the Azkals expressed their gratitude to their adoring fans who closely followed their group stage games.
“Great win, good feeling, priceless!!! Thank you all for the support, couldn't have done it without you guys!” tweeted Azkals player Anton del Rosario.
“Heya all! Thank you for your support! Massive win! The team played well! Celebrations!” said goalkeeper Neil Etheridge through his Twitter page.
For Azkal Jason Sabio, it was a mission accomplished despite the criticisms coming from those who didn’t believe in them.
“Job done! AFC Challenge Cup here we come! We played amazing today. To the haters, that is how you man up! :) We are one We are Azkals! Boom,” tweeted Sabio.
“On to the final 8.. What a sweet victory! History in the books once more!! Thank you everyone for your undying support! :),” said team captain Aly Borromeo through his Twitter page.
Phil celebrates win
Azkals midfielder Phil Younghusband, who missed the group stage because of an injury, cheered his team for making history.
"Congratulations to the team for making history. They deserve this for all their hard work and even through difficult circumstances, we have shown the strength of a Filipino," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com.
Younghusband, whose brother James was a vital cog in the group stage matches, said he was initially worried with the team going through a do-or-die match.
"I was watching the updates through ANC and Twitter and I was obviously nervous before the game," he said.
However, he said that his nervousness turned into glee as the Azkals finished the match with 3 goals.
"But each time a goal was scored. I was celebrating... I am so so happy and proud of the team," he continued.
World Cup
Meanwhile, Younghusband said he is excited for the team’s upcoming games in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
The Azkals will play against a still unnamed team this coming June.
"I am looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers," he said.
Netizens 'watched' the Azkals game on Twitter
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – The lack of live telecast of the football match between Philippine Azkals and Bangladesh Bengal Tigers on Friday led the Azkals fans to closely follow the game in the internet.
Philippines’ very own Ian Araneta and Angel Aldeguer Guirado were among the top 10 trending topics in the microblogging site Twitter between 6 to 7 p.m.
"YESSSSSSS!!!! Goal by Ian Araneta!!! Philippines 1 Bangladesh 0 GO AZKALS!!!!! " wrote Ceska Litton on her Twitter account, @CheckLit. Litton is sports and entertainment reporter.
"I'm so pleased for Ian Araneta. Scored the 1st and also provided the 2nd. That should shut up his critics now" tweeted @jarongenota
"#Azkals won 3-0 over Bangladesh w/ Ian Araneta's goal in 1st half and 2 goals by Guirado Angel on the 55th and 80th minutes. GO PHILIPPINES! " cheered @Edw4rd
Araneta scored the first goal for the Philippines in the 41st minute of the match after picking up a loose ball off Guirado.
Guirado, on the other hand, struck a goal in the 53rd minute through a header passed to him by Araneta.
In the 79th minute, Guirado scored again with a strike 20 yards away from the goal.
With these 3 goals, the Philippine team deafeated Bangladesh in the AFC Challenge Cup group stage to barge into the Cup finals in 2012.
The recently concluded match was held at the Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
MANILA, Philippines – The lack of live telecast of the football match between Philippine Azkals and Bangladesh Bengal Tigers on Friday led the Azkals fans to closely follow the game in the internet.
Philippines’ very own Ian Araneta and Angel Aldeguer Guirado were among the top 10 trending topics in the microblogging site Twitter between 6 to 7 p.m.
"YESSSSSSS!!!! Goal by Ian Araneta!!! Philippines 1 Bangladesh 0 GO AZKALS!!!!! " wrote Ceska Litton on her Twitter account, @CheckLit. Litton is sports and entertainment reporter.
"I'm so pleased for Ian Araneta. Scored the 1st and also provided the 2nd. That should shut up his critics now" tweeted @jarongenota
"#Azkals won 3-0 over Bangladesh w/ Ian Araneta's goal in 1st half and 2 goals by Guirado Angel on the 55th and 80th minutes. GO PHILIPPINES! " cheered @Edw4rd
Araneta scored the first goal for the Philippines in the 41st minute of the match after picking up a loose ball off Guirado.
Guirado, on the other hand, struck a goal in the 53rd minute through a header passed to him by Araneta.
In the 79th minute, Guirado scored again with a strike 20 yards away from the goal.
With these 3 goals, the Philippine team deafeated Bangladesh in the AFC Challenge Cup group stage to barge into the Cup finals in 2012.
The recently concluded match was held at the Aung San Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.
Azkals blank Bangladesh, qualify for AFC Cup
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Needing a win to qualify for the AFC Challenge Cup and a place in local sports history, the Azkals did both by defeating Bangladesh, 3-0 in the group stages.
Fil-Spanish Angel Guirado peppered Bengal's keeper in the 54th and 80th minute after Iloilo striker Ian Araneta kickstarted the assault for the Azkals in the 41st minute.
Palestine leads group A with 7 points while the Azkals came in second with 5 points, with each win equivalent to three points and a draw, one point.
A win was all that the Azkals needed after ending their first two games in 1-1 and scoreless draws against the host, Myanmar, and Palestine respectively.
Another draw would have eliminated the Azkals and sent Bangladesh through to the next round.
Only the top two teams will advance and join India, Maldives, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan which have already qualified from their respective groups.
The Azkals’ win marks the first time that a Philippine football team has qualified for the AFC Challenge Cup.
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Needing a win to qualify for the AFC Challenge Cup and a place in local sports history, the Azkals did both by defeating Bangladesh, 3-0 in the group stages.
Fil-Spanish Angel Guirado peppered Bengal's keeper in the 54th and 80th minute after Iloilo striker Ian Araneta kickstarted the assault for the Azkals in the 41st minute.
Palestine leads group A with 7 points while the Azkals came in second with 5 points, with each win equivalent to three points and a draw, one point.
A win was all that the Azkals needed after ending their first two games in 1-1 and scoreless draws against the host, Myanmar, and Palestine respectively.
Another draw would have eliminated the Azkals and sent Bangladesh through to the next round.
Only the top two teams will advance and join India, Maldives, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan which have already qualified from their respective groups.
The Azkals’ win marks the first time that a Philippine football team has qualified for the AFC Challenge Cup.
LIVE: PH Azkals now 3-0 over Bengal Tigers -
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – The Philippine Azkals scored a 3rd goal against the Bangladesh Bengal Tigers for a commanding 3-0 lead in their Challenge Cup group stage game in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar.
Filipino-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer Guirado is becoming a revelation for the Azkals after scoring 2 goals in the second half of the game taking place at the Aung San Stadium.
Guirado’s first goal came early in the second half after heading in a shot from Ian Araneta.
He followed this up by striking another goal in the in the 80th minute.
Earlier, Araneta scored the first goal in the 41st minute of the game after picking up a loose ball off Guirado.
The Bengal Tigers are frantically working their way back into the game. The Azkals, however, are bent on to secure the win and advance into the Challenge Cup finals in 2012.
The Filipino booters started out aggressively, launching a full attack against the Bengal Tigers.
This aggressive play resulted to an early injury stoppage that stretchered Bangladesh’s Zahid off the field.
Guirado and Chieffy Caligdong also made sure to keep the Bangladesh defense busy by closing in several goal attempts.
The Filipino squad also put up an excellent defense with team captain Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario and Ray Jonsson clipping Bangladesh’s wings.
The Azkals had a scare in the first half when Bangladesh nearly scored on a loose ball. Fortunately, Filipino-British keeper Neil Etheridge came out to clear the ball.
ABS-CBN News' Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) is live-tweeting the match. You can also follow the ongoing match on Twitter by using the hashtag #Azkals.
MANILA, Philippines (5th UPDATE) – The Philippine Azkals scored a 3rd goal against the Bangladesh Bengal Tigers for a commanding 3-0 lead in their Challenge Cup group stage game in Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar.
Filipino-Spanish striker Angel Aldeguer Guirado is becoming a revelation for the Azkals after scoring 2 goals in the second half of the game taking place at the Aung San Stadium.
Guirado’s first goal came early in the second half after heading in a shot from Ian Araneta.
He followed this up by striking another goal in the in the 80th minute.
Earlier, Araneta scored the first goal in the 41st minute of the game after picking up a loose ball off Guirado.
The Bengal Tigers are frantically working their way back into the game. The Azkals, however, are bent on to secure the win and advance into the Challenge Cup finals in 2012.
The Filipino booters started out aggressively, launching a full attack against the Bengal Tigers.
This aggressive play resulted to an early injury stoppage that stretchered Bangladesh’s Zahid off the field.
Guirado and Chieffy Caligdong also made sure to keep the Bangladesh defense busy by closing in several goal attempts.
The Filipino squad also put up an excellent defense with team captain Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario and Ray Jonsson clipping Bangladesh’s wings.
The Azkals had a scare in the first half when Bangladesh nearly scored on a loose ball. Fortunately, Filipino-British keeper Neil Etheridge came out to clear the ball.
ABS-CBN News' Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) is live-tweeting the match. You can also follow the ongoing match on Twitter by using the hashtag #Azkals.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
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