By MAV C. GONZALES, GMA News
It’s 30 minutes before the Azkals-Nepal friendly kickoff but unlike the previous matches, the Rizal Memorial Stadium was not teeming with fans clad in blue. You could tell that the ones present belonged to one of these three groups of people: family and friends, football diehards, or fangirls and fangays.
It’s 30 minutes before the Azkals-Nepal friendly kickoff but unlike the previous matches, the Rizal Memorial Stadium was not teeming with fans clad in blue. You could tell that the ones present belonged to one of these three groups of people: family and friends, football diehards, or fangirls and fangays.
Golden Boot winner Chieffy Caligdong may not have scored during the match, but he still remains the crowd favorite.
This was the first time in 14 years that the Philippines would be hosting an international friendly – which follows to say that we are now getting reestablished in the world football arena. The Fil-foreign players in the squad traveled halfway around the globe just to participate in this match.
Although composed of younger players, Nepal is ranked 135th in the world. The Philippines trails behind at 166. This was a battle not just for FIFA ranking, but for pride as well. Nobody likes to lose, especially in his home field. In the case of Nepal, they wouldn’t like to lose to a lower ranked team.
But with the lineup and home crowd advantage, the Azkals whipped the Nepalese, 4-0, on Tuesday night.
Full force
Thanks to international breaks, members of the Azkals who play in different leagues abroad were able to come home for this friendly. Half-Europeans Neil Etheridge, Rob Gier, Ray Jonsson, Jason De Jong, Jerry Lucena, Dennis Cagara and Paul Mulders were all present.
And then you have crowd favorite Chieffy Caligdong who has his own cheer from the Kaholeros. Fellow Ilonggo Ian Araneta also got to start again after so many matches. Skipper Aly Borromeo and Younghusband brothers were also there to complete the first eleven.
New talents also emerged as 22-year-old Matthew Hartmann made his first international goal at the 89th mark.
However, a couple of regulars did not suit up in Tuesday’s match. Fil-Spanish striker Angel Guirado, although currently based in Manila, did not see action due to an injured ankle. Anton Del Rosario also sat out because of an MCL injury three weeks ago.
While talent is unquestionable in this pool – you have veteran Gier coming off the bench – chemistry has always been the bigger concern. With more games together, the team is now playing with more fluidity. In fact, the no-look passes and crossovers are finally happening now.
Pinoy Double Dutch
Fil-Dutch Paul Mulders and Jason De Jong were the pair to beat in the midfield.
Famous, or infamous, as the Azkals’ bad boy, De Jong is there for his toughness. His footwork and timely tackles intimidated the younger Nepal squad. It’s probably partly due to his tattoo-covered arms too.
Mulders, on the other hand, returned to the Azkals after a leg injury. The crowd at the grandstand could not help but cheer and clap in awe as he brushed off three Nepalese players on his own. He wasn’t in the UEFA Europa League for nothing.
Most hardworking player of the night
This award is a tossup between James Younghusband and Dennis Cagara. Both guys were running from baseline to baseline with the older Younghusband even scoring a goal in the 29th minute. Although not a super quick winger, he makes up for it with his hard work.
Cagara also helped a lot in setting up the plays. His bicycle kick in an attempt to save the ball would’ve been even more impressive if it hadn’t gone out of bounds. All the same, he wowed the Filipino crowd that does not usually see fancy football footwork.
Defense, defense, defense
This may not be basketball but the defenders of the Philippines deserve credit for holding up a sturdy backline.
Someone from the crowd went as far as to joke that goalkeeper Neil Etheridge must have been bored during the match because Nepal had but one decent attempt at the goal.
“Everybody remembers your last game"
This may not be a tournament or a World Cup qualifier, but Coach Michael Weiss believes that the win would still dispel doubters.
“Everybody remembers your last game so it’s good that we won this last one," said Phil Younghusband who scored two of the team’s goals.
The senior Azkals would see action again in March 2012 when they compete in the AFC Challenge Cup. Training would resume in January.
Given the three-month break, Weiss is expecting players to maintain high-level training in their respective clubs. He adds that the United Football League would provide the Azkals an avenue to continue training and playing with the best talents in the country.
Even with the 4-0 win, Weiss says that there are indeed still points for improvement.
“It’s good that we are getting to know each other better. But we still need better organization in set plays," he says.
The younger Younghusband agrees with him, saying, “We can only get better."
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
PHL Azkals show class in 4-0 blanking of Nepal
ROY MOORE - GMA NEWS
The Philippines came out to silence any doubters at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and with a brace
from Phil Younghusband, a goal from his brother James and a first international goal for fellow Filipino-British Matthew Hartmann the Azkals went on dominate Nepal 4-0. The Younghusband brothers particularly were the driving force behind the team as they beat a Nepal side who have been rather erratic in their performances this year.
Phil Younghusband opened the scoring when he was played through on the 17th minute to slot past Kiran Kumar Limbu in the Nepalese goal. At the half-hour mark his brother James got in on the action in the 30th by shooting from just outside the area into the top corner to double the Azkals' lead at halftime.
Phil Younghusband, receiving a pass from a Dennis Cagara corner, doubled his tally in the second half before Matthew Hartmann capped off an outstanding display with his first international goal.
First half
Despite facing a team ranked 31 places above them in Nepal (135), the Philippines (166) pressured the Nepalese keeper, who spilled crosses twice, early on.
Chieffy Caligdong uncharacteristically missed an easy scoring opportunity firing over with the goalkeeper sprawled on the ground. That didn't matter too much though as Phil Younghusband put the Philippines in front when he was set through on goal. At first it seemed he had taken the ball too wide but the goalkeeper kept moving and was very poorly positioned allowing the new Loyola Meralco Sparks forward to slot past the keeper's outstretched foot.
James Younghusband then added a second in the 28th minute as he picked up the ball on the edge of the area, shimmied past his defender and fired into the top corner.
Ian Araneta had a chance to make it 3-0 as Caligdong's low cross evaded the Nepalese defense but the Air Force striker couldn't quite get on the end of it with his slide.
Second half
Coach Michael Weiss, seeing that the Philippines dominated the first half, decided to bring in Nate Burkey to replace Araneta. But it was Phil Younghusband who again scored the next goal 10 minutes into the half.
Cagara fired in from a corner, which the striker controlled before putting the ball past the diving Limbu in the 55th minute.
Three goals up the Azkals didn't stop pressing the higher-ranked side and collectively began showing the quality we have seen glimpses of in previous games.
Nepal only threatened once in the second half, forcing Neil Etheridge into a tipped save in the 61st minute and Phil Younghusband almost had a hat-trick when he burst through on the right wing seven minutes later but his shot attempt was wide.
Jerry Lucena was then stretchered off shortly after and replaced by Hartmann, Chieffy Caligdong was rested giving Misagh Bahadoran a chance to show his skill before Jason De Jong came in for Lexton Moy.
Immediately Bahadoran made an impact, breaking on the left and cutting inside to shoot into the far corner, forcing Limbu in goal into a fine acrobatic fingertip save, though it was Hartmann who scored the fourth when Cagara burst through down the left wing, passed inside to Phil Younghusband who teed it up for the substitute to fire with pin-point precision into the top corner to score his first goal for the Philippines.
The dominating victory caps a grueling recent schedule for the Azkals, who bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Singapore in another friendly match.
After the game, Nepal's English coach Graham Roberts refused to make any excuses. "I've never been ashamed of my team before but I was ashamed at the first half."
Roberts said his team was "absolutely abysmal" as Nepal have not played competitively for three months.
He praised the Azkals' performance and even singled out Phil Younghusband as the difference, noting that his defenders are very good players but the Loyola Agila forward simply "tore them apart."
Phil Younghusband dedicated his performance to his mother, who died last month. Humble in the press conference, he commended his teammates who supplied him with the passes that allowed him to score twice and lead the Philippines to a one-sided victory.
The Philippines came out to silence any doubters at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and with a brace
from Phil Younghusband, a goal from his brother James and a first international goal for fellow Filipino-British Matthew Hartmann the Azkals went on dominate Nepal 4-0. The Younghusband brothers particularly were the driving force behind the team as they beat a Nepal side who have been rather erratic in their performances this year.
Phil Younghusband opened the scoring when he was played through on the 17th minute to slot past Kiran Kumar Limbu in the Nepalese goal. At the half-hour mark his brother James got in on the action in the 30th by shooting from just outside the area into the top corner to double the Azkals' lead at halftime.
Phil Younghusband, receiving a pass from a Dennis Cagara corner, doubled his tally in the second half before Matthew Hartmann capped off an outstanding display with his first international goal.
First half
Despite facing a team ranked 31 places above them in Nepal (135), the Philippines (166) pressured the Nepalese keeper, who spilled crosses twice, early on.
Chieffy Caligdong uncharacteristically missed an easy scoring opportunity firing over with the goalkeeper sprawled on the ground. That didn't matter too much though as Phil Younghusband put the Philippines in front when he was set through on goal. At first it seemed he had taken the ball too wide but the goalkeeper kept moving and was very poorly positioned allowing the new Loyola Meralco Sparks forward to slot past the keeper's outstretched foot.
James Younghusband then added a second in the 28th minute as he picked up the ball on the edge of the area, shimmied past his defender and fired into the top corner.
Ian Araneta had a chance to make it 3-0 as Caligdong's low cross evaded the Nepalese defense but the Air Force striker couldn't quite get on the end of it with his slide.
Second half
Coach Michael Weiss, seeing that the Philippines dominated the first half, decided to bring in Nate Burkey to replace Araneta. But it was Phil Younghusband who again scored the next goal 10 minutes into the half.
Cagara fired in from a corner, which the striker controlled before putting the ball past the diving Limbu in the 55th minute.
Three goals up the Azkals didn't stop pressing the higher-ranked side and collectively began showing the quality we have seen glimpses of in previous games.
Nepal only threatened once in the second half, forcing Neil Etheridge into a tipped save in the 61st minute and Phil Younghusband almost had a hat-trick when he burst through on the right wing seven minutes later but his shot attempt was wide.
Jerry Lucena was then stretchered off shortly after and replaced by Hartmann, Chieffy Caligdong was rested giving Misagh Bahadoran a chance to show his skill before Jason De Jong came in for Lexton Moy.
Immediately Bahadoran made an impact, breaking on the left and cutting inside to shoot into the far corner, forcing Limbu in goal into a fine acrobatic fingertip save, though it was Hartmann who scored the fourth when Cagara burst through down the left wing, passed inside to Phil Younghusband who teed it up for the substitute to fire with pin-point precision into the top corner to score his first goal for the Philippines.
The dominating victory caps a grueling recent schedule for the Azkals, who bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Singapore in another friendly match.
After the game, Nepal's English coach Graham Roberts refused to make any excuses. "I've never been ashamed of my team before but I was ashamed at the first half."
Roberts said his team was "absolutely abysmal" as Nepal have not played competitively for three months.
He praised the Azkals' performance and even singled out Phil Younghusband as the difference, noting that his defenders are very good players but the Loyola Agila forward simply "tore them apart."
Phil Younghusband dedicated his performance to his mother, who died last month. Humble in the press conference, he commended his teammates who supplied him with the passes that allowed him to score twice and lead the Philippines to a one-sided victory.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Singapore stuns Philippine Azkals
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) – The Philippine Azkals lost to the Singapore Lions, 2-0, during their friendly match at the Jalan Besar Stadium Friday.
The visiting Azkals managed to hold the Lions goalless in the first half, but were caught flatfooted by their foes' attacks in the second period.
Shaiful Esah of Singapore gave the Lions a 1-0 lead through a deflected long-range strike in the 50th minute of the game.
The hosts' veteran striker Aleksandar Duric, who has scored more than 300 goals in the S.League, increased Singapore's lead in a counterattack blitz goal in the 64th minute.
The Azkals had several chances at the goal in the first half, with Chieffy Caligdong and Phil Younghusband nearly scoring for the Philippine squad.
Caligdong's goal in the 13th minute was disallowed as the winger was offside, while Younghusband’s free kick was just inches from the goal.
Singapore is currently ranked 136th in the world, while the Philippines is rated No. 166.
MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) – The Philippine Azkals lost to the Singapore Lions, 2-0, during their friendly match at the Jalan Besar Stadium Friday.
The visiting Azkals managed to hold the Lions goalless in the first half, but were caught flatfooted by their foes' attacks in the second period.
Shaiful Esah of Singapore gave the Lions a 1-0 lead through a deflected long-range strike in the 50th minute of the game.
The hosts' veteran striker Aleksandar Duric, who has scored more than 300 goals in the S.League, increased Singapore's lead in a counterattack blitz goal in the 64th minute.
The Azkals had several chances at the goal in the first half, with Chieffy Caligdong and Phil Younghusband nearly scoring for the Philippine squad.
Caligdong's goal in the 13th minute was disallowed as the winger was offside, while Younghusband’s free kick was just inches from the goal.
Singapore is currently ranked 136th in the world, while the Philippines is rated No. 166.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Chieffy steers Azkals to 2-0 win
by Peter Atencio - Manila Standard Today
THE Philippine Azkals surprised Macau with the timely entry in the second half of Chieffy Caligdong, who scored both goals in a 2-0 victory by the Filipinos in the four-nation Long Teng Cup Tuesday at the Kaohsiung national stadium in Taiwan.
Caligdong, who was supposed to rest for the entire match, came in for Fil-German Oliver Potschke and went on the offensive immediately, his heroics allowing the Azkals to score their first win in the tournament against two draws.
The 5’5” wonder from Pototan, Iloilo found his mark in the 51st and in the 82nd minutes to eventually emerge as the tournament’s most prolific scorer with four total goals.
So far, Hong Kong booters Sham Kwok Keung and Wong Chin Hung trail Caligdong with two goals apiece.
The 29-year-old Caligdong received a corner kick from Matthew Hartmann and went for short blast, which goalie Ho Man Wei deflected.
The Filipino crowd went wild as Caligdong stayed ahead of defender Pak Lin Hao and sent the ball back in after he caught the ball on the rebound for his first goal.
Then, Caligdong found another opening on the 87th minute when he got a pass from Hartmann, chesting it to the right post and into the net.
The Azkals, who played without suspended Fil-Spanish booter Angel Guirado, settled for second spot at the end of the 90-minute encounter and they could remain there depending on how the Hong Kong-Chinese Taipei game will finish. Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei both have the same 1-1-0 win-draw-loss records as of presstime.
If Chinese Taipei loses, the Azkals will stay in second. If the two squads draw, the Azkals will end up third.
The Azkals took possession for 71% of the time, but they only had two shots on target out of 10.
The tournament proved to be a good experience for the Azkals, who had some members of the Southeast Asian Games-bound national under-23 team in the roster.
Caligdong, who was rested because of injury in the second half of their game against Chinese Taipei last Saturday, has a total of 13 goals out of 13 international appearances since 2004.
He had two chances to score in the closing minutes, but Ho quickly got in the way in the 87th, while his last try in front of the goal mouth and the keeper went too high.
The Azkals fly to Singapore for their next friendly this Friday and then to Manila for another friendly with Nepal on Monday.
THE Philippine Azkals surprised Macau with the timely entry in the second half of Chieffy Caligdong, who scored both goals in a 2-0 victory by the Filipinos in the four-nation Long Teng Cup Tuesday at the Kaohsiung national stadium in Taiwan.
Caligdong, who was supposed to rest for the entire match, came in for Fil-German Oliver Potschke and went on the offensive immediately, his heroics allowing the Azkals to score their first win in the tournament against two draws.
The 5’5” wonder from Pototan, Iloilo found his mark in the 51st and in the 82nd minutes to eventually emerge as the tournament’s most prolific scorer with four total goals.
So far, Hong Kong booters Sham Kwok Keung and Wong Chin Hung trail Caligdong with two goals apiece.
The 29-year-old Caligdong received a corner kick from Matthew Hartmann and went for short blast, which goalie Ho Man Wei deflected.
The Filipino crowd went wild as Caligdong stayed ahead of defender Pak Lin Hao and sent the ball back in after he caught the ball on the rebound for his first goal.
Then, Caligdong found another opening on the 87th minute when he got a pass from Hartmann, chesting it to the right post and into the net.
The Azkals, who played without suspended Fil-Spanish booter Angel Guirado, settled for second spot at the end of the 90-minute encounter and they could remain there depending on how the Hong Kong-Chinese Taipei game will finish. Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei both have the same 1-1-0 win-draw-loss records as of presstime.
If Chinese Taipei loses, the Azkals will stay in second. If the two squads draw, the Azkals will end up third.
The Azkals took possession for 71% of the time, but they only had two shots on target out of 10.
The tournament proved to be a good experience for the Azkals, who had some members of the Southeast Asian Games-bound national under-23 team in the roster.
Caligdong, who was rested because of injury in the second half of their game against Chinese Taipei last Saturday, has a total of 13 goals out of 13 international appearances since 2004.
He had two chances to score in the closing minutes, but Ho quickly got in the way in the 87th, while his last try in front of the goal mouth and the keeper went too high.
The Azkals fly to Singapore for their next friendly this Friday and then to Manila for another friendly with Nepal on Monday.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Azkals held to another stalemate in Long Teng Cup
By Celest R. Flores - INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines was held to a stalemate again—this time a scoreless draw versus host Chinese-Taipei Sunday night in the Long Teng Cup.
The Azkals will need a dominating victory over Macau Tuesday as they are now lodged in third place with two points behind leaders Taiwan and defending champion Hong Kong, each with four points points buoyed by separate wins.
It was Fil-German goalkeeper Roland Mueller, debuting for the Azkals in the four-nation tournament, who showcased quality performance as he tirelessly thwarted all the goal attempts of the more aggressive Taiwanese side.
Muller salvaged the Philippines, which allowed the Taiwanese to slip past countless times for a shot on goal, with his timely saves.
The Azkals struggled to get in the rhythm on the attack early in the match marred by poor officiating and nasty defending, and then saw all of their clear-cut chances at a goal saved by Taiwan.
The Philippines came close to scoring when striker Phil Younghusband received the ball in the box with only the keeper to beat, but found his attempt foiled.
The Azkals opened up the competition in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with an unsatisfying 3-3 draw to Hong Kong Friday where they conceded a goal at the last minute.
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines was held to a stalemate again—this time a scoreless draw versus host Chinese-Taipei Sunday night in the Long Teng Cup.
The Azkals will need a dominating victory over Macau Tuesday as they are now lodged in third place with two points behind leaders Taiwan and defending champion Hong Kong, each with four points points buoyed by separate wins.
It was Fil-German goalkeeper Roland Mueller, debuting for the Azkals in the four-nation tournament, who showcased quality performance as he tirelessly thwarted all the goal attempts of the more aggressive Taiwanese side.
Muller salvaged the Philippines, which allowed the Taiwanese to slip past countless times for a shot on goal, with his timely saves.
The Azkals struggled to get in the rhythm on the attack early in the match marred by poor officiating and nasty defending, and then saw all of their clear-cut chances at a goal saved by Taiwan.
The Philippines came close to scoring when striker Phil Younghusband received the ball in the box with only the keeper to beat, but found his attempt foiled.
The Azkals opened up the competition in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with an unsatisfying 3-3 draw to Hong Kong Friday where they conceded a goal at the last minute.
Azkals go for win, crown in Teng Cup
by Olmin Leyba, The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Forced to a 3-3 standoff by Hong Kong in their debut, the Philippine Azkals eye no less than a victory today against host Chinese-Taipei to boost their bid for the top plum in the 2011 Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese-Taipei.
The draw gave the Filipinos a point, leaving them no choice but to gun for a maximum two points against the Taiwanese in the single-round-robin tournament among four nations. The hosts whitewashed Macau, 3-0, in their first match Friday night.
"We will be in a very good position to win the tournament if we win today," said Azkals coach Michael Weiss.
For them to do so, it is imperative for the Azkals to improve on their defense.
"Our defending (against Hong Kong) was all over the place," said skipper Aly Borromeo. "But at least, there's familiarity now. We know how we will play together. We can't let Chinese-Taipei get that confidence unlike against Hong Kong."
A mix of veterans and members of the U-23 pool, the Azkals struggled with new combinations against the Hong Kong booters, who pounced on Phl's shortcomings to score two early goals.
The Azkals got the opportunity to pull off a come-from-behind win when Phil Younghusband scored on a penalty kick and Chieffy Caligdong hit two astounding strikes before limping off the field in the 79th minute. But a late goal by Hong Kong forced the standoff.
Caligdong said he'll be ready for the Chinese-Taipei matchup but one of the Azkals won't be seeing action in Jason de Jong, who's suspended for a red card in the HK duel.
"We will sit a little a bit deeper (on defense) and will be looking for counter-attacks. I hope everybody steps up, especially in terms of alertness and concentration," Weiss said.
MANILA, Philippines - Forced to a 3-3 standoff by Hong Kong in their debut, the Philippine Azkals eye no less than a victory today against host Chinese-Taipei to boost their bid for the top plum in the 2011 Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese-Taipei.
The draw gave the Filipinos a point, leaving them no choice but to gun for a maximum two points against the Taiwanese in the single-round-robin tournament among four nations. The hosts whitewashed Macau, 3-0, in their first match Friday night.
"We will be in a very good position to win the tournament if we win today," said Azkals coach Michael Weiss.
For them to do so, it is imperative for the Azkals to improve on their defense.
"Our defending (against Hong Kong) was all over the place," said skipper Aly Borromeo. "But at least, there's familiarity now. We know how we will play together. We can't let Chinese-Taipei get that confidence unlike against Hong Kong."
A mix of veterans and members of the U-23 pool, the Azkals struggled with new combinations against the Hong Kong booters, who pounced on Phl's shortcomings to score two early goals.
The Azkals got the opportunity to pull off a come-from-behind win when Phil Younghusband scored on a penalty kick and Chieffy Caligdong hit two astounding strikes before limping off the field in the 79th minute. But a late goal by Hong Kong forced the standoff.
Caligdong said he'll be ready for the Chinese-Taipei matchup but one of the Azkals won't be seeing action in Jason de Jong, who's suspended for a red card in the HK duel.
"We will sit a little a bit deeper (on defense) and will be looking for counter-attacks. I hope everybody steps up, especially in terms of alertness and concentration," Weiss said.
Philippine Azkals open with HK draw despite Chieffy’s heroics
By Cedelf P. Tupas - Philippine Daily Inquirer
KAOHSIUNG — Chieffy Caligdong struck twice but the Philippine Azkals couldn’t finish off what could have been a comeback for the ages and settled for a 3-3 stalemate against defending champion Hong Kong Friday night in a highly-physical Long Teng Cup opening-match at the National Stadium here.
Caligdong, the proud son of Barotac Nuevo who plays for the Philippine Air Force, delivered two clinical goals, after Phil Younghusband opened the scoring from the penalty spot as the Azkals, who trailed 0-2 after just 22 minutes, flirted with another fightback only to be stalled by poor defending on the set piece near the end.
In a draw that brought back memories against Myanmar and Sri Lanka early this year, the Azkals yielded a late goal on a free kick from just outside the area.
“We should have been rewarded with a if only for Caligdong’s performance,” said Azkals coach Michael Weiss, who paid tribute to the influential winger who limped off after sustaining a knee injury in the 78th minute.
“He’s an outstanding player and I’m glad he’s back into his old shape,” Weiss said of Caligdong, who jacked up his international goal count to 10.
“The comeback was brave and fantastic but we were unlucky,” added Weiss, who also took to task the referees for what he claimed were three “wrong” offside calls in the second half on Phil Younghusband and Ian Araneta.
“It’s the first time we’re playing with a squad like this but you have to admire the players for putting their heart into the game by coming back from two goals down,” said team manager Dan Palami.
The draw gave the Azkals and Hong Kong a point each. Chinese-Taipei and Macau are playing as of presstime.
Missing Europe-based standouts like Stephan Schrock, Neil Etheridge and Paul Mulders, the Azkals’ defensive frailties were exposed early and often as Hong Kong zoomed to a 2-nil advantage thanks to a second-minute strike from Lee Wai Lim and a header from Cheng Lai Hin 22nd minute.
“We were a little naive defensively and we were punished,” said Weiss.
Younghusband sparked the comeback with a penalty conversion in the 31st minute, after he was pulled down by Wai Chiu Ng, who was later given a red card for a foul on Caligdong in the 65th minute.
Left to beat one defender after a fine pass from Younghusband, Caligdong made it all square with a clinical left-footed finish from the left in the 44th minute after a frenetic exchange of scoring chances
A livewire act on the left flank, Caligdong made it 3-2 by beating two defenders before firing past Hung Fai Yapp in the 62nd minute, sending about 500 Filipino supporters, led by the traveling fan group Kaholeros, in the stadium in delirium.
Just when the Azkals were about to celebrate one of their biggest comebacks, Hong Kong struck through Cheng Lai Hin, who was the quickest to react on the rebound after Chan Siu Ki’s free kick was saved into the post by the debuting Roland Muller.
Muller, who plays for Duisburg in the German second division, was the busier of the two goalkeepers, needing to be alert to stop Kwok Pin Pong late in the match, even as substitute Mark Hartmann drew an injury-time save from Yapp from point-blank range.
The match saw three players get sent off including Filipino midfielder Jason de Jong, who got his marching orders in injury time for dissent. Kwok followed him to the showers moments later for a clumsy challenge on Angel Aldeguer that drew a straight red card.
Though he feels the Azkals deserved more than a draw, Weiss said he’d rather dwell on the positives, particularly on the fact that they held a stronger Hong Kong team than the one the Filipinos lost to last year, 2-4.
“We were including new players in the lineup and we were able to get a result,” said Weiss.
KAOHSIUNG — Chieffy Caligdong struck twice but the Philippine Azkals couldn’t finish off what could have been a comeback for the ages and settled for a 3-3 stalemate against defending champion Hong Kong Friday night in a highly-physical Long Teng Cup opening-match at the National Stadium here.
Caligdong, the proud son of Barotac Nuevo who plays for the Philippine Air Force, delivered two clinical goals, after Phil Younghusband opened the scoring from the penalty spot as the Azkals, who trailed 0-2 after just 22 minutes, flirted with another fightback only to be stalled by poor defending on the set piece near the end.
In a draw that brought back memories against Myanmar and Sri Lanka early this year, the Azkals yielded a late goal on a free kick from just outside the area.
“We should have been rewarded with a if only for Caligdong’s performance,” said Azkals coach Michael Weiss, who paid tribute to the influential winger who limped off after sustaining a knee injury in the 78th minute.
“He’s an outstanding player and I’m glad he’s back into his old shape,” Weiss said of Caligdong, who jacked up his international goal count to 10.
“The comeback was brave and fantastic but we were unlucky,” added Weiss, who also took to task the referees for what he claimed were three “wrong” offside calls in the second half on Phil Younghusband and Ian Araneta.
“It’s the first time we’re playing with a squad like this but you have to admire the players for putting their heart into the game by coming back from two goals down,” said team manager Dan Palami.
The draw gave the Azkals and Hong Kong a point each. Chinese-Taipei and Macau are playing as of presstime.
Missing Europe-based standouts like Stephan Schrock, Neil Etheridge and Paul Mulders, the Azkals’ defensive frailties were exposed early and often as Hong Kong zoomed to a 2-nil advantage thanks to a second-minute strike from Lee Wai Lim and a header from Cheng Lai Hin 22nd minute.
“We were a little naive defensively and we were punished,” said Weiss.
Younghusband sparked the comeback with a penalty conversion in the 31st minute, after he was pulled down by Wai Chiu Ng, who was later given a red card for a foul on Caligdong in the 65th minute.
Left to beat one defender after a fine pass from Younghusband, Caligdong made it all square with a clinical left-footed finish from the left in the 44th minute after a frenetic exchange of scoring chances
A livewire act on the left flank, Caligdong made it 3-2 by beating two defenders before firing past Hung Fai Yapp in the 62nd minute, sending about 500 Filipino supporters, led by the traveling fan group Kaholeros, in the stadium in delirium.
Just when the Azkals were about to celebrate one of their biggest comebacks, Hong Kong struck through Cheng Lai Hin, who was the quickest to react on the rebound after Chan Siu Ki’s free kick was saved into the post by the debuting Roland Muller.
Muller, who plays for Duisburg in the German second division, was the busier of the two goalkeepers, needing to be alert to stop Kwok Pin Pong late in the match, even as substitute Mark Hartmann drew an injury-time save from Yapp from point-blank range.
The match saw three players get sent off including Filipino midfielder Jason de Jong, who got his marching orders in injury time for dissent. Kwok followed him to the showers moments later for a clumsy challenge on Angel Aldeguer that drew a straight red card.
Though he feels the Azkals deserved more than a draw, Weiss said he’d rather dwell on the positives, particularly on the fact that they held a stronger Hong Kong team than the one the Filipinos lost to last year, 2-4.
“We were including new players in the lineup and we were able to get a result,” said Weiss.
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