Azkals Vow to do Better in Home Game

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals vow to do better when they face the Sri Lankan Brave Reds on Sunday in the second leg of their FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The Nationals will capitalize on their home advantage after being held by the Sri Lankans to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Colombo.

"I'm looking forward to the second game," said Azkals goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. "We'd like to win. It'll be great for the fans to see us win in Manila."

Azkals player James Younghusband admitted they could have pulled off a better game against the Sri Lankans last Wednesday.

He, however, assured that they will prove themselves to their Filipino fans on Sunday.

"Good thing is we got a game this Sunday to prove it in front of our home crowd. I'm looking forward to that," said Younghusband.

Aggregate score

Despite being held to a 1-1 draw, the Azkals enjoy a 2-1 aggregate score because of Nate Burkey's away goal.

The Nationals will have to win or hold the Sri Lankans to a 0-0 draw to advance to the next round against Kuwait.

Former national team member and now Kaya Cignal coach Rudy del Rosario earlier explained that the Azkals cannot afford to allow their opponents to score more goals in their home game.

"If it's a 1-1 draw, then it's extra time. But if it's [Sri Lanka scores] a 2-2 draw, it's Sri Lanka that goes through the next round because they'll have an aggregate of 4 points," he said.

Sad Phil

Filipino-British striker Phil Younghusband, who had 3 goal attempts against Sri Lanka, might not be able to suit up for Sunday's game because of his hamstring injury.

"'Pag mabilis [tumakbo] masakit... I pray that I get better, malungkot ako," he said.

Darren Hartmann, a former member of the Philippine Azkals, said the home crowd's support for the Nationals will be very important to the Nationals.

"They (Sri Lankans) know if they score a goal, they will be in a very, very strong position. It sets up to a very interesting 2nd leg so I hope everyone turns out to support the national team," he said.

'Kaholeros' promise all out support

Richard "Ebong" Joson of the Azkals' fan group "Kaholeros" (Barkers) assured that they will make their presence felt at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Sunday.

Joson said the Sri Lankans will find it difficult to play in front the Azkals' home crowd.

"The biggest difference now when they come over here is that the Kaholeros and the rest of the nation will be behind the Azkals," he said in an interview on ANC's Hardball.

The Kaholeros is just one of the fan groups supporting the Philippine national team.

"It (Kaholeros) started in a restaurant where we were watching the away games with a bunch of really great fans, football fans," explained Joson.

"Mr. Bonnie Ladrino [of the Philippine Football Federation] invited me to create a core group and that's why we're here. We created a fan base." -- With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News.com

FEATURED AZKALS: Man Of The Match

Man of the Match:

             Stephan Markus Cabizares Schröck 

"Schrock was a powerful presence on the pitch for the Azkals as the 24-year-old defender brought out his second division Bundesliga skills against the surprisingly fast-moving Sri Lankans."

Stephan Markus Cabizares Schröck (born 21 August 1986) nicknamed "Schröcky", is a German–Filipino professional footballer who plays as a right back for 2nd Bundesliga club SpVgg Greuther Fürth. He has also featured for Germany at various youth levels.

Club Career

In April 2008, Schröck signed a two-year contract extension with Greuther Fürth. Two years later, in March 2010, Schröck again extended extended his contract for another two years. Although he revealed that he could have gone to five other clubs with better financial benefits, he chose to stay to repay the backing that the club has always shown him. He also wants to reach the Bundesliga with the club and believes it's an achievable target in the next two years before his contract runs out.

International Career

Schröck was born to a German father and a Filipina mother, making him eligible to represent Germany or the Philippines at international level. He initially chose Germany, as he has represented the country at U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels.

Under previous FIFA statutes, Schröck could have switched to the Philippines until his 21st birthday but he didn't take that option, neither was he called up during this time. In early October 2008, the Philippine Football Federation wanted to get him to play for the Philippines in 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification tournament.

However, he was not able to as he was already over the age of 21. FIFA eventually removed the age limit on players switching nations in early June 2009, making him eligible again to switch to the Philippines. He then revealed in July 2010 that he would make the switch and will be playing for the Philippines in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification tournament in Laos.

However, a few days prior to the start of the qualifying tournament, he was left out of the squad as his documents have yet to be processed. It was only in March 2011 where he went to the Philippines to finalize his papers and therefore has been tipped to be ready for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification first round.

Azkals draw with Sri Lanka in first tie of World Cup qualifier

06/29/2011 | 07:21 PM 

The Philippine Azkals' first round match against Sri Lanka ended in a 1-1 draw in their 2014 World Cup Asia group playoffs Wednesday at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo Sri Lanka.

"I'm not the happiest man in the world but I'm not too disappointed. We take the result as it is and prepare for the match on Sunday," said Azkals' German coach Michael Weiss.

Sri Lanka drew first blood with Chathura Gunarathna's 43rd minute goal, while Azkals midfielder Nate Burkey leveled the count at the 50th minute.

Gunarathna scored on an indirect free kick 25 yards from the goal with the ball bouncing of Robert Gier and then passing under the right arm of Azkals keeper Neil Etheridge.

The Azkals tried to equalize after that goal but Sri Lanka keeper Manjula Fernando repeatedly foiled their attempts.

With Phil Younghusband not at 100 percent, Weiss decided to replace the top striker with Burkey at the 40th minute of the first half.

The younger Younghusband, who collided with a Sri Lankan player at midfield, had two near-goals before being pulled out.

Sri Lanka's rough game disrupted the Azkals' plays as tempers flared midway in the first half with James Younghusband, Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock given yellow cards for various offenses.

James Younghusband was booked by Bangladeshi referee Tayeb Shamsuzzaman for excessive complaining after his brother, Phil, went down and got injured.

Shamsuzzaman also issued yellow cards to Sri Lanka's Anton Nimal Fernando, Safraz Kaiz and Nadeeka Pushpakumara

The Nationals were aggressive at the start of the match and had several chances of scoring but Fernando kept standing in their way at the goal.

After half-time, the Azkals kept their emotions in check and regained their composure.

Burkey then came to the Azkals' rescue and leveled the match. He received a Chieffy Caligdong looping free kick and sent the ball into the goal with a header.

Azkals keeper Neil Etheridge, made up for missing Gunarathna's goal by deflecting Sri Lanka's later attempts to add more goals.

Schrock was a powerful presence on the pitch for the Azkals as the 24-year-old defender brought out his second division Bundesliga skills against the surprisingly fast-moving Sri Lankans.

An open question now is whether Phil Younghusband will be fit enough to play the home match on July 3. 

Cambodia, Nepal, Mongolia and Palestine overcame their respective opponents in other qualifying matches. - Earl Victor Rosero/Jon Perez/OMG, GMA News

The Azkals' long, tough road to the World Cup

The Azkals are training hard for the Asian qualifying matches for the World Cup. This infographic charts the long road the Azkals have to survive in order to play in the world’s most prestigious game. 

The 16 lowest ranked teams – based on their record at the qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup – were paired off to play home and away matches on June 29 and July 3 with the winners advancing to Round 2.

The eight winners from Round 1 will join 22 higher ranked teams where the teams were paired off for home-and-away matches on July 23 and 28.

The 15 winners from the second round will join the top five direct entrants:

In the third round, they will be divided into five groups of four teams each, still playing a home and away format. Round 3 will be played from September 2, 2011 to February 29, 2012. 

Round 4 will include the top two teams from each group in Round 3. The 10 teams will be divided into two groups of five, and the top 2 teams from each group will be given automatic spots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Those who reach round 4 will compete from June 3 to November 14, 2012, and from March 26 to June 18, 2013.

The third placers from the two groups in Round 4 will play in Round 5 on September 6 and 10 in 2013, determining Asia’s representative in the inter-continental playoff.

The winner in Round 5 will participate in the Inter-confederation playoff on October 15 and November 19, 2013, along with the fourth placer from CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), the fifth placer from CONEMBOL (South American Football Confederation) and the first placer from OFC (Oceania Football Confederation). The winner in this home and away playoff will earn a spot in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

OTHER FACTS:
As the host nation, Brazil qualify automatically for the tournament. On 3 March 2011 FIFA decided to distribute places in the final tournament:

Europe (UEFA) - 13 places

Asia (AFC) - 4 guaranteed places + 1 place in play-off

Africa (CAF) - 5 places

North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) - 3 guaranteed places + 1 place in play-off

South America (CONMEBOL) - 4 guaranteed places + 1 place in play-off + Brazil qualified as host nation

World Cup Qualifiers: Philippine Azkals draw Sri Lanka Brave Reds

By Cedelf P. Tupas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Photo by AP

COLOMBO—A resilient Philippine side fought back to salvage a 1-1 stalemate against Sri Lanka Wednesday in the first leg of their opening round World Cup qualifying match at the Sugathadasa Stadium here.

Substitute Nate Burkey, making his debut for the Philippines, headed home James Younghusband’s saved header in the 50th minute to give the Azkals a precious away goal heading to the second leg in Manila on Sunday.

An away goal will only count if a two-leg series ends up tied on aggregate, meaning a scoreless draw will be enough for the Azkals to go through to the next round against Kuwait.

Playing their first World Cup qualifying match in 10 years, the Azkals fell behind on the 43rd minute when Pordi Chathura’s 20-yard free kick beat a diving Neil Etheridge to his right.

It was an eerie reminder of the late equalizing goal that the Azkals yielded to Myanmar in the AFC Challenge Cup in March.

After a quiet opening half, the Azkals, egged on by about 200 Filipino supporters in the stadium, came alive in the last 45 minutes, keeping the Sri Lankans on their heels.

Stephan Schrock, making his Philippine debut, was an influential figure at central midfield and his passing constantly opened up the Sri Lankan defense.

But except for Burkey’s goal, the Azkals lacked the clinical finishing touch to punish the Sri Lankans, who refused to back down, making the match a rugged affair.

One such incident came in the 18th minute when Phil Younghusband was fouled by midfield enforcer Fazlur, triggering a scuffle in the middle of the field.

James Younghusband and  got yellow cards in the aftermath of the incident. The Azkals had two other yellow cards – Schrock and skipper Aly Borromeo – who were booked for mistimed challenges.

Phil Younghusband had two glorious early chances saved by Manjula Fernando in the first half, before the Filipino-British striker was substituted by Burkey in the 40th minute for what looked like a hamstring injury.

Putting more pressure on the Sri Lankans immediately after the restart, the Azkals were rewarded with Burkey’s scrappy goal.

Chieffy Caligdong, the only homegrown player in the starting lineup, floated a long free kick into the area that was met by James Younghusband, whose header looked to have crossed the line.

Amid the confusion, Burkey was quickest to react and he banged it home for the equalizer.

Schrock, a standout rightback playing for Greuther Furth in the German second division, was still proving dangerous with the ball and his effort from just outside the box just went wide in the 60th minute.

Another chip pass from Schrock offered substitute Ian Araneta with a late scoring chance, but the Air Force striker managed a weak effort that was easily saved by Manjula.

Just when everyone thought the Sri Lankans were playing for a draw, the hosts managed to conjure one more chance when Nimal fired a bristling shot that draw an impressive reflex save from Etheridge in the first minute of injury time.

The Azkals arrive in Manila Thursday night, leaving them with two full days to prepare for the rematch against the South Asians.

THE AZKALS FRUSTRATED YET TO WIN A WORLD CUP GAME: PHILIPPINES 1-1 SRI LANKA

Posted by Roy on June 29, 2011 

(The Philippine Contingent (photo by Craig Burrows)

The anticipation before the match suddenly changed into fear and then relief as the Philippines watched their side go behind against Sri Lanka before equalising to salvage something from the game. The Philippines are left to look at Sunday as their last chance for a first win in the World Cup as they repeated the score of their last World Cup Qualifying outing in 2001.

Cathura's free-kick put Sri Lanka ahead (photo by Craig Burrows)

Cathura’s deflected free-kick put the Sri Lankans ahead in the 41^st minute. The ball was deflected off the wall to agonisingly beat Neil Etheridge in goal just before half-time. The Azkals started the second half much brighter, though, a Chieffy Caligdong free-kick looked to have crossed the line already before substitute Nate Burkey put it back into the goal to equalise and set up a tense finale in the Rizal Memorial Stadium on Sunday.

The game started quite evenly. The Sri Lankans played quite deep and threatened with quick counter-attacks surprising the Philippine defence. Schrock in particular looked threatening in central midfield as he dynamically burst past several players at once on more than one occasion. His final ball, however, didn’t quite reach its intended recipient. The story of the first half was the clear fatigue of the players. Phil Younghusband pulled up numerous times before being substituted for Nate Burkey early on while Angel Guirado was clearly not fully fit and rarely broke into full stride.

This limitation allowed the Sri Lankans to get more of the ball when Philippine attacks broke down though their main chance of the half came when a ball over the top was blocked by Etheridge who couldn’t gather it completely, but the resulting shot looped over. Etheridge was called into several routine saves though when players got free and blasted at the goal but each time the Sri Lankan players hit straight at the Fulham goalkeeper.

The Philippines by contrast had several chances, mainly through Chieffy Caligdong’s crosses and Stephan Schrock’s dominant display in the midfield. Schrock eventually won man of the match for his performance and is perhaps the Philippines’ best positive from the match. The Philippines played with their hearts on their sleeves for the first-half, James Younghusband particularly was passionate, sometimes too passionate, and was awarded a yellow card for his protests. Contesting a foul on his brother, Phil Younghusband, the player jumped into a Sri Lankan crowd and sent tempers flaring for a short while, though he did have a good game down the right flank, working the ball well for the Philippines. Their best chance of the first half came when a Chieffy corner was first only just missed by Angel Guirado then headed wide by Aly Borromeo who dived but couldn’t quite get the connection needed.

Then Sri Lanka were awarded a free-kick about twenty yards from goal. Chathura ran up and clipped the ball towards goal, cheering as it struck Rob Gier to take it out of the reach of the despairing Neil Etheridge. The Fulham goalkeeper produced a solid display throughout the game but the result overshadows those performances.

The Azkals started better in the second half, as per the Dan Palami theory, and pressed the game immediately. Their

efforts were rewarded quickly as they won a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Chieffy looped the ball in and James Younghusband seemed to glance the ball before it crossed the line. The ball bounced out and Nate Burkey knocked it back in to make sure and after some confusion the goal was awarded to Nate Burkey who trended on Twitter, at one point reaching fourth in the world on Twitter, Chieffy just one place behind at fifth.

There were several chances to win the game as from then on the Azkals continued to press for a winner but Sri Lanka’s deep defensive line kept them out most of the time. The threat of a Sri Lankan counter-attack showed when their striker Kaiz got through on several occasions, first hitting straight at Etheridge before later blatantly diving in an effort to win a penalty. Etheridge produced a good save late on as Sri Lankan substitute Nilman struck from the edge of the area forcing the keeper to palm behind for a corner.

The Philippines had their own chances to win the game, Angel Guirado striking wide a couple of times in a performance which really showed he was struggling from the tough schedule and with the injury on his right leg. That he wasn’t substituted early is a bit of mystery as the goalscorer Nate Burkey was replaced instead, giving Ian Araneta the chance to shine. As is so common with him, he almost made an immediate impact as Stephan Schrock played a magnificent lobbed through ball to the Air Force striker who controlled and forced a good save out of the Sri Lankan goalkeeper Manjula.

Questions will be asked about the Philippines but it must be remembered that after a tough training camp they are still on top for the next leg and to make it into the next round. A crucial away goal actually means the Philippines would qualify on the away goals rule if the scores remain the same but he Philippines are certainly looking for a win.

After the game Coach Weiss said “On this pitch they [Sri Lanka] play very physical… I think we were superior and if we had scored first the game would have been over.” Perhaps on some level the Philippines had grown too confident as he later remarked that “at this level you should never estimate an opponent and that was a big mistake.” Somewhat philosophically the German coach ended by saying “I’m not the happiest man in the world but I’m not too disappointed… we take the result as it is and prepare for the match on Sunday”. The German coach has already strengthed the Philippines squad significantly and the Philippine nation can trust that paired with Dan Palami the two of them can fashion a strong performance and a great result on Friday in front of a huge Philippine crowd.

Attendance at this game is roughly estimated to be at 4,000 with maybe 1,000 Filipinos making it it to the stadium to cheer on the team. They were heard throughout and really represented their country well as the team look forward to the next game. The Sri Lankan coach joked after the game that “the man of the match? Maybe the coach” as it was his tactical decisions which fashioned the draw for the underdogs.

The Philippines still have a great chance of qualification but as usual seem to be leaving it until the last minute before showing the performance they’re capable of. Like the two draws in the AFC Challenge Cup against Burma and Palestine tension is building for the final match… the whole nation now is hoping the Philippines can produce a similar performance against Sri Lanka as they did against Bangladesh when they won 3-0.

The seriousness of Phil’s injury is unknown, though, as Coach Weiss said “I don’t know how serious it is yet… it is a big setback to change our biggest striker. Hopefully he can play on Sunday”. The Philippines can remain optimistic though as Araneta looked sharp and wants to play and with other options the Philippines remain favourites. Still, the country believes in the team and looks ahead to the next game. There may be disappointment at not reaching the heights predicted before the game but the Philippines are still on top heading into the return leg. Remember to send your support to the Azkals, comment with your questions and hopes and share the news: Azkals we believe!

Man of the match: Stephan Schrock For an interview with Schrock, before the game, click here

Written by Roy Moore

Azkals Salvage Draw Against Gritty Sri Lanka in World Cup Qualifier

MANILA—Like Philippine Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss, the country’s football top honcho, Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, longs for the day when the national team will have the best available players, particularly the standouts based in Europe.

That’s why the Philippine Football Federation president wants more friendlies for the Azkals that also follows the International Football Federation (Fifa) calendar.

Araneta told the Inquirer yesterday that he plans to invite Asian countries like Malaysia, Hong Kong and China to play against the Azkals late this year or early next year.

Player availability has always been a problem for the Azkals as some of their best players like Stephan Schrock, Ray Jonsson and Neil Etheridge ply their trade in European leagues.

The trio played in the second round World Cup Qualifying duel against Kuwait last night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium after they were allowed by their European clubs at the last minute.

Araneta feels the current squad can still get better with the infusion of Europe-based players like Paul Mulders, Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara, whose availability are always in doubt because of club commitments.

“We really want to have the best available players for the team to have time to play together because that’s the only way we can improve,” said Araneta, who was also a national player in the late 70s until the early 80s.

“Those friendlies with our best players are the only way we can really gauge how good our team is and how good they can become.”

Araneta said that the only way to have the squad together is to set friendlies that are in line with the Fifa calendar.

The Azkals were in Myanmar for the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers when international friendlies were held.

They were in training camp in Germany during the international break last June and Araneta said the team missed the chance of playing friendlies against teams in the Middle East because they were in Germany.

Weiss said the current Azkals squad is still two to three years away from reaching its full potential.

“Our development has been fast, but in reality the process is longer,” said Weiss, who has three wins, three draws and two losses in his first six months in charge of the Azkals.

“The team has a lot of potential, but it will take time.”

Stephan Schrock, Paul Mulders proud Filipinos

By Cedelf P. Tupas

COLOMBO—They may have sterling club football careers, but for Stephan Schrock and Paul Mulders, nothing beats the feeling of representing the Philippines.

Schrock, a Filipino-German rightback who is one of the brightest talents in the German second division, and Fil-Dutch Mulders, who recently inked a two-year deal with Dutch first division team ADO Den Haag, will be making their debuts for their mothers’ country when the Azkals play Sri Lanka today.

“I am very proud to wear a Philippine shirt and I’m sure my nanay will also be proud,” the soft-spoken Schrock, whose mother hails from Cotabato, said in an interview with the Inquirer.

Schrock, a former German national Under-17 and Under-20 player who played with the likes of World Cup veterans Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil, has long been coveted by the Azkals, but a knee injury forced him out of the lineup in the AFC Challenge Cup in Myanmar last March.

Mulders’ entry to the team came as a surprise. He was referred by a friend to the Azkals’ management team, through social networking site Facebook, only last month and left Amsterdam for Manila immediately after signing with ADO.

Mulders is a starter in the last three Dutch teams he has played in and once scored against powerhouse Ajax at Amsterdam Arena.

“I’m happy that I’m here with the team,” said the 30-year-old Mulders, who, like Schrock, lost his father recently. “I really want to help.”

Mulders said he was ready to skip the early part of ADO’s training camp for their Europa League campaign just to be with the Azkals for the July 3 match in Manila.

Azkals coach Michael Weiss and manager Dan Palami have welcomed their inclusion in the squad.

“Schrock is a fantastic player,” said Weiss, who has deployed the fleet-footed Fil-German as a defensive midfielder alongside another Fil-German, Manny Ott.

“Mulders will help us with his experience,” said Weiss. “It’s kind of risky [deploying him on defense], but from what I saw yesterday, he is really good.”

Arduous 2014 WC journey starts Wednesda

Kuala Lumpur: The long and arduous journey to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil starts for Asian teams on Wednesday, 29 July, 2011, when the first of four qualifying rounds kicks off across the continent.  Sixteen of the lowest ranked Asian aspirants roll into action in the first round, which takes place over two legs. The return leg is scheduled for 3 July, 2011.  The eight winners will progress to join another 22 sides in Round 2, where 15 two-legged ties will be held on 23 and 28 July.   Australia, Korea Republic, Japan, DPR Korea and Bahrain – the confederation’s top five teams in South Africa 2010 qualifying – will automatically enter in Round 3. The draw for this stage of the Asian preliminaries will be held in Rio de Janeiro on 31 July 2011. Asia has 4.5 spots in the Brazil edition with four teams qualifying directly while one will have to clear a two-tiered play-off. Tomorrow might see a battle of minnows but Asian football fans can rest assured of edge-of-the-seat encounters across the board as witnessed recently in the second round of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics. In the first encounter of the day, Cambodia host Laos at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh with the winners meeting China in the second round.  Cambodia's Korean coach Lee Tae-hoon told a news agency: "Soccer in Cambodia needs to develop more and this is a good opportunity for us. We need to keep working hard with a common purpose. "Laos are in a similar situation to us and this is a game that both teams will think they can win ... this is an important game, but more important than the result is how we play. If we can show that we are moving forward and moving in the right direction, then that is progress." After advancing in shocking fashion to the final qualifying round of the 2012 London Olympics recently, the mood in the Malaysian camp seems to be upbeat after a raft of encouraging results in friendlies ahead of their clash with Chinese Taipei at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. “Our opponents have arrived two days earlier to prepare for the match which shows they are serious and committed for the game,” said Malaysia coach K Rajagopal. “Like every coach, I want to start the qualifying campaign on a winning note. We respect our rivals and will do our best on the pitch to beat them.” Rajagopal kept under wraps his strike combination after injury worries to most of his frontmen.  “Abdul Hadi Yahya, Ahmad Fakri Saarani and Norsharul Idlan Talaha have shrugged off their injuries but it might be too much to ask them to play for 90 minutes in a competitive match. Anyway, I still have one more day to decide on who to play up front and also for the other positions,” said Rajagopal.  The winners will meet Singapore in the second round.  In South Asia, Nepal clearly hold the edge over their rivals Timor Leste when the two clash at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu. The reward for the winners is a spot against Jordan in the second round. After leading Nepal to the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Finals, coach Graham Roberts said he was confident of making it to the next round of World Cup qualifying. “I am not scared of any opponent but it does not mean that we are taking Timor Leste lightly despite them being way below us in FIFA ranking,” said Roberts. “The morale of my players is high and my team has the winning mentality which has boosted my morale and made me confident." Pakistan coach Tareq Lutfi expects a tough encounter when his men go up against Bangladesh at the Bangabandhu Stadium away encounter.  "Bangladesh, as an opposition, is strong indeed. There is no chance of underestimating them. But we have come here for a win,” said Lutfi. "Our target is to reach the next round. We are hopeful on winning.” Lebanon will be waiting in the second round for the winners of this game.  New coach Falko Goetz will be hoping to lead Vietnam to a convincing win against Macau after taking over the reins recently from Henrique Calisto. The winners get a slot against Qatar in the next round. The Afghanistan-Palestine first leg encounter takes place at the neutral Metallurg Stadium in Tursunzade, Tajikistan. Thailand await the winners in the second round. The Philippines are aiming to win by “two goals” against Sri Lanka when the two play the first leg in Colombo.  “We will put pressure on them (Sri Lankans) early,” coach Dan Palami said. “Winning by two goals will be most ideal for us.” Round 1  Malaysia-Chinese Taipei  Bangladesh-Pakistan  Cambodia-Laos  Sri Lanka-Philippines  Afghanistan-Palestine  Vietnam-Macau  Nepal-Timor-Leste  Mongolia-Myanmar  Round 2  Thailand-Afghanistan or Palestine  Lebanon-Bangladesh or Pakistan  China PR-Cambodia or Laos  Turkmenistan-Indonesia  Kuwait-Sri Lanka or Philippines  Oman-Mongolia or Myanmar  Saudi Arabia-Hong Kong  Iran-Maldives  Syria-Tajikistan  Qatar-Vietnam or Macau  Iraq-Yemen  Singapore-Malaysia or Chinese Taipei  Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan  United Arab Emirates-India  Jordan-Nepal or Timor-Leste

Azkals in ‘good shape’ after training in Germany

By abs-cbnNEWS.com and U.S. News Agency / Asian

The Philippine Azkals held their first practice today in Sri Lanka, 2 days before their match against the host team for the first leg of their World Cup qualifier.

The Azkals arrived in Sri Lanka last Sunday after a 2-week training program in Germany.

In an interview with Boyet Sison on ANC’s Hardball, Dyan Castillejo said the Azkals were extremely tired after the long flight.

“They just rested, ate a lot, and caught on their sleep. This morning they had a good breakfast and a short walk by the beach near their hotel,” Castillejo said.

The Azkals will have two days to get used to the weather in Sri Lanka, which Castillejo said was quite similar to the Philippines.

“The Azkals are in good shape after training in Germany… They were able to work on the cohesion which is so important for the team,” Castillejo said.

The Azkals will be favored against their Sri Lankan counterparts, who are physically shorter than the Filipino players. The Sri Lankan coach earlier admitted that the Azkals had a headstart on them in terms of preparation.

Castillejo added that the team was hoping for a big game from Filipino-German players Stephen Shrock and Manuel Ott.

The team also celebrated the birthday of defender Roel Gener, and his teammates greeted him in different languages. With a report from Dyan Castillejo and ANC