MANILA, Philippines – As far as Azkals team manager Dan Palami is concerned, coach Hans Michael Weiss has done a good job in handling the national football team.
“I think I'll give him a passing grade in one sentence,” Palami said in an interview on ANC’s Hardball sports show. He said the German football coach has done a lot in improving the Azkals’ game. “He has introduced a different system,” explained Palami. “Sometimes the players have yet to understand why this has to be so but again we see now how they play.”
Weiss was criticized by some after the Azkals bowed out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
They took particular notice on Weiss’ alleged over-reliance on the Nationals' starting unit.
Palami, however, pointed out that the Azkals’ football skills progressed under the tutelage of Weiss.
“It's more European style rather than the long ball,” he said.
He added that another plus for Weiss is his behavior outside the pitch.
“I don't see him being controversial, he knows how to handle himself,” said Palami.
Meanwhile, the team manager believes local football fans understand that Philippine football is still in its infancy stage.
He saw this after the Philippine team’s recent loss to Kuwait.
“Judging by their response, I mean if they didn't understand, they would have gone off the stadium knowing that 2014 World Cup is over,” said Palami.
“We couldn't help but shed tears, not because we lost, but because the fans were there even after we lost the game,” he added.
The Azkals stunned heavily favored Kuwait with a spectacular first-half goal, but again suffered second-half defensive breakdowns to allow the visitors to squeak by with a 2-1 victory at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
With their win at home, Kuwait advanced to the third round of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers on a 5-1 aggregate while eliminating the Philippines.
Yousef Sulaiman and Ahmed Jumah scored the goals for Kuwait in the 61st and 85th minute.
But those came after the Philippines gave them a scare by striking first, when midfielder Stephan Schrock received a perfect pass from Chieffy Caligdong and slammed home the Azkals' first and only goal in two matches, just before the half. The capacity crowd erupted.
The euphoria extended into halftime as a sold-out stadium began smelling a historic upset against an opponent ranked 67 places higher in the FIFA rankings.
But to move on to the next World Cup qualifying round, the Azkals not only had to win but beat Kuwait by four goals, after losing in the away leg, 3-0.
Up tempo match
With a three-goal deficit, the Azkals played a high defensive line to push forward and pressure the Kuwaitis from the start.
Both teams had numerous chances to score with Kuwait looking to counter-attack the Azkals pressing game in the high tempo match.
Both teams also played the ball quickly and effectively behind some crisp passing. The Philippines also abandoned their old long-ball tactics.
Kuwaiti Fahad Al-Ebrahim was ejected midway in the second half after a dangerous challenge against Chieffy Caligdong, giving the Azkals a golden opportunity to pad their lead.
However, the Azkals' playing so high up the pitch enabled Kuwait to counter with a fast break and score soon after the red card to momentarily silence the pro-Filipino crowd.
Down to 10 men, Kuwait played the ball well to the left, with Jumah finding the back of the net.
Azkals keeper Neil Etheridge was tenacious in goal, but the Kuwaitis' better coordination and even conditioning shone in the two late goals.
Despite the result, the crowd gave the home team a standing ovation after the match as they circled the pitch to chants of "Azkals, Azkals, Azkals," a shirtless and brawny young Etheridge reminding the crowd that this team can only get better. – With reports from Earl Victor Rosero and Roy Moore/JVP/MRT/HS, GMA News
MANILA Philippines (July 29, 2011) - Despite being buoyed up by supportive hometown crowd at the Rizal Memorial Stadium last night, the Philippine Azkals lost to Kuwait Al-Azraq, 1-2, In the second match of the 2nd Round of their World Cup 2014 Asian Qualifying series.
The Philippine Azkals drew first blood when Stephan Schrock nailed a goal from 20 yards, ending the first half up 1-0. But the celebratory mood of the Filipinos would soon fade.
In the second half, the Kuwaitis proved too poised and too experienced for the Azkals as they scored 2 goals - one from Yousef Naser in the 62nd minute and another one from Waleed Jumah in the 86th minute - to wind up the match 2-1 and dashing Azkals' World Cup dream at least for now.
Underscoring their strength and proving that they were not 10-time Gulf Cup of Nations champions for nothing, the Kuwaitis were in fact down to 10 players starting in the 58th when Fahad Al Ebrahim was sent off for a hard tackle on Chieffy Caligdong. But this did not matter to the Kuwaitis - nor the wet field due to on and off drizzles and the cheering hometown crowd that were thought to provide advantage to the Azkals.
With this game's result added to the 3-0 sweep by the Kuwaitis in their home court last Saturday, Kuwait wins on 5-1 aggregate score to advance to 3rd round where Japan, Australia, South Korea, Bahrain and North Korea have been seeded, along with 14 other winners of Round 2.
Kuwait Coach Goran Tufegdzic sees his team going all the way through the World Cup this year.
Azkals coach Michael Weiss is still a picture of optimism. “This game and the previous game show how bitter and hard football can be. I think the team can take this defeat. We had to take it fairly and also acknowledge that we went up against a tough opponent,” he said.
MANILA—The names of some of the stars on the Philippine Azkals football team have surprised the Kuwaitis, who will play the Azkals in the opening match of their home-and-away series in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers at the Mohammad Al-Hammad Stadium in Hawally on July 23.
The media officer of the Kuwait Football Association said they had already received the lineup of the Philippine team but indicated “we’re surprised that most of them have non-Filipino surnames and most of them don’t need a visa to Kuwait.”
However, the official said everything is in place and Kuwait was “ready to welcome the Philippine Azkals.”
Al-Mehteb, the media officer, told the Arab Times the Kuwait National Team has been undergoing rigorous training in preparation for the match with the Azkals. The team had a training camp in Lebanon from June 27 to July 7 where it played two friendly matches against Lebanon on July 2 and Oman on July 6. The Kuwaitis beat the Lebanese, 6-0, in a match that ended in an ugly brawl and forced the military to enter the field and fire warning shots into the air.
The Kuwait team, ranked No. 102 by Fifa, 57 spots above the Philippines, is now in Amman, Jordan, to compete in a friendly tournament with the national squads of Saudia Arabia, Iraq and Jordan.
The second game of the Kuwaiti-Azkals showdown will be played at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on July 28.
The Kuwait National Team, a 10-time Gulf Cup of Nations Champion made it to the World Cup in 1982 and achieved its highest ranking of No. 24 in December 1998.
Al-Mehteb added that the team is now in Amman, Jordan, where they will take part in a friendly tournament with the national teams of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in preparation for the match against the Philippine team. “They are expected to be back in Kuwait on July 18.”
Filipinos in Kuwait are making arrangements to give the Azkals a warm welcome while the Philippine Embassy has informed the Kuwait Football Association of its willing-ness to help in efforts to ensure the success of the match.
FOR the AZKALS
head coach Hans Michael Weiss, July 15 cannot come soon enough.
The date is
when the national squad departs for Bahrain for a pair of friendly matches with
the host nation’s Olympic football team—aside from a training camp designed to
help the Azkals acclimatize themselves to the heat and humidity of the Middle
East when they face Kuwait on July 23 in the second round of the Asian
Qualifiers of the 2014 World Cup.
The time away
will also be used as a breather, as in the last few days the Azkals have had to
fend off allegations of rape and rumors of discontent within the squad.
“I think it’s
good that the team will concentrate on playing football,” hoped Weiss, who
noted that the training camps abroad have done much for the nationals’
confidence and experience.
“There will be
far less distractions, however, there are always challenges. When we played in Mongolia, we
had to worry about the cold weather. And now it’s the heat of Kuwait.”
More than the
changes in climate, the Azkals face the daunting task of playing a much
higher-ranked foe in Kuwait
minus key players.
Skipper Aly
Borromeo and midfielder Stephan Schrock were suspended following the
accumulation of two yellow cards in the home-and-away series with Sri Lanka a few
weeks ago. Furthermore, the injuries to strikers Phil Younghusband and Angel
Guirado, and midfielders Jerry Lucena and Paul Mulders have the coaching staff
worried.
“Jerry has
played at a high level of football for the last 10 years,” expounded the German
who is now on his sixth month with the Azkals. “He’s 30 years of age and when
you suffer injuries at that age, they do not heal as fast. So as of the moment,
Jerry will be unavailable for the away leg.”
“As for
Mulders, he has an infection in his knee although he is taking antibiotics.”
But it isn’t
all gloom and doom for the Philippine team.
Left back Ray
Jonsson will be on hand for the Kuwait
matches after missing the Sri
Lanka series, while Fil-Dutch midfielder
Jason de Jong is back in harness and has made a good impression during the
team’s recent training and should form a nice partnership with Manuel Ott in
the middle third with Schrock out.
With key
players unavailable, football analysts have postulated that the Azkals will
play a more defensive-oriented game to hold off the Kuwaitis.
“I am not
going to give away our strategy for the game but we will play a little more
defensive than we were in the past,” reasoned out Weiss. “If we can hold them
scoreless or to just one goal, then anything can happen here in Manila for the July 28
match. But of course, we will try to score. If we can go on the attack, then we
will.”
Weiss also
believes that the team being away will allow them to reflect on how life has
changed for them after their phenomenal success in the last nine months.
“Football is
brutal,” pointed out the coach. “Not just how the sport is played but also how
it affects life. We have to be more humble and not go over the edge. If you
look at James Younghusband, he is a quiet competitor.
He’s very low
key and he prefers it that way. But I have never seen anything like this. Not
in Japan, China, Rwanda...I am told that this only
has been reserved for Manny Pacquiao. So I am happy to be a part of it.”
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals will fly to Bahrain on Friday to begin their acclimatization process for their away game against Kuwait.
The Philippine team hopes that a few days training in Bahrain will help them get used to the scorching heat in Kuwait, where temperatures can go as high as 45 degrees Celsius.
The Azkals will have 2 friendly games in Bahrain, which is also among Asia’s football powerhouses.
“I'm excited, I've never been there,” said Azkals’ Nate Burkey. “I'm curious to see the country, what it would be like. Just ready to get focused on this game.”
The team’s conditioning coach already prepared things that they would need to help the Azkals get used to the heat in the Middle East.
“We're preparing icebags, sprays and sunglasses.... lahat,” said Joseph Malinay, the Philippine team’s conditioning coach.
Filipino-foreigners who were not present during the first phase of the Azkals’ training, like Neil Etheridge, Ray Jonsson and Rob Gier, will join the squad in Bahrain.
Azkals midfielder Jason de Jong is hopeful that they can pull off an upset even in hostile territory.
“You’ll never know. The ball's round... the last time we went to Suzuki Cup, they said we cannot beat Vietnam, but we beat them 2-0. So you never know,” he said.
The Azkals' away game versus the Kuwaiti Al-Azraq (The Blue) will take place at the Mohammed Al Hamad Stadium, Hawalli on July 23.
This will be followed by the home game at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on July 28.
Kuwait is 102nd in the FIFA world rankings while the Philippines is 159th. – With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
TEAM skipper
Aly Borromeo will have another role to play when the Philippine Azkals meet the
Kuwait Al-Azraq in the first leg of their 2014 FIFA World Cup second-round
qualifiers on July 23 at the Mohammad Al-Hammad Stadium in Hawally, Kuwait.
Armed with a chalkboard, a pen and
paper, Borromeo will serve out his one-game suspension by scouting the
opposition from the comfort of the stands.
“I will be there on the stands, being
more of a scout, and taking notes of the game, probably with a chalkboard. This
will be a good experience,” said Borromeo after one of the team’s daily
practices at the Rizal Memorial football grounds.
Borromeo and Fil-German Stephan Schrock
were penalized during the second leg of the Philippines-Sri Lanka match last
July 3 with their second yellow cards and will therefore miss the first leg of
the Philippines-Kuwait face off due to their one-game suspension.
Nevertheless, the two will still join
the trip to the Middle East.
The Azkals will leave today for Bahrain, where
they will play tuneup matches against the Bahraini national Olympic team.
The encounters will be held at 7 p.m.
at the National Stadium on July 16 and at the Muharraq Stadium in Muharraq two
days later.
Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss hopes
this will get the team ready for their away-game against the higher-ranked
Kuwaitis, who are coached by Serbian Goran Tufegdzic.
Talal Al-Mehteb, the media Officer of
the Kuwait Football Association, told the Arab Times during a press briefing at
the KFA Headquarters in Adailiya on Monday evening that the Kuwait National
Team has been undergoing rigorous training.
The team has just concluded its
training camp in Lebanon
from June 27 to July 7, when it played two friendly matches against Lebanon and Oman.Peter Atencio
MANILA—The ball is now in the hands of the Asian Football Confederation
as far as the one-game suspension of Philippine Azkals duo Aly Borromeo and
Stephan Schrock in the World Cup Qualifying duel with Kuwait is
concerned.
Responding to the appeal to rescind the away-game ban on the two
players, the International Football Federation (Fifa) yesterday directed the
Philippine Football Football Federation to seek the endorsement of the AFC to
cancel the suspension.
In a July 14 letter to the PFF, a copy of which was obtained by
the Inquirer, Marco Villigel, Fifa director for legal affairs, and Marc
Cavaliero, head of Fifa disciplinary and governance, said the football
governing body can only act on the appeal at the request of the AFC.
The two Fifa officials cited Article 37 of the Fifa Disciplinary
Code, which states that the “FDC may cancel cautions that have not resulted in
expulsions to restore balance among teams that have not played the same number
of matches during the first round of competitions.”
Borromeo, the Azkals skipper, and Schrock, who made a sterling
debut as an attacking midfielder, picked up a yellow card in each of the two
legs in the 5-1 first round aggregate victory over Sri Lanka.
Ranked 102nd by Fifa,
Kuwait, also
known as the Al-Azraq, has already been seeded to the second round of
qualifying.
PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta yesterday said they have
already sought the endorsement of the Malaysia-based AFC on the matter. He
expects to get the soonest response on Monday.
Despite the uncertainty of his status for the first leg in
Hawally, Kuwait on July 23, Borromeo yesterday joined the Azkals on their trip
to Manama, Bahrain, where they will play a couple of matches against the
Bahrain Olympic Under-23 squad.
Also joining the trip to Bahrain
was Filipino-Spanish striker Angel Guirado, who scored in the 4-nil rout of Sri Lanka in
the home leg.
Rafa Garcia, Guirado’s cousin, who also acts as his interpreter,
said the former Spain third
division standout is still nursing a knee injury and might see limited minutes
in the two exhibition matches in Bahrain.
“Angel really wants to be ready for Kuwait,” Garcia said of Guirado,
who already has three goals in five international matches for the Azkals.
KUWAIT – Fans of the Philippine
Azkals in Kuwait are eagerly
anticipating the arrival of the Philippines
new sports heroes.
The Azkals, who already left the Philippines for their acclimatization in Bahrain, are
scheduled to play against the Kuwait Al-Azraq in Hawalli on July 23.
Filipinos based in Kuwait
have also caught the Azkals fever and are now busy printing Azkals t-shirts, badges
and banners which will be used in their away game in Kuwait.
“Ginawa namin ito pang-suporta lang actually sa team
Azkals. Proud nga tayo dahil makakarating ang Philippine team dito. Kaming
grupo gumawa kami ng paraan para suportahan [sila],” said Azkals fan Nelson
Lacson.
“Kaya dito, go, go kami sa Azkals. Support the
Azkals,” said another Azkals fan, Romano Roman.
The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait
is also helping the Filipino community in Kuwait in their efforts to boost
the morale of the Philippine Azkals.
“This is one occasion that the Philippine Embassy
and the Filipino community here in Kuwait should join forces together
in showing their unity in boosting the morale of the Filipino football national
team,” said Ambassador Shulan Primavera.
Impressed
The Kuwait Football Association is also preparing
for the arrival of the Azkals.
Talal Al-Mehteb,
Kuwait Football
Association Media Officer, said their local organizing committee has already
laid out plans in welcoming the Philippine national team.
Kuwait Football
Association headquarters
“Everything is ok, moving smoothly…but we are
waiting from the Philippine team to confirm their time of arrival to Kuwait, to
prepare the technical meeting, the press conference for them,” he said.
Al-Mehteb said the Kuwait football team was impressed
with the Azkals’4-0
victory over the Sri Lankan Brave Reds early this month.
Despite its higher ranking, Team Kuwait refuses
to underestimate the Azkals.
“Most of them are professionals. It's a big problem
for our team,” said Al-Mehteb. “All of our players are non-professionals, but
we are all preparing for them now.”
The away game will take place at the Qadsia Club
Stadium.
The Kuwait Football Federation prepared security
measures as fans are expected to fill up the 25,000-seater football stadium
“But I don't think there will be a problem. Kuwait is a peaceful country and they can enjoy
with the Kuwait
people,” said Al-Mehteb.
Ticket for the Azkals’ away game against Kuwait are priced at 5 Kuwait Dinars (P765), 3 Kuwait Dinars (P459), and 2 Kuwait Dinars
(P306). -- With a report from Maxxy Santiago, ABS-CBN Middle East Bureau
Hundreds of Filipino expatriates in Bahrain and Kuwait
have mobilized for the matches of the men's national football team, more
popularly known as the Azkals, in these Persian Gulf
countries.
The team is winding up its training sessions in Manila and will head out to the Middle
East Thursday while the global football community keeps an eye on
the Azkals' historic series of wins.
Overseas Filipino workers in the countries the
Azkals will visit have been coordinating their preparations on Facebook and
through text messages. The Facebook group Azkals in Bahrain has about 200 members.
While some sell Azkals T-shirts and bumper stickers, others arrange bus rides
that will ferry Filipinos to the First Bahrain-Philippines Football Friendship
Games.
The first friendly match of the Azkals with Bahrain's Under-23 olympic team will be on July
16 at the National Stadium in Rifa while Game 2 will be two days later at the
Muharraq Club Stadium in Arad.
Both matches are under the auspices of the Bahrain Football Association. The
AMA University International Bahrain is listed as a major sponsor of the
friendlies. Tickets to the games are priced at one Bahraini dinar or P114.
Over in Kuwait,
northwest of Bahrain,
Filipino expats there have set-up Facebook groups and event pages to coordinate
their preparations and share information about the Azkals. Tickets to the World
Cup Qualifier Round 2 match will be sold at two, three and five Kuwaiti dinars
or P311, P467 and P770.
Some of the tickets will be available at various
Filipino restaurants and stores in KuwaitCity.
FIFA keeps watch
Going into Round 2 of the 2014 World Cup
Qualifiers, The Azkals have remained on the global radar of football, the FIFA
website, where in anotherfeature report, coach Michael Weiss and the team's
preparations for their toughest match yet are highlighted.
FIFA took notice of the Azkals immediately after
their historic victory overSri Lanka in Round 1 last July 3. It was the Philippines,
second attempt to qualify for the World Cup. The first try was during the 2002
cycle.
In the latest FIFA feature, Weiss took stock of
the progress the team has made.
"The team have improved a great deal over the
past months, particularly in regards to attitude. We have spent much on
physical training so they are fit to compete at this level. They used to stick
to long-ball tactics but now the team play a good passing game and are stronger
in organisation," Weiss said.
Weiss praised team co-captain Emelio
"Chieffy" Caligdong, who will lead the Azkals on the pitch if captain
Aly Borromeo will be unable to play to serve a one-game suspension after
getting two yellow cards in the Azkals' Round 1 match against Sri Lanka.
Filipino-German defender Stephan Schrock is also suspended for getting two
yellow cards.
"He is diminutive but is dynamic and
creative. He can provide the team with attacking spark and leadership,"
Weiss said ofCaligdong, who is an Airman in the Philippine Air Force.
Caligdong made the first goal that ignited the Azkals' 4-0 win against Sri Lanka on
July 3.
Azkals team captain Al Borromeo said, via Facebook
the new FIFA article "gave him goosebumps". He also said he is
"keeping his fingers crossed" on the appeal to FIFA.
Defense is top priority
Coach Weiss said good defense will be a key part
of the Azkals' strategy against Kuwait
on July 23 and July 28. The team is reinforcing its defensive line-up with the
addition of midfielders Patrick Hinrichsen and Jason de Jong. Team manager Dan
Palami said during the practice sessions at the Rizal stadium that they are
working on getting two more Europe-based players, Jerry Lucena and Dennis
Cagara, to be part of the team's defense.
"We will change the central defense and try
not to concede a goal in the first match. Kuwait
are good at attacking and recently they thrashed Lebanon 6-0 in a friendly so we
must stay compact and keep the back-line tight. If we can come away with a
goalless draw, then things will be different when we play as hosts five days
later," Weiss said in the FIFA feature.
Azkals-enforced Kaya FC to hold tryouts
Meanwhile, the Kaya Futbol Club, which has several
Azkals as players, has announced it will have open tryouts on on July 25, 27,
and 29 at 4pm at Manila Polo Club in Makati.
Kaya FC also said its football academy will soon form a select team of 15 to 19
year old teens to train all year-round.
"This team will have scrimmages with Kaya FC
and every so often train with Kaya FC. If you want to enhance your skill level
and one day play for Kaya FC and possibly the Azkals, this is your
chance," the club said in a post on its official Facebook page.- JVP,
GMA News
KUWAITCITY - Chairman of the Kuwait Football
Association (KFA) Sheikh Talal Al-Fahd has threatened to withdraw from the
qualification rounds for the Asian Football Cup where the winner will proceed
toBrazilfor the 2014 World Cup, reports Al-Mustaqbal daily quoting
knowledgeable sources. The threat came following reports the Ministry of
Finance has stopped financing the association. It has been reported if the KFA
puts its case in front of FIFA, the latter will warn the government ofKuwaitfor interfering in the activities of the association which will
end in the suspension of the association.
KUWAITCITY - “All preparations have been done. Everything is in place and we are ready to welcome the Philippine Azkals to Kuwait as they face the Kuwait National Football Team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on July 23 at the Mohammad Al-Hammad (Qadsia Club) Stadium in Hawally, “ disclosed Talal Al-Mehteb, the Media Officer of the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) during a press briefing at the KFA Headquarters in Adailiya on Monday evening.
Al-Mehteb outlined the preparations being made by KFA from obtaining the final list of the line-up of players of the Philippine National Football Team, their visas, hotel accommodation to their itinerary during their stay here in Kuwait. “We already got the list of their players and we’re surprised that most of them have non-Filipino surnames and most of them don’t need a visa to Kuwait. We have already arranged their hotel and all that they may need to make their stay in Kuwait comfortable,” he explained.
Al-Mehteb also clarified that the tickets to the match are still to be printed and will be sold at prices KD 5, KD 3, and KD 2. “We will make the announcement on the availability of the tickets within this week and where the public can buy them,” he pointed out as a number of Filipinos have been going to the KFA Headquarters since last week inquiring about the tickets. He assured that they will make an official announcement on this. “As soon as the tickets are available, we will also contact the Philippine Embassy and ask them if they want to get some of the tickets and help in the distribution of tickets to the Filipinos, just like what we did during the recent match between Kuwait and Japan wherein the Embassy of Japan took some of the tickets,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy expressed its willingness to help the Kuwait Football Association to ensure the success of the football match between the two countries. “We are willing to cooperate with the Kuwait Football Association and extend all the assistance that they may need from our side. Once the tickets are ready and if they want us to help in the distribution of the tickets then we will be glad to help them out on this,” disclosed Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Shulan Primavera to the Arab Times. He added that he has tasked embassy staff Abdulhalim Langco to coordinate closely with the KFA on this matter.
Al-Mehteb cited that the Kuwait National Team has been undergoing a rigorous training in preparation for the upcoming match with the Azkals. The team just had its training camp in Lebanon from June 27 to July 7 where it played two friendly matches against Lebanon on July 2 and Oman on July 6. He added that the team is now in Amman, Jordan, where they will take part in a friendly tournament with the national teams of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan in preparation for the match against the Philippine team. “They are expected to be back in Kuwait on July 18,” he informed.
Ranked No. 102 in the FIFA rankings and 11th in Asia, the Kuwait National Team, a 10-time Gulf Cup of Nations Champion made it to the World Cup in 1982 and achieved its highest ranking in December 1998 at No. 24.
On the other hand, the Philippine Azkals has been making waves with its impressive display of action-packed football during its recent 4-0 victory over Sri Lanka and a 5-1 aggregate win at the jam-packed Rizal Stadium in Manila to reach the second round for the first time in the Philippine football history. The team is flying to Bahrain on July 14 for a training camp and will play two friendly matches there to acclimatize to the scorching heat in the Gulf region before its match with Kuwait on July 23.
When asked about security preparation during the match, citing the game in Lebanon on July 2 where Kuwait dumped Lebanon 6-0 that ended in a brawl prompting the military to fire warning shots, Al-Mehteb assured that the Ministry of Interior will be on top of the security. Moreover, he stressed that this will be a friendly game between two friendly countries. “We love the Filipino people. We are expecting a fun game between the Philippine Azkals and the Kuwait Team. We will be there to enjoy a good game, “he reiterated.
Al Mehteb disclosed that the Kuwait National Team will be flying to Manila right after its game on July 23 for the second leg between the two teams at the Rizal Memorial Stadium on July 28.
“Kuwait is a strong team to contend but the Azkals also plays very good and very professional but we all hope that Kuwait will win this game. Good luck to the two teams,” enthused Al-Mehteb.
MANILA, Philippines – Kuwait isn’t taking any chances against the Philippines in their second round qualifying tie late this month for the 2014 Fifa World Cup.
Already fancied to prevail because of their international pedigree, the Kuwaitis are also relentless in their preparations, undergoing an extensive 10-day training camp in Lebanon before seeing action in a four-nation tournament in Jordan in the middle of this month.
Bader Abdul Jalil, the secretary of the Kuwait FA technical committee, actually watched the two legs of the first round showdown between the Azkals and Sri Lanka, which ended in an impressive 5-1 aggregate win for the Filipinos.
“They’ve been preparing against us for the past two months,” said former national coach Aris Caslib, also the PFF’s technical director, who had a brief chat with Jalil at the Rizal Memorial Stadium, where the Azkals fashioned out a 4-nil triumph in the second leg last Sunday.
The Kuwaitis, ranked 102nd by the International Football Federation and a 10-time Gulf Cup of Nations champion, bared their attacking teeth in a 6-0 dumping of Lebanon last July 2.
The match, however, was marred by a bench-clearing brawl that forced military to fire warning shots.
“Kuwait is at a different level,” said team manager Dan Palami. “We cannot afford to make the same mistakes against Sri Lanka because they have the ability to really punish us.”
The key stretch of Kuwait’s preparation will be in Amman, Jordan, where the Kuwaitis will play Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The first leg will be played at the 22,000-seater Mohammad Al-Hammad Stadium in Hawally, Kuwait, at 7:30 p.m. on July 23 (12:30 a.m., July 24 in Manila), according to the Kuwait FA website with the return match at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on July 28.
The Philippine Azkals continue to march on after defeating the Sri Lanka Brave Reds in the second leg of the 2014 FIFAWorldCupqualifiersat the Rizal Memorial Football and Track and Field Sunday, 4-0. An overflow crowd of about 14,000, the largest at the football stadium in years, braved the mid-afternoon downpour and the humidity that followed the rains. It was the first time for the Philippines to win a World Cupqualifier.
With the Philippines having played the Sri Lankans to a 1-all standoff in Colombo a week ago, the aggregate score was 5 to 1.
Breaking the ice for the Filipinos in the 19th minute was the diminutive left wing midfielder/forward Emelio (Chieffy) Caligdong from about 15 feet of the goal mouth. A few minutes later, a Sri Lankan was showed the yellow card by one of the four Korean officials assigned to keep order in a game which was marked by some physical contact and verbal exchanges. At the end of the game, four fouls were called against the Filipinos compared to the Sri Lankans three. The Azkals, who attempted 27 times, and the Brave Reds were each shown the yellow card twice.
Some 20 minutes into the second half, Caligdong was down on the pitch and taken out on a stretcher. Four minutes later, the scrappy Caligdong got back into the game to the delight of the crowd. Both squads played aggressively with the Sri Lankans obviously feeling the pressure especially after Fil-British Phil Younghusband made it 2-0 for the Filipinos on the 42nd minute of the first half. The Sri Lankans protested Younghusband’s goal to no avail.
With 50 minutes into the match, rightwing midfielder James Younghusband passed the ball to midfielder Angel Guirado Aldeguer who zigzagged his way into scoring territory and eluded several Sri Lankan defenders to score another goal to make it 3 to zero. The Fil-Spanish Guirado was easily one of the most outstanding players in the Azkals side as he performed his midfielder role of providing the link and the spark in the team’s transition from defense to offense.
Some six minutes after Guirado’s spectacular goal, Phil Younghusband, who was reported to have suffered from severe cramps after the match, scored on a penalty kick to make it 4-0. The Filipinos had clearly mastered the Sri Lankans, ranked per the FIFA Coca-Cola world rankings as of June 29, 2011, 171 in a field of more than 200 countries. The Philippines is ranked 159.
Kuwait, ranked 102, will be the highest ranked team that the Philippines will meet in recent times. Mongolia is at 179 while Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia are ranked 123, 132, 140, 142 and 144, respectively.
The matches in the second round against Kuwait will definitely be much tougher. To begin with, the Kuwaitis have been in one World Cup Finals appearance, the 1982 tournament in Spain which was won by Italy over West Germany, 3-1. The World Cup in Spain marked the first time the finals expanded from 16 to 24 teams thus providing a break for African and Asian teams.
The Kuwaitis, entered in Group 4, battled Czechoslovakia to a 1-1 draw but lost to England and France, which eventually landed in fourth place.
The game between France and Kuwait was, according to reports, a tumultuous one which saw Sheik Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, brother of the Kuwaiti Emir and president of the Kuwaiti FootballAssociationconfront Russian referee MIroslav Stupar who allowed a French goal after the Kuwaitis stopped play after they allegedly heard a whistle from the stands. The French played on and scored a goal prompting Al-Sabah to confront Stupar who, surprisingly, disallowed the goal. The decision infuriated the French who promptly scored another goal a few minutes later. The French won, 4-1 while Stupar lost his international refereeing credentials. Al-Sabah was meted a fine of US$10,000.
The Kuwaitis eventually crashed out of the eliminationgroupstagetogether with the Czechs with a goal difference of -4: two goals scored for versus six goals against. Kuwait drew one game and lost two games: to England and France.
Unsuccessful in World Cup football, the Kuwaitis fared better in theAsianCupreaching the finals in 1976 and winning the title in 1980. It has also the upper hand in terms ofgoaldifferenceversus ASEAN teams like Singapore (+12), Thailand (+10), Malaysia (+21), Indonesia (+5) and Vietnam (+1).
The Kuwaitis competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Kuwait’s 20-0 victory over tiny Bhutan was, for a time the biggest winning margin ininternationalfootball. That record was broken when Australia mangled Tonga, 22-0.
Surely, against Kuwait, the Azkals have their work cut out for them.
