Azkals Set Sights On SEAG, AFC

MANILA, Philippines - Its FIFA World Cup dream dashed for now, the Philippines shifts its aspirations to the next big competitions in the region – the Southeast Asian Games in November for the Under-23 team and the AFC Challenge Cup next year for the Azkals senior’s side.

Taking off from the Azkals’ breakthrough second-round stint in the World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) looks to win a first-ever medal in the SEAG in Indonesia, setting training camps abroad to hone up the squad.

“Coach Michael Weiss has already submitted a program so we’ll just be going to discuss the budget. There will be two camps abroad for the U-23. One in the Middle East and if the situation in Japan has already normalized, then we want to go to Japan,” PFF president Nonong Araneta said.

Some of the younger Azkals like Jason de Jong, Simon Greatwich and Manuel Ott will reinforce the U-23 side, boosting Phl’s drive to break into the medal picture in men’s football for the very first time in the biennial meet.

“We will definitely vie, work for that medal. We have a good chance, we’ve a good team and I think with the camp that we’re planning, with the training we’re preparing, the team will go a long way,” said Araneta.

Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge of Fulham is eligible at age 21, but he’s non-committal for the SEAG campaign as of now.

“I’m not sure (if I’ll be available). I still have to check my schedule (in England),” said the Fil-Britisth Azkals star.

Weiss said he will bring some of the youngsters with the Azkals senior team when they compete in the Long Teng Cup in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Sept. 28-Oct. 6 “to test their readiness for the SEA Games.” After this, an intensive four-week training is up, highlighted by camps in Dubai and Bahrain.

The Long Teng will also start off the Azkals’ buildup for the AFC Challenge Cup from March 3-8, 2012. The winner qualifies for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup finals, Asia’s premiere football meet where reigning champ Japan and powerhouses Australia and South Korea are already seeded.

“The Azkals’ main forcus will be the AFC Challenge Cup eight months from now. We’ll be trying to go directly to the Asian Cup so for this one, we have to get all players ready,” said Weiss.

The Azkals will take a monthlong break after their 1-5 loss to fancied Kuwait in the World Cup prelims, including a 1-2 heartbreaker at the Rizal pitch.

“This is an achievement even if we lost twice to Kuwait,” Weiss said. “We’re in a growing process and the team can only learn from these experiences.”

By Olmin Leyba (The Philippine Star)

AZKALS Itching To Get Away From It All

RICK OLIVARES / COLUMNIST

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.”