Azkals Lose Battles With Kuwait But Filipinos Advance In Football

Middle East teams dominated Round 2 of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers in matches all over Asia Thursday including the Philippine Azkals' home game versus Kuwait, who have marked the Filipinos as a future football powerhouse in Asia.

Of the 15 Asian contingents that advanced to Round 3, 10 were West Asian countries. China leads the pack of 15 with a 13-3 aggregate score against Laos. Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore are the Southeast Asian countries that also moved forward into Round 3.

Coach Goran Tufegdzic and other officials of the Kuwaiti side were gracious victors at the post-match news conference. They said, judging by the "very good team" who foiled most of their goal attempts throughout the match, the Philippines will be "one of the top ten teams in Asia" in decades.

But Azkals coach Michael Weiss, undaunted after the loss, said the Philippines can be "a contender for the World Cup" in just four years with intensive training and support from all sectors. He has charted out a path.

Weiss said the national team can bring home a medal from the Southeast Asian Games later this year, follow-through on earlier wins in the AFC Challenge Cup, and try to secure a berth to the Asian Cup.

Team manager Dan Palami told GMA News Online the Azkals will have little time to rest because some of the Europe-based players have matches there in the coming months, the rest of the team will also join more tournaments.

The Azkals will have tune-up matches with several of their country's neighbors prior to the SEA Games in November. In September, the Philippines will compete in the Long Teng Cup to be hosted by Taiwan. Other competing teams are Macau and Hongkong. In October, four Southeast Asian nations meet for the Manila Beer Cup.

Palami said the Azkals will try to sneak in some downtime so they can relax a bit, probably with an out-of-town trip.

Weiss said the team will likely return to Bahrain for more training. He said he will also return to Germany soon to scout for players and entice more sponsors. He also expects the Japan Football Association (JFA) to help the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).

World-class football

It is not everyday that a world-class match of football gets played on Philippine soil.

Kuwait showed their Filipino foes and Rizal stadium spectators their battle-honed, training-polished moves and physical conditioning befitting a team that is in the top 100 of the world ranking. Kuwait is 95th in the latest FIFA ranking.

Even when they lost midfielder Fahed Al Ebrahim, who got sent off with a red card in the 60th minute, Kuwait played like they were not one player short.

Though the Azkals got eliminated, they did display some flashes of brilliance, the brightest of which was that rocket Stephan Schrock launched many yards from the left flank of their attack. The solitary goal made the 13,000 spectators at the Rizal Stadium roar, jump for joy and send shock waves via television to viewers nationwide and fans following the match via Facebook and Twitter.

Co-captain Emelio "Chieffy" Caligdong and Phil Younghusband tried several times to punch through the Al-Azraq defense line. Team captain Aly Borromeo and Angel Guirado also came close but missed their chances.

All too often two, three or four opponents surrounded Caligdong and the younger Younghusband or blocked their path. At other instances, no teammate was at the receiving end of their passes for the finishing header or kick near the goal.

Weiss said the most crucial point, in his view, was Younghusband's attempt in the 52nd minute of the match. The German coach said if that had gone through, it would have changed the complexion of the match.

Guirado tried not to show it but he was obviously not at 100 percent fighting form. He was the first Weiss substituted, though late in the second half. Weiss sent Misagh Bahadoran in Guirado's stead. Weiss said Schrock was also trying to shake off some jet lag, having planed in from Germany only two days before.

It was apparent that part of the strategy of Kuwait was to slow down the pace of the match since they already had a three-goal cushion from their home game last July 23.

That buffer widened further at the 63rd minute when midfielder Yousef Naser sneaked in a goal and when another midfielder Walied Ali lured Neil Etheridge away from the goal so his shot could slip by. Ray Jonsson tried to keep that shot from going in but he was several steps behind.

Tectonic Shift

Before 2011, only the sports of boxing, billiards and basketball had the proven drawing power and wide public appeal in the Philippines.

Football has joined their ranks as evidenced by capacity crowds and sold out tickets in Bacolod last February, the last two matches in Manila and the away game at the Qadsia Stadium in Kuwait.

The tectonic shift began when the Azkals shocked Vietnam in the Suzuki Cup of the ASEAN Football Federation. Vietnam was the higher-ranked team and defending champion.

Coach Weiss said it is crucial that various sectors come together to sustain the momentum football now has in the Philippines. He stressed the importance of having good infrastructure and strengthening of the country's grassroots program for homegrown talents.

While that endeavor waits for fruitful harvests, Weiss, Palami and the PFF will scout the globe for foreign-based Filipino talents. Weiss said the national team needs young and fast players.
The Azkals coach said recent discovery OJ Porteria, who had some playing time in the Middle East, is "fantastic" and will be part of the team the PFF will send to the SEA Games.

The PFF has two boys' teams, the Teen Azkals and Little Azkals, and the Under-23 junior men's national team training pool. There are also two women's teams, christened the Malditas.

Unlike other football nations in Asia, the Philippines has yet to formulate its national vision and strategic plan for the "beautiful game." Palami said he has an "initial draft" tucked away that he will review soon. - JVP, GMA News

Azkals: We Are All Filipinos

There is no denying the immense pride that the Philippine Azkals have when they play for flag and country. Regardless of where they have grown up or come from, they are one in expressing their heartfelt desire to see the country’s success in international football, regardless of how people label them according to their heritage.

What most people don’t know is that many of the so-called Fil-foreign players only belatedly came to know about the national team of their motherland, and sought out the Philippine Football Federation, offering their services.

“When I found out about the Philippine national team, I sent them an e-mail, with my resume, if you will,” says 30-year old fullback Rob Gier, who was already an experienced pro in his early 20s. “Not to brag or anything, but I was playing at a good level in England, and would they be interested in having me? I actually wish I had found out when I was a spring chicken.”

“I didn’t even know the Philippines had a national team, to be honest,” admits United Football League All-Star Nate Burkey, who is now based in the Philippines and headed in the lone goal against Sri Lanka. “But when I heard about it, I wanted to play, no question. It was a good chance to follow my roots.”

For the Greatwich brothers, it was their grandmother’s funeral seven years ago that provided the impetus for the three brothers Cris, Phil and Simon to all join the Azkals in turn. Simon, the youngest of the three and part of the Philippine under-23 team, even takes public transportation to get around.

“It’s a great feeling to have all this support,” says midfielder Greatwich. “I think the fans in the Philippines are great, and they’re behind us, no matter what.”

One niggling little notion that the mixed-race players want to dispel is the feeling that they are “less Filipino” than their teammates who grew up in the country and labored in obscurity for years, or that there is a discrimination in the treatment between them. To a man, they are adamant about their identity.

“I don’t understand when people ask us how ‘Filipino’ we feel,” explains Gier, who is expecting his first child in five weeks. “The blood that runs through us runs through our “homegrown” teammates. Just because we were born in another place or grew up in a different country doesn’t make us less Filipino. We feel Filipino every second of our lives.”

After a two-week break, the work continues, as the Azkals prepare for two tournaments in the last quarter of the year. They will also play big brothers to a fired-up under-23 team, and gear up for a return bout in the Suzuki Cup and other major tournaments next year.

“I hope that in the future, we will be able to field a starting line-up that is half homegrown and half Fil-foreigners,” says TV commentator Bob Guerrero. “The seeds have been planted. This team has brought the game to a whole other level. They’re a great bunch of guys.”

Perhaps the most touching comment was made by Gier, who recalls the years when he started with the Azkals and “nobody cared” about the team. His statement carries a lot of weight considering the fact that he has tasted high-level soccer in Europe.

“It was an unbelievable feeling (against Kuwait) for the fans to be supporting us because of football, not because we were famous, or good-looking or anything,” Gier declares. “The goal against Singapore was my proudest moment as a footballer. But that was eclipsed when Schrocki (Stephan Schrock) scored that goal against Kuwait, for us to be going into the half up 1-nil – and we deserved to be up 1-nil – against a team that is ranked 70 places higher than us in the world is a tremendous achievement.”

You can’t fake that kind of pride.
THE GAME OF MY LIFE By Bill Velasco (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.”

Azkals: The Death of Basketball?

By Ira Pedrasa, abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines - Football is back - and with a bang - thanks to the Philippine Azkals, who may force basketball into oblivion.

In his column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday, Amando Doronila said “the revival of football means so much for sports-minded Filipinos. It means we are breaking away from the dominance of basketball—a syndrome that has stunted us from developing athletic prowess in other sports…”

Anthropologist Michael Tan agreed, saying “I like this new focus on football. For decades we have been too fixated on basketball but in terms of international competitiveness, we just don’t have it.”

He went on to say that football very much fits a Filipino’s temperament, like that of the Latin Americans.

He said this temperament is “passionate and ebullient, but also modulated by introspection and constant strategizing.” More importantly, there is more of team play, he averred.

In contrast, in basketball, the player should have a lot of “diskarte” and make do with a small court. Sometimes, “basketball players convert the court into a stage…often ending up so engrossed with individual performance that they lose sight of team play.”

Basketball not for Filipinos?

Doronila even thought of the 4-to-0 win of the Azkals against the Sri Lanka Red Braves on Sunday as a “massacre,” noting “the locals bombarded the Sri Lankan goal with an impunity and élan seen often in the big league World Cup teams.”

The Azkals' win on Sunday brings the country to the second of six qualifying rounds of the World Cup. The team will face the more-experienced Kuwait on July 23 and 28.

Tan said even professional football player Neko Lambey is “gung-ho” about the team reaching Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where the 2014 World Cup will be held.

Doronila said the country is finally starting to demonstrate that Filipinos can play, and even win, on the playing field where they are not physically handicapped.

“In basketball, we are born losers and we are likely to be doomed to remain a basket case and waste our energies. It is a sport whose only function is to encourage puerile intercollegiate athletic competition, where pride rests on performance in basketball games,” he said.

Achieving the “goal”

To be able to achieve such goals, however, Tan said there is a need for support both from the government and the private sector.

Sports analyst Boyet Sison agreed, saying that upgraded facilities, funding for players and good coaches could finally push the sport back into the Filipino’s senses. Sison is also the host of ANC’s Hardball.

He disagreed, however, that football can overshadow basketball in a country that relies heavily on “visuals.”

“I think, for now, that football is experiencing a resurgence...It helped that the Azkals are fueling the imagination of the public now because they’re making history,” he said.

There may be a downtrend in the ticket sales for certain basketball leagues, but the Filipinos’ love for basketball will always be there, he said.

“Basketball and football can coexist. In terms of training, a football player can do as well in basketball because of [his or her] stamina,” he said.

On one hand, basketball and football should not even be compared, he said. “For one, you’re also talking about pitch conditions…In basketball, they’re always up to standards.”

For football to co-exist with basketball, the private sector should already come in, he said.

Sison said the sport is ready for “commercialization,” which would provide better television and print mileage as well as “create a profession, livelihood for players.”

Already, television is bombarded with advertisements of the Azkals: brothers Phil and James Younghusband are promoting a clothing line as well as a fast-food chain, team captain Aly Borromeo for an underwear line, and striker Chieffy Caligdong for a food supplement.

The advertisements are also wide-ranging, with the Azkals even promoting a brand of condiments.

Kuwait not taking chances, training hard for Azkals match

By Cedelf P. Tupas

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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.

Azkals Face Toughest Opponent in Kuwait

SPORTS FOR ALL By Philip Ella Juico (The Philippine Star) 

The Philippine Azkals continue to march on after defeating the Sri Lanka Brave Reds in the second leg of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at 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 Cup qualifier.

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 Football Association confront 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 elimination group stage together 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 the Asian Cup reaching the finals in 1976 and winning the title in 1980. It has also the upper hand in terms of goal difference versus 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 in international football. That record was broken when Australia mangled Tonga, 22-0.

Surely, against Kuwait, the Azkals have their work cut out for them.

The Azkals are for every Juan

By RENEE A. FOPALAN

At a time when our senses are bombarded by everything Azkals, it may seem easy to forget what they really do. They’re everywhere, endorsing food, shoes, credit cards, mobile phones, and everything else in between. Last Sunday, the Azkals showed us what they are about- what they are really about. Last Sunday, we laid down the foundation towards the road to the World Cup. 

Decisions 

Just when the game started, the rain started to pour. It wasn't a shy drizzle. It poured hard. People were still trying to flood into the coliseum. At the gate, we were all asked to choose: stay here half-dry with our umbrellas or leave our umbrellas and be allowed in. I asked if we could leave our umbrellas outside, and if there is an item depositing system similar to malls. They said no. So if you leave your umbrella, you may never see it again. 

So many Manilenyos got free umbrellas that day

Wet and excited, everyone ran through the rain, giggling, even screaming. At the back of their minds, I knew these people running with me were prepared to miss work or school the next day. I also thought that a paracetamol company should have sponsored this event. We were all soaked in the middle of Manila. Going up the bleachers to see the pitch, we were treated to such a glorious sight. We were reminded what we were all doing it for. As in a society where divisions define, this single game made us all want to be one. 

Bleachers 

The bleachers had a different atmosphere. Anyone with 200 pesos to spare could enjoy the game. There were students, families, messengers, and bums. Women screamed "outside!" when the ball touched the line, while young men basked in the attention of being able to explain what the offside rule is all about. Several had the remnants from last year's World Cup. Vuvuzelas were present, and were used as an accompaniment to the chants. It was a festive experience, something very foreign to the people around me. 

We had nothing in common, and everything at the same time

With the umbrella ban enforced, some people wisely "borrowed" the tarpaulins displayed around to use them in the pouring rain. Whole families used plastic and garbage bags, while some mothers frantically tried to cover their children's heads with anything they could find. 

The rain would have been our ultimate equalizer. But as the giant flag, covering six rows of people, made its way around the bleachers, we realized that it wasn't the rain. It was football. 

Kaholeros 

Football is a very emotional spectator sport. In huge arenas, people are given a lot more liberty to lose themselves. This concept has yet to be adapted by the Filipino football fan. Tens of thousands of people were in the crowd with the Kaholeros. The Kaholeros, all three hundred of them, tapped beats into the their aquadrums- five-gallon water jugs converted to play street music for a team whose name is derived from street dogs. They kept it going, especially in the moments between goals. I look forward to the days when the Filipino football fan starts dancing to the beat of the aquadrum. Even better, I look forward to the Filipino football fan bringing his own aquadrum to the games. But for now, the Kaholeros take the lead, cheering for “halfies" and hometown heroes alike. 

The Kaholeros, the Azkals' official pep squad, led the cheers in the roofless stands where fans were not permitted to bring umbrellas. The seats remained filled even during the first-half downpour.

Chieffy 

One Azkal that emerged as a crowd favorite is Iloilo-native Chieffy Caligdong. The Philippine Air Force winger went down hard in the 69th minute. He was carried out on a stretcher. It was a tense moment in the field, as Filipino fans have grown to know and love the pride of Barotac Nuevo. He came back to the field after three minutes. Everyone got to breathe again. 

In the bleachers, there was a whole section of Chieffy fans. These same fans are the ones who traveled to Panaad Stadium for the AFC Challenge Cup last February, with most of them coming from his hometown. 

At the end of the match, Chieffy joined the other players in giving out Azkals shirts to the fans. A policeman on the pitch asked for one. He wasn't successful. For Chieffy, it was all for the fans. It seems that in the end, he decided to keep one for himself. But one man in the Chieffy section of the bleachers shouted something to him. He came back. He didn't throw the last shirt. He personally handed it to the man who now has a story to tell to his children and grandchildren for a lifetime. 

Chieffy Caligdong has arrived. He seems to have evolved to become a symbol. With the influx of half-Filipinos in our national teams, some local Philippine team aspirants may feel that their chances of getting in may be slimmer. But here's Chieffy, proving to everyone that a locally born and raised athlete can come to play, even score the first goal to give his teammates the confidence to pour it on even more. Chieffy started, and his teammates responded, rewarding us all with a 4-0 win. 

Appreciation 

The boys went around the stadium to thank the crowd. It was a realization of dreams for so many. For the players like Ian Araneta, Aly Borromeo, and Chieffy Caligdong, this is what they have waited for all their lives. They've been playing far too long in dusty fields with sub-par upkeep, and now thousands of people cheer for them in an arena minutes away from home. It is a realization of dreams for the "halfies", too, who spent years playing in foreign lands. Now, they earn their international caps in their mothers’ homeland; now, they are heroes. Finally, it is a realization of dreams for the Filipino. In a time where there are so many things to complain about, we finally have something to cheer for. 

The fans went home soaked that day. They didn't really care. They patiently wait for July 28, when the Azkals will have their home game against Kuwait. Till then, we go on with our lives. We wait. We look forward to another shared Azkals experience because only then do we become one. -- OMG, GMA News

Are the Azkals for real?

CHEERED on by 13,000 screaming fans and playing on familiar ground the Philippine Azkals trounced Sri Lanka , 4-0, in a rain-soaked match at the Rizal Football Stadium to advance to the World Cup qualifier against Kuwait.

A few days ago the Azkals were held to a 1-1 tie in Sri Lanka.

Swashbuckling Chieffy Caligdog of the Philippine Air Force started the scoring spree by bouncing the ball off the left goalpost and into the net early in the first half. Later, Phil Younghusband eluded the Sri Lanka goalkeeper to slip another goal to push the team ahead, 2-0. And it was only the first half.

Just like the game in Sri Lanka the game was physical from the start until the end. Both Aly Borromeo and Stepahn Shrock were sent off after being issued their second Yellow Cards.

In the second half, Angel Aldeguer Guirado also eluded the over-eager Sri Lanka goal keeper, who challenged his attacker too early, to hike the score to 3-0 for the Philippines. Phil Younghusband finalized the score at 4-0, when he drove the ball just below the crossbar from a penalty kick.

RESULT: 4-Nil (5:1 Aggregate Score)

Round I: FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifyer

1^st Leg – Sugathadasa, Colombo

Sri Lanka	Matches	Philippines
(43') Chathura GUNARATHNA	1:1 (1:0)	(50') Nathaniel BURKEY

Officials

Referee: Tayeb SHAMSUZZAMAN

Assistant Referee 1: Mahabubur RAHMAN

Assistant Referee 2: Aminul RIPON

Fourth official: Abdul MIRON

2^nd Leg – Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila

Philippines	Matches	Sri Lanka
(19') Emelio CALIGDONG	4:0 (2:0)
(43' 57'PEN) Phil YOUNGHUSBAND
(51') Ángel GUIRADO

     Officials

Referee: KIM Sang Woo

Assistant Referee 1: JANG Jun Mo

Assistant Referee 2: YOON Kwangyeol

Fourth official: KO Hyungjin

AGGREGATE SCORE:

PHILIPPINES	Matches	SRI LANKA
5	:	1