MANILA, Philippines
- Philippine Azkals midfield spark plug Stephan Schröck returned to action in Germany
Saturday, helping Greuther Fürth defeat Dynamo Dresden, 1-0, at the Trolli
Arena.
Schrock
was deployed at left midfield by Greuther Fürth manager Michael Büskens in the
2. Bundesliga clash.
The
Filipino-German was the spearhead of several attacking plays and was unlucky to
miss several scoring chances.
With
the hosts pushing forward in the 18th minute, Schrock recieved a pass and
pulled off a strike that missed the target.
His
teammate, Olivier Occean, scored the game's lone goal off an assist from
Sebastian Tyrala in the 48th minute.
A
minute later, Dresden
were reduced to 10 men when Cristian Fiel was sent off for a foul.
Schrock
tried to increase Greuther Fürth's lead in the 51st minute but his shot was off
the mark.
The
visitors tried to launch a fightback but their efforts went for naught, even as
another Dresden
player, Pavel Fort, was given a red card in the 70th minute.
In
the 81st minute, Schrock looked set to ensure their win with a goal but his
shot was blocked by Dresden
defenders.
Greuther
Fürth boss Büskens rested Schrock in the 84th minute, bringing in Christian
Rahn to replace the Filipino-German.
The
24-year-old Schrock, whose roots are from Parang in North Cotabato, made his
international debut for the Azkals against Sri Lanka last June 29.
He
scored the Philippines' lone goal in the Azkals' 1-2 loss to Gulf powerhouse
Kuwait in the second leg of their FIFA World Cup qualifying tie at the Rizal
Memorial Stadium last June 28.
Greuther
Fürth are currently 4th in the 2. Bundesliga table, with 6 points from 3
matches and just a point off league leaders Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Before
the 2. Bundesliga match, Greuther Fürth were coming off a 10-0 demolition of
German 6th-tier league club Eimsbütteler TV in the opening round of the
2011-2012 DFB-Pokal cup competition.
Greuther
Fürth will travel to Paderborn's
Energieteam Arena for their next league match on August 13.
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
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.”
SMALL consolation, perhaps, but Goran Tufegdzic, the Serbian coach of Kuwait’s national football squad, which beat the Philippine Azkals, 2-1, gave the nationals high marks for their gritty stand last Thursday during their rain-soaked match at the Rizal Memorial football stadium.
The Azkals, who also bowed to the Kuwaitis in the first match of their two-game series for the second round of their 2014 World Cup qualifying match, 0-3, played their guts out before 13,000 screaming fans but failed to keep pace with the more skillful Kuwaitis.
“As you see, there were many chances for scoring (for the Philippines) in the first half. They made it tough for our team,” said Tufegdžic, who steered the Kuwaitis to the third round with an aggregate of 5-1.
A total of 14 countries throughout Asia made it to the next round during simultaneous matches played during the day, with Thailand and Singapore joining Indonesia as the only football squads from Southeast Asia making the grade.
Indonesia beat Turkmenistan, 4-3, in Jakarta and made it via a n a 5-4 aggregate, Singapore drew with Malaysia, 1-1, but the Singaporeans advanced on a 6-4 tally. Thailand also played Palestine to a 2-all draw, but the Thais qualified counting their 1-0 win in the first leg.
Tufegdžic said the Al-Azraqs had a difficult time adjusting to the rains brought by the recent typhoon, but relied on their poise and experience, especially after losing Fahad Al-Ebrahim, who was thrown out after receiving a red card.
The Azkals scored the first goal on Fil-German Stephan Schrock’s grounder at the third minute of injury time at the end of the first half.
But the Al-Azraqs scored two goals in succession, the first courtesy of a looping shot from Yousef Nasser, which sailed past the head of goalie Neil Etheridge in the 61st minute, and the second from Waleed Jumah, who stormed past an approaching Etheridge and rolled in Kuwait’s second marker in the 85th.
Tufegdžic said he hopes to see the Philippines making it past the second round in the next qualifying matches in 2015.
Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss said there were plenty of lessons learned in their series against the Kuwaitis.
“This game has been brutal and it shows how bitter and hard football can be. Hard lessons have been learned and taken. We have young players in the team. We have a good balance here. They can take this defeat. They have to take it because of the fact that we have to acknowledge that we have a very strong opponent,” said Weiss. by Peter Atencio
The eye-opening loss of the Philippine Azkals to the much higher-seeded Al-Asraq of Kuwait in the World Cup qualifiers served as a proper, albeit bitter gauge of the development of football in the country. True, at times it seemed like adolescents playing against adults, but let’s not be too disheartened. This is literally Year One of a developmental process that is teaching the Filipino sports fan to be patient.
“Disappointed, of course,” was how Azkals media bureau chief Rick Olivares described the feeling of the team after the match. “They knew it would be tough. Before the match, the players talked about it, and they said they were doing it for the people; they would go all-out, no matter what.”
Most people did not realize how seriously the Kuwaitis took the match, despite being up 3-nil from the first match. They made five line-up changes – which was unusual, which begot a very open match. The visitors were even disappointed with how spirited they allowed the Filipino players to be on their home turf. But they took the match to heart.
“When you’re playing a far superior team, it doesn’t matter where you’re playing,” Olivares continued. “Whether it’s a home pitch or an away pitch, they’ll find a way to score goals. When another team prepares for you, they take it to another level. We saw this in the Suzuki Cup against Indonesia.”
Mental lapses on the part of the Azkals allowed the Kuwaitis to score their first goal early in the second half and tie the score.
“The players lost focus for a moment, and they paid for it,” elaborated Bob Guerrero, who commentated on the match for ABS-CBN. “The second goal was forgivable.”
The Kuwaitis were privately generous in their praise of the Azkals, repeatedly reminding them to learn from this experience. One point they made was that when they qualified for the World Cup in 1982, they did it purely with homegrown players. But they wished the Philippine program luck.
“Right now, it’s impossible to field a competitive line-up without them,” Guerrero says. But in the next years, when we field a starting line-up, half of the players will be Fil-foreigners, half will be homegrown. We want to grow the game here, play more games in front of a home crowd. Some of the Kuwaiti players have played more than 100 international matches, and they’re only in their mid-20’s.”
But that would also mean playing together more, which the Fil-foreigners have not entirely been able to do. FIFA’s schedule for major international matches does not overlap with bigger club competitions (particularly in Europe) but in some of the smaller leagues and second-tier tournaments like the ones Stephan Schrock and Manny Ott play for in Germany, club teams may be reluctant to release players for national team outings in smaller tournaments.
The good news is that there are more tournaments in the works. After the team takes a two-week break, team management will convene to decide the next matches. One local sponsor is willing to pay for a short tournament in October, and a four-nation invitational is also on the drawing board, similar to the Asian Five Nations competitions in rugby. The United Football League is also expanding, and this will give younger players a career to aspire for. Thousands of players take up soccer in grade school and high school, but either stop or change sports because they don’t see a future in it. That has changed with the attention the Azkals have brought to the game, which hopefully will not wane while the team matures.
There’s more attention on football. More parents are getting their kids into the game,” Guerrero says, with a warning. “We shouldn’t just look for the next Phil Younghusband or Neil Etheridge. We should look for the next Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta. They are the ones who are going to take the game higher. This is a long process but we’ve come very far already.”
Indeed, there are some new football fans who have shown resentment, claiming they were taken for a ride. But the fact is that football, like many other sports, takes time to gestate. The fact of the matter is we drew blood against a team among the top 100 in the world. We have players who barely play each other, and a coach who has had less than a year on the job. In spite of that, the Azkals have never faltered, and have taken Philippine football higher than it ever has gone. And despite the outcome, the home match against Kuwait was an impressive, enjoyable show.
It’s time we, as fans who love high-scoring, instantly gratifying sports like basketball, boxing and billiards, to also grow up along with the Azkals, who find themselves fighting lions of the game, and never backing down. THE GAME OF MY LIFE By Bill Velasco(The Philippine Star)
THE 2-1 setback suffered by the Philippine Men’s Football National Team-Azkals last Thursday night and the 3-nil upset on an away game last Saturday in the hands of the much stronger Kuwait-Al Azraq squad only justified that the nationals are less prepared in the bid for the 2014 World Cup.
For a team with players playing together in less than a year, expectation should not be that high, compared to a squad that has bonded for several years. This was clearly seen during the match between the Azkals and Azraq.
The lack of familiarization among the Azkals has caused the squad’s numerous unsuccessful run during the match.
These were the observations of PFF-Suzuki U23 National Cup champion Negros-Ceres Team assistant coach Ramon Janeo.
He said that the Azkals lacked communication during the match.
“Hindi nila masyado kilala ang isa’t isa. Ito marahil ay dahil sa maiksing panahon sa pagbuo ng team,” Janeo theorized.
“So dapat ang gawin ng Philippine Football Federation is to plan a long term team preparation. Hindi ‘yong isang buwan na lang ang game o tournament, doon pa lang tayo mag-start sa pagbuo ng team,” Janeo stressed.
But Janeo commended the efforts of the Azkals during the Thursday match. “With regard to the team’s performance, ok naman kahit natalo because they played hard together,” he said.
On the other hand, Azkals media officer Rick Olivares disclosed that national team head coach Michael Weiss admitted during the post-game press conference that they have given Kuwait lots of space to score. Likewise, they were also concerned with Kuwait’s speed all series long.
Olivares further shared Weiss’ notes that if Phil Younghusband scored early and if Angel Guirado nailed that header, that would have been a very big boost. But they were unable to finish properly.
However, if Weiss was sparing in his praise, Kuwait was more effusive, Olivares said.
He reiterated that Kuwati forward Hamad Al-Enezi said that if the Azkals keep what they are doing, the Filipinos will be an Asian power in two or maybe four years. He said that the Azkals have the skills and the players and only need to keep them together.
The media officer also added that Kuwait coach Goran Tefugdzic admitted that it was a challenge playing the Philippines, adding, that the nationals gave them trouble in both Legs but their experience brought them to victory.
As of the moment, the focus of the national team will be the Under-23 squad which will compete in the Southeast Asian Games this coming November in Indonesia and the next phase of the AFC Challenge Cup.
Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on July 30, 2011.
For one fleeting moment, Filipino-German Stephan Schrock gave the Filipino nation something to celebrate and more reasons to continue believing in the Philippine national men's football team, despite the 1-2 loss (1-5 on aggregate) against Kuwait last night in the second leg of their second round World Cup Qualifying at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila .
Everyone who saw the match, those who watched it live in Rizal and those who were glued to their television sets, stood up in their seats and cheered as Schrock's powerful strike went inside the goal just before the referee whistled the end of the first half.
Twice beaten by the Kuwaitis and down by four goals on aggregate, the Azkals bidded their World Cup bid goodbye, at least for now.
The intense display of determination, much improved defense and exposure to high-level game fortified the Azkals for upcoming matches. The team is set to see action in the Long Teng Cup in Taipei this September against Hongkong, Macau , and host Chinese Taipei.
In last night's game, Kuwait showed its dominance with Al Sulaiman's equalizer in the 62 nd minute and Jumah's attack in the 84 th that resulted to an own-goal by Ray Johnnson.
The Kuwaitis controlled the tempo in the first half, getting two corners in the first four minutes but the Azkals aggressively defended their side and were awarded the early free kicks.
Phil Younghusband had an opportunity to score in the 15 th minute as he chase the ball down against Kuwaiti's defenders but his marker was anticipated by Al Khaldi.
Neil Etheridge also pulled off outstanding saves, deflecting Kuwait 's shots several times, including the one from Al Ataiqi in the 33 rd minute which he tipped onto the goal post.
Despite the loss, the Azkals' persistence and dogged defense strengthened the Filipinos faith in them as the overflowing crowd at the Rizal Stadium cheered them one even after the final whistle was blown.
“We believe signs” were seen in the bleachers as the fans gave the Azkals a standing ovation as they leave the pitch.*NAB
Phil Younghusband and the Azkals' World Cup dream ended at the hands of Kuwait, one of the best teams in Asia. InterAKTV/Hana Grace Belo
The Philippine national men’s football team lost to mighty Kuwait, 2-1, at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium on Thursday, ending the Azkals’ 2014 FIFA World Cup dream.
Al-Asraq advanced to the next round of qualifiers on account of its 5-1 aggregate victory over the Philippines in the tie, buoyed by its 3-0 victory in the first leg in Kuwait on Saturday.
In a deep hole to begin the game, the Azkals came out with guns ablaze, inspired by some 13,000 fans on hand to cheer on the country’s football darlings. But at every turn, the Filipinos were frustrated by the Kuwaitis, who just seemed bigger, quicker, and more skilled on the pitch.
Kuwait made good on coach Goran Tufegdzic’s promise not to play defensive football, keeping their attack up despite their aggregate cushion. Only the heroic goalkeeping of Neil Etheridge prevented the Azkals from getting into a bigger hole early in the game, after the Philippines’ back four had several lapses on defense.
The Gulf Cup and West Asian Cup champions seemed about ready to sit on a nil-nil score going into half-time, but the Azkals kept charging late in stoppage time in the first half. Chieffy Caligdong battled two defenders to keep the possession alive for Stephan Schrock, who blasted a 25-yard bomb that hit the back of the net, bringing the house down.
The Azkals looked visibly energized after the break, pressing on the attack. They caught a lucky break at the 58th minute when Kuwaiti midfield Fahad Al-Ebrahim was sent off after getting his second yellow card, leaving Al-Asraq with just ten men on the field.
But hopes of a Philippine comeback were dashed by Kuwaiti star Yousef Naser, who struck a long bomb past Etheridge just three minutes later.
Needing to score four goals to win, the Azkals tried to move forward with the attack, but repeatedly came up empty-handed. The strategy backfired on the Filipinos as Kuwait’s Waleed Jumah scored on a counter-attack to put the game out of reach.
Despite the loss, the Azkals acquainted themselves well, hanging with one of the best teams in Asia and nearly pulling off a draw.
“I want to congratulate my team on a fantastic effort,” said Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss. “The Philippines has a lot of potential. Give us a little more time.”
The Rizal Memorial crowd seemed to agree, and continued to shower their players love long after the final whistle sounded, ready to cheer on the Azkals once more in their next outing.
By
FRANCIS SANTIAGO MANILA, Philippines — The Kuwait Football
Association (KFA) has threatened to pull out its national team from the 2014
World Cup qualifying tournament following a dispute with its government over
funding, according to newspaper reports.
Quoting the non-English daily newspaper
Al-Mustaqbal, the Arab Times reported Wednesday that KFA chairman Sheikh Talal
Al-Fahd made the threat after the Kuwaiti government stopped supporting the
association.
Reached for reaction, Philippine Football Federation
president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said he doesn’t think the Kuwaitis will
forfeit their match against the Azkals which starts on July 23 (July 24 in Manila) at the Qadisiya
Sports Club in Hawally.
The second match is set five days later at the Rizal
Memorial stadium.
The Azkals have set up training camp in Bahrain to prepare for their second round match
against the Al-Azraq, Kuwait’s
monicker.
Meanwhile, the International Football Federation
(FIFA), football’s highest governing body, deferred action on the PFF’s appeal
with regards to the suspension of Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock.
FIFA said it cannot act on the appeal without the
endorsement of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)..
Borromeo, the Azkals skipper, and Fil-German Shrock,
an important piece in the midfield, are barred from playing in the first leg
against Kuwait after getting
their second yellow cards during home match against Sri Lanka in the first round nearly
two weeks ago.
Two yellow cards merit automatic suspension.
The AFC had earlier told the PFF to lodge the appeal
before the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
But FIFA, in a letter signed by Mark Caballero, head
of the Discipline and Governance Committee, said the appeal should come from
the governing confederation.
“What we’ll try to do is write AFC again, and
hopefully we can get their endorsement,” Araneta said.
Unlike the Azkals who had to overcome Sri Lanka in the first round, Al-Azraq, a Middle East power is seeded in the second round.
Azkals coach Michael Weiss admits the team will be a
heavy underdog, but promised to pull off an upset against the 10-time Gulf Cup
champions who made it to the World Cup finals in 1982
Manila, Philippines - Still keeping its hope up that
the suspension on Azkals Aly Borromeo and Stephan Schrock will be lifted for
their July 23 match with Kuwait, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF)
made a renewed appeal to the International Football Federation (Fifa) through
theAsian Football Confederation (AFC).
This after Filipino officials got a letter from Fifa
director of legal affairs Marco Villiger and head of disciplinary governance
Marc Cavaliero, telling them that Fifa couldn’t
act on appeal yet since it was filed by the PFF instead of a confederation, in
this case, the AFC.
“According to Fifa, it should be the AFC that should
make the appeal. So we already wrote the AFC, through general secretary Alex
Soosay, to appeal on our behalf, and they said they will endorse it to the
Fifa,” PFF president Nonong Araneta told The STAR yesterday.
“We’re keeping our fingers crossed (that the said
penalties won’t be carried over in the second round against Kuwait),”
Araneta added.
The PFF is asking the Fifa for consideration on the
two cumulative yellow cards slapped on Borromeo and Schrock in the first round
of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Asian
Qualifiers against Sri Lanka.
The subsequent one-game ban has left a huge hole in the Azkals’ midfield
against second round rival Kuwait
in their away leg on July 23.
“Kuwait
isn’t subject to some risk of sanctions since they did not play in the first
round like us. They would field an intact lineup and it would be fair for us if
we’ll be able to field an intact lineup, too,” Araneta said.
While awaiting Fifa’s action on their appeal,
Borromeo and the rest of Azkals left for Manama,
Bahrain yesterday via Hong
Kong for their final buildup for the Kuwait series.
The Azkals are scheduled to play two friendlies
against Bahrain’s under-23
Olympic squad tonight at the National Stadium in Riffa and Monday night at the
Muharraq Club stadium in Arad.
“Bahrain
will be the ultimate test. We don’t have so much luxury of time, we’ll be going
to Kuwait
on 20th. We have to work on our game in general,” Azkals coach Michael Weiss
said in a TV interview on the eve of their departure.
