Football
After Sri Lanka draw, Azkals still seeking first World Cup qualifying win
Chieffy Caligdong gave the Sri Lankans a lot of trouble with his play. Photo by Craig Burrows.
The Philippines may have only managed a draw with Sri Lanka on Wednesday but there are still many positives to take out of the game. The 1-1 draw with Sri Lanka is only the country’s second draw in the World Cup qualifiers ever, where its record stands unimpressively at eight losses and two draws.
The score is a copy of the last match the Philippines played in the World Cup qualifiers, when it drew with Laos 1-1 in 2001. Previously, the Philippines had lost five games in the group stage before that draw, conceding twenty nine goals including a 12-0 hammering by Syria.
This record, however, is in the process of a huge shift. The Philippines hasn’t competed in the World Cup qualifiers since 2001 but ten years later the team looks completely different thanks to the work of Manager Dan Palami and Coach Michael Weiss.
The Philippines is starting to become excited about football and the beautiful game is taking off in the country. So much so that while a draw would have been very respectable in 2001, the same result against Sri Lanka today isn’t considered good enough. Indeed, the last time Sri Lanka and the Philippines faced each other was in 1996, also in World Cup qualifiers, when Sri Lanka walked away with a 3-0 victory. Now, the Filipinos seem more likely to win by that scoreline.
Coach Michael Weiss has brought in a more disciplined look to the team and this is clearly showing in the organization and cohesion of the team. The success on the pitch is being followed off it, with tickets selling out for the return leg in Rizal Memorial Stadium within hours.
In Sri Lanka, too, almost 1,000 Filipinos came to cheer on the Azkals. Until the first goal by Sri Lanka, it seemed as if there were only Filipinos in the crowd with Azkals fans cheering and chanting, proud of their fellow countrymen – and with every reason to be proud too.
One great positive from the game was Stephan Schrock’s man of the match performance which saw him burst past several opponent and play in the strikers with pin-point through balls. Chieffy Caligdong also showed his class, swinging in several corners and free-kicks which troubled the Sri Lankan defense. On a much better pitch, the Azkals can raise their game and play passes previously difficult on the rough terrain of the Sugathadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka.
The bad news, however, is they may be without both starting strikers, Angel Guirado and Phil Younghusband, who both struggled during the game against Sri Lanka. Captain Aly Borromeo is also questionable for the return leg.
The Spanish-based Guirado, who showed his ability in the last Azkals international match by scoring twice in the 3-0 victory over Bangladesh, is reported to have iliotibial band friction syndrome, a condition which may take some time to heal, but this is not certain. Phil Younghusband also suffered a strain in his hamstring, different to the one which kept him out of the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, and is uncertain for the game on Sunday. Borromeo picked up a knock, seemingly spraining his ankle and limping after the game.
The Philippines must raise its spirits after a lackluster draw, but this is a familiar position for the Azkals. In the AFC Challenge Cup qualifications, the team drew with Burma and then Palestine before upping their game to qualify with a convincing win over Bangladesh.
The Azkals will also be playing in front of 13,000 home fans, cheering their every pass and move with a devoted section of fans, known as the Kaholeros, leading the chants. This is perhaps a better place to see the team win their first World Cup match, rather than celebrating abroad, and so the scene is set for what could be a perfect moment which will go down in Philippine football history.
