The Fix
Handing out awards for the Azkals-Indonesia friendly
InterAKTV/Roy Afable
Here are some awards for the Philippines’ 2-2 draw against Indonesia on Tuesday night:
Man of the Match (Indonesia)
Just as he did two years ago in Jakarta, winger Oktovianus Maniani tormented our fullbacks mercilessly on the night. His speed and diagonal runs troubled our back four. Starting on the left wing, he switched flanks in the second half to the right where he bamboozled Dennis Cagara for a cross that gave Merah Putih the lead. Only 21 years old, he will be a force for Indonesia in years to come.
Man of the Match (Philippines)
Manny Ott provided stability in the Azkals’ midfield and, until he was sent off late in the game, was a calming presence in the side. His much anticipated central partnership with fellow Filipino-German Stephan Schrock looms as possibly the best midfield combination for the team at the moment, with Schrock playing marauding midfielder to Ott’s more holding role. His maturity belies the fact that he just turned 20 years old last May.
Moment of the Match
Azkals coach Hans Weiss being asked to put on a bright neon colored warm-up bib, as apparently his choice of shirt for the day mirrored the Azkals colors too much. After initially struggling to put on the bib that was obviously two sizes smaller, he put the darned thing in front of his shirt, much like how a proper bib should be worn. Surely a cringe-worthy Kodak moment for the Weiss family.
Moan of the Match
Indonesian goalkeeper Markus Maulana surely deserves an Oscar award for the sheer number of times he was “injured” in the match. His exasperating histrionics mirrored his performance in the Suzuki Cup against the Azkals, but tellingly this time it was borne out of cynicism more than anything else. Actions speak louder than words, and even when Merah Putih were one man up, he still deemed it the better option to waste time instead of going for the winning goal. Surely a tell-tale sign that Indonesia, albeit grudgingly, respect our nation’s footballing prowess.
Moan of the Match, II
Those overzealous security people in the upper grandstands who ask the crowd to sit down when the fans stood up to cheer for the team (or boo the opponents). Surely they should let fans enjoy the moment rather than killing the mood by asking fans to sit down. Perhaps it is high time someone remind these misinformed people that we were not watching Titanic on 3D.
Ryan Fenix is InterAKTV’s resident football analyst. His football column Rampaging Fullback appears exclusively on the site. He runs the football blog The Prawn Sandwich Brigade and covers football for AKTV on IBC. For more football discussion, follow him on Twitter.
