Manila leg vs Sri Lanka: No more excuses for the Azkals

A day before the Azkals’ World Cup qualifying match against Sri Lanka at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium, Philippine men’s national coach Hans Michael Weiss admitted to the Azkals’ penchant for conceding goals via set pieces, saying that it is something that he will discuss with the team.

Meanwhile, fans hankering for changes in the Azkals’ strategy will have to wait until kickoff if Weiss will alter the strange lineup selection he made in Colombo, after a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw last Wednesday against the unheralded Brave Reds.

One sticking point is that left-back position, where attacking right-footed midfield Paul Mulders was deployed in the first game. His attacking skills are put to waste in defense and his instinctive forays to the midfield left gaping holes which Sri Lanka keenly exploited.

Veteran utilityman Roel Gener is available for selection for the left back slot, even though he is coming off bad performances in training camps in Germany. Playing Mulders and Stephan Schrock, who was excellent in the first game, in the midfield will be a considerable threat for the Azkals, and the back four will have more stability with Gener at left back.

The long ball strategy should seriously be reconsidered for the match. With the pitch in perfect condition, the Azkals’ passing game must be utilized to the hilt. And with technical players at our disposal, there is no reason for Coach Weiss not to utilize a more fluent passing game.

Up front, selection of brilliant individual players must not supercede selection of strikers who may have a better understanding with each other. Similarly, selection of half-fit “big name players” should not take precedence over other fitter players on the team. This means that the inclusion of injured strikers Phil Younghusband and Angel Guirado in the starting lineup should be reconsidered, while taking into account their potential impact as super subs off the bench.

Whoever scores the first goal is critical and could well determine the outcome of the tie. Needless to say, it is imperative that the Azkals not surrender an away goal to Sri Lanka. Doing so would not only give the Brave Reds a 2-1 aggregate lead, it would also give them a precious away goal.

It is precisely this reason that Coach Weiss must be prudent in his team selection. We should attack and use our technical ability by all means. But defensive solidity, until recently an Azkal trademark, should not be neglected, lest our coming out party as a football capital ends in tears.

Coming into the tie, almost everyone agreed that the Azkals were clearly the better side, and most predicted that over two legs, the Philippines would win handily against Sri Lanka. So far, the expected rout has not happened. It will be well for the Azkals to remind themselves that games are won on the pitch and not on paper.

On Sunday, one team’s World Cup dream will end three years early. For a country so suddenly passionate about football, we certainly hope the Azkals extend the honeymoon to the second round against Kuwait.

The Azkals owe the adoring public another chance to support the team with another home game come July 28, 2011. All odds are now stacked in their favor. There will be no more excuses left. It is time for the Azkals to get things done on the pitch.

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